Longtime Minnesota Vikings center Mick Tingelhoff will finally get his day at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Turns out the current Vikings will be joining him.
Minnesota was selected to play in the annual Hall of Fame game, the preseason opener played on induction weekend. The Vikings will play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the game Aug. 9 in Canton, Ohio.
"This is a tremendous honor for our organization to be featured in the Hall of Fame game," Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer said in a release. "It will give our players and coaches an extra week to prepare for the regular season and an additional opportunity for us to evaluate our roster. Pairing the game with Mick going into the Hall of Fame, it will be a special weekend for the Minnesota Vikings and our fans."
Tingelhoff was elected to the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame class as a veteran nominee. A six-time All-Pro center for the Vikings, Tingelhoff will be the 13th player in franchise history to be inducted.
Minnesota's opponent will also be honoring a new member of the Hall of Fame. Former Pittsburgh running back Jerome Bettis is part of the 2015 class, which includes Tim Brown, Charles Haley, Bill Polian, Junior Seau, Will Shields and Ron Wolf.
The induction is scheduled for Aug. 8, with the game the following day being broadcast nationally at 7 p.m. on NBC's Sunday Night Football.
"We are tremendously excited about the opportunity to kick off the 2015 NFL preseason on a national stage," Vikings owner and president Mark Wilf said in the release. "This trip will give our young team a chance to appreciate the many players and individuals who have made the game what it is today."
Minnesota will make its fourth appearance in the Hall of Fame game and first since 1997 when the Vikings beat the Seattle Seahawks. Minnesota played in the game, which began in 1962, in 1970 and 1982.
The game opens the 2015 preseason and will allow the Vikings to begin training camp a week early in Zimmer's second season as coach.
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