Paul Tagliabue | |
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![]() Tagliabue in August 2002 | |
5th Commissioner of the NFL | |
In office November 5, 1989 – September 1, 2006 | |
Preceded by | Pete Rozelle |
Succeeded by | Roger Goodell |
Personal details | |
Born | Paul John Tagliabue November 24, 1940 Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
Spouse | Chandler Minter (m. 1965) |
Relations |
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Children |
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Parents |
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Residence(s) | Chevy Chase, Maryland, U.S. |
Alma mater | Georgetown University New York University School of Law |
American football career |
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Paul John Tagliabue (/ˈtæɡliəbuː/; born November 24, 1940) is an American lawyer who was the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL). He took the position in 1989 and served until September 1, 2006.[1] He had previously served as a lawyer for the NFL.[2]
During his commissionership, the NFL added four new franchises, while keeping the Saints in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, while four franchises moved cities. Tagliabue successfully postponed games following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and took a hardline stance against the state of Arizona for failing to recognize a state holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr. by moving Super Bowl XXVII to California, and established the World League of American Football in 1989. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of its Centennial Class of 2020, and formally enshrined on August 7, 2021.
In addition to his NFL career, Tagliabue also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Georgetown University from 2009 to 2015.[3]