Shrine Bowl announces Hall of Fame class of 2026
The Kansas Shrine Bowl has announced the four member Hall of Fame Class of 2026 to be inducted Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at the Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame ceremony during the Coach Bill Snyder Family/Sunflower Chapter National Football Foundation Banquet in Lawrence, Kansas. Additional event details and ticketing information will be announced soon.
The Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame Class of 2026 includes:
• Gary Davis, 19-time Kansas Shrine Bowl Official
• Phil Miller, Kapaun Mt. Carmel H.S., Kansas Shrine Bowl West All-Star (1974)
• Warren Seitz, Topeka West H.S./Nemaha Central H.S., Kansas Shrine Bowl East All-Star (1981), 3-time Kansas Shrine Bowl Coach (1999, 2017, 2018 Head Coach)
• Travis Stepps, Fort Scott H.S., Kansas Shrine Bowl East All-Star (1997)
The Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame was established for the purpose of honoring those individuals who have gained recognition and fame for themselves and the Kansas Shrine Bowl because of their endeavors and accomplishments both on and off the football field. The Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame includes 36 inductees, with the 2026 class soon to join. To learn more about the Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame visit www.KansasShrineBowl.com/HallofFame.
The 2026 Hall of Fame inductees will also be honored at the 53rd Kansas Shrine Bowl on Saturday, June 27, 2026, in Emporia.
The Shrine Bowl of Kansas Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that produces annual events and related activities, with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Children’s Hospital. The Shrine Bowl of Kansas Inc. is the official fundraiser for Shriners Children’s in the state of Kansas. Shriners Children’s is a world-renowned healthcare system with hospitals, outpatient clinics, ambulatory care centers and outreach locations across the globe. Shriners Children’s is dedicated to improving the lives of children every day by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to the age of 18 are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay.
Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame Class of 2026
PHIL MILLER – West All-Star, Kapaun Mt. Carmel H.S. (1974)
• Played in the first Kansas Shrine Bowl in 1974 as a West All-Star from Kapaun Mt. Carmel H.S.
• Held the Kansas Shrine Bowl single game records for passes completed (17), passing yards (256), and passing touchdowns (2) for 50 years from 1974 until 2024 when all three records were finally broken
• In 2024, he established the Paul & Lucy Miller Outstanding Impact Award, to honor his parents, which provides an annual scholarship to each of the top overall fundraisers on the Kansas Shrine Bowl East and West teams
• Following his Senior season at Kapaun Mt. Carmel was named 3A first-team all-state and first-team All-City Wichita
• Played at Garden City Community College (1974-75), where he was a two-time All-Jayhawk Conference Quarterback and Honorable Mention All-America
• Led Southeast Missouri State to the 1978 MIAA Championship
• Established a successful entrepreneurial career in Texas and Ohio where he leads over 225 employees
TRAVIS STEPPS – East All-Star, Fort Scott H.S. (1997)
• Played in the 1997 Kansas Shrine Bowl as an East All-Star from Fort Scott H.S.
• Led Fort Scott H.S. to an undefeated, 13-0, 1996 4A State Championship; the first football state championship in Fort Scott school history
• Named 4A All-State and All-Class Super 11 after rushing for 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns in 1996
• A two-time All-America defensive back at Pittsburg State University
• A four-time All-MIAA selection at Pittsburg State University, including first-team honors his final two seasons
• Posted seven career interceptions and ranked second all-time at Pittsburg State University with 28 career pass breakups
• Averaged 28.2 yards per kickoff return and 9.9 yards per punt return for his career
• Began his coaching career in 2002 as a graduate assistant at Washburn University before becoming an assistant coach at Southern Illinois University from 2004-2015
• Currently in his 10th season as an assistant coach at the University of North Dakota
• Involved off the field with the Turtle Mountain Animal Shelter, UND Champions Club and Hope Church Grand Forks
WARREN SEITZ – East All-Star, Topeka West H.S. (1981), KSB Coach, Topeka West (1999), Nemaha Central (2017, 2018*) *Head Coach
• Played in the 1981 Kansas Shrine Bowl as an East All-Star from Topeka West H.S.
• Coached three times in the Kansas Shrine Bowl, as an assistant coach in 1999 from Topeka West H.S., as an assistant coach in 2017 from Nemaha Central H.S. and as the winning Head Coach of the 2018 East team from Nemaha Central
• Coached 17 players who were selected for the Kansas Shrine Bowl
• Continues to be a regular Kansas Shrine Bowl advocate through financial support, as a keynote speaker at Arab Shrine Center, and Kansas Shrine Bowl East camp guest speaker.
• Three-year letterwinner at the University of Missouri
• Played in the 1985 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama
• Drafted in the 10th round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers as a Tight End
• Played for legendary NFL coaches Chuck Noll (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Bill Parcells (New York Giants)
• Played in the Canadian Football League for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
• Began his teaching/coaching career at Highland Park H.S. in Topeka before becoming an assistant coach at Topeka West H.S., where he was later named Head Coach in 1993
• Head Coach at Topeka West H.S. for 15 seasons, including a State Championship appearance in 2002
• Spent three years at Moberly H.S. in Missouri before returning to Kansas as the Athletic Director/Head Football Coach at Nemaha Central H.S.
• Led Nemaha Central H.S. to their first ever football state championship in 2019, as well as two state semifinals (2016, 2020)
• Named the 2019 Kansas 2A Coach of the Year, All-Class Coach of the Year and Region 5 Coach of the Year
• Compiled an overall record of 84-24 in his 10 seasons at Nemaha Central H.S. before finishing his coaching career at Versailles H.S. in Missouri from 2021-2024
• Inducted into the Topeka West H.S. Hall of Fame and the Shawnee County Hall of Fame
GARY DAVIS – Official, (2004-2024)
• Officiated in 19 Kansas Shrine Bowl games, the most all-time for any official
• Volunteered as the Coordinator of Officials for the Kansas Shrine Bowl from 2018-2024
• Graduated from Chetopa H.S. in 1975 and Pittsburg State University in 1979
• Began his teaching/coaching career in Oswego H.S. in 1979
• Named the 1994 Kansas 1A-3A Baseball Coach of the Year & Joplin Globe Area Baseball Coach of the Year
• Began his officiating career in 1992
• Officiating career includes 13 Kansas High School State Softball Tournaments and two 4A Kansas High School State Football Championships
• Named the 2018 NFHS Football Official of the Year
• Inducted into the Chetopa H.S. Hall of Fame in 2022