Jon Hamm comes full circle, hosting NFL Honors 15 years after attending inaugural ceremony

SAN FRANCISCO — When Jon Hamm first attended the NFL Honors, the league's annual awards show was still finding its footing. It was a relatively new addition to Super Bowl week that had yet to fully define what it would become.

Now, the Emmy-winning actor will take the stage as host as the NFL Honors mark their 15th anniversary on Thursday night in San Francisco. The show, airing on NBC and NFL Network, will serve as a capstone to the season just days before the Super Bowl.

''They didn't really know what it was going to be, but it was fun,'' Hamm said Wednesday after rehearsals at the Palace of Fine Arts. The actor said he enjoyed watching Alec Baldwin host the first-ever ceremony in 2012.

Hamm brings an extensive hosting experience to the role, having previously led shows ranging from Saturday Night Live to the ESPYs. But he said the NFL Honors require a specific approach.

''We're not trying to break new ground in comedy or make anything that's going to offend anybody,'' said Hamm, who won a 2015 Primetime Emmy for his portrayal of Don Draper on AMC's ''Mad Men.'' He's also appeared in projects including ''30 Rock,'' ''The Morning Show" and now the Apple TV Plus series ''Your Friends & Neighbors.''

''We're here to celebrate the players and their season and then push everybody into a good mood ... I think it's going to be a pretty good Super Bowl,'' he said.

Hamm said the NFL Honors have grown into something meaningful for players across the league, especially those whose accomplishments are not always tied to postseason success. He pointed to standout individual achievements that still deserve recognition.

The NFL Honors have evolved into a night players anticipate, Hamm said, in part because of the rare opportunity it gives them to gather in one place.

''They're in a room with their peers. Everybody knows everybody,'' he said. ''They only play 17, 18 games. … It's nice for them to get celebrated the way they should.''

A lifelong football fan, Hamm grew up in St. Louis following the Cardinals and Rams before later rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs. Hosting the ceremony, he said, means stepping back from team allegiances.

''It's not about one team,'' Hamm said. ''It's about honoring the season.''

Beyond football, Hamm said Super Bowl week reflects a larger cultural moment, including the rise of global music stars such as Bad Bunny, who is set to headline the Super Bowl halftime show after coming off a major Grammys night — where his project ''Debí Tirar Más Fotos'' won album of year. It's the first time an all Spanish-language album has taken home the top prize.

''He was beautifully eloquent. … He's a very intelligent guy. He's a wonderful artist, number one streamed artist in the world for a reason,'' he said. ''He's smart enough to realize that engagement is the key. So I applaud him as an artist and as a fellow Pisces and a fellow March 10 birthday man. He's a good dude.''

As the NFL Honors celebrate their milestone year, Hamm said the night is ultimately about bringing people together before the Super Bowl matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. He said the ceremony is a gathering point during the week.

''The appetizer,'' he said. ''That's what it is.''

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