BUTLER TWP — Art Bernardi and Mike Kelly are forever linked.

Kelly, now a U.S. congressman, was a lineman for Bernardi during the latter’s early years as Butler High School football coach. Kelly went on to play football at Notre Dame.

In later years, Bernardi and Kelly were inducted into the now Butler County Sports Hall of Fame in 1979 and 1999, respectively. They found their way into the Butler Area School District Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010 and 2012.

This spring, the duo will gain induction into their respective portions of the Minor Pro Football Hall of Fame at the Senator John Heinz History Center and Sports Museum in Pittsburgh.

“When I heard Mike was going to be inducted, too, I couldn’t believe it,” Bernardi said. “I’m so excited about that.”

The induction ceremonies will take place at 11 a.m. April 25 at the sports museum facility on Smallman Street.

Kelly will be this year’s Ray Mansfield Memorial Hall of Fame inductee. He is going in for significant contributions to Butler County and the United States of America.

A 1966 Butler graduate, Kelly was an All-WPIAL and second team all-state lineman his senior year. He was teammates with eventual Steeler quarterback Terry Hanratty at Butler and Notre Dame.

Kelly referred to his years as a youth in Butler as “a magical time” and said they could have “scripted a movie” around Butler football during those years.

Bernardi is entering the Football Coaches Hall of Fame. Joining him in this year’s induction class are former Braddock High School coach Chuck Klausing, Beaver High School coach Pat Tarquinio and Aliquippa coach Don Yanessa.

“Those guys are my friends, my peers,” Bernardi said. “I coached against them. We had some great games in those days.”

Bernardi was head coach at Butler from 1961 through 1985, compiling a record of 179-64-7. He guided the Golden Tornado to nine WPIAL playoff appearances, three runner-up finishes and the 1977 WPIAL co-championship.

Three of Bernardi’s teams — 1963, 1965 and 1977 — finished the regular season undefeated.

This will be the seventh Hall of Fame in which Bernardi is gaining induction. Besides the Butler and Butler County HOFs, he belongs to the National High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame (2004), Pa. Scholastic Football Coaches Hall of Fame (1991), Western Chapter of the Pa. Sports Hall of Fame (1988) and Thiel College Sports Hall of Fame (1983).

“I’m thrilled by all of this, humbled by it,” Bernardi said. “The staff I worked with and the players I had ... I was just fortunate to be where I was at the time.”