Florida football legend [autotag]Tim Tebow[/autotag] will appear on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year, it was announced on Monday. He joins other newcomers Alex Smith and Ryan Leaf in the running for the prestigious honor, which includes 80 players and nine coaches from the FBS, as well as 96 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks in total.
The vote will tally the takes of more than 12,000 National Football Foundation members and current Hall of Famers who were sent email ballots with a deadline of June 30 to submit their votes. Once the final numbers are established, the NFF’s Honors Court – chaired by NFF board member and College Football Hall of Famer Archie Griffin — selects the induction class based on the results.
Tim Tebow is a legend not just in Gainesville but in college football as a whole. Inarguably one of the greatest to ever play on the collegiate gridiron, the two-way play-caller led the Gators to a pair of national championships while also picking up a Heisman Trophy along the way — and was not far off from earning at least another. The Jacksonville, Florida, product was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year three times and set 28 school records during his time wearing the Orange and Blue.
Also included on the ballot are former Gators defensive tackle [autotag]Brad Culpepper[/autotag] and running back [autotag]Errict Rhett[/autotag], the latter of whom still holds the all-time record for career rushing yards at Florida.
It seems very likely that beloved Gator will be a first-ballot selection into the hall. Florida fans will have to wait with bated breath for the results until early 2023 when the newest inductees are announced.
Florida Hall of Fame players
(By year inducted)
1975: E Dale Van Sickel (1927-29)
1986: QB Steve Spurrier (1964-66); inducted as coach in 2017
1992: DE Jack Youngblood (1968-70)
2006: RB Emmitt Smith (1987-89)
2008: LB Wilber Marshall (1980-83)
2011: WR Carlos Alvarez (1969-71)
2013: QB Danny Wuerffel (1993-96)
2015: WR Wes Chandler (1974-77)
2020: OL Lomas Brown (1981-84)
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