Tag: college football hall of fame

ESPN Names Jimmy Clausen Notre Dame’s Most Hyped Recruit

ESPN+ subscribers got a treat Thursday when Tom VanHaaren released a list of the most hyped recruits from ESPN’s Way Too Early Top 25.

ESPN+ subscribers got a treat Thursday when Tom VanHaaren released a list of the most hyped recruits in recent years from ESPN’s Way Too Early Top 25. The list goes back to the 2007 recruiting class. At No. 10, Notre Dame qualifies for this list.

In the Irish’s case, you have go back to the earliest recruiting class used for this list to find their most hyped prospect. The name that was drawn could qualify for both this and a most overrated recruit list. That happens when your name is Jimmy Clausen.

Clausen’s entry begins by mentioning how he announced his commitment to Notre Dame by getting out of a limo at the College Football Hall of Fame with a 2000s hairdo and his high school state championship rings. Since he was ranked eighth in his recruiting class, he must have felt he earned the right to do that. As it turned out, he had Johnny Manziel’s personality but never anything close to a Heisman Trophy season.

Over Clausen’s three years in South Bend, the Irish went 16-21, though he wasn’t the only reason for that and not even as horrible as some might remember. Regardless, his hopes as a first-round NFL pick were dashed, and his parting image with the program was a black eye from a sucker punch by a fan. At least he knew how to go out in style, even if it wasn’t pretty.

Champ Bailey among 4 ex-Broncos nominated for College Football Hall of Fame

Champ Bailey is among four ex-Broncos players who were nominated for the College Football Hall of Fame.

The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced 177 players and 40 coaches nominated for the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame class on Tuesday.

Former Georgia cornerback Champ Bailey headlines the list of ex-Broncos players who are on this year’s ballot. Bailey is joined by Hawaii kicker Jason Elam, Stanford wide receiver Ed McCaffrey and Tennessee linebacker Al Wilson.

Denver’s defensive line coach, Bill Kollar (Montana State defensive end), was also nominated for college football’s 2021 Hall of Fame class.

Bailey spent time at cornerback, wide receiver and returner while with the Bulldogs, helping Georgia win the Peach Bowl in 1998. After earning consensus first-team All-American honors, Bailey was selected by the Redskins with the seventh overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft.

Five years later, Washington traded Bailey to the Broncos and he went on to become one of the greatest players in franchise history. During his 15-year career, Bailey earned 12 Pro Bowl nods and seven All-Pro selections.

A member of the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade Team and the Broncos’ 50th Anniversary Team, Bailey was added to the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year. He totaled 908 tackles, three sacks and 52 interceptions in the NFL.

[vertical-gallery id=642240]

Will Steve Hutchinson be inducted into another Hall of Fame in 2021?

Former Seattle Seahawks guard Steve Hutchinson was a great college player, and deserves enshrinement into the College Football Hall of Fame.

It took longer than it probably should have, but former Seattle Seahawks guard Steve Hutchinson finally heard his name called for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the class of 2020.

However, Hutch could make it two years in a row getting inducted into a Hall of Fame, as he is one of eight players with ties to the Seattle Seahawks who is on the 99-player ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021.

Hutchinson initially joined the Seahawks as the 17th overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft out of the University of Michigan.

While there, Hutch earned a ton of accolades; which included being named a unanimous first team All-American in 2000, and being one of just seven players in conference history to be named first-team All-Big Ten four times.

Hutch also helped lead the Wolverines to four Bowl victories, including a National Championship win in the 1997 Rose Bowl – his freshman season.

Hutchinson finally earned his enshrinement into the Pro Hall of Fame, and now it is time for the College Football Hall of Fame to follow suit and acknowledge that one of the best guards to ever play the game in the NFL was just as elite, if not moreso, at the collegiate level.

[lawrence-related id=64290]

Complete list of Ohio State football players in the College Football Hall of Fame

Ohio State has an illustrious history in college football. Here’s a complete list of all the Buckeyes in the College Football Hall of Fame.

The latest College Football Hall of Fame ballot has been released by the National Football Foundation and it includes three nominees from Ohio State. It got us thinking about all the players that donned the scarlet and gray already enshrined in Atlanta, and we felt obligated to publish a list of all of them.

With the addition of former running back Keith Byars last year, there is now a whopping 26 former Buckeyes that are a part of all the fun, and we’ve decided to roll them out for your scanning pleasure.

So, without further delay, here are all of the OSU players that will forever be a part of the lore of the College Football Hall of Fame, in chronological order of when they were inducted.

Forgive us for the ones we simply couldn’t or don’t have the ability to post photos of because of the age.

First up … He put Ohio State football on the map

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11, Page 12, Page 13, Page 14, Page 15, Page 16, Page 17, Page 18, Page 19, Page 20, Page 21, Page 22, Page 23, Page 24, Page 25, Page 26, Page 27

Pair of Notre Dame Greats Among College Football HOF Finalists

Notre Dame has the most players enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame and may be getting a pair more this year. Find out more here!

No school has more College Football Hall of Famers than Notre Dame with 44.

USC checks in second with 30, Michigan third with 25 and Ohio State has seen 23 enshrined.

Now Notre Dame has a chance to add a couple more names to that list as two former Irish greats are among the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame finalists that were announced on Tuesday.

Bob Golic starred at linebacker for the Irish from 1975-78 and to this day has the second most tackles in Notre Dame football history with 479.  His 26 tackles against Michigan in 1978 remain the most ever by an Irish player in a single game.  Golic helped Notre Dame to a national championship in 1977 and returned to become a unanimous First-Team All-American and Lombardi Award finalist in 1978.  Golic played for the Patriots, Browns and Oilers during his NFL career that spanned from 1979-1992, earning three Pro Bowl appearances along the way.

Legendary Notre Dame offensive lineman Aaron Taylor is the other finalist.  Taylor was the best member of a road-grading offensive line on the ’92 and ’93 teams, earning All-American honors both seasons and winning the Lombardi Award in ’93.  He helped guide Notre Dame to four straight bowl games and nearly capped his college career with a 1993 national championship before being selected in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.

Raghib “Rocket” Ismail is the most recent Notre Dame player to earn selection into the College Football Hall of Fame, doing so in the 2019 class.

For the criteria for Hall of Fame consideration, click ahead…

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

2021 College Football Hall Of Fame Ballot Released: Ranking The Candidates

The 2020 College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the 2021 class has been released. How do all the legends on the ballot ranked?

[jwplayer PkCtjTd4-boEY74VG]

The 2020 College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the 2021 class has been released highlighted by Michael Bishop, Carson Palmer, Bob Stoops, and other legends to choose from.

Ranking All Players On The 2021 Hall of Fame Ballot

2021 Hall of Fame Ballot Rankings
Hall of the Very Good | Hall of Maybe
Probably Should Be In | No-Doubters (Top 15)
Coaches

The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today the names on the 2021 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, including 78 players and seven coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision.

So who really deserves to be in?

The massive list of nominees from the NFF is always interesting, and sometimes a bit puzzling. Even more strange is how some players aren’t automatic slam dunks.

I believe in the Danny Ocean to Linus Caldwell approach to the Hall of Fame. Either you’re in or you’re out. Right now.

A Hall of Famer should be obvious, and it’s not just about name recognition. A player’s popularity doesn’t mean he had all-timer of an impact on the sport or was one of the true greats. Perspective is needed, eras and systems have to be considered, and there should be some test of time.

NFL production doesn’t matter in any way, shape or form – this is the COLLEGE Football Hall of Fame – and other factors shouldn’t matter at all. Being worthy of the Hall should only be about what happened on the field during that player’s college career.

Really … who were the best of the all-time best players?

Welcome to a ranking of all player FBS nominees and coaches based on how much they deserve to be in. A few things to keep in mind before going forward.

1. I know I’m supposed to care if a player was a NFF Scholar-Athlete, but I don’t.

2. Win a Heisman, get in the Hall. That should be an automatic.

3. If you have to make a case why a player deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, he probably doesn’t deserve to be in.

Not only do voters have to take into account all the different eras and all the different aspects of the game’s evolution, but there are also the rules to deal with.

According to the National Football Foundation, to shorten and sum up the criteria:

1. A player has to have been a First Team All-American on a list recognized by the NCAA. No Joe Montana.

2. He’s eligible ten years after his final year of playing.

3. Post-career citizenship is factored into the voting, and an extra boost is given to those who earned a degree. O.J. Simpson is still in.

4. Players must have played within the last 50 years. So to be eligible for the 2020 class, the player had to have finished his career by 1971.

5. A coach is eligible three years after retiring or if he’s older than 70, and active coaches are eligible after age 75. He had to be a head coach for at least ten years and had to have coaches at least 100 games with a .600 minimum winning percentage.

NEXT: Hall of the Very, Very Good, and then Hall of Maybe, Hall of Should Be In, The No-Doubters (Top 15), Coaches

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

Two Texas players appear on 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot

Two former Longhorns were listed on the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot.

The 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot was released on Tuesday. Continue reading “Two Texas players appear on 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot”

8 Seahawks among nominees for College Football Hall of Fame

Ken Norton, Jr. and a bevy of Seahawks, including Steve Hutchinson and Bobby Engram, are eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame.

The nominees for the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021 have been announced, with 99 Division 1 football players – including seven former Seattle Seahawks and one current coach – all on the ballot.

Defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr., who played his college ball at UCLA, is on the ballot, along with seven former Seattle players: receiver Bobby Engram, defensive end Dwight Freeney, guard Robert Gallery, receiver Mike Hass, guard Steve Hutchinson, kicker Sebastian Janikowski and running back C.J. Spiller.

Engram starred for the Seahawks from 2001-2008, hauling in 399 receptions for 4,859 yards and 18 touchdowns, making him among the most prolific receivers in franchise history. He played his college ball at Penn State and won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best receiver in 1994.

Freeney was a seven time Pro Bowl defensive end who finished his prolific NFL career with 125.5 career sacks, good for 18th all time. He finished his career with the Seahawks in 2017, appearing in four games and totaling three sacks and a pass defended. He starred at Syracuse and remains the NCAA leader in sacks per game, at 1.61.

Gallery concluded his eight-year NFL career by starting 12 games at left guard for the Seahawks in 2011. While at Iowa, Gallery was a first team All-American and winner of the Outland Trophy in 2003, awarded to the nation’s best interior offensive lineman.

Despite winning the Biletnikoff Award in 2005 as a member of the Oregon State Beavers, Hass only appeared in two games in his NFL career. One of them was with the Seahawks in 2009.

Hutchinson is already a Pro Football Hall of Famer, having gained induction in 2020. He starred at left guard for the Seahawks from 2001-2005, making three Pro Bowls in that time. He was an excellent guard in college at Michigan as well, earning All-American honors in 2000.

Perhaps the only time a first round kicker has paid off, the Raiders selected Janikowski in 2000 and he went on to kick for them for nearly two decades, finishing his career with the Seahawks in 2018. He was a two-time All-American and the only ever two-time winner of the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation’s best kicker, while at Florida State.

Finally, Spiller appeared in two games for the Seahawks in 2016, carrying the ball three times and hauling in five receptions for a touchdown. Spiller was a star running back and kick returner at Clemson, and his 7,588 all-purpose yards is fourth in NCAA history.

In order to be eligible, a player must have been a first team All-American and have been done playing college football for 10 full seasons.

The ballot has been sent to the National Football Foundation (NFF) board, who will deliberate and eventually announce the new inductees in early 2021.

[lawrence-related id=64222]

A former Badger cornerback is on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame

The latest College Football Hall of Fame ballot has been released and former Badger cornerback Troy Vincent was included on the list…

The latest College Football Hall of Fame ballot has been released and former Badger cornerback Troy Vincent was included on the list.

Vincent played four stellar years for the Badgers and became one of the best cornerbacks in program history.

The New Jersey native finished his Badger career with 42 games played in four years, four interceptions, one pick-six and 90 combined kick and punt returns for a total of 1258 yards and three touchdowns.

Though this is an only-college honor, Vincent also went on to play 15 NFL seasons for four teams–most notably the Philadelphia Eagles whom he made three NFC Championships with and was a pivotal cog in the secondary.

The former Badger will try to join the 15 former Badger players or coaches currently in the Hall of Fame–namely Barry Alvarez, Ron Dayne and Joe Thomas.

Several notable Chiefs listed on 2021 College Football Hall of Fame ballot

There’s a number of players and coaches with Kansas City Chiefs ties that are on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for 2021.

The National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame have announced nominees on the ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2021. There are a few criteria that nominees must meet in order to receive consideration.

  1. You must have been named a First-Team All-American during your playing days.
  2. A minimum of 10 years must have passed since your final season of college football. No more than 50 years can have passed since your last college football game.
  3. Post-football record and academic record matters.
  4. Coaches can become nominated three years after retirement, but active coaches can be nominated if they reach 75 years old.

One current member and many former members of the Kansas Cty Chiefs franchise will be listed on the ballot for the 2021 class. Here’s a quick rundown the three most notable players and their descriptions from the NFF:

Colorado RB Eric Bieniemy (Current Chiefs offensive coordinator)

“1990 unanimous First Team All-American and finished third in 1990 Heisman voting…Played in two national championships, leading Buffs to 1990 national title…Two-time All-Big Eight pick, still holding eight CU records.“

California TE Tony Gonzalez (Former Chiefs tight end from 1997-2008)

“1996 consensus First Team All-American and First Team All-Pac-10 selection…Holds Cal record for receptions in a bowl game (9 in 1996 Aloha Bowl)…Posted 89 receptions for 1,302 yards and eight touchdowns during career.“

Michigan State K Morten Andersen (Former Chiefs kicker from 2002-2003)

“1981 First Team All-American who left MSU as the Big Ten’s all-time leader in field goals (45)…Set still-standing conference record with 63-yard field goal in 1981 and was a three-time All-Big Ten performer…Led the Spartans in scoring for three seasons.“

There are a few other names with ties to the Chiefs such as Jack Del Rio, who played in Kansas City in the late ’80s and Al Harris who coached defensive backs from 2013-2018. Former Chiefs GM John Dorsey is listed for his playing days as a linebacker at Connecticut.

Bieniemy is the only one on the ballot that is currently with the team. It’d certainly be exciting to see him reach the College Football Hall of Fame as a player. He just became a Super Bowl champion with Chiefs and could achieve one of the biggest honors at the collegiate level soon after.

Over 12,000 members of the NFF will cast a ballot. The data will be submitted to the NFF’s Honors Courts, who will get together and select the class. The NFF will then announce the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame inductees in early 2021.

[vertical-gallery id=70419]