collegefootball.org
DALLAS, March 7 – The National Football Foundation (NFF) announced today the names of 75 players and 8 coaches who comprise the 2007 Football Bowl Subdivision Ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Names appearing on the ballot for the first time include Tim Brown (Notre Dame); Randy Cross (UCLA); Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern); Doug Flutie (Boston College); and Curt Warner (Penn State).
“Selecting the greatest players and coaches in the history of the game for induction into the Hall of Fame is an awesome responsibility,” said NFF President Steven J. Hatchell. “It’s our honor to preserve their legacies as an inspiration for future generations of players and fans.”
Of the 4.5 million individuals who have played college football, only 813 players have earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. From the coaching ranks, 174 individuals have achieved Hall of Fame distinction.
The ballot mailed this week to the more than 12,000 NFF members whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF’s Honors Court, which deliberates and selects the class. Chaired by Gene Corrigan, a former ACC Commissioner and NCAA president, the 11-member NFF Honors Court includes an elite and geographically diverse pool of athletics directors, conference commissioners, Hall of Famers and members of the media.
The Hall of Fame Class will be announced at a press conference in New York City at the Waldorf-Astoria on May 9 and inducted at The National Football Foundation’s 50th Awards Dinner on December 4, 2007 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. They will be officially enshrined at the Hall in South Bend, Ind. in the summer of 2008.
Penn State coach Joe Paterno will automatically be inducted this year, based on his election to the hall in 2006. His induction was postponed because he suffered a sideline injury last year that prevented him from attending the formal induction ceremonies in 2006.
To be eligible for the ballot, players must have been named a First Team All-America by a major/national selector as recognized and utilized by the NCAA for their consensus All-America teams; played their last year of intercollegiate football at least ten years prior; played within the last 50 years and cannot be currently playing professional football. Coaches must have coached a minimum of 10 years and 100 games as a head coach; won at least 60% of their games; and be retired from coaching or over the age of 75. In both cases, the candidate’s post-football record as a citizen may also be weighed.
Once nominated for consideration, all player candidates are submitted to one of eight District Screening Committees, depending on their geographic location, which conducts a vote to determine who will appear on the ballot and represent their respective districts. Each year, 15 candidates, who are not selected for the Hall of Fame, will be named automatic holdovers and will bypass the district screening process and automatically appear on the ballot the following year.
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