The National Football Foundation its nominees for the 2010 Class of the College Football Hall of fame, with 14 new names on the list of 77 players on this year’s ballot.
Headlining the rookie nominees are Eddie George, Heisman Trophy-winning running back from Ohio State, and Teddy Bruschi, two-time All-American linebacker from Arizona.
Additionally, former Wisconsin head coach and current UW athletic director Barry Alvarez is one of seven coaches nominated for the Hall.
According to the NFF press release, to be eligible for the Hall, “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 for at least three years.”
The NFF release also included a relatively interesting statistic: of the 4.72 million student-athletes who have participated in college football, only 866 have earned induction into the Hall.
Even more interesting is the fact that Lawrence Taylor is not one of those 866 thus far honored.
Seriously, he’s not.
In order to be elected into the NFF Hall of Fame the following provision is on the ballot – “While each nominee’s football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post-football record as a citizen is also weighed. He must have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community and his fellow man, with love of his country.”
That should clarify why LT isn’t in the Hall of Fame.
Other interesting names still on the ballot – Deion Sanders, Eric Dickerson, and Art Monk.