DALLAS, May 12, 2009 – Archie Manning, chairman of The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF), announced today the 2009 Divisional Hall of Fame Class, which considers players and coaches from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA), Divisions II, III, and the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) for induction.
This year’s class will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame during the Enshrinement Festival, July 17-18, in South Bend, Ind. The class includes:
2009 DIVISIONAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS
PLAYERS:
• ROGER BROWN – Maryland-Eastern Shore, DT (1956-59)
• FRED DEAN – Louisiana Tech, DT (1971-74)
• SAM MILLS* – Montclair State (N.J.), LB (1977-80)
• ROD SMITH – Missouri Southern State, WR (1988, 1990-93)
COACHES:
• VOLNEY ASHFORD* – 197-55-12 (.769); Missouri Valley (Mo.) (1937-71)
• JIM DONNAN – 104-40-0 (.722); Marshall (1990-95), Georgia (1996-2000)
* Deceased
“We are very proud to announce the 2009 Divisional Class of Hall of Famers,” said Manning, a 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Ole Miss. “Each of these men have defined excellence in our sport, and we are happy to reward their respective careers by inducting them in college football’s ultimate shrine.”
Founded in 1947 with leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 121 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, Play It Smart, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.
CRITERIA
1. First and Foremost, a player must have received First Team All-America recognition by a selector organization that is recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise their consensus All-America teams.
2. A player becomes eligible for consideration by the Foundation’s Honors Courts ten years after his final year of intercollegiate football played.
3. 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. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether or not the candidate earned a college degree.
4. Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years*. For example, to be eligible for the 2008 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1958 or thereafter. In addition, players who are playing professionally and coaches who are coaching on the professional level are not eligible until after they retire.
5. A coach becomes eligible three years after retirement or immediately following retirement provided he is at least 70 years of age. Active coaches become eligible at 75 years of age. He must have been a head coach for a minimum of 10 years and coached at least 100 games with a .600 winning percentage*.
*Players that do not comply with the 50-year rule and coaches that have not won 60% of their games may still be eligible for consideration by the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) and Divisional Veterans Committees, which examine unique cases.
INDUCTEE BIOGRAPHIES
ROGER BROWN
University of Maryland-Eastern Shore
Defensive Tackle, 1956-59
A two-sport standout at Maryland-Eastern Shore (formerly Maryland State College), Roger Brown anchored the Hawks defensive line that held its opponents to 7.3 points per game over his four-year career.
Brown led the Hawks to the CIAA title in 1957 and was twice named an NAIA All-American in 1958 and 1959. A two-time Pittsburgh Courier Negro All-American selection, the Hawks posted a 24-5-1 record and outscored their opponents 693 to 213 during his career.
Drafted in the fourth round by the Detroit Lions in 1960, Brown was named the 1962 National Football League Pro Lineman of the Year and was selected to the Pro Bowl six times. Brown played six seasons with the Lions before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 1967 and becoming a member of the Ram’s “Fearsome Foursome”.
Brown currently resides in Portsmouth, Va. where he runs “Roger Brown’s Restaurant and Sports Bar”. He is a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
FRED DEAN
Louisiana Tech University
Defensive Tackle, 1971-74
A four-time All-Southland Conference selection, Fred Dean led Louisiana Tech to the 1973 Division II National Championship and four consecutive Southland Conference titles.
Dean, who accumulated 392 tackles during his career, led the Bulldogs to a win in the 1972 Grantland Rice Bowl and was an All-American selection in 1974. A two-time Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year honoree, the Bulldogs posted a record of 44-4 during his career.
Drafted in the second round by the San Diego Chargers in the 1975 NFL Draft, Dean later joined the San Francisco 49ers early in the 1981 season. While with the 49ers, Dean won two Super Bowls and was named UPI NFC Player of the Year in 1981. During his career, he was named to four Pro Bowls (1980-82, 1984) and was a two-time All-Pro selection (1980-81).
In 2008, Dean was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He currently serves as a pastor at New Hebron Baptist Church in Arcadia, La.
SAM MILLS, JR.*
Montclair State University (N.J.)
Linebacker, 1977-80
A two-time First Team All-American (1979-80), Mills finished his career at Montclair State with a school-record 501 tackles.
Mills, a three-time New Jersey Athletic Conference First Team All-Star, was named the New Jersey Collegiate Writers Defensive Player of the Year three straight seasons from 1978 to 1980. A four-year letterman, Mills finished his career with three school records including career tackles (501), tackles in a season (142) and tackles in a game (22). While at MSU, his teams posted a 30-9-1 record and captured two New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships.
After spending three years playing for the Philadelphia Stars in the USFL, Mills followed head coach Jim Mora to the New Orleans Saints and played an integral part in the vaunted “Dome Patrol” linebacking crew for nine seasons. Mills signed with the Carolina Panthers as a free agent in 1994. He led the franchise to an NFC Championship berth in only its second season and was named to the Pro Bowl five times.
Diagnosed with cancer in 2003, Mills founded the “Keep Pounding” Foundation at the Carolina Medical Center to advance cancer research in North Carolina. He passed away in 2005 at age 45, and is survived by his wife Melanie and their four children, who reside in Manalapan, N.J. A statue was built in his memory outside Bank of America Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers.
* Deceased
ROD SMITH
Missouri Southern State University
Wide Receiver, 1988, 1990-93
The only player in Missouri Southern State history to have his number retired, Rod Smith set six school records during his college career with the Lions.
A two-time All-MIAA selection, Smith set five conference records by the conclusion of his collegiate career including most receiving yards in a game (254), receiving touchdowns in a game (4), average yards per catch (24.0), career receiving yards (3,122) and career touchdowns (35). In 1993, Smith led the Lions to the MIAA Conference Championship en route to being named a Harlon Hill finalist and a First Team All-American. Smith graduated with three degrees and was named Missouri Southern’s Outstanding Graduate.
Picked up by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 1994, Smith leads all undrafted free agents in NFL history in every major career-receiving category. During his career with the Broncos, Smith set franchise records for career receptions (849), receiving yards (11,389), touchdown receptions (68) and overall touchdowns (71). The Broncos won two Super Bowls during Smith’s tenure with the club and he retired prior to the 2008 season.
Smith is a member of the Missouri Southern Athletics Hall of Fame, the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and the Division II Football Hall of Fame. He resides in Cherry Hills Village, Colo.
VOLNEY ASHFORD*
Missouri Valley College
Head Coach, 197-55-12
From 1941-47, Missouri Valley College reeled off a 41-game winning streak with Coach Volney Ashford at the helm. Ashford coached the Vikings for 34 years (1937-71).
Ashford graduated from Missouri Valley in 1931 and became head coach in 1937. Following the 41-game winning streak, which ranks fifth all-time in all divisions of college football, Ashford led the Vikings to unanimous national acclaim as the No. 1 small college team in the country in 1949. He was named Little All-American Coach of the Year in 1950 and twice received the NAIA Award of Merit. In 1959, he was named NAIA Coach of the Year, and his overall record ranks him in the top ten of all-time college coaches. In 1971, Ashford retired and took over as vice-president of development for the university.
Ashford is a member of the Helms Foundation Coaches Hall of Fame as well as the Helms Foundation National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Hall of Fame. He helped found the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and received the Rockne Award for his contribution to athletics. Ashford passed away in 1973.
* Deceased
JIM DONNAN
Marshall University, University of Georgia
Head Coach, 104-40-0
Boasting a winning percentage of more than 70 percent, Jim Donnan has had success coaching in both the FCS and FBS, leading Marshall and Georgia to national prominence.
Donnan spent six seasons with Marshall and posted a 64-21 record. Donnan led the Thundering Herd to four Division I-AA National Championship games, winning the 1992 national title. In 1994, the Thundering Herd won the Southern Conference Championship. His 15-4 playoff record ranks second best in NCAA FCS history. He was named Division I-AA Coach of the Year in 1992 and 1995.
In 1996, Donnan took the head coaching job at the University of Georgia. From 1997-2000, the Bulldogs won four consecutive bowl games and pushed Donnan’s postseason record to 19-4 overall. The 1997 SEC Coach of the Year, Donnan set a Georgia record with four-straight eight-win seasons. Prior to his head coaching career, Donnan helped construct the Oklahoma Sooners wishbone offense that led to 28-straight Big 8 Conference wins and the 1985 NCAA National Championship as the offensive coordinator under Hall of Famer Barry Switzer.
Donnan is inducted with the Divisional Hall of Fame class since his coaching career at Marshall (an FCS school at the time) was longer than his tenure at Georgia. He currently works as an analyst for ESPN.
- NFF -
