Football 5/7/2013 11:55:00 AM

NFF Proudly Announces Stellar 2013 College Football Hall of Fame Class

(Heisman Trophy winners Ron Dayne, Vinny Testaverde and Danny Wuerffel were announced as members of the 2013 College Football Hall of Fame Class.)

NEW YORK, May 7, 2013 – From the national ballot of 77 candidates and a pool of hundreds of eligible nominees, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced today the 2013 College Football Hall of Fame Football Bowl Subdivision Class, which includes the names of 12 First-Team All-America players and two legendary coaches.

2013 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS

Players
· TED BROWN – TB, North Carolina State (1975-78)

· TEDY BRUSCHI – DE, Arizona (1992-95)

· RON DAYNE – RB, Wisconsin (1996-99)

· TOMMIE FRAZIER – QB, Nebraska (1992-95)

· JERRY GRAY – DB, Texas (1981-84)

· STEVE MEILINGER* – E, Kentucky (1951-53)

· ORLANDO PACE – OT, Ohio State (1994-96)

· ROD SHOATE (deceased) – LB, Oklahoma (1972-74)

· PERCY SNOW – LB, Michigan State (1986-89)

· VINNY TESTAVERDE – QB, Miami, Fla. (1982, 1984-86)

· DON TRULL – QB, Baylor (1961-63)

· DANNY WUERFFEL – QB, Florida (1993-96)

* Selection from the FBS Veterans Committee

Coaches

· WAYNE HARDIN – 118-74-5 (61.2%); Navy (1959-64) and Temple (1970-82)

· BILL McCARTNEY – 93-55-5 (62.4%); Colorado (1982-94)

“We could not be more proud to announce the 2013 College Football Hall of Fame Class,” said Archie Manning, NFF Chairman and a 1989 College Football Hall of Famer from Ole Miss. “These players and coaches are some of the greatest to have ever participated in our sport, and we offer our most sincere congratulations to each of them for this incredible achievement. Gene Corrigan and the NFF Honors Court deserve the utmost respect for selecting another tremendous group of inductees.”

The 2013 College Football Hall of Fame Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Class will be inducted at the 56^th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 10, 2013, at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. They will be honored guests at the National Hall of Fame Salute at the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on January 2, 2014 and officially enshrined in the summer of 2014.

Today’s announcement was made from The NASDAQ OMX MarketSite in Times Square, which has hosted the event for the past five consecutive years. XOS Digital produced the NFF digital broadcast for the third consecutive year, and ESPN3 carried the event live for the third year as well.

2013 Football Bowl Subdivision

College Football Hall of Fame Class Notes

PLAYERS:

· SEVEN unanimous First Team All-Americans (Bruschi, Dayne, Gray, Pace – 2x, Shoate, Snow, Testaverde)
· SEVEN consensus First Team All-Americans (Brown, Bruschi, Frazier, Gray, Shoate, Trull, Wuerffel)
· SEVEN multi-year First Team All-Americans (Bruschi – 2, Dayne – 3, Gray – 2, Meilinger – 2, Pace – 2, Shoate – 2, Wuerffel – 2)
· FOUR members of national championship teams (Frazier – 2, Shoate, Testaverde, Wuerffel – 2)
· THREE Heisman Trophy winners (Dayne, Testaverde, Wuerffel)
· SIX winners of college football major awards (Dayne – Walter Camp, Maxwell, Doak Walker; Frazier – Johnny Unitas; Pace – Outland, Lombardi – 2; Snow – Butkus, Lombardi; Testaverde – Walter Camp, Maxwell, Davey O’Brien; Wuerffel – Walter Camp, Maxwell, Davey O’Brien – 2, Johnny Unitas)
· SEVEN conference player of the year honorees (Bruschi, Dayne, Frazier, Gray – 2, Pace, Shoate – 2, Wuerffel – 2)
· SEVEN members of conference championship teams (Dayne – 2, Frazier – 4, Gray, Pace, Shoate – 3, Snow, Wuerffel – 4)
· TWO NFF National Scholar-Athletes (Trull, Wuerffel – Campbell Trophy)
· EIGHT offensive players (Brown, Dayne, Frazier, Meilinger, Pace, Testaverde, Trull, Wuerffel)
· FOUR defensive players (Bruschi, Gray, Shoate, Snow)
· FIVE decades represented: 1950s (1) – Meilinger; 1960s (1) – Trull; 1970s (2) – Brown, Shoate; 1980s (3) – Gray, Snow, Testaverde; 1990s (5) – Bruschi, Dayne, Frazier, Pace, Wuerffel

COACHES:

· ONE national championship (McCartney)
· THREE conference championships (McCartney – 3)
· 12 bowl berths (Hardin – 3, McCartney – 9)
· FIVE top five finishes (Hardin – 2, McCartney – 3)
· NINE top 20 finishes (Hardin – 3, McCartney – 6)
· 23 First-Team All-Americans coached (Hardin – 5, McCartney – 18)

· SEVEN major award winners coached (Hardin – Joe Bellino, Steve Joachim, Roger Staubach; McCartney – Deon Figures, Chris Hudson, Rashaan Salaam, Alfred Williams)

· THREE NFF National Scholar-Athletes coached (Hardin – Joe Ince, Navy; McCartney – Jim Hansen (Campbell Trophy), Eric McCarty)

SELECTION 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 fellow man. 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 2013 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1963 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 may still be eligible for consideration by the Football Bowl Subdivision and Divisional Honors Review Committees, which examine unique cases.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME QUICK FACTS

· Including the 2013 FBS class, only 930 players and 202 coaches, have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 4.92 million who have played or coached the game during the past 144 years. In other words, only two one-hundredths of one percent (.0002) of the individuals who have played the game have been deemed worthy of this distinction.

· Founded in 1947, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame inducted its first class of inductees in 1951. The first class included 32 players and 19 coaches, including Illinois' Red Grange, Notre Dame's Knute Rockne, Amos Alonzo Stagg and Carlisle's Jim Thorpe.

· 294 schools are represented with at least one College Football Hall of Famer.

· Induction for this class of Hall of Famers will take place December 10, 2013 at the 56^th NFF Annual Awards Dinner in New York City’s historic Waldorf=Astoria.

TED BROWN

North Carolina State

Tailback, 1975-78

One of the truly great runners of his era, Ted Brown dominated the Atlantic Coast Conference in the late 1970's. He becomes the fifth member of the Wolfpack to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.

Brown left Raleigh as the most accomplished rusher in ACC history, holding the league's career records for rushing yards (4,602) and touchdowns (51) – marks which he still holds today. The 1978 consensus First-Team All-America led N.C. State to three bowl games, including victories in the 1977 Peach Bowl and 1978 Tangerine Bowl, in which he garnered MVP honors. He capped off his senior year by rushing for his third consecutive 1,000-yard season and amassing 27 career 100-yard games. He was the first player in league history to earn First-Team All-ACC distinction all four years and was named the conference’s Rookie of the Year in 1975. Brown played under legendary Hall of Fame Coach Lou Holtz and coach Bo Rein.

The High Point, N.C., native was chosen in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He spent eight years in the professional ranks, all with the Vikings. He finished his career as the fifth-leading rusher in franchise history (4,546 yards and 53 TDs).

He currently works as a juvenile probation officer in the Ramsey County (Minn.) court system and enjoys helping at-risk youth throughout the state. Brown was a 1995 inductee into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, and his No. 23 jersey was the first football jersey retired at N.C. State.

TEDY BRUSCHI

University of Arizona

Defensive End, 1992-95

One of the most feared defenders of his era as a member of the storied “Desert Swarm” defense, Tedy Bruschi concluded his career at Arizona tied for the NCAA FBS record in career sacks with 52 quarterback takedowns. He becomes the fourth Wildcat to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.

A two-time All-American (1994 – consensus, 1995 – unanimous), Bruschi’s celebrated senior season included the 1995 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year title and winning the Morris Trophy as the league’s best defensive lineman. He was a two-time finalist for the Lombardi Award and graduated with 74 tackles for loss, which ranked sixth in FBS history. Bruschi was named all-conference three times, and he led the Wildcats to three bowl berths under coach Dick Tomey.

The San Francisco native was a third-round selection by the New England Patriots in the 1996 NFL Draft. Bruschi enjoyed a 13-year career, winning three Super Bowls with the franchise. The Pro Bowler was named the Associated Press’ Comeback Player of the Year in 2005 following a stroke.

A committed spokesman and advocate for stroke survivors, Bruschi founded Tedy’s Team, in conjunction with the American Stroke Association, which has raised more than $1.5 million. He wrote a book, “Never Give Up: My Stroke, My Recovery, and My Return to the NFL,” detailing his NFL comeback after his own stroke in 2005. Bruschi is also an active participant in the Make-A-Wish Foundation, granting wishes for numerous children through the organization. Bruschi currently works as an NFL analyst on ESPN.

RON DAYNE

University of Wisconsin

Running Back, 1996-99

Concluding his career with 7,125 career rushing yards, Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne set a new standard for running backs when he became the all-time leading rusher and first player to reach the 7,000-yard plateau in FBS history during the 1999 season. Dayne becomes the eighth Badger to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Dayne won the 1999 Heisman Trophy in a landslide, after topping the 2,000-yard mark for the second time in his career. The three-time First-Team All-America (1997, 1998 – consensus, 1999 – unanimous) also claimed the Walter Camp, Maxwell and Doak Walker awards, and he was named the National Player of the Year by numerous outlets his senior season. He led the Badgers to four consecutive bowl games, earning MVP honors in three of those appearances, including back-to-back Rose Bowl titles in 1999 and 2000. The Big Ten’s first three-time rushing champion in league history, Dayne led Wisconsin to two conference titles under Hall of Fame Coach Barry Alvarez.

Drafted in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, Dayne played seven seasons in the pro ranks with the Giants, Broncos and Texans. He helped New York to a 2001 Super Bowl appearance.

The Berlin, N.J., native was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 2011, and he became a member of the University of Wisconsin Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009. Dayne actively volunteers in numerous community events and fundraisers, placing a special emphasis on initiatives involving children or children’s groups and serving as an ambassador for the University of Wisconsin.

TOMMIE FRAZIER

University of Nebraska

Quarterback, 1992-95

A legend among legends in a long line of transcendent Big Eight quarterbacks, Tommie Frazier helped College Football Hall of Fame coach Tom Osborne and Nebraska to back-to-back perfect national championship seasons in 1994 and 1995. He becomes the 16th Cornhusker to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.

The 1995 consensus First-Team All-American and Johnny Unitas Award winner was runner-up for the 1995 Heisman Trophy and a finalist for the Walter Camp and Maxwell awards. Frazier led Nebraska to four consecutive bowl appearances, claiming MVP honors in the 1995 Orange and 1996 Fiesta bowls en route to the national title. Frazier missed seven games during the 1994 season due to blood clots, but the junior was able to return and direct Nebraska’s come-from-behind win over Miami in the national title game. The 1995 Big Eight Player of the Year set a conference record with a 33-3 overall career record as a starter. Frazier won the Big Eight title in all four of his seasons, posting three straight years of undefeated league play.

Frazier played for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League in 1996 before trying his hand at the coaching profession. He coached at Baylor and Nebraska before being named the 32^nd head coach at Doane College (Neb.), spending two seasons at the school.

Coached by legendary Hall of Famer Tom Osborne, Frazier was named to Sports Illustrated’s All-Century Team, and his jersey has been retired by Nebraska. Following his football days, the Bradenton, Fla., native settled in Omaha, Neb., where he works for a healthcare foundation.

JERRY GRAY

University of Texas

Defensive Back, 1981-84

Known as one of the fiercest defensive stalwarts of the old Southwest Conference, Jerry Gray was instrumental in helping the Texas defense shut down some of the decade’s most high-powered offenses. He becomes the 15th Longhorn to be selected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

A two-time First-Team All-American (consensus – 1983, unanimous – 1984), Gray led Texas to four consecutive bowl games, including a 1982 Cotton Bowl victory and a No. 2 final national ranking. He was a two-time Southwest Conference Player of the Year (1983, 1984), and he helped the Longhorns win the 1983 conference title under coach Fred Akers. The two-time team MVP recorded 297 career tackles, 16 interceptions, and 20 pass breakups during his time in Austin.

Taken in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, Gray enjoyed a nine-year career, playing for the Rams, Houston Oilers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and appearing in four Pro Bowls. Following his playing days, Gray spent time as a position football coach in both the college and professional ranks. He has served as the defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans since the 2011 season.

The Lubbock, Texas, native established the Jerry Gray Foundation for underprivileged youth, which provides athletic and academic scholarships. He also founded and coordinated the Jerry Gray/Young Life Skills and Leadership Football Camp, and he is active in the Boys and Girls Club of Orchard Park and the United Way. Gray became a member of the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1996.

STEVE MEILINGER

University of Kentucky

End, 1951-53

One of the most acclaimed two-way stars of the mid-20^th century, Steve Meilinger gained fame as “Mr. Anywhere” for his versatility and value to the Kentucky football program. He becomes the fourth Wildcat to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

The two-time First-Team All-America (1952, 1953) selection, under Hall of Fame head coach Bear Bryant, Meilinger led Kentucky to victory in the 1952 Cotton Bowl over TCU. The three-year All-Southeastern Conference honoree played end, halfback and quarterback on offense, while covering end, linebacker and defensive back on defense. He also served as the Wildcats’ two-year starting punter while returning punts and kickoffs.

A first round selection by the Washington Redskins in the 1954 NFL Draft, Meilinger played six seasons in the league for the Redskins, Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers. He spent the entirety of his non-football life in military or public service. Immediately following his selection by the Redskins, Meilinger served two years as a tank commander in the U.S. Army’s 100^th Tank Battalion of the 1^st Armored Division before embarking on his pro football career. From 1962-83, Meilinger was a United States Marshal, and he was one of the original six marshals who founded the U.S. Federal Witness Protection Program. He also served two stints as a property valuation officer for the state of Kentucky.

The Bethlehem, Pa., native is a member of the State of Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, the University of Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, the Fork Union Military Academy Hall of Fame, the Lehigh Valley (Penn.) Hall of Fame and the Liberty High School Hall of Fame.

ORLANDO PACE

Ohio State University

Offensive Tackle, 1994-96

Known as the “Pancake Man” for flattening his opponents with his exceptional blocking techniques, Orlando Pace finished fourth in the 1996 Heisman balloting, the highest finish for a lineman since 1980. Pace becomes the 24^th Buckeye to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A two-time unanimous First-Team All-American (1995, 1996), Pace was the first player in history to repeat as the Lombardi Trophy winner, earning the honors as a sophomore and junior. In addition, Pace claimed the 1996 Outland Trophy while leading Ohio State to a share of the Big Ten title. He did not allow a sack during his final two seasons, blocking for Hall of Fame and 1995 Heisman Trophy-winning running back Eddie George as well as NFF Campbell Trophy winner Bobby Hoying. The 1996 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year started every game of his career, and he led the Buckeyes to three straight bowl appearances under Hall of Fame coach John Cooper.

Chosen with the first overall pick by the St. Louis Rams in the 1997 NFL Draft, Pace enjoyed a decorated 13 seasons in the league, culminating with the Rams’ Super Bowl XXXIV Championship in 1999. Pace was named All-Pro five times, and he earned seven Pro Bowl selections.

The Sandusky, Ohio, native has been a spokesman for Our Little Haven’s ‘Safe & Warm’ expansion project since 1998, and he assists with the efforts for the Diversity Awareness Partnership. Pace also regularly purchases NFL tickets for underprivileged youth.

ROD SHOATE

University of Oklahoma

Linebacker, 1972-74

Combining the speed of a running back with exceptional strength, Rod Shoate became a dominant defensive force at perennial football powerhouse Oklahoma in the early 1970s. Shoate becomes the 20^th Sooner to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.

A two-time First-Team All-American (consensus – 1973, unanimous – 1974), Shoate guided OU to a perfect 11-0 season and the National Championship in 1974, building on a 10-0-1 record the year before. The Sooners went 29-4-1 during Shoate’s career, never finishing with a national ranking lower than No. 3. He was twice named the Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year as the Sooners claimed the conference crown in each of those seasons. As a freshman, he led Oklahoma to a 14-0 shutout of Penn State in the 1972 Sugar Bowl.

Shoate led the Sooners in tackles for three straight seasons and currently ranks sixth in school history with 420 career tackles. He was the second player in OU annals to be named a three-time All-American (Second Team, 1972) while playing for coach Chuck Fairbanks and Hall of Fame coach Barry Switzer.

Picked by New England in the second round of the 1975 NFL Draft, Shoate enjoyed a six year career with the Patriots before playing two seasons in the USFL. The Spiro, Okla., native passed away on Oct. 4, 1999.

PERCY SNOW

Michigan State University

Linebacker, 1986-89

The first player in college football history to win both the Butkus and Lombardi trophies in the same season, Percy Snow served as the backbone of Michigan State’s famed “Gang Green” defense in the late 1980s. Snow becomes the seventh Spartan to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.

Voted a unanimous First-Team All-American selection as a senior, Snow led the team in tackles for three consecutive seasons, and he still ranks second all-time in total tackles (473) at MSU. Snow was a three-time all-conference selection, helping the Spartans to the 1987 Big Ten title and a 1988 Rose Bowl win in which he earned MVP honors after recording 17 tackles against Southern California. He also led MSU to the Gator and Aloha bowls under head coach George Perles after the 1988 and 89 seasons, respectively. The winner of the MSU “Governor of Michigan” award as the team MVP, he reached double figures in tackles 11 times as a senior, including a career-high 23 versus Illinois.

Selected in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft by Kansas City, Snow played in the NFL for four seasons with the Chiefs and Chicago Bears.

Active in the community, he has volunteered as an assistant coach for a little league flag football team, and he has served as a longtime assistant coach in the Babe Stern Youth Baseball League. The Canton, Ohio, native was inducted into the Michigan State Hall of Fame in 2010.

VINNY TESTAVERDE

University of Miami

Quarterback, 1982, 1984-86

One of the most celebrated players in a Hurricane program stocked with mythical talent, Miami’s Vinny Testaverde claimed virtually every major award during his senior season in 1986. He becomes the sixth Hurricane to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

As a senior, Testaverde earned unanimous First-Team All-American honors, and he won the Heisman Trophy, the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Maxwell, Davey O’Brien and UPI Player of the Year awards. He led the Canes to three consecutive bowls, including the 1987 Fiesta Bowl National Championship game. He finished his collegiate career with more than 6,000 passing yards and 48 touchdown passes, and he still ranks in the top five in virtually every passing category in school history. Testaverde, who was a redshirt on Miami’s 1983 national championship team, went 23-3 as a starter playing for legendary coaches Howard Schnellenberger and Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson.

Tampa Bay selected Testaverde as the No. 1 overall selection in the 1987 NFL Draft, and his pro career spanned 21 seasons with seven different teams. The 1998 All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowl selection finished his NFL career seventh all-time in passing yards (46,233) and eighth in touchdowns (275).

The Elmont, N.Y., native currently resides in Florida where he plays an active role with the Children’s Cancer Center of Tampa. Testaverde remains among only four Hurricanes to have their jerseys retired at Miami.

DON TRULL

Baylor University

Quarterback, 1961-63

Passing for more than 4,000 yards and 27 touchdowns in his career, Don Trull left an indelible mark on the Baylor record books while becoming the school’s first-ever NFF National Scholar-Athlete. Trull becomes the seventh Bear to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.

A 1963 First-Team All-American and First-Team All-Southwest Conference selection, Trull led the nation in touchdowns and passing yards his senior season. He was a two-time winner of the Sammy Baugh Award for leading the country in completions (1962, 1963), and he finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting as a senior. A trailblazer on the field and off, Trull became Baylor’s first two-time First-Team Academic All-American honoree in 1962 and 1963 as well as the school’s first NFF National Scholar-Athlete (1963). Trull led the Bears to the 1961 Gotham Bowl and the 1963 Bluebonnet Bowl under coach John Bridges.

The Oklahoma City native enjoyed an eight-year career in the professional ranks, playing for the Houston Oilers and Boston Patriots as well as the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos. Following his playing days, he served as an assistant coach at Arkansas from 1972-74.

Trull is the 2013 president-elect for the NFF Touchdown Club of Houston Chapter. His many other roles include NFL Alumni Director, vice chairman of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and a member of the Fort Bend County Water Board of Directors. Trull is a Baylor Hall of Fame inductee, and he was named to the school’s all-decade team.

DANNY WUERFFEL

University of Florida

Quarterback, 1993-96

The first player in history to win the Heisman as well as the NFF’s William V. Campbell Trophy, Danny Wuerffel dominated the college football landscape both athletically and academically during his senior season. He becomes the seventh Gator to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.

A two-time First-Team All-American, Wuerffel claimed the 1996 Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Player of the Year, Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Unitas Golden Arm and the Sammy Baugh Trophy. The two-time SEC Player of the Year and First-Team All-SEC selection posted a 45-6-1 career mark, leading the Gators to the 1996 National Championship. Wuerffel finished his career with nearly 11,000 passing yards and 33 school records, taking Florida to bowl games in each of his four seasons under coach Steve Spurrier (a 1986 Hall of Fame player inductee himself also at Florida). In addition to the 1996 Campbell Trophy, Wuerffel was named a two-time Academic All-American and two-time Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He now becomes the first winner of the Campbell Trophy to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.

The Ft. Walton, Fla., native was drafted in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft by New Orleans, and spent six season in the league with the Saints, Packers, Bears and Redskins.

Wuerffel became executive director of Desire Street Ministries after Hurricane Katrina, currently leading the organization’s various community outreach activities. He was a presidential appointee to the White House Council for Service and Civic Participation from 2006-08; a member of the Board of Directors for Professional Athletes Outreach; and a national spokesman for Caps Kids. As the quintessential student-athlete and humanitarian, the All Sports Association established the Wuerffel Trophy in 2005, which recognizes a college football player for his exemplary community service.

WAYNE HARDIN

United States Naval Academy, Temple University

Head Coach, 118-74-5 (61.2%)

The most successful coach in Temple football history and the coach of Navy’s only two Heisman Trophy winners, Wayne Hardin created a Hall of Fame career, leading the Midshipmen and Owl programs to unprecedented accomplishments.

Navy’s head coach from 1959-64 Hardin coached Hall of Famers and Heisman Trophy winners Joe Bellino (1960) and Roger Staubach (1963). Hardin ranks fifth all-time at Navy in wins (38), and his teams beat archrival Army in five of his six seasons. His five consecutive defeats of Army stood unsurpassed until 2007. He took Navy to the 1960 Orange Bowl and the 1963 Cotton Bowl, and he twice led the Midshipmen to a top five ranking (No. 4, 1960 and No. 2, 1963). He also coached NFF National Scholar-Athlete Joe Ince (1963).

The all-time leader in wins at Temple, Hardin served as head coach of the Owls from 1970-82. He led Temple to its only 10-win season in program history during the 1979 season, finishing at No. 17 in both major polls and beating favored California in the Garden State Bowl. Hardin also mentored Owl quarterback Steve Joachim who led the nation in total offense and won the Maxwell Trophy in 1973.

Hardin attended the College of the Pacific, playing football for College Football Hall of Fame coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. A 1998 Pacific Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Hardin earned 11 varsity letters before graduating college in 1948.

BILL McCARTNEY

University of Colorado

Head Coach, 93-55-5 (62.4%)

The Colorado head coach from 1982-94, Bill McCartney guided the Buffaloes to their first national title and to more bowl games than any other coach in CU football history.

McCartney and the Buffs finished in the Top 20 in each of his last six seasons in Boulder, including the 1990 national crown and back-to-back appearances in the 1989 and 1990 title games. He claimed unanimous 1989 National Coach of the Year honors, and his extraordinary accomplishments include leading the Buffs to nine bowls in 13 seasons and to three Big Eight titles. His 1988-92 teams went 25 consecutive games (23-0-2) without a loss in league play, the fourth-longest streak in conference history.

McCartney coached 1994 Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam; Hall of Famer and 1990 Butkus winner Alfred Williams; two Jim Thorpe award winners, Deon Figures (1992) and Chris Hudson (1994); 1992 Campbell Trophy winner Jim Hansen; and 1987 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Eric McCarty.

The three-time Big Eight Coach of the Year was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1999, and he was enshrined in CU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006. Active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he was voted the 1986 FCA’s “Man-of-the-Year” in Colorado.

ABOUT The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame, the NFF Scholar-Athlete Award presented by Fidelity Investments, Play It Smart, the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association, and scholarships of more than $1.3 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. The NFF presents the MacArthur Bowl, the William V. Campbell Trophy endowed by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF corporate partners include the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the BCS, Fidelity Investments, Herff Jones, Liberty Mutual Insurance, NCAA Football, and Under Armour. For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org.

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