When Dan Hampton was a pre-teen, his father won an office pool centered on the 1970 Sugar Bowl between Arkansas and Ole Miss. The cash prize resulted in the family's first color television, which made for an even better viewing experience for Razorbacks football.
 
That memory flooded back to Hampton as he learned that he would be inducted into this year's College Football Hall of Fame class, as he heard from Archie Manning — the chairman of the National Football Foundation — shortly after the announcement.
 
"And 20-something years later, I'm playing against Archie Manning, he was up in Minnesota, and we were terrorizing them," Hampton said. "We sacked the quarterback (11) times that day. I had a play where I busted Archie's nose, collapsed the facemask of his helmet, and I'm looking at him, and all the blood's everywhere and I go, 'Oh no, I killed Archie! Archie got us my first color TV!'
 
"It's funny. Archie called me on the phone the next day after I found out about it, we chatted a little bit. But obviously, he's a terrific spokesman and icon, and that's just another wonderful part of this College Football Hall of Fame (selection). So many great, great people are a part of it."
 
Hampton becomes the 10th Razorback player to make the Hall, having starred amid a golden era for the program. He played two years apiece for two Hall of Fame coaches in Frank Broyles (Class of 1983) and Lou Holtz ('08), helping lead Arkansas to wins in the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl, and a tie in the Fiesta Bowl.
 
The program completed the major bowl circle one year after Hampton's departure, making the Sugar Bowl in 1979.
 
The mammoth defensive tackle earned Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1978 after posting 98 total tackles, including 18 tackles for loss. Hampton closed his career with 239 total tackles, 32 stops behind the line of scrimmage and six recovered fumbles.
"We lost Monty Kiffin, my defensive coordinator. And you start thinking, Well, this is great, I made the College Football Hall of Fame, but would I have made the College Football Hall of Fame if it wasn't for people like Monte Kiffin?" Hampton said. "And so, it brings it into focus. It brings a real true relevance to it. And yeah, as a person, you're kind of like, Wow, that's cool. I made the Hall of Fame. That's great. But it's great for the University of Arkansas."
 
The Razorbacks went 35-10-2 during Hampton's time on campus. They posted top-10 final rankings in 1975 and '77. For a kid who grew up in Arkansas from the age of 5 — and who suffered through a potentially debilitating childhood accident — the run in Fayetteville was a dream come true.
 
"When I was 12, I fell out of a tree, 35 feet up, and it fractured the tibia and fibula in both of my legs and crushed the heel," Hampton said. "The doctor said, 'Look, you're going to have a hard time walking. So, I did other things. I learned how to play saxophone in the band.
 
"But by the time I was in 11th grade, I was restless and wanted to try it. And I had played football when I was in fifth grade, before the fall. I was a running back, and I liked the violent collisions."
 
Did he ever. Hampton's time at Arkansas led to the Bears taking him at No. 4 in the 1979 NFL Draft. He carved out a 12-year career in Chicago, a stretch that included the legendary 1985 Super Bowl team. He still regularly does TV work in the Windy City today.
 
"I gave a speech in Hot Springs, Ark., back in February, and I was doing some prep work," Hampton said. "I said, They did a poll about five years ago on the greatest Arkansas Razorback team. My team, the '77 team, was the greatest team in Razorback history. And then I was on the greatest team in Bears history. I don't know. What do you draw from that? Other than, Hey, if you're gonna do it, let's do it the right way. And evidently, good things worked out."
 
DAN HAMPTON: UP CLOSE
 

• Named First Team All-America and the Southwest Conference (SWC) Defensive Player of the Year in 1978.
• Amassed a total of 237 tackles (126 unassisted), including 32 tackles for loss, and recovered six fumbles during his career.
• Led Arkansas to a 35-10-2 record and final AP rankings of No. 7 in 1975, No. 3 in 1977 and No. 11 in 1978 during his tenure in Fayetteville.
• Played for Hall of Fame coaches Frank Broyles and Lou Holtz.
• Becomes the 10th Arkansas player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.