IRVING, Texas (Oct. 13, 2025). - Minnesota and The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that they will jointly honor 2025 NFF College Football Hall of Fame electee Greg Eslinger with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments®. The Salute will take place on Oct. 17, during the Gophers' home football game against Nebraska, which will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.®
"Greg Eslinger anchored one of the most powerful rushing attacks in college football, winning and Outland trophies while establishing himself as one of the finest offensive Rimingtonthe . "We are thrilled to honor him at Huntington Bank Stadium as a member of the 2025 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class."Steve Hatchelllinemen in Minnesota history," said NFF President & CEO
The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program, which began with the inaugural NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class in 1951, has become a hallowed tradition, and to this day, the singular events remain the first of numerous activities in the NFF Hall of Fame experience.
During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each electee returns to his respective school to accept an NFF Hall of Fame plaque that will stay on permanent display at the institution. The events take place on the field during a home game, and many NFF Hall of Famers cite the experience as the ultimate capstone to their careers, providing them one more chance to take the field and be recognized in front of their home crowd.
A two-time First Team All-American, including unanimous selection in 2005, Eslinger claimed the Outland Trophy as the most outstanding interior lineman in the country and the Rimington Trophy as the nation's best center during his senior season. Minnesota went 32-18, posting winning records in all four years of his college career. He led the Gophers to four consecutive bowl games for the first time in school history. Click here for his full Hall of Fame bio.
The Bismarck, North Dakota, product now becomes the 20th Gopher player inducted into the Hall, joining Eddie Rogers (1896-98; 1900-03), Bobby Marshall (1904-06), John McGovern (1908-10), Bert Baston (1914-16), Herb Joesting (1925-27), Bronko Nagurski (1927-29), Pug Lund (1932-34), Ed Widseth (1934-36), George Franck (1938-40), Bruce Smith (1939-41), Dick Wildung (1940-42), Leo Nomellini (1946-49), Clayton Tonnemaker (1946-49), Paul Giel (1951-53), Tom Brown (1958-60), Sandy Stephens (1959-61), Bobby Bell (1960-62), Carl Eller (1961-63), Bob Stein (1966-68).
Hall of Fame coaches who headed the Minnesota program include Bernie Bierman, Fritz Crisler, Lou Holtz and Henry Williams.
The 2025 class includes Montee Ball (Wisconsin), Gregg Carr (Auburn), Blake Elliott (Saint John's [MN]), Greg Eslinger (Minnesota), Terry Hanratty (Notre Dame), Graham Harrell (Texas Tech), John Henderson (Tennessee), Michael Huff (Texas), Jim Kleinsasser (North Dakota), Alex Mack (California), Terrence Metcalf (Mississippi), Haloti Ngata (Oregon), Steve Slaton (West Virginia), Darrin Smith (Miami, FL), Michael Strahan (Texas Southern), Dennis Thurman (Southern California), Michael Vick (Virginia Tech), Ryan Yarborough (Wyoming), and coaches Larry Blakeney (Troy), Larry Korver (Northwestern College [IA]), Urban Meyer (Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, Ohio State), Nick Saban (Toledo, Michigan State, LSU, Alabama).
The 2025 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 2025, at Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Please click here to purchase tickets.
Including the 2025 NFF Hall of Fame Class, only 1,111 players and 237 coaches have been inducted into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 5.62 million who have played or coached the game during the past 157 years. In other words, less than two one-hundredths of a percent (0.02%) of the individuals who have played/coached the game have earned this distinction.
Fidelity Investments has served as the national presenting sponsor of the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes since 2010. The salutes are one component of a multi-year initiative between the two organizations to celebrate the scholar-athlete ideal and a joint commitment to higher education. Fidelity is also the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, and it helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes in 2011, which recognize the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives around the country.
ABOUT FIDELITY INVESTMENTS
Fidelity's mission is to strengthen the financial well-being of our customers and deliver better outcomes for the clients and businesses we serve. Fidelity's strength comes from the scale of our diversified, market-leading financial services businesses that serve individuals, families, employers, wealth management firms, and institutions. With assets under administration of $16.4 trillion, including discretionary assets of $6.4 trillion as of June 30, 2025, we focus on meeting the unique needs of a broad and growing customer base. Privately held for 79 years, Fidelity employs more than 78,000 associates across the United States, Ireland, and India. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit https://www.fidelity.com/about-fidelity/our-company.
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 academic excellence, citizenship, and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters in 47 states, NFF programs include the criteria, selection and induction of members of the NFF College Football Hall of Fame; the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame museum in Atlanta; Future For Football; I Played; the William V. Campbell Trophy®; the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments; the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards presented by the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation & the NFF Hatchell Cup presented by Bob's Steak & Chop House; and a series of programs and initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include CAA Executive Search, Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Elite Media Network, Fidelity Investments, Hampshire Companies, Jostens, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, New York Athletic Club, Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, and Shriners Hospitals for Children. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.
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