Making Our Inductions into the College Football Hall of Shame

We all know about the 1000-plus member College Football Hall of Fame, but what about establishing a reverse institution called the College Football Hall of Shame?

Though there are no doubt many achievements and deeds in our great sport worth celebrating, honoring and preserving in bronze;  tales of dishonor, shame and marks of disgrace have also poured forth from the storylines of college football.

And so as we pay tribute to the former, why not highlight the latter in a quest to provide a balanced account of the history of the collegiate gridiron?

The following slideshow nominates 26 individuals, units, teams and plays for consideration for induction into the College Football Hall of Shame.

With 143 years of history to draw from, this list is in no way comprehensive, but instead only offers a sampling of the less noble side of the college game.

Though the emphasis with this group is aimed at on-field incidents, we also put forward four names of individuals whose deeds off the gridiron give them cause to be nominated for the dubious honor offered here.

The very nature of humanness itself dictates that with the good there is always bad, and therefore coexisting with honor, for all time, is dishonor.

And so friend, we have the College Football Hall of Shame.

LeGarrette Blount, Oregon

LeGarrette Blount’s postgame jack of Boise State’s Byron Hout is among the most vicious and memorable cheap shots in the history of sports.

The altercation came after Oregon’s 19-8 loss to the Broncos in the 2009 season opener.  Blount was suspended from the team after the game and missed the bulk of his senior season.

The Fifth-Down Incident

In what is perhaps the worst officiating blunder in the history of college football, Colorado was awarded an extra down in the final seconds of their 1990 game vs. Missouri that led to the Buffs’ winning score.

What makes the infamous “fifth down” play even more substantial is the huge impact it had on the way the season played out from a national standpoint.

Colorado’s tainted 33-31 win over Missouri allowed the Buffaloes to ultimately finish the regular season 10-1-1. (The tie was vs. Tennessee in the opener and the loss was a one-point defeat to Illinois in Week 3.)

This mark propelled Colorado to the Orange Bowl where they narrowly beat Notre Dame 10-9, which was enough for the Buffs to be awarded a share of the national championship.

Basically, if Colorado isn’t awarded the fifth down by confused officials, they lose to Missouri, don’t capture the Big Eight crown and don’t share the national championship with Georgia Tech.

It’s important to place the officiating crew in the Hall of Shame as opposed to anyone associated with the 1990 Colorado team, as they had nothing to do with the legendary gaffe (even though they benefited from it).

Kevin Goessling, Fresno State

In a flop worthy of the NBA, Fresno State’s kicker Kevin Goessling makes his debut as a thespian and is awarded an extra field-goal try for his efforts.

The incident occurred during a missed field goal in overtime of the 2008 clash between Fresno State and Hawaii, and after feigning the injury, Goessling goes on to miss his second attempt.

The good news here is that justice prevailed, and Hawaii ultimately won the game 32-29.

Really, Goessling should share his nomination with the officiating crew who bought into his shenanigans hook, line and sinker.

North Texas, 1971 and Tulsa, 1976

The 1971 North Texas squad and the 1976 Tulsa team share the shameful record of most turnovers in a season in NCAA FBS history with 61 apiece.

The ’71 Mean Green suffered 28 fumbles and 33 INTs on their way to a 3-8 finish under then coach Rod Rust.

The ’76 Golden Hurricanes, on the other hand, lost 27 fumbles and threw 34 INTs on their way to a 7-4-1 mark and a share of the Missouri Valley title under then coach F.A. Fry.

Proving that a rash of turnovers aren’t necessarily a death sentence to a football season, Tulsa went on to narrowly lose 20-16 to McNeese State in the 1976 Independence Bowl.

Ed Hall, Fairfield

In perhaps the craziest college football occurrence in history, Fairfield University’s coach Ed Hall actually left the sidelines of a 1978 game vs. Western New England College and took an opposing player out.

The play came in the third quarter with Fairfield up by one when a WNE player broke free while returning a kickoff.

According to an account of the incident on ESPN.com, Hall ran out to midfield and tackled the goal line bound opposing player, and when the athlete asked “Are you out of your mind, coach?” Hall responded, “I guess I am.”

Micanor Regis, Miami (Fla.)

This incident worthy of dishonorable mention came during the 2011 clash between Miami (Fla.) and North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

The deed occurred during the third quarter when Miami DE Micanor Regis subtly took a groin shot at Tar Heel WR Dwight Jones when both were at the bottom of a post-play pile.

The Hurricanes went on to win the game 30-24, and Regis was suspended one game for the cheap shot.

Jonathan Brown, Illinois

This incident worthy of nomination took place in the 2011 Illinois vs. Northwestern game, when Illini LB Jonathan Brown clearly kneed Northwestern lineman Patrick Ward in the groin.

What’s even more ridiculous than the act itself is the fact that Brown assaulted Ward after a play in clear view of the other players, officials and the camera.

Brown, who had two unsportsmanlike conduct infractions in the contest, was suspended for one game.  Illinois won the game 38-35 and then beat Indiana the next week before beginning their historic six-game fall from grace.

Troy Polamalu, USC

This nomination comes via Pete Carroll’s second ever game as the head coach at USC when Troy Polamalu destroyed Kansas State’s Aaron Lockett as he attempted to catch a punt.

The play came in the third quarter of the 2001 game pitting USC vs. Kansas State with the Wildcats up 10-0.

Polamalu was penalized for the cheap shot, and K-State went on to win the game 10-6.

Northwestern, 1979–1982

Northwestern holds the questionable distinction of having the longest losing streak in NCAA FBS history at 34 fruitless games.

Northwestern went from Sept. 22, 1979 (a 54-21 loss to Syracuse) through Sept. 18, 1982 (a 27-16 loss to Miami OH) without winning a football game. 

The losing streak ended Sept. 25, 1982 with a 31-6 win over Northern Illinois.

Boston College, 1942

Boston College was 8-0 and ranked No. 1 in the land going into their Nov. 28, 1942 game with Holy Cross in Boston.

In a game that shocked the college football world, the Eagles went on to get spanked 55-12 by the Crusaders, earning Boston College the right to be on the wrong side of the NCAA FBS record for largest winning margin for an unranked opponent defeating a No. 1.

Despite the record setting 43-point defeat, the Eagles earned a bid to the 1943 Orange Bowl where they lost 37-21 to Alabama.

William Gholston, Michigan State

In a two-for-one special, Michigan State’s William Gholston receives a nomination to Shame Fame by twisting Michigan’s Denard Robinson’s head and then punching Taylor Lewan in the same game.

Gholston was flagged for both incidents in Michigan State’s 2011 clash vs. the Wolverines and was eventually suspended for the Spartans’ memorable next game with Wisconsin.

Michigan State ultimately went on to beat Michigan 28-14.

Reggie Bush, USC

Though our list definitely focuses on on-field shame, it’s impossible not to include the only player in college football history to return his Heisman Trophy amid scandal.

Bush purportedly received improper benefits while at USC, and the ensuing NCAA investigation ultimately cost the Trojans their 2004-05 BCS National Championship.

Though there are certainly worse offenders than the now defrocked Bush, his off-field missteps cost his university the highest prize in the land and himself the biggest individual award in U.S. sport.

Kellen Huston, Nebraska

In one of the more blatantly violent moments in the history of college football and perhaps the most stunning interaction between a player and fan, Nebraska’s Kellen Huston took an ugly shot at a Missouri fan after a 2003 game between the Cornhuskers and Tigers.

The incident occurred after Missouri fans poured onto the field following their 41-24 win over Nebraska in Columbia.

Huston was only suspended one game for the episode, and according to an article on Deadspin.com, he is now, after graduating from medical school at the University of Iowa, an orthopedic resident at Saint Louis University.

SMU, 1980’s

The only program ever to receive the NCAA “death penalty,” SMU was so flagrant in going about getting the “best players money could pay for” that they lost their entire football team for two years.

The “Pony Express” enjoyed a thrilling 41-5-1 run from 1981-84, but the party was over when the NCAA cops raided what was a celebration of talented young athletes being openly paid for their services.

Roy Riegels, Cal

The setting was the 1929 Rose Bowl, and the participants were the 6-1-2 California Golden Bears and the 9-0 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Georgia Tech was driving the ball in the second quarter when Stumpy Thomason coughed up the ball which was recovered by Cal center Roy Riegels.

After being turned around and losing his athletic compass, Riegels loped 65 yards in the wrong direction, and before Cal teammate QB Benny Lom could reverse his field, Georgia Tech took him down at the Golden Bear 1-yard line.

Cal’s ensuing deep punt attempt was blocked for a safety, and the two points wound up being the difference in a bizarre 8-7 Georgia Tech win that earned the Yellow Jackets their second of four national titles.

Understandably, the incident earned Roy the nickname “Wrong Way” Riegels.

The Extra-Point Affair

Another strong candidate for mention in the “worst call of all time” category, the officials in the 2011 Toledo vs. Syracuse game floundered epically.

The incident occurred with just over two minutes remaining in the game after Syracuse scored to take a narrow 29-27 lead over the Rockets.

The ensuing extra-point attempt was clearly, from every conceivable angle, wide left but bizarrely the officials confidently signaled a successful conversion, and the score stood at 30-27.

The call would have been horrendous even with a clear Syracuse victory. (What’s the difference between a 29-27 win and a 30-27 win?) However, what happened next made the situation considerably worse.

The Rockets used the next two minutes to march the ball down the field and kick a field goal with four seconds left on the clock and "Voila!” the score is now 30-30, instead of 30-29 if the extra point would have correctly been denied.

The game erroneously went to overtime and Syracuse won 33-30.

Army, 1951

Though you could rightly argue that Army’s 1951 cheating scandal has been eclipsed by worse misdeeds in recent years, none brought a nationally dominant program (with the exception of SMU) to their knees quite like the events that rocked West Point after WWII.

To put the incident in historical perspective, before the scandal Army hadn’t had a losing team in a decade and had racked up three national titles during the same time span.

In today’s terms, it would be like Alabama having 37 football players expelled and no longer playing football due to a cheating ring.

In 1950 the Cadets went 8-1 (beating Michigan, Penn State and Stanford) and in 1951 after the dismissals, they dropped to 2-7 (beating only Columbia and the Citadel).

Jamaal Bass, Northern Illinois

Though there has been at least one more famous on-field incident between a college football player and a member of a marching band, none may be as ugly as this one.

The clash between athlete and musicians came prior to the 2011 meeting between Toledo and Northern Illinois, when NIU freshman LB Jamaal Bass took out a member of the Rocket band while running onto the field.

Though he was suspended after the incident, Bass was also indicted for felonious assault by an Ohio court this past March, as reported by Zach Davis of toledofreepress.com

When watching the video, you’ll want to keep your eye on No. 6 on the right side of the screen to view the ugliness.

Tommy Lewis, Alabama

Proving that real life is tons better than fiction, the longest touchdown in Cotton Bowl history came via one of the most bizarre plays in college football history.

The setting was the 1954 Cotton Bowl that pitted 6-2-3 Alabama vs. 8-2 Rice, and the play came in the second quarter when Rice back Dicky Moegle took the ball at the Owl’s 5-yard lined and scampered downfield for what looked like a sure thing.

Then out of nowhere, or off the bench, came the helmetless Tommy Lewis of Alabama who brought Moegle down in one of the most shocking tackles in football history.

Moegle was awarded a 95-yard TD, and Rice won the game 28-6.

Cumberland, 1916

Cumberland, now a NAIA program, began lacing it up all the way back in 1894 and holds the distinction of being involved in the most lopsided game in the history of college football.

The year was 1916 when the Bulldogs travelled to Atlanta to face coach John Heisman and his Georgia Tech team, and the outcome was mind blowing.

The Ramblin’ Wreck won the game 222-0 on their way to an 8-0-1 finish which included a 421-20 total margin of victory.

Though Georgia Tech captured the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association title that season, Pitt, who went 8-0 under coach Pop Warner, was awarded the national championship for 1916.

Woody Hayes, Ohio State

In what should not be a surprise to the informed college football enthusiast, Ohio State’s Woody Hayes receives a nomination for jacking a Clemson player in the 1978 Gator Bowl.

The infamous incident occurred with the Buckeyes down 17-15 and driving in Clemson territory with just over two minutes left in the game.

Ohio State QB Art Schlichter threw a pass on 3rd-and-5 which was picked off by Tiger NG Charlie Bauman, who ultimately went out of bounds on the Buckeye sideline.

The next thing you know, Woody Hayes grabs Bauman, spins him around and punches him in the neck.

A full-out brawl ensues, and Hayes also pops Ohio State OL Ken Fritz, who was attempting to control the situation.

Hayes was ultimately fired the very next day from the post he had held at Ohio State for 28 years. Ironically, he is also in the actual College Football Hall of Fame.

Phillip Hunt, Houston

In a 2008 game between Houston and Tulane, Cougar DE Phillip Hunt destroyed Green Wave QB Joe Kemp on a play that had been clearly blown dead due to a delay of game penalty.

The incident came late in the first half of the game, and though Hunt was penalized during the game and later apologized, he was not suspended for obliterating a defenseless Kemp, as reported by Ted Lewis of The Times-Picayune

Kemp suffered a broken collarbone, and the Cougars won the game 42-14.

Northwestern, 2006

The 2-5, 2006 Wildcats were up 38-3 on John L. Smith’s 3-4 Michigan State squad with just less than 10 minutes in the third quarter in what looked like a sure thing for Northwestern.

But, proving once again that it is always worth watching college football until the final whistle, the Spartans reeled off 38 unreciprocated points to seal an improbable 41-38 victory.

The comeback marked the biggest ever in NCAA FBS history and came ironically in Smith’s final season in East Lansing and Pat Fitzgerald’s first at Northwestern.

Marquel Wade, Arkansas

As many cheap shots as you see in college football, it’s rare to see a guy get ejected from a game.

Though most of the dirty plays listed among our nominees attest to this fact, Marquel Wade’s actions actually warranted his removal from the game.

The play came during the third quarter of the 2011 meeting between No. 10 Arkansas and unranked Vanderbilt in Nashville.

The Razorbacks were down 21-17 to the Commodores and were forced to punt after going three-and-out when Vandy’s Jonathan Krause called for a fair catch.

Krause barely got an opportunity to wave his hand before Marquel Wade destroyed him, and what made matters worse is the fact that Wade pranced around in a celebratory fashion after making the play.

Wade was ejected and Arkansas went on to survive and won 31-28.

Louisiana-Lafayette, 1997

The Ragin’ Cajuns' 1997 defensive unit has the dubious dishonor of holding the NCAA FBS record for the most points allowed per game with a whopping 50.3.

ULL allowed 553 total points in its 11 games in 1997 and were ultimately outscored by opponents 553-176.

The Cajuns' ’97 campaign needs to be quantified by saying that in 1996 ULL went from being a Big West conference member to a Division I-A Independent, meaning their level of competition was amped up in a big way.

Yes, rather than squaring off with the likes of Nevada, New Mexico St.  and Memphis; ULL played five BCS teams in 1997 including Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.

Still, a 1-11 record featuring a singular 41-38 triumph over Arkansas State is probably not worth scrapbooking despite the disclaimers.

Jerry Sandusky, Penn State

The events that unfolded at Penn State beginning in November of 2011 have to be considered among the most horrific occurrences in the history of American sport.

The impact of the alleged actions of Jerry Sandusky, who purportedly abused his high profile position as a coach at Penn State to lure young boys into sexual relationships, as reported by latimes.com, goes far beyond the football field.

Yes, he brought down arguably one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game with him, but more importantly he left a trail of shattered lives behind him due to his unchecked sickness.

The events are so disturbing that it almost compels one to not mention them at all, but leaving Sandusky off a “College Football Hall of Shame” listing would be beyond remiss.

He is the most shameful guy in the history of our great game.