Biggest Snubs from the 2016 College Football Hall of Fame Class
On Friday, the National Football Foundation released its 2016 College Football Hall of Fame class, a selection of 16 individuals out of 200 players and coaches. The entire list can be viewed below:
We are extremely proud to announce the 2016 College Football Hall of Fame Class,” said Archie Manning, NFF Chairman and a 1989 College Football Hall of Famer, in a statement. “Each of these men has established himself among the absolute best to have ever played or coached the game, and we look forward to immortalizing their incredible accomplishments.”
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But as usual, there are some big names missing.
College Hall of Fame snubs are typically much harder to pin down than in the NFL. For one, the vast number of players available for the hall is much larger than in the pros. Secondly, there's an entire process that takes place before a player or coach is inducted. It starts with schools (or one of the 122 nationwide National Football Foundation chapters) making a nomination.
Once that nomination is made, it could be years before a player or coach is selected based on back-loaded names that must get in first.
Still, there is always a handful of snubs every year—or at the very least, names that should be in regardless of nomination criteria.
Here are some players who missed this year's cut but who should be in by now based on their college accomplishments:
SMU Running Back Eric Dickerson (1979-82)
Moaning and griping about hall snubs were kept to a minimum this year, but ESPN's Brett McMurphy immediately identified someone who was once again left out: former Southern Methodist University running back Eric Dickerson.
Yes, the "Pony Excess" scandal that would eventually lead to the NCAA "death penalty" for SMU will always be at least loosely connected to Eric Dickerson, but that doesn't take away his accomplishments on the field.
Dickerson tallied more than 4,400 rushing yards and scored 47 touchdowns during his career at SMU. As a senior in 1982, he averaged a startling seven yards per carry and finished third in the Heisman voting behind Georgia running back Herschel Walker and Stanford quarterback John Elway.
Not a bad group.
Miami Hurricanes Linebacker Ray Lewis (1993-95)
Ray Lewis will always be known first and foremost for being the face of the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL. Still, we're well past the point of Lewis not being included in the college hall. He was an All-American in each of his three years with the Hurricanes, including his freshman season. As a junior, he was the runner-up for the Butkus Award given to college football's top linebacker.
Lewis is, hands down, one of the most dominant and feared defenders to ever play football at any level. He was a two-time First Team All-Big East selection, and he led the league twice in tackles. He'll get in the hall. It's only a matter of time. Until then, though, he'll be considered one of the bigger snubs.
Colorado Buffaloes Running Back Rashaan Salaam (1992-94)
Rashaan Salaam's career at Colorado was defined almost solely by his Heisman-winning '94 campaign. That year, Salaam topped 2,000 yards on the ground—he was just the fourth back ever at the time to eclipse that mark—and 24 touchdowns.
In all, Salaam had 3,469 yards from scrimmage and 33 touchdowns in his career. In addition to the Heisman, Salaam took home the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and the Doak Walker Award for the nation's top running back in 1994.
The totality of his career (or lack thereof) might keep him from being selected sooner, but his final year was, at the time, one for the ages.
Texas A&M Linebacker Dat Nguyen (1995-98)
Dat Nguyen is one of the best ever at Texas A&M. Glancing over his accomplishments, it feels weird that a Hall of Fame induction isn't part of them yet.
Nguyen was a unanimous First Team All-American selection. In 1998, he was winner of both the Chuck Bednarik Award as the best college defensive player and the Lombardi Award as the top collegiate lineman. He also was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. In his career (51 starts), he became the only player in A&M history to lead the team in tackles for four straight seasons. He was a third-round draft pick in 1999.
Of all the snubs selected, and the countless ones that weren't, this is among the more surprising misses.
Head Coach Danny Ford (Clemson 1978-89, Arkansas 1993-97)
With Clemson ready to play for a national championship, it's probably appropriate to put Danny Ford's name on this list. After all, he helped the Tigers claim the same prize in 1981 as part of an undefeated season. He won five ACC championships and was twice named the conference's coach of the year. In all, he compiled a 96-29-4 record with the Tigers.
On top of his accomplishments at Clemson, Ford led Arkansas to an SEC West title in 1995.
Have any other major Hall of Fame snubs? Make your voice heard in the comment section below.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. Information on candidates courtesy of the National Football Foundation and sports-reference.com.
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