College Football: The Next 50 Players into the Hall of Fame

Close to five million athletes have participated in college football since Princeton visited Rutgers back in 1869, and of that staggering number, less than 900 have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Requirements to enter the Hall (currently housed in South Bend, Indiana) include being named a first-team All-American, playing the final season at least 10 years ago, participating within the last 50 years (though there is a alternate way into the Hall for players who played over a half century ago) and not currently participating as a professional football player.

The class just enshrined last weekend included 16 players and was highlighted by big names such as Randy Cross (UCLA), Desmond Howard (Michigan) and Pat Tillman (Arizona State).

The class of 2011 (announced in May of this year) includes standouts such as Eddie George (Ohio State), Russell Maryland (Miami FL) and Deion Sanders (Florida State).

The following slideshow highlights the 50 players most likely to next earn full admission into the College Football Hall of Fame.

While most of these names have already graced a College Football HOF ballot, others will more than likely appear on the list of candidates in the very near future and subsequently race to the top of the poll and be inducted before nominees whose names have spent more time on the directory of contenders.

What all have in common is that they stand out among the millions of players who have battled on the coveted college gridiron.

Ted Brown, NC State

On the College Football HOF ballot for the first time in 2011, Brown is the only ACC footballer in history to be selected first-team all-conference for four consecutive seasons.

Brown played RB for the Wolfpack from 1975-78 and was a consensus All-American in 1978.

Ron Dayne, Wisconsin

Ron Dayne is still technically listed as a free agent in the NFL, and when he officially retires from the game, he is a prime candidate for induction into the College Football HOF.

Dayne played RB at Wisconsin from 1996-99, where he earned a slew of honors, including being named a three-time All-American and capturing the 1999 Heisman Trophy.

Dayne also holds the current career NCAA rushing record with 6,397 yards over his four years as a Badger.

Tommie Frazier, Nebraska

Another first-timer on the 2011 HOF ballot, Frazier (a QB at Nebraska from 1992-95) has a long résumé of accomplishments that includes earning national titles in 1994 and 1995 and capturing the 1995 Johnny Unitas Award.

Frazier finished a very close second (to Eddie George) in the 1995 Heisman Trophy voting.

Troy Davis, Iowa State

Troy Davis played RB for Iowa State from 1993-96, where he became the first NCAA back to rush for back-to-back 2,000 yard seasons (1995-96).

Davis was a consensus All-American in both 1995 and 1996 and finished fifth in the ’95 Heisman voting and second in 1996 (when he lost narrowly to Florida QB Danny Wuerffel).

Davis is currently listed as a free agent in the CFL but hasn’t played since 2007.

Steve Bartkowski, California

Bartkowski (perhaps better known for his work with the NFL's Atlanta Falcons) played QB at Cal from 1971-74 and earned consensus All-American honors during his senior season.

Bartkowski (who was on the most recent HOF ballot) was the nation’s leading QB in 1974, and his career mark of 4.434 ranks No. 10 in Golden Bear history.

Tedy Bruschi, Arizona

Tedy Bruschi played defensive end at Arizona from 1992-95, where he earned consensus All-American honors in 1994, which were then unanimous in 1995.

Bruschi’s 52 career sacks tied an NCAA record, and he was named the 1995 Pac-10 defensive player of the year.

Bruschi earned three Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots, where he retired after the 2008 season.

Tedy Brushchi was among the 79 players on the 2011 College Football HOF ballot.

Joe Garten, Colorado

Joe Garten played offensive guard for Colorado from 1987-90 and was a key member of the 1990 Buffaloes national championship squad.

Garten earned consensus All-American honors in 1989, was a unanimous selection in 1990 and was listed on the 2011 College Football HOF ballot.

Derrick Thomas, Alabama

Derrick Thomas played LB at Alabama from 1985-88, was awarded the 1988 Butkus Award and was selected as a unanimous All-American that same year.

Thomas is already a member of the NFL Hall of Fame (2009) and holds national and school records in single-season sacks.

Thomas died in 2000 from a blood clot that resulted from a car accident. 2011 marks his first appearance on the College Football HOF ballot.

Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma

Brian Bosworth played LB at Oklahoma in the mid 1980s and is the only player to have ever won the Butkus Award twice (1985 and 1986).

Bosworth was a member of the 1985 national championship team and was a consensus All-American selection in both 1985 and 1986.

Bosworth’s name appeared on the 2011 College Football HOF ballot

Mark Carrier, USC

Mark Carrier (who was listed on the 2011 HOF ballot) played safety at USC from 1986-89 and was the first Trojan ever to capture the Jim Thorpe Award (1989).

Carrier racked up 13 interceptions in his college career and was a two-time first-team All-American (1988 and 1989), an honor that was unanimous in 1989.

Carrier is presently a member of the New York Jets coaching staff.

Anthony Poindexter, Virginia

Poindexter played defensive back for the Cavaliers from 1995-98, where he earned All-American honors in 1997 and 1998.

Poindexter finished his college career with 352 tackles and 12 interceptions and holds numerous records school records at Virginia.

An ACL injury during his senior season limited his success as a pro, but Poindexter went on to earn a Super Bowl ring as a member of the Baltimore Ravens and was included on the 2011 College Football HOF ballot.

Lorenzo White, Michigan State

Lorenzo White played RB at Michigan State from 1984-87 and was a first-team All-American in 1985 (unanimous) and 1987 (consensus).

White was a member of the 1987 Spartan team that won the Big Ten and the Rose Bowl (beating USC 20-17), was the first Big Ten rusher to ever go over 2,000 yards in a season (1985) and led MSU in rushing for four consecutive seasons.

2011 marks his first appearance on the College Football HOF ballot.

Dave Casper, Notre Dame

Dave Casper was a member of Notre Dame’s 1973 national championship team, where he contributed 21 catches for 335 yards and four touchdowns as a tight end.

Casper was a 1973 consensus All-American selection and went on to earn two Super Bowl rings as a member of the Oakland Raiders, and in 2002 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Casper’s name has been included on several College Football HOF ballots, including the 2011 edition.

Warren Sapp, Miami FL

Warren Sapp played defensive line for the Hurricanes from 1991-94, where he was selected as a second-team All-American in 1993 and a consensus first-team All-American in 1994.

Sapp’s long list of collegiate honors includes two All-Big East selections, the Lombardi Award (1994), the Nagurski Trophy (1994), the Bill Willis Award (1994), the Big East Defensive Player of the Year (1994) and the national Defensive Player of the Year Award (1994).

Sapp played for both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders in a pro career that included seven Pro Bowl selections and 97 sacks.

Sapp’s NFL career ended in 2007.

Joe Hamilton, Georgia Tech

Joe Hamilton played QB at Georgia Tech from 1996-99, where he set nine school passing records and broke ACC records in career total offense and career touchdown passes.

Hamilton finished a distant second to Ron Dayne in the 1999 Heisman voting, was honored with the 1999 Davey O’Brien Award and was named a consensus All-American in his senior season.

2011 was his first appearance on the College Football HOF ballot.

Eric Bieniemy, Colorado

Bieniemy, whose name is on the current HOF ballot, played RB at Colorado in the late 1980s and finished third in the 1990 Heisman voting (behind winner Ty Detmer from BYU and Raghib Ismail from Notre Dame).

Bieniemy was a member of Colorado’s 1990 national championship team and still leads the program in all-time career rushing yards (3,940) and touchdowns (42).

Charles Woodson, Michigan

Woodson is still active in the NFL, but you have to figure that as soon as he retires (he will be 35 this year), he will find his way to the top of the College Football Hall of Fame ballot.

Woodson played DB at Michigan from 1995-97 (he was a member of the 1997 national championship team), and his 1997 Heisman marks the only time a primarily defensive player has captured college football’s biggest individual award.

Other honors include the Walter Camp Award, Bednarik Award, Nagurski Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award and Jack Tatum Trophy (all won in 1997).

Terry Hanratty, Notre Dame

Terry Hanratty was the Irish QB in 1966 when they captured a national title by virtue of going 9-0-1 (Notre Dame didn’t play in a bowl game that year, and the tie was a 10-10 draw with Michigan State in East Lansing).

Hanratty’s career in South Bend lasted from 1965-68, and he was a finalist for the Heisman in 1966, 1967 and 1968, posting his highest finish in '68, when he was third to winner O.J. Simpson (USC) and Leroy Keyes (Purdue).

Hanratty won the Sammy Baugh Trophy in 1967 and was a consensus All-American selection in 1968, and his name was among the 79 players listed on the 2011 College Football HOF ballot.

Jerry Gray, Texas

A native of Lubbock, Texas and 2011 College Football HOF nominee, Jerry Gray played defensive back at Texas from 1981-84, where he was a two-time first-team All-American selection (consensus in 1983 and unanimous in 1984).

Gray finished his collegiate career with 297 tackles and 16 picks and was a member of the 1983 Longhorn team that went 11-1, won the Southwest Conference and ultimately lost to Georgia 10-9 in the Cotton Bowl.

Jerry Gray recently returned to his alma mater Texas to coach the secondary. 

Peter Warrick, Florida State

Peter Warrick played wide receiver/punt returner for Florida State from 1997-99, where he was a three-time All-ACC selection and a two-time consensus All-American (’98 and ’99).

Warrick was twice a Biletnikoff Award finalist and was a member of Florida State’s 12-0 national championship team of 1999 (won by virtue of a 46-29 victory over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl, a game in which Warrick was the MVP).

Warrick is still listed on the roster of the Cincinnati Commandos (of the Continental Indoor Football League), but you have to assume that when he finally calls it quits, his name will go on the ballot for the College Football HOF.

Orlando Pace, Ohio State

Another active NFL player, Pace will be 36 this year and seems destined for the HOF as soon as he retires from the NFL.

Pace played OT at Ohio State from 1993-96 and won the Lombardi Award (1995 and 1996), the Outland Trophy (1996) and the Jim Parker Award (1996) and also finished fourth in the 1996 Heisman voting.

Sterling Sharpe, South Carolina

Sterling Sharpe played wide receiver at South Carolina from 1984-87 and still holds the school record for career catches and career receiving yards (169 and 2,497 respectively).

Sharpe earned 1987 first team All-American honors and was part of the 1984 Gamecock squad that went 10-2.

His name was included as a nominee on the 2011 College Football HOF ballot.

Leotis Harris, Arkansas

Leotis Harris played offensive guard at Arkansas from 1974-77 and was a consensus first-team All-American selection in 1977.

Harris played on Razorback teams that beat Georgia in the 1976 Cotton Bowl (31-10) and Oklahoma in the 1978 Orange Bowl (31-6); he was the first ever African-American football player at Arkansas.

Harris is a current College Football HOF nominee.

Josh Heupel, Oklahoma

Josh Heupel played QB for Oklahoma from 1999-2000, where he led the Sooners to a 13-0 finish and a national championship in 2000 (by virtue of a 13-2 victory over Florida State in the Orange Bowl).

Heupel’s 2000 honors include first-team consensus All-American, the Walter Camp Award, the Archie Griffin Award, the NCAA QB of the Year award and a second-place finish in the Heisman voting (losing narrowly to QB Chris Weinke from Florida State).

Heupel is currently the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma.

Eric Dickerson, SMU

A member of the fabled “death penalty” SMU team, Dickerson played RB for the Mustangs from 1979-82 and earned unanimous first-team All-American honors during his senior season.

Dickerson broke Earl Campbell’s Southwest Conference rushing records and is tied with Doak Walker in SMU program touchdowns in a career with 48.

Dickerson finished third in the 1982 Heisman vote (behind winner Herschel Walker and John Elway) and still holds the school record for career rushing yards at 4,450.

Dickerson is among the 79 players who were nominated in 2011 for induction into the College Football HOF.

Zach Thomas, Texas Tech

Zach Thomas played linebacker for Texas Tech from 1992-95, where he earned first-team All-American honors in both 1994 and 1995.

Thomas was a finalist for the 1995 Butkus Award, was the 1995 Southwest Conference defensive player of the year and amassed 390 career tackles (which included 131 in his senior season alone).

Thomas went on to enjoy a standout NFL career, which included seven Pro Bowl selections and ultimately came to a close with Dallas in 2008.

Moe Gardner, Illinois

Moe Gardner holds the Illinois record for career tackles for a loss at 57 and enjoyed a collegiate career that included two first-team All-American selections (unanimous in 1989 and consensus in 1990).

Gardner was a finalist for the Outland and Lombardi awards and was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 1990.

Moe Gardner has been nominated for the HOF in the past (including in 2011).

Dick Jauron, Yale

Dick Jauron was a 1972 first-team All-American selection running back from Yale whose 2,947 career yards stood as a school record until 2000.

Jauron ran for 16 straight 100-plus-yard games (which set a program high that wasn’t broken until 2006) and was a three-time All-Ivy League first-team selection.

Jauron (who has served as the head coach of the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills) is currently the defensive coordinator at the Cleveland Browns and has previously been on the ballot for the College Football HOF.

Raghib Ismail, Notre Dame

Raghib Ismail played WR at Notre Dame from 1988-90, where he earned first-team All-American honors in both 1989 and 1990.

“The Rocket” was honored with the 1990 Walter Camp Award, played on the Irish’s 1988 national title team and narrowly finished second to Ty Detmer (QB, BYU) in the 1990 Heisman race.

Matt Stinchcomb, Georgia

Matt Stinchcomb (who probably has the best football name on this list) was an offensive tackle at Georgia from 1995-98.

Stinchcomb was a first-team All-American in 1997 and 1998, was twice named first-team All-SEC and was awarded the 1998 Jacobs Blocking Trophy as well as the 1998 William V. Campbell Trophy.

Stinchcomb is a member of Georgia’s Circle of Honor (inducted in 2009) and was listed on the 2011 College Football HOF ballot.

Marv Cook, Iowa

Marv Cook played tight end at Iowa from 1985-88 and holds the Hawkeyes record for most catches by a TE with 126.

Among Cook’s honors as a collegiate player are a 1988 consensus first-team All-American selection, two first-team All-Big Ten selections and a 1987 Academic All-Big Ten selection.

Marv Cook was listed on the 2011 College Football HOF ballot and currently serves as a high school head coach in Iowa.

Vinny Testaverde, Miami FL

Vinny Testaverde played QB for the Hurricanes from 1983-86, where he earned first-team All-American honors during his senior season.

Testaverde captured the 1986 Heisman, Davey O’Brien, Walter Camp and Maxwell awards and was also named the 1986 UPI player of the year.

Scott Thomas, Air Force

Scott Thomas played safety for the Air Force Academy from 1982-85, where he earned consensus first-team All-American honors during his senior year.

Thomas was part of an Air Force squad that won four consecutive bowl games (the final one a 24-16 win over Texas in the Bluebonnet Bowl, which was a bit of a coup for Thomas personally, as Texas had offered and then rescinded a scholarship offer to him out of high school) and a first ever conference title (the 1985 WAC crown).

Thomas went on to become an F-16 pilot who served seven-and-a-half months in combat in the first Gulf War. His tour of duty included a malfunction-induced emergency ejection over Iraqi airspace in 1991 from which he escaped with only minor injuries.

Thomas was eventually awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism and was listed among the 79 players nominated for induction into the College Football HOF in 2011.

Randall Cunningham, UNLV

Randall Cunningham was a first-team All-American selection in 1983 as a punter from UNLV.

In 1984, Cunningham garnered second-team honors as punter and received honorable mention as a quarterback.

Cunningham broke 18 school records and led the Rebels to their only 10-plus win season in 1984, when they went 11-2.

Randall Cunningham went on to a prolific career in the NFL as a QB and was listed on the most recent version of the College Football HOF ballot.

D.J. Dozier, Penn State

D.J. Dozier played running back at Penn State from 1983-86 and was the first Nittany Lion to lead the team in rushing for four consecutive seasons.

Dozier was a 1986 consensus first-team All-American selection, scored the winning touchdown in Penn State’s national championship win over Miami in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl and finished eighth in the 1986 Heisman voting (a contest that was won by QB Vinny Testaverde from Miami FL).

Dozier, who went on to play five seasons in the NFL and one season in Major League Baseball, was listed on the most recent College Football HOF ballot.

Jim Harbaugh, Michigan

Jim Harbaugh (QB, Michigan, 1983-86) finished third in the 1986 Heisman Trophy race (Vinny Testaverde from Miami FL finished first, and Paul Palmer of Temple finished second).

Harbaugh was a 1986 first-team All-American selection and led the 1985 Wolverine team to a 10-1-1 finish, which included a win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.

After a successful four-year stint as the head coach at Stanford, Harbaugh was named the head coach of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers for the 2011 season.

David Foley, Ohio State

David Foley played tackle at Ohio State from 1965-68 and was co-captain of the Buckeye team that captured the 1968 national championship by beating USC in the Rose Bowl.

Foley was a first-team All-American selection in 1968 and was an Academic All-American during his final three seasons in Columbus.

David Foley was listed among the 79 nominees on the most recent College Football HOF ballot, which was released in March of this year.

Charlie Gogolak, Princeton

Charlie Gogolak was a kicker at Princeton from 1962-65 who is credited with being among the first to kick using the “soccer style” (which revolutionized kicking in football).

Gogolak set seven NCAA records during his career, earned 1965 first-team All-American honors and was the first placekicker ever to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft (he was chosen by the Washington Redskins as the sixth overall pick in the 1966 draft).

If Gogolak is enshrined in the College Football HOF (he is a current nominee), he will join 26 of his fellow Princeton Tigers who have already been inducted (the last was halfback Cosmo Iacavazzi, a 2002 inductee who was a teammate of Gogolak’s).

Tommy Kramer, Rice

Tommy Kramer (probably best known as the Minnesota Vikings QB from 1977-89) played QB at Rice from 1974-76 and garnered consensus first-team All-American honors in 1976.

Kramer was the Southwest Conference MVP in 1976, holds Rice’s single-season and career passing records (3,272 yards and 6,197 yards respectively) and finished fifth in the 1976 Heisman race (which RB Tony Dorsett from Pitt won in a landslide victory).

Kramer’s name has been included on the last couple of College Football HOF ballots.

Keyshawn Johnson, USC

Keyshawn Johnson played wide receiver for USC from 1994-95 and was a first-team All-American selection both seasons as a Trojan.

Johnson was the MVP of both college bowl games he participated in (the 1995 Cotton Bowl and the 1996 Rose Bowl) and was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 2008.

Johnson retired from the NFL in 2007.

Rod Shoate, Oklahoma

Rod Shoate played linebacker at Oklahoma from 1971-74 and was selected to the All-Big 8 Conference team each of his four seasons.

Shoate was a two-time first-team All-American (consensus in 1973 and unanimous in 1974) and amazingly (this guy was a linebacker) finished seventh in the 1974 Heisman race (which was the first of two Heismans won by Archie Griffin from Ohio State).

Shoate finished his career in Norman with a whopping 420 tackles and sadly passed away in 1999. He was listed on the most recent College Football HOF ballot in March of this year.

Greg Lewis, Washington

Greg Lewis, who was on the 2011 HOF ballot, rushed for 15 100-yard games in his career as a Washington Husky and captured the 1990 Doak Walker Award as the best running back in the nation.

Lewis was a member of the 1990 Pac-10 Championship team, was named the 1990 Pac-10 offensive player of the year, was a first-team All-American and finished the ’90 Heisman race seventh (the coveted award went to Ty Detmer from BYU).

Tony Franklin, Texas A&M

Tony Franklin (kicker at Texas A&M from 1975-78) is the only college football player in history to kick two 60-plus-yard field goals in the same game (October 1976 against Baylor).

Franklin set 18 NCAA records in his career and was a consensus first-team All-American in 1976, a second-team selection in 1977 and a first-teamer once again in 1978.

Franklin went on to a decade-long career in the NFL and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1985. His name was on the most recent College Football HOF ballot.

Robert Lytle, Michigan

Rob Lytle played running back for Michigan from 1973-76, where he set school-high single-season and career rushing records (1,469 yards and 3,307 yards, respectively).

Lytle was a consensus first-team All-American selection in 1976 and finished third in the 1976 Heisman Race (to Tony Dorsett from Pitt and Ricky Bell of USC, both backs as well).

Lytle was a member of the 1974 and 1976 Big Ten championship squads and was listed among the 2011 nominees for induction into the College Football HOF.

Jonathan Ogden, UCLA

Jonathan Ogden played left tackle for the Bruins from 1992-95 (starting all four seasons) and allowed only two sacks in the 23 games that comprised his final two seasons at UCLA.

Ogden won the 1995 Outland Trophy, Jim Parker Award and Morris Trophy (for the best Pac-10 offensive lineman), was the 1995 UPI Lineman of the Year and was a first-team All-American.

Ogden went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens from 1996-07, where he earned 11 Pro Bowl Selections and a Super Bowl ring.

Ogden’s name was among the 79 players listed on the 2011 College Football HOF ballot.

Otis Armstrong, Purdue

Otis Armstrong played running back at Purdue from 1969-72 and finished his career with 3,315 yards rushing, which was then a school and Big Ten conference record.

Armstrong was named the Big Ten MVP and a consensus All-American in 1972 and was listed on the most recent College Football HOF ballot.

Bobby Majors, Tennessee

Bobby Majors played defensive end/punt returner at Tennessee and earned consensus first-team All-American honors in 1971.

Majors holds the school record for career and season punt returns and was a member of the 1970 Tennessee squad that went 11-1 and beat Air Force in the Sugar Bowl.

Majors is the son of legendary coach Shirley Majors (Sewanee 1957-77) and brother of longtime Volunteer coach (and All-American player) Johnny Majors.

Bobby Majors was listed on the 2011 College Football HOF ballot.

Ty Detmer, BYU

Ty Detmer played QB at BYU from 1988-91, and his honors include the 1990 Heisman, Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards and the 1991 Sammy Baugh and Davey O’Brien trophies.

Detmer was a first-team All-American selection in both 1990 and 1991 (consensus) and set a mind-boggling number of offensive records while serving as the Cougars' offensive leader.

Detmer last played in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals (who released him in 2005) but has not yet officially retired from professional football.

Mike Ruth, Boston College

Mike Ruth, a nose guard at Boston College from 1982-85, captured the 1985 Outland Trophy, which capped off a career that included 344 tackles and 29 sacks.

Ruth was named a consensus first-team All-American in 1985 and was listed among the 79 player nominees on the 2011 College Football HOF ballot.

Ricky Williams, Texas

Ricky Williams played running back at Texas from 1995-98, where he set or matched 20 NCAA rushing records on his way to winning the 1998 Heisman Trophy.

Williams' other honors include first-team All-American selections (1997 and 1998), the Doak Walker Award (1997 and 1998), the Jim Brown Trophy (1997 and 1998), the Walter Camp Award (1998), the Maxwell Award (1998) and the AP College Player of the Year (1998).

Williams is currently an active member of the Miami Dolphins, but it is safe to say that he will grace the ballot for HOF honors as soon as he retires from football.