IRVING, Texas -- The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame on Thursday announced the 2014 College Football Hall of Fame class, which includes the names of 14 First Team All-America players and two legendary coaches.
The inductees were selected from the national ballot of 75 All-America players and six elite coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and the 87 players and 26 coaches from the divisional ranks.
2014 College Football Hall of Fame class includes:
• Mike Bellotti, coach, Chico State (Calif.) (1984-88) and Oregon (1995-08)
• Dre Bly, DB, North Carolina (1996-98)
• Tony Boselli, T, Southern California (1991-94)
• Dave Butz, DT, Purdue (1970-72)
• Shane Conlan, LB, Penn State (1983-86)
• Joe Hamilton, QB, Georgia Tech (1996-99)
• John Huard, LB, Maine (1964-66)
• Jerry Moore, coach, North Texas (1979-80), Texas Tech (1981-85) and Appalachian State (1989-12)
• Darrin Nelson, RB, Stanford (1977-78, 1980-81)
• Willie Roaf, T, Louisiana Tech (1990-92)
• John Sciarra, QB, UCLA (1972-75)
• Sterling Sharpe, WR, South Carolina (1983, 1985-87)
• Leonard Smith, CB, McNeese State (1979-82)
• Derrick Thomas, LB, Alabama (1985-88)
• LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Texas Christian (1997-00)
• Wesley Walls, TE, Mississippi (1985-88)
“We are extremely proud to announce the 2014 College Football Hall of Fame Class,” said Archie Manning, NFF Chairman and a 1989 College Football Hall of Famer from Ole Miss. “Each of these men has established himself among the absolute best to have ever played the game, and we look forward to immortalizing their incredible accomplishments at the new Hall of Fame in Atlanta as an inspiration to future generations.”
For the first time in the history of the organization, the NFF has combined the inductees from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Division II, Division III and the NAIA into one class. In 1996, the NFF started formally inducting players from the divisional ranks. College Football Hall of Fame coach Eddie Robinson called the change one of the best things to ever happen in college football at the time, and the change has proven to be extremely successful during the past 18 years with the 144 divisional inductees.
“Combining the inductees into one class allows us to create a unified platform for honoring the game’s greatest legends,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “The change completes the process that we began in 1996, creating a cohesive process for what it means to be a Hall of Famer. We are grateful for the guidance, knowledge and vision of honors court chairmen Gene Corrigan [FBS] and Jack Lengyel [divisional] for making the change possible and the essential role that they play each in selecting the inductees.”
The 2014 College Football Hall of Fame class will be inducted together at the 57th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 9 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. The inductees also will be honored at the National Hall of Fame Salute at the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 1, 2015, and they will be recognized at their respective collegiate institutions with on-campus salutes during the fall. Their accomplishments will be forever immortalized in the new $66.5 million College Football Hall of Fame, currently under construction in Atlanta and scheduled to open in August.
