Peppers, Heupel headline newcomers on College HOF ballot
North Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers and national-championship-winning quarterback Josh Heupel of Oklahoma are among the newcomers on the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, which was announced Monday.
Peppers was a unanimous All-American in 2001, when he won the Lombardi Award as the nation's best lineman and the Bednarik Award as the top defensive player. He announced his retirement from the NFL in February after 17 seasons.
Heupel, entering his second season as the head coach at UCF, was the Heisman runner-up and winner of the Walter Camp Player of the Year award in 2000, when he led Oklahoma to its most recent national title.
Among other first-time nominees on the ballot are Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis, Alabama offensive lineman Chris Samuels, Clemson running back C.J. Spiller and Michigan State kicker Morten Andersen.
Among the returning names on the ballot are Heisman winners Rashaan Salaam (Colorado, 1994), Eric Crouch (Nebraska, 2001) and Carson Palmer (USC, 2002), as well as SMU running back Eric Dickerson, Cal tight end Tony Gonzalez, Notre Dame receiver/return specialist Raghib "Rocket" Ismail, and Miami linebacker Ray Lewis.
In all, 76 FBS players and five FBS coaches, as well as 101 players and 33 coaches from the divisional levels, are on the list.
To be considered, players must have received first-team All-America recognition by an officially recognized outlet that helps determine the NCAA's consensus All-America teams, be 10 years removed from playing in college, and have played within the past 50 years. Players who are playing professionally are not eligible until their retirement.
The Hall's Class of 2020 will be announced in January 2020 in the days leading up to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, which will be played Jan. 13 in New Orleans. The inductees will be enshrined at a ceremony in New York on Dec. 8, 2020.
Full list of FBS player nominees:
1. Flozell Adams, Michigan State, OT, 1994-97
2. Morten Andersen, Michigan State, PK, 1978-81
3. Aaron Beasley, West Virginia, DB, 1992-95
4. Eric Bieniemy, Colorado, RB, 1987-90
5. Jerome Brown, Miami (Fla.), DT, 1983-86
6. Lomas Brown, Florida, OT, 1981-84
7. Larry Burton, Purdue, SE, 1973-74
8. Keith Byars, Ohio State, RB, 1982-85
9. Gregg Carr, Auburn, LB, 1981-84
10. Mark Carrier, USC, S, 1987-89
11. Kevin Carter, Florida, DE, 1991-94
12. Matt Cavanaugh, Pittsburgh, QB, 1975-77
13. Dallas Clark, Iowa, TE, ,2000-02
14. Marco Coleman, Georgia Tech, LB, 1989-91
15. Tim Couch, Kentucky, QB, 1996-98
16. Eric Crouch, Nebraska, QB, 1998-2001
17. Brad Culpepper, Florida, DT, 1988-91
18. Eric Dickerson, SMU, RB, 1979-82
19. Glenn Dorsey, LSU, DT, 2004-07
20. Tim Dwight, Iowa, WR/KR, 1994-97
21. Jumbo Elliott, Michigan, OT, 1984-87
22. Kevin Faulk, LSU, RB, 1995-98
23. David Fulcher, Arizona State, DB, 1983-85
24. Moe Gardner, Illinois, DT, 1987-90
25. Tony Gonzalez, California, TE, 1994-96
26. Dan Hampton, Arkansas, DT, 1975-78
27. Jason Hanson, Washington State, PK, 1988-91
28. Byron Hanspard, Texas Tech, RB, 1994-96
29. Marcus Harris, Wyoming, WR, 1993-96
30. Marvin Harrison, Syracuse, KR/WR, 1992-95
31. Jeff Hartings, Penn State, OL, 1992-95
32. Mike Hass, Oregon State, WR, 2002-05
33. E.J. Henderson, Maryland, LB, 1999-2002
34. Josh Heupel, Oklahoma, QB, 1997-2000
35. Craig Heyward, Pittsburgh, RB, 1984, 1986-87
36. Steve Hutchinson Michigan, OL, 1997-2000
37. Larry Jacobson, Nebraska, DT, 1969-71
38. Ernie Jennings, Air Force, WR, 1968-70
39. E.J. Junior, Alabama, DE, 1977-80
40. James Laurinaitis, Ohio State, LB, 2005-08
41. Greg Lewis, Washington, RB, 1987-90
42. Ray Lewis, Miami (Fla.), LB, 1993-95
43. Todd Lyght, Notre Dame, DB, 1987-90
44. Bobby Majors, Tennessee, DB/P, 1969-71
45. Ed McCaffrey, Stanford, WR, 1986-87, 1989-90
46. Cade McNown, UCLA, QB, 1995-98
47. Mark Messner, Michigan, DT, 1985-88
48. Pete Mitchell, Boston College, TE, 1991-94
49. Corey Moore, Virginia Tech, DL, 1997-99
50. Dan Morgan, Miami (Fla.), LB, 1997-2000
51. Ken Norton Jr., UCLA, LB, ,1984-87
52. Leslie O'Neal, Oklahoma State, DT, 1982-85
53. Carson Palmer, USC, QB, 1998-2002
54. Julius Peppers, North Carolina, DE, 1999-2001
55. Anthony Poindexter, Virginia, DB, 1995-98
56. David Pollack, Georgia, DL, 2001-04
57. Antwaan Randle El, Indiana, QB, 1998-2001
58. Simeon Rice, Illinois, LB, 1992-95
59. Ron Rivera, California, LB, 1980-83
60. Rashaan Salaam, Colorado, RB, 1992-94
61. Chris Samuels, Alabama, OT, 1996-99
62. Larry Seivers, Tennessee, WR, 1974-76
63. Kenneth Sims, Texas, DT, 1978-81
64. Justin Smith, Missouri DL, 1998-2000
65. C.J. Spiller, Clemson, RB/KR, 2006-09
66. Aaron Taylor, Notre Dame, OT, 1990-93
67. Dennis Thurman, USC, DB, 1974-77
68. Andre Tippett, Iowa, DE, 1979-81
69. Troy Vincent, Wisconsin, DB, 1988-91
70. Chris Ward, Ohio State, OT, 1974-77
71. Michael Westbrook, Colorado, WR, 1991-94
72. Zach Wiegert, Nebraska, OT, 1991-94
73. Roy Williams, Oklahoma, DB, 1999-2001
74. Al Wilson, Tennessee, LB, 1995-98
75. Steve Wisniewski, Penn State, OG, 1985-88
76. Elmo Wright, Houston, WR, 1968-70
Full list of FBS coaching nominees:
1. Larry Blakeney, Troy (1991-2014)
2. Jim Carlen, West Virginia (1966-69), Texas Tech (1970-74), South Carolina (1975-81)
3. Pete Cawthon Sr., Austin (Texas) College (1923-27), Texas Tech (1930-40)
5. Billy Jack Murphy, Memphis (1958-71)
6. Darryl Rogers, Cal State East Bay (1965), Fresno State (1966-72), San Jose State (1973-75), Michigan State (1976-79), Arizona State (1980-84)
--Field Level Media
