2005 College Football Hall of Fame Division I-A Class Announced
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NEWS RELEASE Contact: Matt Sweeney, Special Projects Coordinator 1-800-486-1865, ext. 16 Email: [email protected] 2005 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME DIVISION I-A CLASS ANNOUNCED 11 PLAYERS AND TWO COACHES TO ENTER COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S ULTIMATE SHRINE IN SOUTH BEND, INDIANA MORRISTOWN, N.J., May 18, 2005 – From the national ballot of 75 candidates and a pool of hundreds of eligible nominees, Jon F. Hanson, Chairman of The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced the 2005 College Football Hall of Fame Division I-A Class, which includes the names of 11 All- America players and two legendary coaches. 2005 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS PLAYERS • Cornelius Bennett – LB, Alabama, 1983-86 • Tom Curtis – DB, Michigan, 1967-69 • Anthony Davis – RB, Southern California, 1972-74 • Keith Dorney – OT, Penn State, 1975-78 • Jim Houston – E, Ohio State, 1957-59 • John Huarte – QB, Notre Dame, 1962-64 • Roosevelt Leaks – FB, Texas, 1972-74 • Mark May – OT, Pittsburgh, 1977-80 • Joe Washington – RB, Oklahoma, 1972-75 • Paul Wiggin – DT, Stanford, 1954-56 • David Williams – WR, Illinois, 1983-85 COACHES • Pat Dye – East Carolina (1974-79), Wyoming (1980), Auburn (1981-92), 153-62-5 • Don Nehlen – Bowling Green (1968-76), West Virginia, (1980-2002), 202-128-8 “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to induct another exceptional class of college football hall of famers,” said Chairman Jon F. Hanson. “Each year our hard-working Honors Court, chaired by Gene Corrigan, continues to do an outstanding job in ensuring the game’s legends are duly recognized.” The 2005 College Football Hall of Fame Division I-A Class will be inducted at the 48th Annual Awards Dinner on December 6, 2005, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. They will be officially enshrined at the Hall in South Bend during ceremonies in August of 2006. -more- Page 2 CRITERIA 1. First and Foremost, a player must have received First Team All-America recognition by a selector organization that is recognized by the NCAA. 2. A player becomes eligible for consideration by the Foundation's Honors Courts ten years after his final year of intercollegiate football played. 3. While each nominee's football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post football record as a citizen is also weighed. He must have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community and his fellow man with love of his country. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether or not the candidate earned a college degree. 4. Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years*. For example, to be eligible for the 2006 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1956 or thereafter. In addition, players who are playing professionally and coaches who are coaching on the professional level are not eligible until after they retire. 5. A coach becomes eligible three years after retirement or immediately following retirement provided the coach is at least 70 years of age. He must have also have been a head coach for a minimum of 10 years and coached at least 100 games with a .600 winning percentage*. (*Those players that do not comply with the 50-year rule and coaches that have not won 60% of their games may still be eligible for consideration by the Division I-A and Divisional Honors Review Committees, which examine unique cases.) COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME SOUTH BEND, INDIANA Did You Know? • Only 781 players and 166 coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the more than 4.4 million who have played the game over the past 137 years. • Founded in 1947, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame inducted its first class of inductees in 1951. The first class included 32 players and 19 coaches, including Illinois' Red Grange, Notre Dame's Knute Rockne, Amos Alonzo Stagg and Carlisle's Jim Thorpe. • 262 schools are represented with at least one College Football Hall of Famer. • In South Bend, Ind., the current building was built in 1995 as a $17 million state-of-the-art interactive facility for fans of all ages. It attracts over 60,000 people each year to more than 200 events. • Induction for this class of Hall of Famers will take place December 6, 2005 in New York City. -more- Page 3 INDUCTEE BIOGRAPHIES Cornelius Bennett University of Alabama Linebacker, 1983-86 A devastating hitter and dynamic defender, Cornelius Bennett dominated in four seasons as the undisputed defensive leader of the Alabama Crimson Tide. At 6 feet 4 inches tall and 215 pounds, Bennett twice earned First Team All-America honors, a unanimous choice in 1986. That year, he finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting, received the Lombardi Award as the nation’s top lineman and was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year. A three-time First Team All-Conference pick, Bennett was voted Defensive Player of the Game in victories at the 1985 Aloha Bowl and the 1986 Sun Bowl. A member of Alabama’s Team of the Century, Bennett was named the school’s Player of the Decade for the 1980’s. A team captain in 1986, he amassed 287 career tackles and 15 sacks, 10 of which came in 1986. Selected second overall in the 1987 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Bennett played 14 years in the NFL and made five appearances in the Super Bowl, four as a part of the Buffalo Bills’ memorable run in the 1990s. Currently, Bennett resides in Golden Beach, Florida. Tom Curtis University of Michigan Defensive Back, 1967-69 Opposing quarterbacks beware! Lurking deep within the defensive secondary stands one of the greatest interception threats in NCAA history, Michigan’s Tom Curtis. A consensus First Team All-America selection in 1969, Curtis set an NCAA career record with 431 interception return yards and led the nation with 10 picks in 1968. With 25 career interceptions, he is the all-time leader at Michigan, ranks second all-time in BIG TEN Conference history and is tied for fourth in NCAA history. A two-time First Team All-Conference selection, Curtis led the Wolverines in interceptions for three straight seasons and helped guide them to a share of the BIG TEN title in 1969. A recipient of the academic Frederic Matthaei Award in 1968, Curtis went on to graduate with a degree in Economics in 1970. Following graduation, he was drafted by the Baltimore Colts, played two seasons in the NFL, and appeared in Super Bowl V. Owner and publisher of the Football News and three NFL team publications, Curtis remains active in the community with the Haileah/Miami Springs Rotary and the NFL Alumni Association in Miami, Florida. -more- Page 4 Anthony Davis University of Southern California Running Back, 1972-74 Continuing in a long line of legendary USC Hall of Fame running backs, Anthony Davis has cemented himself as one of the greatest rushers in PAC-8 and NCAA history. He becomes the sixth Trojan in six consecutive years to enter college football’s national shrine. A unanimous First Team All-America selection, Davis finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1974. A two-time First Team All-Conference pick, he became the first player in PAC-8 history to rush for at least 1,000 yards in three individual seasons. A two-time recipient of the Voit Trophy as the Most Outstanding Player on the West Coast, Davis led USC in rushing, scoring and kick return yardage for three consecutive seasons. A proven winner, Davis guided the Trojans to a 31-3-2 record, three conference titles, three Rose Bowl victories and two national championships in three years. Upon the completion of his career, he accumulated 24 school, conference and NCAA records, including over 5,400 all-purpose yards and 52 touchdowns. Following a brief NFL career, Davis became a successful real estate developer and continues to serve as a motivational speaker for youth in Irvine, California where he currently resides. Keith Dorney Pennsylvania State University Offensive Tackle, 1975-78 An immovable force and staple on the Penn State offensive line, Keith Dorney proved his prowess on the athletic field and in the classroom. A two-time First Team All-America selection, unanimous in 1978, Dorney saw action in the Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Game his senior year. Named National Lineman of the Year by the Columbus Touchdown Club, he helped lead the Nittany Lions to a 38-10 record and four straight bowl appearances. Dedicated to his studies, Dorney was named to the Penn State Dean’s List numerous times and was named to the Academic All-America First Team in 1978. Named to Penn State’s All-Century First Team, Dorney was selected 19th overall by the Detroit Lions in the 1979 NFL Draft. In a nine-year NFL career, he made one Pro Bowl and earned the Ed Block Courage Award in 1987. Following his playing days, Dorney has worked with children and young adults as a full-time special education teacher for True to Life Children’s Services and also coaches the defensive line at a local high school in Santa Rosa, California. -more- Page 5 Jim Houston The Ohio State University End, 1957-59 A fierce competitor and team leader, Jim Houston guided the Ohio State Buckeyes to great heights and solidified himself as one of his era’s legendary athletes. A First Team All-America selection in 1958, Houston was invited to participate in the East-West Shrine Game and Hula Bowl.