ON THE COVER The 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class was announced in January and features (clockwise from top) former Southern California quarterback Carson Palmer, former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops and former Iowa defensive end Andre Tippett. Both the 2020 and 2021 Hall of Fame Classes will be inducted during the 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 7 at the ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas. Look inside this Footballetter for the candidates for the 2022 Class and vote for your top selections. CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE FROM ARCHIE MANNING Dear Members and College Football Friends: The college football community just concluded the most challenging football season in our lifetimes. From coast-to-coast, football stands at the center of campus life, and our great game continues to play a pivotal role as our country begins to return to normal. With that, we welcome you to the National Football Foundation’s 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot. Induction into the College Football Hall of Fame represents the pinnacle of achievement in our sport, and the Hall of Fame serves as the centerpiece of the NFF’s efforts to inspire future generations to greatness. We are proud to solicit your vote as part of the selection process. Your passion and insights play an important role in helping us determine who will join this elite fraternity, and we truly appreciate your participation in this revered tradition, which stretches back to 1951. The link to the online voting system can be found throughout this issue. Please email [email protected] if you have questions. You have until Friday, June 25, to vote. As you peruse the ballot, please keep in mind that of the 5.47 million who have played college football since the first game on Nov. 6, 1869, only 1,038 players and 223 coaches have been inducted. In other words, including the members of the 2020 and 2021 Classes who will officially join the Hall of Fame in December, less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of those who have participated can call themselves a College Football Hall of Famer. We employ a rigorous set of objective standards to identify only the most worthy candidates, and the criteria limits us to a pool of approximately 1,500 First Team All-Americans. A district screening system further culls the list to the names you find on the ballot. As you can see, just being on the ballot is a huge honor, and all of the names seen here rank among the greatest players to ever set foot on the collegiate gridiron. The membership vote plays an important role, providing key insights to the NFF Honors Court, which makes the final decision on the inductees.So, please cast your vote by June 25. The announcement of the 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2022, with specific details to be announced in the future. The Class will be officially inducted during the 64th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 6, 2022, and permanently immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. They will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2022 season. Thank you for voting in this very special tradition and submitting your College Football Hall of Fame ballot. Again, please be sure to cast your vote by Friday, June 25. Kind regards, Archie Manning Chairman of the Board 1989 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee SUPPORT THE NFF Your support and attendance at the many NFF events throughout the year means a lot, and we would ask that you consider supplementing your support with a financial gift. Created in 1947, the NFF remains a powerful vehicle for those who have benefited from the game to give back to future generations. Below is the contact information that you can use to learn more about making a donation to help us as we work to promote the Future For Football®. You can also make a donation online by clicking here. Please contact NFF Director of Finance Sue Tuggle at 972-556-1000 or by email at [email protected] to learn how you can include the National Football Foundation in your annual gift planning. The NFF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, and your contribution may be eligible for tax benefits based on your individual circumstances. WWW.FOOTBALLFOUNDATION.ORG 2 SUMMER 2021 2021 NFF ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER MOVES TO LAS VEGAS 63rd EDITION RETURNS DECEMBER 7 AT THE ARIA RESORT & CASINO LAS VEGAS he National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) Events, who are working to make this a night to be remembered.” announced the move of its Annual Awards Dinner, which will take The 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class includes Lomas Brown place Dec. 7 at the ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas. (Florida), Keith Byars (Ohio State), Eric Crouch (Nebraska), Eric Dickerson TThe 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner will be in-person and once again (Southern Methodist), Glenn Dorsey (LSU), John “Jumbo” Elliott (Michigan), serve as the culmination of the college football regular season. It will Jason Hanson (Washington State), E.J. Henderson (Maryland), E.J. Junior feature the induction of the 2020 and 2021 College Football Hall of Fame (Alabama), Steve McNair (Alcorn State), Cade McNown (UCLA), Leslie Classes; the presentation of the 2021 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards O’Neal (Oklahoma State), Anthony Poindexter (Virginia), David Pollack Presented by Fidelity Investments; and the bestowing of the 32nd William (Georgia), Bob Stein (Minnesota), Michael Westbrook (Colorado), Elmo V. Campbell Trophy® to college football’s top scholar-athlete. Wright (Houston) and coaches Dick Sheridan (Furman, North Carolina “We are excited to announce that Las Vegas will be the site of the NFF State) and Andy Talley (St. Lawrence [NY], Villanova). Annual Awards Dinner this December,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. The 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class includes Harris Barton “With the induction of two College Football Hall of Fame classes, this year’s (North Carolina), David Fulcher (Arizona State), Dan Morgan (Miami [FL]), edition will prove to be one of the biggest events in the history of the NFF.” Carson Palmer (Southern California), Tony Romo (Eastern Illinois), Kenneth Since 1958, the game’s most enthusiastic supporters have gathered Sims (Texas), C.J. Spiller (Clemson), Darren Sproles (Kansas State), Aaron each year to witness the NFF Annual Awards Dinner and honor those who Taylor (Notre Dame), Andre Tippett (Iowa), Al Wilson (Tennessee) and embody the spirit of the game: dynamic business, community and military coaches Rudy Hubbard (Florida A&M) and Bob Stoops (Oklahoma). leaders; National Scholar-Athletes; and former greats of the game, set to This fall, the NFF will announce the finalists for the 32nd William V. be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. This black-tie affair is Campbell Trophy®, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate a homecoming for the football fraternity as the audience is graced with scholarship as a member of the 2021 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class former and current coaches, Hall of Famers from yesteryear and generous Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will all attend the NFF Annual supporters of the Foundation and its mission. Awards Dinner where one will be announced live as the Campbell Trophy® “After a year of unprecedented challenges, we look forward to the entire winner and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000. college football community coming together once again this December,” For more information on the 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner, including said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We want to thank the wonderful how to register for tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please visit staff at the ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas and the team at Rafanelli NFF2021.com. NFF ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER PROGRAM 63RD NFF ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER For more information on purchasing an ad in the official NFF Annual December 7, 2021 Awards Dinner program, please contact Clerrinda Queen, Sales/ ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas Marketing Director, Learfield IMG College Publishing at Clerrinda.Queen@ LearfieldIMGCollege.com or (336) 473-3145. Visit NFF2021.com for more information, including ticket registration and special travel rates from Delta Air Lines and the ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas. WWW.FOOTBALLFOUNDATION.ORG 3 SUMMER 2021 2022 HALL OF FAME BALLOT FOOTBALL BOWL SUBDIVISION PLAYER CANDIDATES FOOTBALL BOWL SUBDIVISION PLAYER CANDIDATES (VOTE FOR 12) Candidates are listed alphabetically. This ballot includes candidates who were selected by the Honors Court and District Screening Committees. CANDIDATE SCHOOL POSITION(S) YEARS CANDIDATE SCHOOL POSITION(S) YEARS 1. Flozell Adams Michigan State Offensive Tackle 1994-97 42. Craig Heyward Pittsburgh Running Back 1984, 2. Shaun Alexander Alabama Running Back 1996-99 1986-87 3. Morten Andersen Michigan State Placekicker 1978-81 43. Chris Hudson Colorado Defensive Back 1991-94 4. LaVar Arrington Penn State Linebacker 1997-99 44. Ken Huff North Carolina Offensive Guard 1972-74 5. Champ Bailey Georgia Defensive Back 1996-98 45. Steve Hutchinson Michigan Offensive Lineman 1997-00 6. Mark Bavaro Notre Dame Tight End 1981-84 46. Bradie James LSU Linebacker 1999-02 7. Aaron Beasley West Virginia Defensive Back 1992-95 47. Marvin Jones Florida State Linebacker 1990-92 8. Eric Berry Tennessee Defensive Back 2007-09 48. Levon Kirkland Clemson Linebacker 1988-91 9. Michael Bishop Kansas State Quarterback 1997-98 49. James Laurinaitis Ohio State Linebacker 2005-08 10. Jeff Bregel USC Offensive Guard 1983-86 50. John Lee UCLA Placekicker 1982-85 11. Brandon Burlsworth Arkansas Offensive Guard 1995-98 51.