Vince Young headlines 2019 College Football Hall of Fame class

Vince Young, Joe Thomas, Patrick Willis and Darren McFadden are among this year’s inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame.

The National Football Foundation announced 13 players and two legendary coaches have been elected to the 2019 College Football Hall of Fame. The class was announced earlier in the day prior to the National Championship Game between Alabama and Clemson.

Headlining the class is former Texas great and 2005 National Champion, Vince Young, who cemented his place in the Hall of Fame after his 4th down run in the closing seconds of the 2006 Rose Bowl vs. USC saw him score the game-winning touchdown to end the Trojan dynasty.

Prior to the announcement into the Hall of Fame, I asked Young about the lasting memories from that iconic game.

“Man, just playing with my teammates,” Young said. “That was the most unbelievable brothers I ever played with in my life. The chemistry that we have, the way we still hang out together still to this day and supporting each other and in life. The guys got charity events going on, businesses going on. That’s one of my favorite things about that university. Our chemistry was unbelievable.”

When asked if he thought that game was the greatest game in college football history, Young, admittedly biased, agreed with the many who have proclaimed it as the best over the last 13 years.

“Yeah, I can say I’m with them. I mean, as I get older and older, I have an opportunity to watch the game with fans, and watch the game with my family and kids, just to see people still getting goosebumps still to this day from watching the game. Then people still talking about it still to this day. The stories, where they were at when they were watching the game is unbelievable.”

Young joins his college contemporaries, Joe Thomas, Darren McFadden, Patrick Willis and Troy Polamalu as players who shined at the turn of the century.

“We are extremely proud to announce the 2019 College Football Hall of Fame Class,” said Archie Manning, NFF Chairman and a 1989 College Football Hall of Famer from Mississippi. “Each of these men has established himself among the absolute best to have ever played or coached the game, and we look forward to immortalizing their incredible accomplishments. The Class will be part of a momentous year as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of college football this season.”

Players

• Terrell Buckley – DB, Florida State (1989-91)
• Rickey Dixon – DB, Oklahoma (1984-87)
• London Fletcher – LB, John Carroll [OH] (1995-97)
• Jacob Green – DL, Texas A&M (1977-79)
• Torry Holt – WR, North Carolina State (1995-98)
• Raghib Ismail – KR/WR, Notre Dame (1988-90)
• Darren McFadden – RB, Arkansas (2005-07)
• Jake Plummer – QB, Arizona State (1993-96)
• Troy Polamalu – DB, Southern California (1999-2002)
• Joe Thomas – OL, Wisconsin (2003-06)
• Lorenzo White – RB, Michigan State (1984-87)
• Patrick Willis – LB, Mississippi (2003-06)
• Vince Young – QB, Texas (2003-05)

Coaches

• Dennis Erickson – 179-96-1 (65.0 percent); Idaho (1982-85, 2006), Wyoming (1986), Washington State (1987-88), Miami [FL] (1989-94), Oregon State (1999-2002), Arizona State (2007-11)
• Joe Taylor – 233-96-4 (70.6 percent); Howard (1983), Virginia Union (1984-91), Hampton (1992-2007), Florida A&M (2008-12)

New Hall of Famers, Willis and Ismail will be on hand for Monday night’s National Championship Game to take part in the pre-game coin toss.