76 players and five coaches are on the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, including Heisman winners, Eric Crouch, Rashan Salaam and Carson Palmer.
The College Football Hall of Fame is one of the toughest to crack, but these candidates hope this will be the year they are enshrined among the game’s greats.
Former Heisman Trophy winners Eric Crouch, Rashaan Salaam and Carson Palmer are among the candidates on the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame ballot. The National Football Foundation released the list that includes 76 former players and five former coaches that’s littered with some of the most memorable players of all-time.
SMU running back Eric Dickerson, Michigan State kicker Morten Andersen, Miami linebacker Ray Lewis, Arkansas defensive lineman Dan Hampton and Syracuse receiver Marvin Harrison are all on the ballot this year who have previously been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
To be eligible for the College Hall of Fame, players must be a First-Team All-American, be 10 years removed from their final college season and played in the last 50 years. Coaches have to be three years removed from retirement if they are under 70. Active coaches are eligible at 75. All coaches must have coached for at least years ant 100 games with a .600 winning percentage.
Among the first-year nominees are Oklahoma quarterback and Heisman runner-up, Josh Heupel, who is now in his second year as the head coach at UCF. Former North Carolina defensive end and future Pro Football Hall of Famer, Julius Peppers is also on the ballot. Former Ohio State middle linebacker James Laurinaitis, a three-time All-American and two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year might have the strongest case among the first-time nominees.
“Having a ballot and a voice in the selection of the College Football Hall of Fame inductees is one of the most cherished NFF member benefits,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, a 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Mississippi. “There is no group more knowledgeable or passionate about college football than our membership, and the tradition of the ballot helps us engage them in the lofty responsibility of selecting those who have reached the pinnacle of achievement in our sport.”
You can see the entire 2020 College Football Hall of Fame ballot here.
It’s insane how many great players are not in the Hall of Fame. I’d start by putting the Heisman winners, (Crouch, Palmer, Salaam) in with Julius Peppers, David Pollack and James Laurinaitis.