Well another class of college football greats has been voted into the Hall of Fame. The National Football Foundation hosted a nice party Tuesday to make the announcement, even bringing along new inductees Lloyd Carr, Russell Maryland and Marty Lyons. In all 14 players and 2 coaches were voted in with more players and coaches from programs not in the football bowl subdivision to follow.
Deion Sanders is perhaps the biggest name in the class and Deion has been eligible for a few years so he was clearly doing some penance. Remember, this hall is not just about the playing field and Deion's flash did not help him here. He has been aided by his work with youth and that finally outweighed any worry the NFF members had over him.
As much as the Hall is open to players like Sanders, who excelled in the pros, it is an honor reserved to the all-time great regardless of their NFL play. And so for every Will Shields, the great Nebraska and Kansas City Chief guard, gaining membership this year we have former players like Oregon State's Bill Enyart, who excelled as a FB in the 1960s but had a quiet three-year pro career with the Bills and Raiders.
Either way this is a great honor for these men and the fact that big Marty Lyons had to fight back tears Tuesday is a testament to the emotions involved. More to follow.
Maybe you can help me out. For the life of me, I can't understand why Ty Detmer has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame. His college career was second to none. He rewrote the record books and took home more hardware than your neighborhood Home Depot.
ReplyDeleteIf Eddie George is eligible, then Detmer has been eligible for several years now. He wasn't "flashy" like Deion, so why are the NFF members holding back on Ty?
Thanks.
I agree 100%. The voting for the College Hall is based on so many factors that mere quality of play can sometimes be overshadowed. Some guys are held out--like Brian Bosworth--for being too flasy, but that of course, would not apply to Detmer. I assume that the Ohio-based chapters of the NFF are more powerful than the Salt Lake City one. Plus Ohio State alumni--and there are more of them than any other school--are big members of chapters in Arizona and Florida, etc, and so can push for their guys throughout the country. Having said all of that, Detmer has to be put in soon.
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