Three former Michigan legends became one step closer the College Football Hall of Fame Monday.
Offensive linemen Jumbo Elliott and Steve Hutchinson along with defensive tackle Mark Messner all will be on the 2020 ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame. The 2020 Hall of Fame class will be announced January 2020 prior to the College Football Playoff Championship Game in New Orleans.
"It's an enormous honor to just be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot when you think that more than 5.33 million people have played college football and only 1,010 players have been inducted," National Football Foundation President & CEO Steve Hatchell said in a press release. "The Hall's requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of about 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. Being in today's elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to have ever played the game, and we look forward to announcing the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class in January."
The ballot will be emailed to over 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers. The votes will be counted and submitted to the NFF’s Honors Court, which will choose the 2020 class.
"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," NFF Chairman Archie Manning, a 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Mississippi, said in a press release. "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."
The criteria for consideration include earning first-team All-American status by an organization used to comprise the consensus All-America teams. A player is eligible 10 full seasons after his final year of college football. Players who are playing professionally are not eligible until after they retire.
“While each nominee's football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post-football record as a citizen is also weighed,” the press release says. “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 the candidate earned a college degree.”
Elliott was a two-time All-American at Michigan and started a then-record 44 games for an offensive lineman, which now ranks sixth for that position. He earned consensus All-American status in 1987. He was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection and was a finalist for both the Outland Trophy and the Rotary Lombardi Award as a senior. In 1986, Michigan was Big Ten Co-Champions.
Hutchinson was a unanimous first-team All-American in 2000 who led the Wolverines to four bowl wins, including the 1997 National Championship at the Rose Bowl. He is one of only seven players in Big Ten history to be named a four-time first-team All-Big Ten selection. U-M won three Big Ten championships when he was in Ann Arbor.
Messner was a unanimous first-team All-American in 1988 along with winning Big Ten Player of the Year. He was a four-time first-team All-Big Ten selection. He led U-M to four bowl berths and was named MVP of the 1985 Fiesta Bowl.
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