Three Hurricane Legends Named to the NFF and College Hall of Fame Ballot
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – A trio of legendary Miami Hurricanes are among the 75 players from the Football Bowl Subdivision who have been selected to the official ballot for induction into the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
First-team All-Americans Warren Sapp (1994), Ray Lewis (1995) and Ed Reed (2000 and 2001) have each been chosen for the 2018 national ballot. They will have the opportunity to join the 10 Hurricanes that have been previously selected to the NFF and College Hall of Fame.
The announcement of the 2018 Class will be made Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in Atlanta. The city is serving as the host for the CFP National Championship, which will be played later that day at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Some of the inductees will be on site during the announcement to represent the class and share their thoughts on being elected. The Jan. 8 announcement will be televised live, and specific viewing information will be available as the date draws near. A few inductees will also participate in the pregame festivities and the coin toss before the championship game.
Sapp was a consensus All-American in 1994 and was the first Miami player to win the Lombardi Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. During his All-American season in 1994, Sapp had 84 tackles and led the team with 10.5 sacks. Following the regular season, he was one of six finalists invited to the Downtown Athletic Club for the Heisman Trophy presentation.
Lewis, who was selected as a First-Team All-American in 1995 by the Associated Press, was a three-year starter for the Hurricanes. He led Miami in tackles during his sophomore and junior seasons, setting consecutive records for solo tackles by a middle linebacker with 91 in 1994 and 95 in 1995. Following his 1995 season, Lewis was a finalist for the Butkus Award.
Reed was a two-time consensus All-American for the Hurricanes in 2000 and 2001. He is one of just nine Miami players to earn All-America honors in back-to-back seasons. Reed played a key role in helping the Hurricanes to their fifth national title in 2001. During his career at Miami, Reed set career records for interceptions and interception return yards. Reed’s nine interceptions in 2001 rank as the second-best single-season total in program history.
To be eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot, players must have been named a first-team All-America by a major/national selector as recognized and utilized by the NCAA for their consensus All-America teams; played their last year of intercollegiate football at least 10 years prior to nomination; played within the last 50 years and cannot be currently playing professional football. Once nominated for consideration, all player candidates are submitted to one of eight District Screening Committees, which conducts a vote to determine who will appear on the ballot and represent their respective districts.
University of Miami National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Inductees
Andy Gustafson (1985 inductee)
Don Bosseler (1990 inductee)
Jack Harding (1980 inductee)
Ted Hendricks (1987 inductee)
Bennie Blades (2006 inductee)
Arnold Tucker (2008 inductee)
Gino Torretta (2009 inductee)
Russell Maryland (2011 inductee)
Jimmy Johnson (2012 inductee)
Vinny Testaverde (2013 inductee)
