The College Football Hall of Fame, in the process of relocating to Atlanta, added 14 new members Tuesday, including three Heisman Trophy winners.
Former Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel, former Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde and former Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne — all Heisman winners — lead this year’s class of 12 players and two coaches.
The group, which also includes former Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier, will be inducted at a ceremony in New York in December and enshrined at a second ceremony in Atlanta in the summer of 2014.
Construction is underway in downtown Atlanta on the Hall of Fame’s new 94,000-square-foot home, across Marietta Street from Centennial Olympic Park. It is scheduled to open in August 2014 to replace the South Bend, Ind., facility that closed at the end of last year.
No Georgia or Georgia Tech representative was among this year’s Hall of Fame selections, named by the National Football Foundation at a Tuesday news conference in New York. Wuerffel, however, brought a local connection: He lives in Decatur and is executive director of Atlanta-based Desire Street Ministries, which works to revitalize impoverished neighborhoods.
“I’m thankful for what college football has meant in my life,” Wuerffel said at the news conference, “and what it has allowed me to do to help other people.”
A two-time SEC player of the year, Wuerffel passed for 10,875 yards and 114 touchdowns as Florida’s quarterback. He helped the Gators win four consecutive SEC championships and led them to the national title in 1996, when he won the Heisman.
“Sometimes, when I think about and read through (the accomplishments at Florida), I actually want to pinch myself,” Wuerffel, 38, said. “Because the things we experienced at Florida were more than anything I dreamed of growing up.”
He called his election to the Hall of Fame “a tremendous honor” and added, “Honestly, it’s also fun.” He said the occasion reconnects him with the emotions and relationships of his college-football days, rekindling memories of playing for coach Steve Spurrier and with his Gators teammates.
“All of us should know that for this to happen, there are countless other people that played a part in this story for us,” Wuerffel said.
His fellow inductees Testaverde and Dayne won their Heisman trophies in 1986 and 1999, respectively. Frazier didn’t win a Heisman, but he led Nebraska to back-to-back national championships in 1994 and 1995.
Other former college stars in this year’s Hall of Fame class include N.C. State running back Ted Brown, the first player in ACC history to be named first-team all-conference in four seasons (1975-78); Ohio State offensive tackle Orlando Pace, fourth in the 1996 Heisman balloting; Arizona defensive end Tedy Bruschi, who was tied for the NCAA Division I-A (now FCS) lead in career sacks when he graduated in 1995; and Texas defensive back Jerry Gray, a two-time Southwest Conference player of the year (1983-84).
Also, Kentucky end Steve Meilinger, a standout on offense, defense and special teams in the early 1950s; Oklahoma linebacker Rod Shoate, who helped lead the Sooners to a 21-0-1 record in 1973-74; Michigan State linebacker Percy Snow, who won the Butkus and Lombardi trophies in 1989; and Baylor quarterback Don Trull, fourth in the Heisman voting in 1963.
The two former coaches in this year’s class are Bill McCartney, 93-55-5 at Colorado from 1982-94, and Wayne Hardin, a combined 118-74-5 at Navy from 1959-64 and Temple from 1970-82.
Before the new Hall of Famers were announced, John Stephenson — president and CEO of Atlanta Hall Management, the organization in charge of building and operating college football’s shrine here — briefly updated the New York gathering on the progress of the project. He said it is “on track to be open in August of 2014, in time for that football season.”
“As a native Atlantan, I am totally biased, of course, but I would challenge anyone to find a better 2.7 acres in the country on which to build the College Football Hall of Fame,” said Stephenson, noting its proximity to other downtown attractions.
“We’re hoping to over-deliver on expectations,” he said.
About the Author
