One Man's College Football Hall Ballot

We here at Insights are one of the many voters for the College Football Hall of Fame, the ballots for which were due today.

Here is who we cast our vote for to end up enshrined in South Bend:
Division I-A Players:

-Tony Boselli, OT, USC -- two-time first-team All-American and 1994 Outland Trophy finalist

-Tim Brown, WR, Notre Dame -- 1987 Heisman Trophy winner and two-time first-team All-American.

-Lawrence Taylor, LB, North Carolina -- first-team All-American and ACC Player of the Year. Despite his off-the-field issues, we couldn't not vote for the dominating Tar Heel.

-Gino Torretta, QB, Miami -- This was the toughest one on our ballot, but he did win the Heisman Trophy and led the Hurricanes to a national title.

-Chris Zorich, DT, Notre Dame -- 1990 Lombardi Award winner and two-time first-team All-American. Zorich also won a national title with the Irish.

-Eric Dickerson, RB, SMU -- All-time SMU rushing leader (4,450 yards) and finished third in the Heisman voting in 1982.

-Art Monk, WR, Syracuse -- First-team All-American and holds the Orange record with 14 catches in a game. Plus, he keeps being denied from Pro Football's Hall of Fame, so we felt he deserved a vote in the College one after gaining 3,899 all-purpose yards.

-Doug Flutie, QB, Boston College -- Won the 1984 Heisman Trophy and was a dominant passer for the Eagles. Also was the quarterback on one of the most memorable plays in college football history.

-Troy Aikman, QB, UCLA -- The consensus first-team All-American in 19889 was the Davey O'Brien Award winner and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1988.

-Mark Carrier, DB, Southern California -- The 1989 Thorpe Award winner and a two-time first-team All-American.

Coach:
-Jim Donnan, Georgia and Marshall -- He led the Thundering Herd to the 1992 I-AA championship, was the SEC Coach of the year in 1997 and won all four bowl games the Bulldogs played in. Also had a 104-40 career record, better than any of the other candidates on the list.

Other Divisions on our ballot:
Division I-AA:
-Charles Haley, LB, James Madison -- Haley was dominant for the Dukes from 1982-85, so much so they still discuss him in Harrisonburg, Va. today. He was the school's all-time tackles leader with 506 and was a first-team All-American in 1985.

-Freddie Thomas, DB, Troy -- Two-time first-team All American and led the Trojans to a national title in 1987.

Division II:
-Jesse Tuggle, LB, Valdosta State -- All-time Valdosta tackles leader with 440 and a first-team All-American in 1986.

-Gary Wichard, QB, C.W. Post -- First-team All-American in 1971 and set school records in passing (5,373), touchdown passes (41) and total offense (5,642). He's now an NFL agent who represents, among others, Jason Taylor, Terrell Suggs and Dwight Freeney.

Division III:
-Jim Ballard, QB, Wilmington (Ohio) and Mount Union (Ohio) -- Two-time first-team All-American who is third in NCAA Division III history in touchdown passes (115) and passing yards (10,379).

-Sean Brewer, DL, Millsaps (Miss.) -- Three-time first-team All-American and set Millsaps record for career tackles when he graduated.

Coaches:
-Larry Korver, Northwestern College (Iowa) -- Won two national championships and was a two-time NAIA Coach of the Year. Overall career record of 212-77-6.

-Pete Schmidt, Albion (Mich.) -- Won the 1994 Division III National Championship and nine MIAA titles from 1983-96. Had a record of 104-27-4, winning more than 78 percent of games he coached.

-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette

Comments

[Kevin O'Rourke]

Gary Wichard was hyped as the next Joe Namath. His final college game was a blitz by the University of Delaware at the Boardwalk Bowl in Atlantic City. An indoor game.

Blue Hens 72-Breakfast Cereal- 22

Wichard was drafted but may never have played an NFL down.

[Matt]

If you're going to vote for the hall of fame, why can't you look past the players you grew up watching and look to the ones that were truly great at their craft.

For example, how could you not select George Kunz from Notre Dame in your balloting?

On the 1966 Notre Dame National Championship Team

Team Captain at ND

Academic All American at ND

Put fellow first rounder and USC defensive lineman Alan Keys on his back on second play from scrimmage vs USC in 1968.

Selected to play in 12 of 12 college all star games in 1969.

Drafted 2nd overall behind OJ Simpson in 1969 NFL Draft.

NFL 8 time Pro-Bowl Selection and 7 time All-Pro Selection in NFL. (OJ only went to 6 pro-bowls and was selected All Pro 5 times)

2 time Seagram Award Winner as voted by NFL Offensive Line Coaches as being the best NFL Offensive Lineman.

I know you're partial to the players you grew up with, but if you're not going to select some of the best there ever was, you shouldn't be voting.

[Ryan C.]

I cannot agree with you more Matt.

[Terrence Hammes Mowbray]

Hello Mike, You might like to add another terrific All American who also happened to be an All Time Notre Dame Great. That is Offensive Lineman Goerge Kunz. He dominated his position in college. he came from California to play to start on some incredible college football teams as a sophomore he started on the undefeated National Championship 1966 Team. If you ever get a chance go to the ND Club of Memphis Web Site and they have all of the games of that season available on line to watch. look for George and watch him do incredible things. He also started on the terrifi 67 and 68 Notre Dame teams. He was the number two pick in the NFL Draft and unlike O J Simpson who was number 1 he actually graduated as an Academic All American while OJ never did graduate.

He has gone on to raise a fine family here in Las Vegas and is the owner operator of a number of fine McDonald resteraunts. Including one that was the number one store of them all in the USA for a number of years.

George is extremly well thought of in Nevada and is a real credit to College Football. Even today he looks like he could whip 99% of the currant stock of college and NFL players accross the line if he did suit up.

It will be an outrage if he is not voted in. So please do yourself a favor and look him up. I promise you will be amazed.

He deserves yours and everyone else's vote. He is what is great about College Football.A great standard for others to try to emulate.