OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Three University of Oklahoma players and one Oklahoma State University player have been named as finalists for the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame.
“It’s an enormous honor to just be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot considering more than 5.62 million people have played college football and only 1,074 players have been inducted,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “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 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class early next year.”
The criteria for Hall of Fame consideration include:
- Players must have received First-Team All-America recognition.
- A player becomes eligible for consideration 10 full seasons after his final year of intercollegiate football.
- While each nominee’s football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post-football record as a citizen is also weighed. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether the candidate earned a college degree.
- Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years.
- A coach becomes eligible three full seasons after retirement or immediately following retirement if he is 70+ years old. Active coaches become eligible at 75 years old. He must have been a head football coach for a minimum of 10 years and coached at least 100 games with a .600 winning percentage.
- Nominations may only be submitted by the current athletics director, head coach or sports information director of a candidate’s collegiate institution. Nominations may also be submitted by the president/executive director of a dues-paying chapter of the National Football Foundation.
“We employ a rigorous set of objective standards to identify only the worthiest candidates, and the criteria limits us to a pool of approximately 1,500 First Team All-Americans. A district screening system further culls the list to the names you find on the ballot,” said National Football Foundation (NFF) Chairman Archie Manning. “As you can see, just being on the ballot is a huge honor, and all of the names seen here rank among the greatest players to ever set foot on the collegiate gridiron.”
Three Sooners have been named among the prestigious HoF short list.
Linebacker Rocky Calmus is a three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection and a two-time consensus first-team All-American. Calmus was recognized as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year as a junior and senior, and won the Butkus Award following his senior season in 2001. He is also OU’s all-time leader in tackle for loss (59).
Quarterback Josh Heupel is a consensus first-team All-American, Big 12 Player of the Year, AP Player of the Year and Walter Camp Player of the Year. Heupel was the 2000 Heisman Trophy runner up and left OU with virtually every school passing record despite only playing two seasons. He is currently the Head Coach at the University of Tennessee.
Defensive Lineman Dr. Dewey Selmon is a consensus First Team All-American and two-time First Team All-Big Eight selection. Selmon was member of consecutive national championship teams and twice recorded 100-plus tackles in a season.
OSU is also represented on the finalist ballot.
Wide Receiver Justin Blackmon is a two-time unanimous first-team All-American and one of only two players ever to win the Biletnikoff Award twice. Blackmon was a Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and 2012 Fiesta Bowl Offensive MVP. He holds the NCAA record for consecutive 100-yard receiving games (14).
National Football Foundation members can vote until June 30.
See the full ballot here.
The 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be announced in Jan. 2024 and officially inducted during the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas on Dec. 10, 2024.