The ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021 will be revealed on June 9. The NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision portion of the 2021 ballot includes 78 players. Will any from Alabama be on it?
There are plenty of choices to join the 20 former Crimson Tide stars already in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Thirty-two Alabama players are eligible for the ballot for the Class of 2021. That doesn’t include 56 Crimson Tide alumni who meet the first standard for consideration for the College Football Hall of Fame but aren’t in the current eligibility window.
That’s 88 players from Alabama with the possibility of becoming Hall of Famers.
To be considered for the College Football Hall of Fame today, a player must have been a first-team All-American selection by one of the organizations that the NCAA uses to compile its annual consensus All-American team. Currently, those organizations are the American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, Football Writers Association of American, Sporting News and Walter Camp Football Foundation. But the selectors used by the NCAA have varied over the years, ranging from a low of two to a high of 10.
Players aren’t considered for the College Football Hall of Fame until 10 years after their final season. They also aren’t considered while they are active NFL players. Alabama has 38 players who meet the All-American standard but aren’t eligible yet because their final season with the Tide came in 2011 or later and/or they’re still playing in the NFL.
Players also aren’t considered if their college careers ended more than 50 years ago, so any player who completed his time with the Tide before 1971 isn’t eligible for the 2021 ballot. Alabama has 18 players who meet the All-American standard but are outside the 50-year window.
Those players still can be considered for the College Football Hall of Fame, but their qualifications are examined by the Football Bowl Subdivision Honors Review Committee, bypassing the ballot. The College Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 included one player from beyond the 50-year window.
Alabama has eight players who were unanimous All-Americans eligible for the 2021 ballot, including one who was a consensus All-American twice. Leroy Cook was a consensus All-American in 1974 and a unanimous All-American in 1975. The other eligible unanimous All-Americans are Keith McCants, Philip Doyle, Kevin Jackson, Antonio Langham, Chris Samuels, DeMeco Ryans and Rolando McClain.
Alabama also has a former unanimous All-American who can enter the College Hall of Fame only through the veterans committee – tackle Cecil Dowdy.
A unanimous All-American is a player who was a first-team selection for all the organizations used by the NCAA to compile the consensus All-American team for that season.
A consensus All-American usually is a player who was a first-team selection for at least half of the organizations used by the NCAA to compile the consensus All-American team. It’s possible to become a consensus All-American without reaching the halfway mark, and it’s also possible, though rare, not to be a consensus All-American even while making at least half of the first teams.
For consideration for the College Football Hall of Fame, players don’t have to be consensus All-Americans – just first-teamers for the right selector.
Former Alabama players eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame whose careers ended more than 50 years ago include (presented alphabetically with their All-American qualifying standards):
Center Cary Cox: Non-consensus in 1939
Center Paul Crane: Consensus in 1965
Center Joe Domnanovich: Consensus in 1942
Tackle Cecil Dowdy: Unanimous in 1966
Guard Wayne Freeman: Non-consensus in 1964
Linebacker Mike Hall: Non-consensus in 1968
Fullback Tony Holm: Non-consensus in 1929
End Dennis Homan: Consensus in 1967
Defensive back Bobby Johns: Non-consensus in 1966 and consensus in 1967
Defensive tackle Dan Kearley: Non-consensus in 1964
Fullback Joe Kilgrow: Non-consensus in 1937
Tackle Bill Lee: Consensus in 1934
Guard Leroy Monsky: Consensus in 1937
End Ray Perkins: Consensus in 1966
End Holt Rast: Consensus in 1941
Defensive back Ed Salem: Non-consensus in 1950
Guard Art “Tarzan” White: Non-consensus in 1936
End Hoyt Winslett: Non-consensus in 1926
Former Alabama players currently eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame ballot include (presented alphabetically with their All-American qualifying standards):
Running back Shaun Alexander: Non-consensus in 1999
Defensive back Javier Arenas: Consensus in 2009
Offensive tackle Buddy Brown: Consensus in 1973
Offensive tackle Jim Bunch: Consensus in 1979
Center Antoine Caldwell: Consensus in 2008
Defensive back Jeremiah Castille: Non-consensus in 1982
Defensive tackle Terrence Cody: Consensus in 2008 and 2009
Defensive lineman John Copeland: Consensus in 1992
Defensive end Leroy Cook: Consensus in 1974 and unanimous in 1975
Center Sylvester Croom: Non-consensus in 1974
Defensive lineman Eric Curry: Consensus in 1992
Kicker Philip Doyle: Unanimous in 1990
Running back Bobby Humphrey: Non-consensus in 1987
Defensive back Kevin Jackson: Unanimous in 1996
Guard Mike Johnson: Consensus in 2009
Safety Rashad Johnson: Non-consensus in 2008
Center Jim Krapf: Non-consensus in 1972
Defensive back Antonio Langham: Unanimous in 1993
Linebacker Keith McCants: Unanimous in 1989
Linebacker Rolando McClain: Unanimous in 2009
Linebacker John Mitchell: Non-consensus in 1972
Defensive lineman Michael Myers: Non-consensus in 1996
All-purpose/kick returner David Palmer: Consensus in 1993
Defensive tackle Mike Pitts: Consensus in 1982
Kicker Michael Proctor: Non-consensus in 1993 and 1994
Linebacker Dwayne Rudd: Non-consensus in 1996
Linebacker DeMeco Ryans: Unanimous in 2005
Offensive tackle Chris Samuels: Unanimous in 1999
Defensive lineman Robert Stewart: Non-consensus in 1991
Kicker Leigh Tiffin: Non-consensus in 2009
Wide receiver Wayne Wheeler: Non-consensus in 1973
Defensive back Tommy Wilcox: Consensus in 1981
Former Alabama players who meet the All-American standard for the College Football Hall of Fame but are not yet eligible for consideration include (presented alphabetically with their All-American qualifying standards):
Defensive lineman Jonathan Allen: Unanimous in 2016
Safety Mark Barron: Non-consensus in 2010 and unanimous in 2011
Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix: Consensus in 2013
Safety Landon Collins: Unanimous in 2014
Wide receiver Amari Cooper: Unanimous in 2014
Linebacker Trey DePriest: Non-consensus in 2014
Linebacker Rashaan Evans: Non-consensus in 2017
Defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick: Consensus in 2016 and unanimous in 2017
Linebacker Reuben Foster: Unanimous in 2016
Running back Derrick Henry: Unanimous in 2015
Linebacker Dont’a Hightower: Consensus in 2011
Cornerback Marlon Humphrey: Non-consensus in 2016
Running back Mark Ingram: Unanimous in 2009
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy: Consensus in 2018 and non-consensus in 2019
Offensive lineman Barrett Jones: Unanimous in 2011 (as a tackle) and consensus in 2012 (as a center)
Center Ryan Kelly: Consensus in 2015
Cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick: Non-consensus in 2011
Offensive tackle Arie Kouandjio: Non-consensus in 2014
Offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio: Consensus in 2013
Offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood: Non-consensus in 2019
Quarterback AJ McCarron: Non-consensus in 2013
Cornerback DeQuan Menzie: Non-consensus in 2011
Cornerback Dee Milliner: Unanimous in 2012
Linebacker C.J. Mosley: Consensus in 2012 and unanimous in 2013
Center Ross Pierschbacher: Non-consensus in 2018
Linebacker Reggie Ragland: Unanimous in 2015
Running back Trent Richardson: Unanimous in 2011
Defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson: Consensus in 2015
Offensive tackle Cam Robinson: Unanimous in 2016
Punter JK Scott: Non-consensus in 2014
Offensive tackle Andre Smith: Unanimous in 2008
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa: Consensus in 2018
Safety Deionte Thompson: Consensus in 2018
Linebacker Courtney Upshaw: Non-consensus in 2011
All-purpose/kick returner Jaylen Waddle: Non-consensus in 2019
Guard Chance Warmack: Unanimous in 2012
Offensive tackle Jonah Williams: Unanimous in 2018
Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams: Unanimous in 2018
Alabama has 20 players already in the College Football Hall of Fame (presented alphabetically with their All-American qualifying standards):
Linebacker Cornelius Bennett: Non-consensus in 1985 and unanimous in 1986
Fullback Johnny Cain: Non-consensus in 1931
Halfback Harry Gilmer: Non-consensus in 1945
Guard John Hannah: Non-consensus in 1971 (as an offensive tackle) and unanimous in 1972
Halfback Dixie Howell: Consensus in 1934
End Don Hutson: Consensus in 1934
Center Lee Roy Jordan: Unanimous in 1962
Defensive end E.J. Junior: Unanimous in 1980
Linebacker Woodrow Lowe: Non-consensus in 1973 and 1975 and consensus in 1974
Defensive tackle Marty Lyons: Consensus in 1978
Center Vaughn Mancha: Consensus in 1945
Running back Johnny Musso: Consensus in 1971
Tackle Billy Neighbors: Unanimous in 1961
Receiver Ozzie Newsome: Consensus in 1977
Tackle Fred Sington: Unanimous in 1930
Quarterback Riley Smith: Consensus in 1935
Linebacker Derrick Thomas: Unanimous in 1988
Tackle Don Whitmire: Non-consensus in 1942 (and after transferring to Navy, a consensus All-American in 1943 and a unanimous All-American in 1944)
Two of College Football Hall of Fame members from Alabama do not meet the currently used All-American standard – halfback Johnny Mack Brown, who played for the Crimson Tide from 1923 through 1925, and fullback Pooley Hubert, who played from 1922 through 1925.
Players on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot are nominated by athletic directors, head coaches and sports-information directors at National Football Foundation-member schools.
The FBS nominees are sorted geographically for eight District Screening Committees. The committee members vote on which players will represent their region on the ballot. Players who received significant support in the final voting in the previous year but did not make the College Football Hall of Fame also are held over on the ballot automatically.
The more than 12,000 members of the National Football Foundation then get the annual ballot for their consideration.
After the vote, the NFF Honors Court considers recommendations from the veterans committee, reviews the voting and names the members of the Hall of Fame class.
The NFF and College Football Hall of Fame had scheduled the release of the Class of 2021 ballot for Tuesday morning. On Monday afternoon, the ballot release was pushed back one week after the College Football Hall of Fame sustained damage during protests in Atlanta on Friday night.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.