College Football Hall of Fame inductees

Francis_A._Tarkenton

Francis Asbury Tarkenton (born February 3, 1940) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he was recognized as a twice first-team All-SEC, and was selected by the Vikings in the third round of the 1961 NFL draft. After retiring from football, he became a media personality and computer software executive.
Tarkenton's tenure with the Vikings spanned thirteen non-consecutive seasons. He played for Minnesota six seasons from 1961 to 1966 when he was traded to the New York Giants for five seasons, and then traded back to Minnesota for his last seven seasons from 1972 to 1978. At the time of his retirement, Tarkenton owned many quarterback records. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
In addition to his football career, Tarkenton served as a commentator on Monday Night Football and a co-host of That's Incredible!. He also founded Tarkenton Software, a computer-program generator company, and he toured the U.S. promoting CASE (computer-aided software engineering) with Albert F. Case Jr. of Nastec Corporation. Tarkenton Software later merged with KnowledgeWare (with Tarkenton as president), until selling the company to Sterling Software in 1994.

O.J._Simpson

Orenthal James Simpson (born July 9, 1947), commonly referred to as O. J. Simpson, is an American former football running back, actor, and broadcaster. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills, and is regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time. Once a popular figure with the American public, Simpson's professional success was overshadowed by his trial and controversial acquittal for the murders of his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman.
Simpson played college football for the USC Trojans, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected first overall by the Bills in the 1969 NFL/AFL draft. During his nine seasons with the Bills, Simpson received five consecutive Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selections from 1972 to 1976. He also led the league in rushing yards four times, in rushing touchdowns twice, and in points scored in 1975. In 1973, he became the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, earning him NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP), and is the only NFL player to do so in a 14-game regular season. Simpson holds the record for the single-season yards-per-game average at 143.1. After retiring with the San Francisco 49ers in 1979, Simpson pursued an acting and broadcasting career. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
In June 1994, Simpson was arrested and charged with the murders of Brown and Goldman. He was acquitted in a lengthy and internationally publicized trial, but found liable for the deaths three years later in a civil suit from the victims' families. To date, Simpson has paid little of the $33.5 million judgment (equivalent to $61 million in 2022).
In 2007, Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, and charged with armed robbery and kidnapping. In 2008, he was convicted and sentenced to 33 years' imprisonment, with a minimum of nine years without parole. He served his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center near Lovelock, Nevada. He was granted parole on July 20, 2017, which was the minimum sentence. He was released on October 1, 2017. In December 2021, Simpson was granted early release from his parole by the Nevada Division of Parole and Probation.

Choo_Choo_Justice

Charles Ronald "Choo Choo" Justice (May 18, 1924 – October 17, 2003) was an American professional football player who was a halfback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1961.

Milt_Morin

Milton Denis Morin (October 15, 1942 – July 9, 2010) was an American professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). Morin attended St. Bernard's High School in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, where he held records in track and field and was elected co-captain of the football team. He also attended Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, NH before college. He attended the University of Massachusetts, where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He played for the UMass Minutemen football and set the school record for career receiving yards with 1,151. He played for the Cleveland Browns for ten seasons (1966–1975). Morin was drafted in the first round of the 1966 NFL Draft, the first-ever UMass first-round draft pick. He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 1968 and 1971. After he made the team, team owner Art Modell called him into his office and asked Morin what salary he would have made if he became a school teacher; Morin's major was education. He told Modell that $6,000 was the salary. Modell told him that he would pay Morin $6,000 a year as tight end.
On May 11, 2010, Morin was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame. On July 9, 2010, he died at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Massachusetts of a heart attack. His induction into the College Football Hall of Fame was scheduled for the following week.

Bill_Kilmer

William Orland Kilmer Jr. (born September 5, 1939) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, and Washington Redskins. He was also used as a running back and wide receiver. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, then 18 seasons as a professional. In 1964, while playing running back for the 49ers, Kilmer played a supporting role in one of the most infamous incidents in gridiron history when Vikings defensive lineman Jim Marshall ran Kilmer's fumble back 66 yards into the wrong end zone.

Alan_D._Ameche

Alan Ameche (; June 1, 1933 – August 8, 1988), nicknamed "the Iron Horse", or simply "the Horse", was an American football fullback who played for six seasons with the Baltimore Colts in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers and won the Heisman Trophy during his senior season in 1954. He was elected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons in the league. He is famous for scoring the winning touchdown in overtime in the 1958 NFL Championship Game against the New York Giants, labeled "The Greatest Game Ever Played".With colleague and former Colts teammate Gino Marchetti, Ameche founded the Gino's Hamburgers chain. He also founded the Baltimore-based Ameche's Drive-in restaurants.

Hopalong_Cassady

Howard Albert "Hopalong" Cassady (March 2, 1934 – September 20, 2019) was an American football halfback and split end who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1955. Cassady played in the NFL for eight seasons, seven of them for the Detroit Lions, with whom he won the 1957 NFL Championship Game. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979.

Fred_Miller_(American_football,_born_1906)

Frederick C. Miller (January 26, 1906 – December 17, 1954) was a college football player, an All-American tackle under head coach Knute Rockne at the University of Notre Dame, posthumously elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985. He later served as an unpaid assistant coach for the Irish, flying in from Milwaukee several times a week.Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Miller was the son of Carl A. Miller of Germany, and Clara Miller (no relation), a daughter of Miller Brewing Company founder Frederick Miller, also a German immigrant.Succeeding his younger cousin Harry John (1919–1992), Miller became the president of the family brewing company in 1947 at age 41 and had a major role in bringing Major League Baseball to Wisconsin, moving the Braves from Boston to Milwaukee in 1953. He coaxed Lou Perini into moving them into the new County Stadium and was made a director for the team. The Braves later played in consecutive World Series in 1957 and 1958, both against the New York Yankees. Both series went the full seven games with Milwaukee winning the former and New York the latter.

Bobby_Marshall

Robert Wells "Bobby" Marshall (March 12, 1880 – August 27, 1958) was an American sportsman. He was best known for playing football; however, Marshall also competed in baseball, track, boxing, ice hockey and wrestling.

Bud_Sprague

Mortimer "Bud" Sprague (September 8, 1904 – April 25, 1973) was an American football player. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1970.He was one of the eight children born to Minna and George Sprague, of the Oak Cliff neighborhood in Dallas, Texas. Bud's father George served on the Dallas City Council and as the Mayor of Dallas from 1937 to 1939. Bud originally played on University of Texas' varsity football team, and later transferred to the United States Military Academy to play out his eligibility for the Army Black Knights. Eventually Bud settled in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan and made his fortune in maritime insurance. He named his son, Kurth Sprague, after his mentor.