University of North Carolina Athletics
Taylor On College FB Hall Of Fame Ballott
March 11, 2010 | Football
March 11, 2010
The National Football Foundation (NFF) announced today the names of 77 players and seven coaches who comprise the 2010 Football Bowl Subdivision Ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Former Tar Heel standout and long-time NFL star Lawrence Taylor is among those nominated.
"Having a ballot and a voice in the selection of the inductees is one of the most cherished NFF member benefits," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, a 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Ole Miss. "There is no group more knowledgeable or passionate about college football than our membership, and the tradition of the ballot helps us engage them in the lofty responsibility of selecting those who have reached the pinnacle of achievement in our sport."
Taylor was named unanimous First Team All-America and ACC Player of the Year in 1980 after recording 16 sacks his senior year. He totaled 95 tackles and caused seven fumbles in 1979.
The ballot mailed this week to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF's Honors Court, which deliberates and selects the class. Chaired by Gene Corrigan, a former ACC Commissioner and NCAA president, the 13-member NFF Honors Court includes an elite and geographically diverse pool of athletics directors, conference commissioners, Hall of Famers and members of the media.
"It's an enormous honor to just be on the ballot when you think that more than 4.72 million people have played college football," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "The Hall's requirement of being a First Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of only 1,900 individuals who are even eligible to be on the ballot, so being in today's group of 77 names means an individual is truly among the greatest to ever have played the game, and we are proud to announce their names today."
The FBS Hall of Fame Class will be announced live May 27 from the NASDAQ Times Square site in New York City during a noon press conference and inducted at The National Football Foundation's Annual Awards Dinner on December 7, 2010 at the landmark Waldorf=Astoria Hotel also in New York City. The May 27 press conference has been carried live on ESPNEWS for the past three years, and the same coverage is anticipated again this year.
