The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame revealed on Monday the list of 76 former FBS players and 100 former players from the divisional ranks that will be on the 2019 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. The 2019 class will be announced on Jan. 7, 2019, in Santa Clara, Calif., prior to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Levi's Stadium, and the class will be inducted during the NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 10, 2019.
Former Texas QB Vince Young and ex-USC QB Carson Palmer are among the players making their first appearance on the CFB HOF ballot.
Here are 10 players on the ballot, listed alphabetically, who should get the call this year:
Terrell Buckley, CB, Florida State
Drafted:Green Bay Packers, 1992 (Round 1, No. 5 overall)
Buckley was an easy choice for the 1991 Jim Thorpe Award as the top defensive back in the country, leading the nation with 12 interceptions. His 21 career interceptions is a school record, and** he was a prolific punt returner for the Seminoles, as well (1,000 career yards, 3 TDs). FSU was 31-6 over Buckley's last three years at the school.
Keith Byars, RB, Ohio State
Drafted: Philadelphia Eagles, 1986 (Round 1, No. 10 overall)
Although a foot injury ruined Byars' senior season at OSU, he was a force in the Big Ten as a sophomore and junior and led the Buckeyes to a league title in 1984. He was the Heisman runner-up in '84, when he rushed for 1,764 yards and 22 touchdowns. For a bigger back, he was an excellent receiver as well, and made 72 career receptions. Byars had 3,200 rushing yards for his career.
Eric Dickerson, RB, SMU
Drafted: Los Angeles Rams, 1983 (Round 1, No. 2 overall)
Dickerson was a two-time Southwest Conference Player of the Year at SMU in the early 1980s, making up half of the "Pony Express" backfield, along with Craig James. He ran for 1,428 yards as a junior with 19 touchdowns, and followed that with 1,617 yards and 17 scores as a senior.
Kevin Faulk, RB, LSU
Drafted: New England Patriots, 1999 (Round 2, No. 46 overall)
Faulk was a four-year star for the Tigers, living up to his billing as one of the nation's top recruits out of high school. He passed on the chance to enter the NFL draft early, and returned to LSU for a senior season in which he became the school's all-time leading rusher (4,557 yards), breaking a mark held by Dalton Hilliard. Faulk finished with the NCAA's fourth-highest total of all-purpose yards (6,833), not counting bowl games.
Raghib "Rocket" Ismail, WR, Notre Dame
Drafted: Los Angeles Raiders, 1991 (Round 4, No. 100 overall)
A key playmaker for Notre Dame's 1988 national championship team, Ismail was one of the most electrifying threats in the college game as a rusher, receiver and return specialist. He holds Notre Dame's record for yards per catch (22.0) and kick returns for touchdowns with five. He was the Walter Camp Player of the Year in 1990.
Ray Lewis, LB, Miami
Drafted: Baltimore Ravens, 1996 (Round 1, No. 26 overall)
Already a member of UM's Sports Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2018, Lewis was a dominant three-year player for the Hurricanes from 1993-1995. He led the Hurricanes to the Orange Bowl as a sophomore in coach Dennis Erickson's final year as coach (Erickson is one of 6 former coaches on the CFB HOF ballot). Lewis led the Big East in tackles twice (153 in 1994, 160 in 1995), and was runner-up for the Butkus Award as a junior. He finished his career with 388 tackles (sixth all-time in Hurricanes history).
Steve McNair, QB, Alcorn State
Drafted: Houston Oilers, 1995 (Round 1, No. 3 overall)
One of the most legendary players to ever come out of the I-AA ranks (now known as FCS), the late McNair was the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Offensive Player of the Year for four years in a row (he's the only player to achieve the feat). He finished third in the 1994 Heisman Trophy voting despite playing outside of the FBS, and was inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame in 2009. He amassed 16,823 total yards for his college career.
Troy Polamalu, S, USC
Drafted: Pittsburgh Steelers, 2003 (Round 1, No. 16 overall)
Polamalu was a three-year starter for the Trojans and helped engineer a turnaround for the program, as USC went 5-7 in his first year as a starter, and 11-2 in his last. A two-time first-team All-American, Polamalu amassed 29 career tackles for loss and blocked four punts. He returned three of his six career interceptions for touchdowns.
Patrick Willis, LB, Ole Miss
Drafted: San Francisco 49ers, 2007 (Round 1, No. 11 overall)
Willis was all but unblockable at Ole Miss, making an incredible 265 tackles over his last two seasons with the Rebels. He led the SEC in tackles in both of those years and finished his career as the Butkus Award winner and the 2006 SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
Vince Young, QB, Texas
Drafted: Tennessee Titans, 2006 (Round 1, No. 3 overall)
Young scored the winning touchdown in one of the most iconic national championship games in college football history, Texas' 41-38 Rose Bowl thriller against USC to cap the 2005 season. He was the first player in FBS history to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season, earning Big 12 Player of the Year honors. For his career, he was 30-2 as Texas' starting quarterback.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
