Hanspard Named To 2017 College Football Hall Of Fame Ballot
June 01, 2016 | Football
Byron Hanspard, pictured receiving the 1996 Doak Walker Award, is up for induction into the College Football Hall Of Fame
June 1, 2016
IRVING, Texas --Former Texas Tech running back Byron Hanspard has been named to the 2017 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today the names of 75 players and six coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 95 players and 29 coaches from the divisional ranks eligible for induction.
"It's an enormous honor to just be on the ballot when you think that more than 5.12 million people have played college football," NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell said. "The Hall's requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of only 1,500 individuals who are even eligible to be on the ballot, so being in today's elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to ever have played the game, and we are proud to announce their names. We look forward to announcing the 2017 Hall of Fame Class on the Friday before the College Football Playoff National Championship in Tampa."
Hanspard was a 1996 unanimous First Team All-American and recipient of the Doak Walker Award, which is given to the nation's best running back. He is Tech's all-time leader in rushing (4,219), and tied the NCAA record by reaching 1,000-yard mark in just his fifth game of the 1996 season.
Hanspard was a three-time All-Big 12 selection, helping the Red Raiders to first Cotton Bowl since 1938. Hanspard is one of just five Red Raiders to rush for 1,000 yards or more in multiple seasons, one of which being his 2,084-yard 1996 campaign, which is the 10th-largest single-season total in college football history.
In addition to Hanspard, former Texas Tech coaches Jim Carlen (1970-74), who was the 1973 National Coach of the Year and three-time Southwest Conference Coach of the Year, and Pete Cawthon (1930-40), who led Tech to a 10-0 record in 1938 and holds the best winning percentage of all time among Tech coaches, are on the ballot.
The criteria for Hall of Fame consideration includes:
- First and foremost, a player must have received First-Team All-America recognition by a selector organization that is recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise their consensus All-America teams.
- A player becomes eligible for consideration by the Foundation's Honors Courts 10 full seasons after his final year of intercollegiate football played.
- While each nominee's football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post-football record as a citizen is also weighed. He must have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community and his fellow man, with love of his country. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether or not the candidate earned a college degree.
- Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years.* For example, to be eligible for the 2017 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1967 or thereafter. In addition, players who are playing professionally and coaches who are coaching on the professional level are not eligible until after they retire.
- A coach becomes eligible three full seasons after retirement or immediately following retirement provided he is at least 70 years of age. Active coaches become eligible at 75 years of age. He must have been a head coach for a minimum of 10 years and coached at least 100 games with a .600 winning percentage.
The announcement of the 2017 Class will be made Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Tampa, Fla. The city is serving as the host for the CFP National Championship, which will be played Jan. 9 at Raymond James Stadium.
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