Peyton Manning could be headed to the College Football Hall of Fame as soon as 2017.
The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced the names on the 2017 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday morning, and Manning appeared for the first time, joining a pair of other Vol nominees that have been on the list in the past.
Here’s the criteria to be selected, according to the National Football Foundation:
- 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.
Manning has fulfilled the first three requirements for awhile now, but his recent retirement from pro football makes him eligible for the first time on the 2017 ballot. The announcement of the 2017 class will be made on Jan. 6, 2017 in Tampa Bay, Fla., in conjunction with the championship game of the College Football Playoffs.
Here are the UT players on the ballot:
Peyton Manning, Tennessee-Quarterback-1997 consensus First Team All-American and Heisman Trophy runner-up who won the NFF Campbell Trophy and the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards…Three-time All-SEC selection and 1997 SEC Player of the Year while guiding Vols to SEC title…Tennessee’s all-time leader in wins (39), passing yards (11,201) and TD passes (89) among others.
Larry Seivers, Tennessee-Wide Receiver-Two-time consensus First Team All-American in 1975 and 1976…Two-time First Team All-SEC selection…Currently ranks sixth in Tennessee history in career reception yardage (1,924) and seventh in career receptions (117).
Jackie Walker, Tennessee-Linebacker-1970 and ’71 First Team All-American…Set NCAA record for career interceptions returned for TD by a linebacker (5)… Two-time First Team All-SEC selection who helped Vols to 1969 SEC Championship.
