Yahoo Sports Eric Dickerson and Steve McNair highlight 2020 College Football Hall of Fame class
Former SMU running back Eric Dickerson and former Alcorn State QB Steve McNair are two of the 17 members of the 2020 class of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Dickerson is one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played at SMU from 1979-82 and rushed for over 3,000 yards and 36 touchdowns in his final two seasons with the Mustangs. Part of the famed Pony Express backfield, Dickerson helped lead SMU’s surge to the top of the college football world.
That, of course, came with a price. SMU football was given the death penalty for a season — the harshest penalty the NCAA has ever given a top-level football program — following a massive pay-for-play scheme that helped SMU lure top recruits.
SMU’s violations are very likely a big reason why Dickerson hasn’t been inducted into the hall until now even though he’s the school’s all-time leading rusher and was a first-team All-American in 1982.
McNair threw for nearly 14,500 yards in his time at Alcorn State in 1991-94. He won the 1994 Walter Payton Award, the FCS version of the Heisman Trophy. He finished third in the Heisman voting that season, too, after he threw for over 5,000 yards and 47 touchdowns in his final college season.
McNair was picked third in the 1995 NFL draft and played for the Titans and Ravens. He was killed in 2009 by a woman he was having an affair with.
Former Georgia DE and current ESPN analyst David Pollack is also a member of the class. Pollack played from 2002-04 with the Bulldogs and had 36 sacks.
Other members
OT Lomas Brown (Florida, 1981-84)
Brown was a two-time All-SEC selection and a consensus All-American in 1984.
RB Keith Byars (Ohio State, 1982-85)
Byars finished second in the 1984 Heisman voting with 1,764 rushing yards.
QB Eric Crouch (Nebraska, 1998-2001)
Crouch won the 2001 Heisman Trophy and rushed for over 3,000 yards while passing for over 4,000 yards in his career. Crouch was also the QB of Nebraska’s 1999 team that finished 12-1 and beat Tennessee in the Fiesta Bowl.
DT Glenn Dorsey (LSU, 2004-07)
Dorsey won the Outland and Lombardi trophies during the 2007 season and was a two-time first team All-American.
OT Jumbo Elliott (Michigan, 1984-87)
Elliott was a two-time All-American in his time at Michigan before playing for the New York Giants and Jets.
K Jason Hanson (Washington State, 1988-91)
The longtime Lions kicker kicked 20 field goals of over 50 yards in his college career.
LB E.J. Henderson (Maryland, 1999-2002)
Henderson is the only Terrapin to be a consensus first team All-American twice.
DE E.J. Junior (Alabama, 1977-80)
Junior recorded 190 tackles and 21 sacks in his four years at Alabama.
QB Cade McNown (UCLA, 1995-98)
McNown was third in the 1998 Heisman voting and is UCLA’s all-time passing leader with 10,708 yards.
DT Leslie O’Neal (Oklahoma State, 1982-85)
O’Neal was selected to the All-Big 12 first team three times and had 47 career tackles for loss.
DB Anthony Poindexter (Virginia, 1995-98)
Poindexter recovered seven fumbles in his four years at Virginia.
DE Bob Stein (Minnesota, 1966-68)
Stein was not only a great defensive end but he also was the team’s kicker.
WR Michael Westbrook (Colorado, 1991-94)
Westbrook caught the pass from Kordell Stewart that gave Colorado its win in the “Miracle at Michigan” in 1994.
WR Elmo Wright (Houston, 1968-70)
Wright averaged over 111 receiving yards per game at Houston and had 14 touchdowns in 1969.
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
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