10/21: A Trio of Hall of Fame Spotlights!

Good morning, football fans! Keep your eyes peeled tomorrow — the National Football Foundation is set to announce the finalists for the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy!

The National Football Foundation Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes Presented by Fidelity Investments — A Hallowed Tradition Stretching Back to 1951!

. . .

Greg Eslinger — center, Minnesota

John Henderson needed a moment after learning that he would be entering the NFF College Football Hall of Fame. He couldn't truly process the magnitude of the accomplishment upon opening a box containing a commemorative football informing him of his induction.

"I was in shock," the Tennessee great said.

He might have been the only one. His college career was that dominant.

🏈 CLICK HERE to read John Henderson’s 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Spotlight

Jim Kleinsasser had a pretty good sense of what he was getting into at North Dakota. His sister, Sheri, was a standout basketball player for the school, earning Division II Player of the Year honors in 1995. Kleinsasser himself was a Carrington, N.D., native, and the idea of staying close to home was appealing enough that even when Notre Dame showed some late interest in recruiting him, he opted for the local UND, not the national one.

🏈 CLICK HERE to read Jim Kleinsasser’s 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Spotlight

Alex Mack was enjoying an extended Christmas break across the pond when his phone started blowing up. Mack, the former Cal All-American and All-Pro NFL center, was with his wife, Rachael, and her side of the family in their hometown of Dublin.

"And I was like, What is this about? I'm confused," Mack said, laughing. "And then I saw the news and I was pretty stoked. We had a good dinner then."

The grub (and likely libations) always go down smooth in Ireland - especially when you receive news that you are becoming a College Football Hall of Famer.

🏈 CLICK HERE to read Alex Mack’s 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Spotlight

Top-ranked Ohio State has been the most consistent team in college football this season, as the Buckeyes hold firm at No. 1 for an eighth straight week in the FWAA/NFF Super 16 Poll—the entire regular season.

In the latest episode of the Good in the Game Podcast, host LaVar Arrington sits down with former Ohio State Buckeye first round pick and current Arizona Cardinal Paris Johnson to discuss his journey to the NFL, earning his spot at OSU and how his faith has helped him on and off the football field.

Join us to celebrate college football legends at one of the sport's grandest traditions!

The highlight of the Awards Dinner will be the induction of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class, where 18 legendary players and four acclaimed coaches take their place amongst the greatest of all time. The inductees proudly represent every region of the country, 28 collegiate institutions, 11 conferences, and seven decades.

2024 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Larry Fitzgerald, Jr., (Pittsburgh) has been named the 2025 Heisman Humanitarian in recognition of his work supporting youth education and promoting breast cancer awareness!

Myron Lapka, who played collegiately at USC before spending time in the NFL and in Hollywood as a professional stuntman, has passed away. He was 69.

Tim Murnen, an All-American at Bowling Green and a member of the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame, has passed away. He was 89.

Larry Williams, a two-time All-America offensive lineman at Notre Dame who played in the NFL before becoming an athletics director at Portland, Marquette, Akron and San Francisco, passed away Oct. 16. He was 62.

Marty Domres, one of the most accomplished student-athletes in Columbia football history and a first round pick of the San Diego Chargers in the 1969 NFL-AFL Draft, has passed away. He was 78.

Ricardo “Ricky” Edwin Beaumont Lanier, the first Black scholarship football player at the University of North Carolina, has passed away. He was 76.

Haywood Eugene Norman Jr., who was an All-American at Marion Military Academy before earning a scholarship to play for Paul “Bear” Bryant at the University of Alabama, has passed away. He was 73.

George Pappas, who played collegiately at Purdue, was voted Most Valuable Player as a freshman and went on to start and letter for three seasons for the Boilermakers, has passed away. He was 82.

Rodney Coster, who played offensive tackle at Utah State University, has passed away. He was 94.

Doug Martin, who played collegiately at Boise State before becoming an All-Pro running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has passed away. He was 36.

Warren McVea, the first Black player to receive a football scholarship to a major Texas school at Houston who later helped the Kansas City Chiefs win their first Super Bowl title, has passed away. He was 79.

Name: Carl Allegretti
College: Butler University
Occupation: Co-CEO Arbor Investments

Share your football story with us! We want to know what football means to you, the lessons you learned, and the opportunities it provided.

October 22 — Announcement of the 2025 Campbell Trophy® Finalists and the 2024 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments

December 9 — 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas at Bellagio Resort & Casino

December 9 — Announcement of the winner of the 36th NFF William V. Campbell Trophy® during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas

January 19, 2026 — CFP National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida

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