The 2017 College Football Hall of Fame class has been announced and it’s a star-studded one, to say the least.
Peyton Manning and Steve Spurrier headline the class that also includes Brian Urlacher, Marshall Faulk, Kirk Gibson and Matt Leinart.
Manning, who played quarterback at the University of Tennessee from 1994-1997, compiled a 39-6 record as a starter and led the Volunteers to the 1997 SEC Championship. The star signal-caller retired from the NFL after the 2015 season following a storied career with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos.
Manning’s prolific college career ended with one huge blemish: he went 0-3 against Spurrier’s Florida Gators. The loss to Florida in 1997 might have cost Manning the Heisman Trophy, as he ended up finishing second to Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson.
Spurrier, on the other hand, becomes the fourth member of the College Football Hall of Fame to be inducted as both a player and a coach. “The Old Ball Coach” won the Heisman Trophy in 1966 when he played quarterback at the University of Florida and was inducted into the Collge Football Hall of Fame in 1986 as a player. Spurrier joins Amos Alonzo Stagg, Bobby Dodd and Bowden Wyatt as the only men to be inducted as both a player and coach.
Spurrier retired in the middle of the 2015 season after three straight top 10 finishes at the University of South Carolina. He is the winningest coach at both Florida and South Carolina.
Gibson, who is best known for his iconic 1988 World Series home run with the Los Angeles Dodgers, was a star receiver for Michigan State University from 1975-1978.
Faulk was an electric running back at San Diego State, scoring 62 touchdowns from 1991-1993.
The induction ceremony is Dec. 5 in Atlanta.
Thumbnail photo via Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports ImagesÂ
