April 19, 2009

Rivals.com Staff

At the College Football Roundtable each week, we ask each member of the coverage staff for his opinion about a topic in the sport.

This week's question: Here is the list of those on the ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame this year. Sixteen players and two coaches will be selected from this group. Which five men do you think are "must" selections?

Olin Buchanan's answer: My five are Tim Brown, Sam Cunningham, Eric Dickerson, Deion Sanders and Chris Spielman. Brown set 19 school records during his career at Notre Dame. An excellent wide receiver and dangerous return man, Brown was a two-time All-America and won the 1987 Heisman Trophy. Sometimes a player's contribution is greater than the stats he accumulated. That's the case with Cunningham, whose dominant performance against Alabama in 1970 helped integrate college football in the South. Cunningham's stats weren't bad, either. He rushed for 1,579 yards in his career, helped USC win the 1972 national championship and was the '73 Rose Bowl MVP after scoring four touchdowns. Ignoring Dickerson would mean shunning one of the best runners in football history, at any level. Dickerson rushed for an SMU-record 4,450 yards in his career. He led the Mustangs in rushing in '80, '81 and '82, which ? by no coincidence ? is the most successful three-year span in SMU history. Sanders' flamboyance turned some off, but he's the best player in Florida State history (including a couple of Heisman winners) and that should be enough for Hall of Fame recognition. Need more? He led the nation in punt-return yardage in 1988, returned four interceptions for touchdowns in his career and was the '88 Jim Thorpe Award winner. A relentless defensive force, Spielman was a two-time All-American and three time All-Big Ten honoree. He set Ohio State records for career solo tackles and most tackles in a game. That's enough for me.

Tom Dienhart's answer: Deion Sanders revolutionized the role of a cornerback while helping lay the foundation for a Florida State dynasty that went on to dominate college football throughout the 1990s. Sanders was a shutdown cornerback and electric return man. Sanders also brought undeniable showmanship to the game. "Neon Deion" may not have changed the game, but he made it a heck of a lot more fun. Larry Station was a tackling machine, the anchor on a strong Iowa defense that was the backbone of the Hawkeyes' rise under Hayden Fry. And he was a consensus All-American two times (1984-85). He may be remembered as one of the most dubious Heisman winners ever, but Miami's Gino Torretta still is part of the exclusive fraternity after winning the trophy in 1992. And don't forget that he led the Hurricanes to a co-national championship in 1991 and to the national title game in 1992. Time is making the nation forget about Purdue quarterback Mark Herrmann. He was the standard-bearer for passing before passing was cool, leaving the sport in 1980 as the NCAA's leading career passer with 9,946 yards. And Herrmann also won a lot of games, leading Purdue to three consecutive bowl victories back when that meant something. He was loud, he was brash and Brian Bosworth also was a great linebacker for Oklahoma. Few defenders dominated as thoroughly as "The Boz," who to this day is the only player who twice has won the Butkus Award. And Bosworth also helped lead the Sooners to the 1985 national championship.

David Fox's answer: My five would be Sam Cunningham, Deion Sanders, Chris Spielman, Pat Tillman and Grant Wistrom. Though Cunningham played for USC, he played a major role in integrating the SEC and excelled on the big stage. Sanders backed up his bravado with two All-America seasons and a Thorpe Award. Spielman was a two-time consensus All-American also won the Lombardi Award. More than ever, Tillman's sacrifice reminds us of what our priorities should be. And as for Wistrom, Nebraska had more national titles (three) than losses (two) with the two-time All-America defensive end on the roster.

Mike Huguenin's answer: I'd say Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth, Notre Dame wide receiver Tim Brown, Alabama linebacker Woodrow Lowe, Florida State cornerback Deion Sanders and Ohio State linebacker Chris Spielman. Forget what they did ? or didn't do ? in the NFL. Each of that quintet was at least a two-time first-team All-America selection (Lowe was a three-time All-America and holds the school record for tackles in a season). Bosworth and Spielman won the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top college linebacker, and Bosworth ? who actually won the Butkus twice ? helped OU win the 1985 national title. Brown won the Heisman in 1989. Sanders won the Thorpe Award as the nation's top college defensive back and was a big-time return man. That's a lot of hardware, and each should get more ? a plaque in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Steve Megargee's answer: When I put together my list of five guys who definitely deserve enshrinement, I kept in mind that the Hall of Fame's selection process also includes a character component for factors such as a player's academic record and citizenship after his playing career. That makes Arizona State linebacker Pat Tillman an obvious selection. Tillman was an All-America linebacker who helped Arizona State win a Pac-10 title long before he gave his life to his country. I also chose USC running back Sam Cunningham as much for his off-field accomplishments as his on-field achievements. Legend has it that Cunningham's big performance against Alabama helped lead to integration of the Crimson Tide's football program. My other three choices are Michigan wide receiver Desmond Howard, Ohio State linebacker Chris Spielman and Nebraska defensive end Grant Wistrom because they were exceptional players on championship-caliber teams. Howard is a Heisman winner who played on three Big Ten championship teams. Spielman is a former two-time All-America selection and Lombardi Award winner who played on two Big Ten championship teams. Wistrom was a two-time unanimous All-America and a Big 12 defensive player of the year selection who played on three national championship teams.