Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source
Troy Polamalu, Vince Young, Goodyear Blimp part of 2019 College Football Hall class | TribLIVE.com
U.S./World Sports

Troy Polamalu, Vince Young, Goodyear Blimp part of 2019 College Football Hall class

Associated Press
612886_web1_612886-85d26d2988a64c3bac9c5548c37d77c0
612886_web1_612886-327d28582776405aa275640e4159a2a1
612886_web1_612886-c39f91c4acff4ef1a8b2f1cb9c952303
612886_web1_612886-4b2fdf7417ae41e6b645cb138e4e81dd
612886_web1_ptr-FBChall-010819

Texas quarterback Vince Young and Notre Dame speedster Raghib Ismail have been selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, along with 11 other players and two coaches.

Young was the Heisman Trophy runner-up and led the Longhorns to the 2005 national championship with a memorable performance in the Rose Bowl against Southern California. Ismail, better known as Rocket, was an electric receiver and kick returner for the Fighting Irish and the Heisman runner-up in 1990.

The rest of the players to be enshrined at the National Football Foundation’s award banquet in December include Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, Oklahoma defensive back Rickey Dixon, John Carroll linebacker London Fletcher, Texas A&M defensive lineman Jacob Green, North Carolina State receiver Torry Holt, Arizona State quarterback Jake Plummer, USC defensive back Troy Polamalu, Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe Thomas, Michigan State running back Lorenzo White and Mississippi linebacker Patrick Willis.

Dennis Erickson, who coached Miami to two national championships, and Joe Taylor, who won 233 games at historically black colleges, were selected for induction as coaches.

Young was the first FBS player to pass for more than 3,000 yards and run for more than 1,000, leading Texas to an undefeated season in 2005. Against USC in the Rose Bowl, Young passed for 267 yards, ran for 200 and scrambled for a game-winning touchdown on fourth down with 19 seconds left in a 41-38 victory.

Ismail was part of Notre Dame’s 1988 national championship team and had six return touchdowns in his career, including five on kickoffs. He is best remembered for taking two kicks back for touchdowns against Michigan in 1989.

McFadden was a two-time Heisman runner-up, coming in second behind Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith in 2006 and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow in 2007.

The Goodyear Blimp was also named an honorary member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.

Get Ad-Free >

Categories: Sports | U.S./World Sports
";