Eric Dickerson’s long path to the College Football Hall of Fame is over.
The SMU tailback was one of the headliners of the 2020 class, announced on Wednesday by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
One of the biggest names on the ballot annually, Dickerson’s absence from the hall led many to wonder if he was still being punished due to his association with the Mustangs’ infamous Death Penalty days of the 1980’s. While he predated the NCAA sanctions that ultimately crippled the program, he was still at the center of numerous allegations stemming from his recruitment to the school. On the field however, Dickerson was an unquestioned hall of famer, scoring 48 touchdowns during his time on the Hilltop and leading the SWC in career yards.
In addition to Dickerson, 2001 Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch was also selected to the 2020 class. He rushed for over 3,000 yards and passed for more than 4,000 during his career at Nebraska, leading the Cornhuskers to an appearance in the BCS title game. The late, great Steve McNair was also among the notable 19 names included in this year’s class and is Alcorn State’s first ever player to receive such an honor.
The full 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class is as follows:
- Lomas Brown - OT, Florida (1981-84)
- Keith Byars - RB, Ohio State (1982-85)
- Eric Crouch - QB, Nebraska (1998-2001)
- Eric Dickerson - RB, Southern Methodist (1979-82)
- Glenn Dorsey - DT, LSU (2004-07)
- Jumbo Elliott - OT, Michigan (1984-87)
- Jason Hanson - PK, Washington State (1988-91)
- E.J. Henderson - LB, Maryland (1999-2002)
- E.J. Junior - DE, Alabama (1977-80)
- Steve McNair - QB, Alcorn State (1991-94)
- Cade McNown - QB, UCLA (1995-98)
- Leslie O’Neal - DT, Oklahoma State (1982-85)
- Anthony Poindexter - DB, Virginia (1995-98)
- David Pollack - DE, Georgia (2001-04)
- Bob Stein - DE, Minnesota (1966-68)
- Michael Westbrook - WR, Colorado (1991-94)
- Elmo Wright - WR, Houston (1968-70)
- Dick Sheridan - 121-52-5 (69.4%); Furman (1978-85), North Carolina State (1986-92)
- Andy Talley - 258-155-2 (62.4%); St. Lawrence [NY] (1979-83), Villanova (1985-2016)
All told, the group includes six unanimous first-team All-Americans, eight consensus All-Americans, five major award winners and two national title winners. 10 of the 17 won conference player of the year honors and represent playing careers dating back as far as the 1960’s to as recently as the mid-2000’s.
Full bio’s on the 2020 class can be found here.