Temple University Athletics
Palmer on 2018 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot
6.1.17 | Football
IRVING, Texas (June 1, 2017) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today the names on the 2018 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, including 75 players and six coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 98 players and 31 coaches from the divisional ranks. That list includes former Temple running back Paul Palmer, his seventh straight year on the ballot.
A unanimous first-team All-American in 1986, his senior season, Palmer led the nation in rushing yards (1,866), rushing yards per game (169.6) and all-purpose yards (2,633) that season. Named 1986 ECAC Player of the Year, Palmer set 23 school records and remains the Owls' career leader in rushing attempts (935), rushing yards (4,895), 100-yard rushing games (21), and 200-yard rushing games (6). Palmer, who played for the Owls from 1983-86, finished second in the 1986 Heisman Trophy race to Miami QB Vinny Testaverde.
A native of Potomac, Md., Palmer was a first round draft pick by the Kansas City Chiefs where he led the AFC in kickoff return average (24.3 yards per attempt) as a rookie and rushed for 607 yards in two seasons.
In 2013, Palmer added the job of color analysis for the Temple Radio Network for all football game broadcasts to his list of accomplishments. For Palmer it was a return to radio. He served as the Owls' sideline reporter for four seasons (2001-04).
"It's an enormous honor to just be on the ballot when you think that more than 5.19 million people have played college football and only 987 players have been inducted," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "The Hall's requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of only 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. So being in today's elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to ever have played the game, and we are extremely proud to announce their names. We look forward to revealing the 2018 Class prior to the CFP National Championship in Atlanta, the esteemed home of the College Football Hall of Fame."
The ballot was emailed today to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF's Honors Courts, which will deliberate and select the class. The FBS Honors Court, chaired by NFF Board Member and College Football Hall of Famer Archie Griffin from Ohio State, and the Divisional Honors Court, chaired by former Marshall head coach, longtime athletics director and NFF Board Member Jack Lengyel, include an elite and geographically diverse pool of athletic administrators, Hall of Famers and members of the media.
"Having a ballot and a voice in the selection of the inductees is one of the most cherished NFF member benefits," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, a 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Mississippi. "There is no group more knowledgeable or passionate about college football than our membership, and the tradition of the ballot helps us engage them in the lofty responsibility of selecting those who have reached the pinnacle of achievement in our sport."
The announcement of the 2018 Class will be made Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in Atlanta. The city is serving as the host for the CFP National Championship, which will be played later that day at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
"We cannot thank CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock and his staff enough for the opportunity to continue the tradition of announcing our Hall of Fame Class in conjunction with the National Championship," said Hatchell. "Our presence at the title game has significantly raised the profile of the announcement, allowing us to shine a much brighter light on the accomplishments of our game's greatest legends."
The 2018 class will officially be inducted during the 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner Dec. 4, 2018, at the New York Hilton Midtown. The inductees will be permanently enshrined at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta later that December and honored on the field during the 14th Annual National Hall of Fame Salute during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. They will also be honored at their respective schools at an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2018 season.
Of the 5.19 million individuals who have played college football since Princeton first battled Rutgers on Nov. 6, 1869, only 987 players, including the 2017 class, have earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, or less than two ten-thousandths (.0002) of one percent of those who have played the game during the past 149 years. From the coaching ranks, 214 individuals have achieved Hall of Fame distinction. Click here for a complete list of players and coaches in the Hall.
A unanimous first-team All-American in 1986, his senior season, Palmer led the nation in rushing yards (1,866), rushing yards per game (169.6) and all-purpose yards (2,633) that season. Named 1986 ECAC Player of the Year, Palmer set 23 school records and remains the Owls' career leader in rushing attempts (935), rushing yards (4,895), 100-yard rushing games (21), and 200-yard rushing games (6). Palmer, who played for the Owls from 1983-86, finished second in the 1986 Heisman Trophy race to Miami QB Vinny Testaverde.
A native of Potomac, Md., Palmer was a first round draft pick by the Kansas City Chiefs where he led the AFC in kickoff return average (24.3 yards per attempt) as a rookie and rushed for 607 yards in two seasons.
In 2013, Palmer added the job of color analysis for the Temple Radio Network for all football game broadcasts to his list of accomplishments. For Palmer it was a return to radio. He served as the Owls' sideline reporter for four seasons (2001-04).
"It's an enormous honor to just be on the ballot when you think that more than 5.19 million people have played college football and only 987 players have been inducted," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "The Hall's requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of only 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. So being in today's elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to ever have played the game, and we are extremely proud to announce their names. We look forward to revealing the 2018 Class prior to the CFP National Championship in Atlanta, the esteemed home of the College Football Hall of Fame."
The ballot was emailed today to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF's Honors Courts, which will deliberate and select the class. The FBS Honors Court, chaired by NFF Board Member and College Football Hall of Famer Archie Griffin from Ohio State, and the Divisional Honors Court, chaired by former Marshall head coach, longtime athletics director and NFF Board Member Jack Lengyel, include an elite and geographically diverse pool of athletic administrators, Hall of Famers and members of the media.
"Having a ballot and a voice in the selection of the inductees is one of the most cherished NFF member benefits," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, a 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Mississippi. "There is no group more knowledgeable or passionate about college football than our membership, and the tradition of the ballot helps us engage them in the lofty responsibility of selecting those who have reached the pinnacle of achievement in our sport."
The announcement of the 2018 Class will be made Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in Atlanta. The city is serving as the host for the CFP National Championship, which will be played later that day at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
"We cannot thank CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock and his staff enough for the opportunity to continue the tradition of announcing our Hall of Fame Class in conjunction with the National Championship," said Hatchell. "Our presence at the title game has significantly raised the profile of the announcement, allowing us to shine a much brighter light on the accomplishments of our game's greatest legends."
The 2018 class will officially be inducted during the 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner Dec. 4, 2018, at the New York Hilton Midtown. The inductees will be permanently enshrined at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta later that December and honored on the field during the 14th Annual National Hall of Fame Salute during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. They will also be honored at their respective schools at an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2018 season.
Of the 5.19 million individuals who have played college football since Princeton first battled Rutgers on Nov. 6, 1869, only 987 players, including the 2017 class, have earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, or less than two ten-thousandths (.0002) of one percent of those who have played the game during the past 149 years. From the coaching ranks, 214 individuals have achieved Hall of Fame distinction. Click here for a complete list of players and coaches in the Hall.
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