Seventy-six former Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) All-Americans were named on this week’s ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2020. Among them are 1987-90 cornerback Todd Lyght and 1990-93 offensive lineman Aaron Taylor — two of the 16 two-time consensus All-Americans in Notre Dame history.
Thirteen of the 16 are already in the college hall directed by the National Football Foundation, with linebacker Michael Stonebreaker (1986-90) joining Lyght and Taylor on those who aren’t yet.
About a dozen players usually get selected on these ballots, or less than 20 percent. There also are five coaching candidates from the FBS and 101 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks.
The announcement of the 2020 Class will be made in January 2020, in the days leading up to the College Football Playoff National Championship in New Orleans.
As always, it is extremely difficult to make the final cut. Last year, 1990 Walter Camp Award winner and Heisman runner-up Raghib “Rocket” Ismail became the 47th Notre Dame player inducted (the most among any school), and third in the last five years with Thom Gatewood (2015) and Bob Crable (2017). Taylor also was on the ballot but did not make it.
Among the familiar names on the ballot this year are former Heisman Trophy winners Eric Crouch, Josh Heupel, Carson Palmer and Rashaan Salaam.
There are also numerous future NFL superstars (which should have no bearing in the college voting) such as Eric Dickerson, Tony Gonzalez, Ray Lewis, Dan Hampton, Marvin Harrison and Ray Lewis, ESPN College Game Day host David Pollack … and some names that make Fighting Irish faithful cringe with the massive upsets they helped lead in Notre Dame Stadium, including Stanford’s Ed McCaffrey and Boston College’s Pete Mitchell.
Of the 5.33 million individuals who have played college football since Princeton first battled Rutgers on Nov. 6, 1869, only 1,010 players have earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, or less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%). From the coaching ranks, 219 individuals have achieved Hall of Fame distinction.
After helping the Irish to their most recent national title as a sophomore in 1988, Lyght — who is in his fifth season as the team’s cornerback’s coach — was named a unanimous All-American in 1989 while recording eight interceptions, and he followed with consensus notice in 1990.
Since the advent of the Super Bowl era in 1967, Lyght is the lone Notre Dame player who can claim the following accomplishments: starter on a collegiate national championship team (1988), unanimous All-American (1989), first-round NFL draft pick (1991), starter on a Super Bowl winning team (St. Louis Rams, 1999) and NFL All-Pro selection (1999).
Taylor earned consensus All-America notice at guard in 1992 and unanimous at tackle in 1993 while helping the Irish win 17 consecutive games. He was the 1993 Lombardi Award winner and was named College Interior Lineman of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus (Ohio) before becoming a first-round pick and Super Bowl champion at Green Bay.
Alphabetically, here are the 16 two-time consensus All-Americans in Notre Dame annals: Ross Browner (1976-77), Frank Carideo (1929-30), George Connor (1946-47), Bob Crable (1980-81), Bob Dove (1941-42), Bill Fischer (1947-48), Leon Hart (1948-49), John Lattner (1952-53), John Lujack (1946-47), Todd Lyght (1989-90), Ken MacAfee (1976-77), Marchy Schwartz (1930-31), Emil Sitko (1948-49), Michael Stonebreaker (1988, 1990), Aaron Taylor (1992-93) and Chris Zorich (1989-90).
Interestingly, head coach Ara Parseghian (1964-74) never had one during his time, although he did recruit Browner and MacAfee.
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