SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego State University running back Marshall Faulk was selected today as one of 13 new members of the College Football Hall of Fame, as named by the National Football Foundation.
Faulk, who went on to a Pro Football Hall of Fame career with the Indianapolis Colts and then-St. Louis Rams, was a running back for the Aztecs from 1991-93.
Among his accomplishments, he was a Heisman Trophy runner-up, was a first-team All-American for three years, and became the first freshman to lead the nation in both rushing yards and scoring. He also led the nation in rushing as a sophomore.
According to the NFF, Faulk still holds the record for points scored per game in the college game's top division, with 12.1, and is still in the top 10 all-time in rushing yards per game, 148, and all-purpose yards per game, 180.5.
Now an analyst on the NFL Network, Faulk ranks 11th in National Football League history with 12,280 yards gained on the ground, and won the Most Valuable Player award in 2000. He becomes the third Aztec in the College Football Hall of Fame, along with former head coach Don Coryell, a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, and defense end Fred Dryer, who went on to star in the television series "Hunter."
Others named to the 2017 College Football Hall of Fame class include Notre Dame linebacker Bob Crable; Michigan State receiver and future baseball star Kirk Gibson; USC quarterback Matt Leinart; Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning; Texas offensive tackle Bob McKay; Texas A&M linebacker Dat Nguyen; Georgia Southern running back Adrian Peterson; Boston College nose guard Mike Ruth; and New Mexico safety Brian Urlacher.
Honored coaches were Steve Spurrier, the "head ball coach" who led Duke, Florida and South Carolina; Larry Kehres, who won 11 national titles at Mount Union College in Ohio; and Danny Ford, the youngest coach to ever win a national championship when he led Clemson to the title in 1981 at the age of 33.
The announcement was made on the day of the national championship game in Tampa, in which Clemson will try to knock off Alabama for its first national championship since then.
"Each of these men has established himself among the absolute best to have ever played or coached the game, and we look forward to immortalizing their incredible accomplishments," said Archie Manning, father of Peyton and NFF chairman.
