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Michigan High School Graduates who are in the College Football Hall of Fame
The following players are inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from a Michigan High School. Also below are citations from the Hall of Fame website but compiled only for the Michigan High School graduates. To see the full source and all Hall of Famers, visit their website.
Position: Halfback
School: University of Notre Dame
Years: 1917-1920
Jersey Number: 66
Inducted: 1951
High School: Calumet
Place of Birth: Laurium, MI
Date of Birth: February 18/1895
Place of Death: South Bend, IN
Date of Death: December 14/1920
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 180
The "Win one for The Gipper!" pep talk is one of college footballs most famous half time speeches. Knute Rockne's words came with a special emotion as he urged his Notre Dame players to remember and respond accordingly. It was not just Rockne's impassioned pleas which had made George Gipp a Notre Dame legend. It was the talents of a free-spirited, untamed athlete scoring touchdown after touchdown and leading Irish teams to a pair of perfect nine-game seasons in his final two years. It was remembering that late afternoon in South Bend's St. Joseph Hospital when the failing Gipp, losing the battle with pneumonia, slipped through death's door. "I gotta go, Rock," Gipp had said. "Someday, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are going bad and breaks are beating the boys - tell them to go on in there with all they've got and win just one for The Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock, but I'll know about it, and I'll be happy." December 14, 1920; George Gipp, age 25, died. In four varsity years Gipp rushed for 2,341 yards. This was a school record that lasted until 1978. He also completed 93 passes for 1,769 yards, punted, and returned kicks. He scored 156 points, counting touchdowns, extra points, and field goals. The speech Rockne gave using Gipp's plea, was at halftime Nov. 10, 1928, against Army. Notre Dame trailing 6-0, came back to win 12-6.
Position: End
School: University of Michigan
Years: 1925-1927
Jersey Number: 47
Inducted: 1954
High School: Muskegon
Place of Birth: Muskegon, MI
Date of Birth: February 24/1906
Place of Death: Ann Arbor, MI
Date of Death: October 25/1990
Height: 6'
Weight: 180
Benjamin G. "Bennie" Oosterbaan became a freshman at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1924, and that was his hometown the rest of his life. He was at the university as a student, as assistant football coach 1928-47, head basketball coach 1938-46, head football coach 1948-58, and director of alumni relations 1959-72. As football player, he was All-America end three times 1925-27, captain and Most Valuable Player in 1927. The Football Writers Association named him to its all-time All-America modern team in 1974. In 1925, he led all Big Ten football players in scoring; he had eight touchdowns. In 1926, his 60-yard run with a recovered fumble helped Michigan to a 7-6 victory over Minnesota. He lettered three years in basketball and in 1928, led the Big Ten in scoring with 129 points in 12 games. He lettered three years in baseball and in 1928, led the Big Ten in batting. In 1928, he received Michigan's Big Ten medal, awarded annually for excellence in scholarship and athletics. His record as head football coach was 63-33-4. His 1948 team was undefeated national champion, and he was named National Coach of the Year.
Position: Halfback
School: University of Michigan
Years: 1921-1923
Jersey Number: 6
Inducted: 1958
High School: Lansing Central
Place of Birth: Lansing, MI
Date of Birth: March 26/1899
Place of Death: Port Huron, MI
Date of Death: September 14/1972
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 155
It was the Roaring Twenties, and stadium crowds never roared louder than they did at he sight of a Harry Kipke punt. Considered the finest punter in the nation as a junior consensus All-America in 1922 ,Michigan's Kipke was even more respected by opposing Big Ten coaches for his excellence as a ball carrier, passer or blocker. He made the Maize and Blue work in those glory years of Wolverine football, pacing Michigan to a three-year mark of 19-1-2. The halfback captained the UM team as a senior. He later became coach at Michigan State, then took over as head coach at his alma mater in 1929, holding that position through the 1937 season while compiling a 46-26-4 record. His teams of the early 1930s went unscored upon through 15 of 20 games, pointing out his strong belief in defensive power. "Perhaps it is elementary, but if they can't score, they can't beat you. When the defense is strong and positive, there's an actual advantage in letting the other team strain and struggle. This permits you to conserve your own weapons." While coaching at Michigan, Kipke was elected president of the American Football Coaches Association. His Michigan teams won four straight Big Ten titles 1930-33 and Michigan was national champion in 1932 and 1933.
Position: End
School: University of Michigan
Years: 1998-1901
Inducted: 1960
High School: Detroit Central
Place of Birth: Detroit, MI
Date of Birth: November 10/1879
Place of Death: Detroit, MI
Date of Death: January 22/1914
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 190
Neil Snow was a player of many talents, who played both end and fullback. In the inaugural Rose Bowl game of 1902 Snow scored five touchdowns as Michigan defeated Stanford 49-0. The victory caped a season for a Michigan team which had played the ten-game regular season unbeaten and unscored upon. All-America selector Caspar Whitney put Snow on his team at end as a third-team pick in 1899 and the first-team in 1901. Whitney wrote "To be fast, to break interference, and to be wise about the time of going in, make up the requisites of an end rusher, and all of these Snow possessed in a marked degree." In Snow's four years at Michigan the team record was 10-0, 8-2, 7-2-1, 11-0. In that Rose Bowl game against Stanford, Snow scored on line plunges of 2,4,6,8 and 17 yards. Touchdowns counted five points.
Position: Halfback
School: Michigan State University
Years: 1936-1938
Jersey Number: 37
Inducted: 1968
High School: Mount Clemens
Place of Birth: Mount Clemens, MI
Date of Birth: November 6/1916
Place of Death: Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Date of Death: August 14/1999
Height: 6'
Weight: 175
For much of its early football history Michigan State was considered a minor player. That all changed during the playing days of John Pingel. In 1937, the long-legged MSU halfback was on the way to directing his team to an 8-1-0 regular season record and the first Michigan State bowl bid. Although Auburn would halt the Spartans in the Orange Bowl that season, Pingel's disappointment would be eased by All-America recognition and selection as MSU's top scholar athlete. Pingel completed his amazing career as a triple-threat tailback the following season, leaving incredible statistics for the MSU record books, He had not missed a game in three years, averaged 5.1 yards per carry, completed 54 percent of his passes and led the nation in punting. Following graduation, Pingel joined the Detroit Lions and promptly led the National Football League in punting. He went on to earn the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart while advancing to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S .Army during World War II and later became president of a Detroit advertising agency. Michigan State had a 20-6-2 record in Pingel's three years. The Spartans also beat rival Michigan two out of three games. Pingel received many honors in later life, including awards for service with the Boy Scouts of America and Detroit charities. He was a trustee for Michigan State University.
Position: Halfback
School: United States Military Academy
Years: 1899-1902
Inducted: 1969
High School: Alpena, MI
Place of Birth: Alpena, MI
Date of Birth: May 7/1881
Place of Death: Japan
Date of Death: March 16/1943
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 186
Competition breeds no greater compliment than the praise and respect of an opponent. Paul Bunker earned such regard as a versatile member of the Army teams of the turn of the century. However, it was not until many years later that Bunker learned of a particular foe's praise. Bunker had ended his playing career in the 1902 Army-Navy game, running wild against the Middies leading the Cadets to a 22-8 victory. He scored two touchdowns on offense and had spent much of the afternoon punishing Navy's star back, Ralph Strassburger, while on defense. Several years had passed when the two met up again, this time in the Philippines. "Bunker," Strassburger said, "I hate you. Let's have a drink." Walter Camp described Bunker as a battering ram who outclassed all other backs and was a first class defensive tackle. Bunker is one of just a handful of athletes to win All-America mention at two different positions. He won All-America honors as a tackle in 1901 and in 1902 at both halfback and tackle. A World War II Army colonel, Bunker commanded the harbor defense at Manila and surrendered during the fall of Corregidor on May 6, 1942. He died for his country as a prisoner of war.
Position: Fullback
School: University of Michigan
Years: 1911-1916
Inducted: 1973
High School: Ann Arbor HS
Place of Birth: Ann Arbor, MI
Date of Birth: June 20/1890
Place of Death: Ann Arbor, MI
Date of Death: September 14/1950
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 153
John Maulbetsch, Michigan's 153-pound "Featherweight Fullback" earned Walter Camp's All-America recognition as a sophomore in 1914. Maulbetsch was a handsome, gentle personality who brought a finesse style of play to those days of rugged football tactics. As a Wolverine captain and a senior in 1916, the Wolverines won seven straight games, dominating their foes with wide-open offense and a stingy defense. Then, in the final two games of the campaign, Michigan grudgingly fell to Cornell (23-20) and Pennsylvania (10-7). Even today, Michigan football enthusiasts recall the special spirit Maulbetsch brought to the game. Following each spring practice, the John Maulbetsch Award is presented to the freshman candidate who best displays the desire Maulbetsch fostered during his playing days. Maulbetsch played on the 1911 team at Adrian College posting an 8-0 record. He enrolled at Michigan and played three years, 1914-16. He served as coach at Oklahoma A & M (now Oklahoma State) 1921-28. His best team, in 1924, had a 6-1-2 record. He coached Marshall 1929-30.
Position: Guard
School: University of Notre Dame
Years: 1918-1921
Jersey Number: 21
Inducted: 1974
High School: Calumet HS
Place of Birth: Tamrack, MI
Date of Birth: September 22/1898
Place of Death: West Palm Beach, FL
Date of Death: April 24/1978
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 170
Called by Knute Rockne as "the greatest lineman he ever coached," Heartley "Hunk" Anderson was a four-year starter at Notre Dame. Playing on Rockne's first team in 1918, Anderson blocked for the immortal George Gipp. After a 3-1-2 freshman season, Anderson was a member of two undefeated teams in 1919 and 1920. The Irish won 20 consecutive games before being upset by Iowa in 1921. As a senior, Anderson gained first-team All-America status. Against Purdue he blocked two punts and recovered them in the end zone. It was the first time in history a guard had scored two touchdowns in a game. (The feat was matched in 1942 when Alex Agase, a guard for Illinois, scored twice against Minnesota.) During his four varsity seasons, Notre Dame posted a 31-2-2 record. After a four-year career with the Chicago Bears, "Hunk" returned to Notre Dame where he was a line coach under Rockne and later head coach upon Rockne's death in 1931. In three seasons Anderson's, teams had a 16-9-2 record. A fitting tribute to Anderson was written by Grantland Rice who noted that "pound for pound Anderson was the toughest man I have ever known."
Position: Tackle
School: Michigan State University
Years: 1949-1951
Jersey Number: 78
Inducted: 1975
High School: Flint Central
Place of Birth: Ponca City, OK
Date of Birth: May 4/1928
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 180
The blues sound that came from his trumpet matched the mood of high school bandsman Don Coleman as he sat, week after week, watching his Central High School team dominate the competition near and around Flint, Michigan. Coleman's mother had lost two other sons at young ages, and she wanted nothing to happen to Don. However, her son's persistence paid off, and in 1948, she gave him the "okay" to play football. Coleman became an instant starter for Central, led the team to the state championship and won All-Michigan honors. At Michigan State, Coleman became a swift and sure tackler, the first to be named to Notre Dame's All-Opponent team three consecutive seasons. In his 1951 senior season, Coleman was named MSU's Most Valuable Player and a unanimous All-America selection. That year, the Spartans posted a 9-0 record and finished second in national rankings. In a 32-12 victory over Penn State, Coleman displayed his tremendous pursuit abilities, making the tackle on every Michigan State punt and kickoff. Following graduation, Coleman became a respected educator, and eventually accepted the position of Dean of Students at his alma mater.
Position: Halfback
School: United States Military Academy
Years: 1956-1958
Jersey Number: 24
Inducted: 1975
High School: Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
Place of Birth: Royal Oak, MI
Date of Birth: March 8/1938
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 210
Pete Dawkins cast aside the crippling grip of polio and matured into a military leader who would be honored with the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars for Valor, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Equally impressive were his athletic accomplishments as a halfback with the Army teams of the late 1950s. In his 1958, senior season, he won the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Trophy, was a unanimous All-America, a Rhodes Scholar, was president of his senior class, ranking cadet officer and the player-of-the-year selection by a host of national tribunals. He was also a 1958 All-East hockey honoree. In his senior season at West Point, Dawkins carried the ball for 428 yards, returned 10 punts for 162 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. Dawkins was the only Cadet in West Point history to hold four top student positions simultaneously. As a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University in England, he earned both Bachelor and Master of Arts Degrees. He added another graduate degree at Princeton following his service in Vietnam.
Position: Quarterback
School: University of Michigan
Years: 1930-1932
Jersey Number: 46
Inducted: 1975
High School: Detroit Northern
Place of Birth: Detroit, MI
Date of Birth: September 5/1909
Place of Death: Las Vegas, NV
Date of Death: May 2/2000
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 175
Michigan's Wolverines were driving toward the national championship in 1932, but the points weren't coming as easily as were the victories. Supported by one of the game's outstanding defenses, quarterback Harry Newman took personal charge of the offense and scored 31 of his team's 123 points that year. With a perfect 8-0 record, the nation's title belonged to Michigan, while Newman claimed unanimous All-America selection and the Helms Foundation Player of the Year award. They were the glory years for Michigan coach Harry Kipke, himself a Hall of Fame back from the Wolverine successes of the 1920s. With Newman at the helm, Kipke rarely had to worry about his team, because the crafty quarterback was a magnificent field leader and directed UM to three Big Ten titles. He piloted three teams to a combined record of 24-1-2. Following graduation, Newman played for the New York Giants. When Newman retired from football he became an executive with the Ford Motor Company.
Position: End
School: University of Michigan
Years: 1954-1956
Jersey Number: 87
Inducted: 1978
High School: Eastpointe East Detroit
Place of Birth: Girard, KS
Date of Birth: June 24/1935
Place of Death: Fenton, MI
Date of Death: September 11/2010
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 225
Ron Kramer was one of Michigan's all-time great athletes, starring on the varsity football, basketball and track teams en route to nine varsity letters. He was a versatile end; the Wolverines could depend on him for almost anything. Aside from his duties at end, Kramer could also punt, and as a sophomore in 1954, he led the Big Ten in punting. Kramer seldom played without injury, but still managed to score 102 points and bring down 54 passes for 880 yards during his career in Ann Arbor. Against Missouri in 1955, Kramer hauled in seven passes, three of which went for Michigan touchdowns, and set a new Wolverine record in touchdowns off receptions in a single game, as the Maize and Blue romped, 42-7. Kramer won consensus All-America recognition in both 1955 and 1956, and was also selected to the All-Time Big Ten Team and the All-Time Michigan Team. The 6-3, 225-pound end became the number one draft pick of the Green Bay Packers in 1957, and contributed to the Packers' championship efforts in 1961 and 1962. Kramer was an All-Pro tight end for the Packers in 1960, 1961 and 1962, and ended his career with the Detroit Lions in 1968. When Kramer retired from professional football he became vice president with Paragon Steel of Detroit.
Position: Coach
School: University of Nebraska
Years: 1962-1972
Inducted: 1981
High School: Saginaw Arthur Hill
Alma mater: Alma College
Place of Birth: Saginaw, MI
Date of Birth: April 13/1915
Place of Death: Lincoln, NE
Date of Death: May 9/1997
Wins: 136
Losses: 30
Bob Devaney arrived at Nebraska in 1962 at a crucial time. The school had seen only three winning seasons in 21 years. Devaney coached 11 years. He produced 11 winning seasons, nine bowl games, eight conference championships, two national championships (1970,1971), a 32-game unbeaten streak, a 101-20-2 record. His first team in 1962 went 9-2 and won the Gotham Bowl over Miami of Florida 36-34. His last three teams (1970-72) were in three Orange Bowls, beating Louisiana State 17-12, Alabama 38-6, Notre Dame 40-6. His 1971 team was sometimes called the greatest in college history. The Cornhuskers went 13-0 and scored 511 points. Their 35-31 victory over Oklahoma was named Game of the Century. Nebraska increased its stadium capacity from 34,000 to 72,700 and filled it for every home game. An indoor arena was built and named Bob Devaney Center. He served as director of athletics 1967-93. Nebraska, which had been last in all-sport rankings in the Big Eight, moved to first and had one of the nation's most successful programs. Devaney put heavy emphasis on the women's teams. Robert S. Devaney was born in Saginaw, Michigan. He finished high school and worked three years in a factory, then entered Alma College. He played end on the football team. Devaney coached 14 years at four Michigan high schools with a record of 85-21-3. He was assistant coach 1953-56 at Michigan State. Then came five years (1957-61) as head coach at Wyoming with a record of 35-10-5. He retired after the 1972 season. His career record was 136-30-7. His winning percentage was .806, first among active coaches in 1972. Upon his death in 1997, the Nebraska State Legislature passed a resolution honoring his "contribution to the University and the state." A tribute to Devaney was read at the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington. His most famous quote came after a 1970 game. His team trailed Kansas 20-10 and came back to win 41-20. He told his players, "You learned you can come back. Remember that. That is the lesson of life."
Position: Tackle
School: University of Michigan
Years: 1941-1943
Jersey Number: 67
Inducted: 1982
High School :Lansing Central
Place of Birth: Lansing, MI
Date of Birth: October 10/1922
Place of Death: Chattanooga, TN
Date of Death: November 28/2012
Height :6'3"
Weight: 215
At while at Michigan in the early 1940s, Merv Pregulman was one of the most versatile linemen who ever played the game, one who moved from guard to tackle to center as needed, and who played each position with skill, confidence and winning effectiveness. In 1941, as a sophomore line-backer and center against Northwestern, Pregulman intercepted an Otto Graham pass and ran it back 65 yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 Wolverine victory. In 1942, Michigan played Notre Dame for the first time in 25 years and won, 32-20. He was named an All-Big Ten lineman, and in 1943, he won first-team All-America honors. The 1943 Michigan team was Big Ten co-champion. After serving in the U.S. Navy, Pregulman played pro football with the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. He went into the furniture business, and in 1959, joined Siskin Steel and Supply in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as president and chief executive officer.
Position: Tackle
School: United States Air Force Academy
Years: 1956-1958
Jersey Number: 75
Inducted: 1985
High School: Ironwood (Luther L. Wright HS) and Munising Mather
Place of Birth: Munising, MI
Date of Birth: September 21/1934
Height: 6'
Weight: 217
A native of Ironwood, Michigan, Brock Strom attended Indiana University before transferring to the Air Force Academy where his name was synonymous with football success. In 1958, the 6-0, 217-pound tackle became the Academy's first consensus All-America football player and the Associated Press described him as "the bulwark of the team that almost literally came from outer space to go through the season undefeated and land in the Cotton Bowl opposite Texas Christian on New Year's Day." Strom was captain of the unbeaten Falcons (their record tainted only by a 13-13 tie with Rose Bowl bound Iowa), and he was known for his leadership ability and hard-nose football. He blocked and tackled with authority and, according to Falcon coach Ben Martin, was a captain in every sense of the word. The game Strom most remembers was against Iowa. Before the season began, the Falcons were picked to lose 50-0. Iowa came from behind to tie 13-13 in the last quarter. Strom served in Southeast Asia and was decorated with two Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Bronze Stars, and three Air Medals. He served as Deputy of the Space Defense Systems in Los Angeles, and responsible to the Secretary of the Air Force for the entire U.S. Space Defense Program.
Position: Fullback
School: University of Michigan
Years: 1939-1941
Jersey Number: 86
Inducted: 1987
High School: Ann Arbor HS
Place of Birth: Detroit, MI
Date of Birth: May 19/1919
Place of Death: Adrian, MI
Date of Death: October 23/1980
Height :5'8"
Weight: 185
Robert Barton Westfall grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and attended the University of Michigan. He was the starting fullback in every Michigan game from 1939 through 1941. In his first two seasons he was part of a famous Michigan backfield, Tom Harmon, Forest Evashevski, Paul Kromer and Westfall. In his senior year, he was captain and consensus All-America. He was sixth in the nation in rushing yards gained and was eighth in the final Heisman vote. For his three years Bob rushed for 1,864 yards, a record for a Michigan fullback that lasted 30 years. He graduated with a degree in literature. Westfall served 18 months in the Army and was discharged because of bronchial asthma. He played for the Detroit Lions and was All-Pro in 1945. He was president of Adrian Steel Company and for 20 years had been a strong supporter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. He was inducted posthumously into the Hall of Fame in 1987 ceremonies.
Position: Coach
School: University of Delaware
Years: 1951-1965
Inducted: 1987
High School: Detroit Northwestern
Alma mater: University of Michigan
Place of Birth: Detroit, MI
Date of Birth: April 29/1920
Place of Death: Newark, DE
Date of Death: November 30/1991
Wins: 105
Losses: 48
Winning percentage: 0.679
David M. Nelson was always a leader. He played halfback at Michigan 1939-41 and in his senior year won the school's Big Ten medal for academic and athletic achievement. He was head coach at Hillsdale 1946-47, assistant at Harvard 1948, head coach at Maine 1949-50 and Delaware 1951-65. He also served Delaware as director of athletics and dean of the Physical Education School. Then he was commissioner of the Yankee Conference 1989-91. He was named to the NCAA Football Rules Committee in 1957 and became its secretary-editor in 1962. He held that post until his death. For his many services the National Football Foundation gave him its Distinguished American Award, and the American Football Coaches Association gave him its Stagg Award. As a head coach he had a 105-48-6 record, and this earned him election to the College Football Hall of Fame. He started the wing T formation at Maine and developed it to its highest efficiency at Delaware. His Delaware teams won three championships in the Middle Atlantic conference. In August 1991 the National Football Foundation named him chairman of the Honors Court. He died following a heart attack November 30, 1991.
Position: Middle Guard
School: University of Nebraska
Years: 1965-1967
Jersey Number: 66
Inducted: 1991
High School: Bay City Handy
Place of Birth: Bay City, MI
Date of Birth: March 2/1946
Place of Death: Ludington, MI
Date of Death: June 26/1987
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 237
Wayne Meylan played middle guard on defense for Nebraska three years and the team had a 25-7 record in that time. He was a consensus All-America in 1966 and 1967. In 1966, he blocked three punts and recovered two for touchdowns. Meylan set Nebraska records for most tackles in a season and most tackles in a career. Wayne was a two-time Big 8 MVP. He played three years in the National Football League 1968-1970, then returned to the university to complete work on his degree. He joined Engineered Systems, a company doing underground work for TV systems and phone companies. He then started Meylan Enterprises in Omaha. This company worked on contracts in 18 states. His hobby was flying World War II fighter planes in air shows. On June 26, 1987, Wayne Meylan, age 41, was killed when his plane crashed in a show at Ludington, Michigan.
Position: Running back
School: University of Michigan
Years: 1966-1968
Jersey Number: 40
Inducted: 1992
High School: Detroit Northwestern
Place of Birth: Detroit, MI
Date of Birth: October 17/1947
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 205
Ronald A. Johnson came out of Detroit and became a star football player at Michigan. Teammates voted him their Most Valuable Player twice and captain in 1968. That year he also was voted Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten and was named a first-team All-America. In ten games in 1968, he scored 19 touchdowns, rushed for 1,391 yards, caught passes for 166 yards, and returned nine kickoffs for 150 yards. He received the Big Ten Medal, voted the outstanding scholar -athlete in the school. Johnson was tenth in the nation in rushing in 1967 and sixth in 1968; in both years the national leader was O.J. Simpson of Southern California. Against Wisconsin in 1968, Johnson rushed for 347 yards; this was an NCAA record that lasted three years. At his on-campus salute in 1992, his former coach, Bump Elliott, said, "Ron Johnson was the best football player and the best captain I ever had." Johnson obtained a master's degree in business administration. He played seven years with the Browns and Giants in the National Football League, then moved into business in New Jersey at the executive level.
Position: Coach
School: University of Iowa
Years: 1952-1960
Inducted: 2000
High School: Detroit Northwestern
Alma mater: University of Michigan
Place of Birth: Detroit, MI
Date of Birth: February 19/1918
Place of Death: Petoskey, MI
Date of Death: October 30/2009
Wins: 68
Losses: 35
Winning percentage: 0.651
Forest Evashevski engineered one of the greatest football turnovers of all time. When he came to Iowa in 1952, the school had had only three winning seasons in 16 years, and had not won the Big 10 since 1921. Under Evashevski, Iowa became a national power, won Big Ten championships in 1956, 1958, and 1960, had seven winning seasons in nine years, and was named national champion by the Football Writers Association in 1958. He attended Northwestern High School in Detroit and graduated at age 16. Two years later he received an academic scholarship to the University of Michigan. He won three letters each in football and baseball, captained the football team, was senior class president, and won the Big Ten Medal for excellence in athletics and academics. As a football player, he was Michigan's quarterback 1938-40, serving as a devastating blocker for running back Tom Harmon. In 1941, his first year out of school, he was head coach at Hamilton College and had a 5-2 record. He served in the Navy in World War II. From 1946-49 he was assistant coach at Syracuse and Michigan State. He was head coach at Washington State 1950-51 with a record of 11-6-2. He coached Iowa 1952-60. His Iowa record was 52-27-4. He was 42 when he left coaching after the 1960 season. He was Iowa athletic director until 1970. Iowa had great victories under Evashevski. His first team in 1952 started 0-4. Coming up was a game with powerful Ohio State, which had beaten Iowa 83-21 and 47-21 the two preceding years. Evy put in a new offense, a new defense, and Iowa won 8-0. Then came the great years. Evashevski installed the wing-T offense. In 1958, Iowa led the nation in total offense, 416.7 yards per game. Iowa went 37-8-2 his last five years.
Position: Safety
School: Michigan State University
Years: 1970-1972
Jersey Number: 10
Inducted: 2001
High School: Owosso
Place of Birth: Owosso, MI
Date of Birth: April 5/1951
Place of Death: Owosso, MI
Date of Death: February 18/2009
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 235
Brad Van Pelt was a two-time All-America, unanimous in 1972. That year he won the Maxwell trophy as the nation's best player. This was the first time a defensive back won the award. Also in 1972, he was named Chevrolet Defensive Player of the Year and Columbus Touchdown Club Defensive Player of the Year. In his career, he had 14 interceptions. He returned two of them for touchdowns. Brad was one of college football's largest players at his position, as such he was also extremely valuable in run support and often shifted into a linebacker. He followed his senior season playing in the East-West Shrine Game, the Hula Bowl, and the College All-Star Game. Van Pelt played pro 14 years with the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders 1973-86. He was all-pro five times.
Position: Offensive Guard
School: University of Michigan
Years: 1969-1971
Jersey Number: 65
Inducted: 2002
High School: Highland Park
Place of Birth: Detroit, MI
Date of Birth: July 27/1950
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 255
Coach Bo Schembechler remembers Reggie McKenzie as an "unheralded sophomore, a tall gangly kid." In that 1969 sophomore season, McKenzie was a back-up in the Michigan offensive line before becoming a starter in his junior year. As a junior, he became an All-Big Ten player as the Wolverines had a 9-1 season and finished seventh nationally. That season he played in the same line with Hall of Fame tackle Dan Dierdorf. Like Dierdorf, McKenzie was a punishing run blocker and an effective pass blocker, but Reggie stood out with his ability to pull and block downfield. In 1971, Reggie repeated as an all-conference player and became a consensus All-America pick as Michigan had an undefeated regular season sending McKenzie to his second Rose Bowl. "Being called an All-America at Michigan and being selected to the College Football Hall of Fame are really huge" McKenzie said. "I feel truly blessed and honored." Playing for the Buffalo Bills in the NFL, McKenzie was on another great offensive line as he was part of the Electric Company line that paved the way for O.J. Simpson's historic 2000-yard season. After 11 years with the Bills, he closed his athletic career by playing two seasons in Seattle.
Position: Coach
School: University of Delaware
Years: 1966-2001
Inducted: 2003
High School: Flint Northern
Alma mater: University of Michigan
Place of Birth: Flint, MI
Date of Birth: November 14/1926
Wins: 300
Losses: 119
Winning percentage: 0.714
During the 36-year head coaching career of Harold "Tubby" Raymond, he witnessed many changes to the classification of small college football. He won at every level. In the era before classification, he won a national championship in 1971 and repeated with an undefeated title team the following year. When the NCAA created the classification system in the early 1970's, he was the Division II national runner-up in 1974 and national champion in 1979. When the NCAA created the Division I-AA level (FCS) Delaware was runner-up in 1982. Overall Raymond won 300 games. In addition to his three national championships, his teams won 14 Lambert Cup trophies as the best small college team in the east, and were awarded 23 post season bids, including four consecutive wins in the Boardwalk Bowl. Raymond spent nearly a half century at Delaware, first as an assistant coach for 12 seasons to Hall of Fame coach Dave Nelson. As Nelson's backfield coach, he was instrumental in the implementation of the Delaware Winged-T, an offense that was adopted by thousands of high school and college teams. At the time of his retirement, Raymond had accounted for over half of the total wins accumulated by the Blue Hens in the 110-year history of the program.
Position: Linebacker
School: Dartmouth College
Years: 1973-1975
Jersey Number: 63
Inducted: 2007
High School: Flint Southwestern
Place of Birth: Flint, MI
Date of Birth: September 19/1954
Height: 6'
Weight: 220
Reggie Williams overcame several obstacles to become a College Football Hall of Fame member. Born in Flint, Michigan, he first had to overcome a hearing disability as a child. When he became a high school all-league fullback, Michigan coach Bo Schembechler rejected him as too small. When Dartmouth College became interested in Williams due to his academic abilities, a high school counselor told him that he was not equipped to pursue an Ivy League education. Confident in his abilities, Williams would go on to confound all of his detractors. When he came to Dartmouth he was moved from fullback to linebacker in his freshman year. "Reggie could literally cover sideline to sideline with his speed and instincts," said coach Jake Crouthamel. "He played a hundred miles an hour on every play at a different speed than anyone else." In the off-season before his sophomore season, he injured his knee when hit by an automobile and did not make his first start until the Harvard game. The game with Harvard may have been the biggest in his career as the victory over the undefeated Crimson was critical in Dartmouth's successful quest for a fifth consecutive Ivy League title. For the year his 117 tackles led the team as Reggie was named an All-Ivy League player. Williams would repeat as the team's top tackler and make the all-league team each of the next two years. In his senior year, he was named a team co-captain and was named a first-team All-America, becoming the last Ivy League player to gain major college All-America status. When not playing football, the psychology major was a first-team All-Ivy League wrestler. He did not compete in wrestling as a senior, as he graduated in only three and a half years. He played 14 NFL seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and appeared in two Super Bowls before starting a career in politics and business.
Position: Coach
School: Central Michigan University
Years: 1978-1993
Inducted: 2007
High School: Royal Oak
Alma mater: University of Michigan
Place of Birth: Detroit, MI
Date of Birth: May 26/1939
Wins: 110
Losses :55
Winning percentage: 0.657
Elected to the Hall of Fame as the all-time winningest coach in Mid-America Conference history, Herb Deromedi led the Central Michigan Chippewas to 14 winning seasons in 16 years as head coach. In grade school, Deromedi decided he would go along with his friends and pursue a manual trades education. But a teacher changed Deromedi's form, sending the student who had already skipped two grades into college prep, changing his life forever. He went on to the University of Michigan where he gained his Bachelors and then a Masters degree in just one year. As a senior, he coached seventh and eighth grade football at University High to start his coaching career. After spending two years as a high school coach, he met Roy Kramer, who was taking the head-coaching job at Central Michigan. Kramer offered Herb a position. For the next 11 years he was an assistant on Kramer's staff. In 1974, CMU won the Division II national title before moving up to Division I-A. When Kramer left to take the Athletic Director position at Vanderbilt, Deromedi was his hand-picked successor. His first team was predicted to win as few as three games, but Deromedi led the squad to a nine-win season. The next two years he won MAC titles with the 1979 team going 10-0-1. In 1990, he added his third conference crown and took Central to the California Bowl. Along the way, he received two conference Coach of the Year Awards and retired with the 15th-highest winning percentage of active coaches. He stepped down as coach to become the school's athletic director, a position he would hold until his 2006 retirement.
Position: Coach
School: University of Michigan
Years: 1995-2007
Inducted: 2011
High School: Riverview
Alma mater: Northern Michigan University
Place of Birth: Hawkins Co, TN
Date of Birth: July 30/1945
Wins: 122
Losses: 40
Winning percentage: 0.753
Lloyd Carr was a long-time assistant coach to Hall of Famer Bo Schembechler and Gary Moeller. Carr worked for Schembechler for ten years during 1980-1989 and served five years as defensive coordinator under Moeller. Carr grabbed the reigns of the Wolverines football program in 1995. He quickly enjoyed great success as his third team went undefeated as college football’s 1997 National Champions. Carr became the sixth Michigan coach to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. The National Coach of the Year in 1997, Carr's players won 14 national individual awards and 23 players earned First-Team All-America honors. Four of his players achieved Academic All-America honors, and at least one Wolverine earned First Team All-America accolades in 12 of his 13 seasons on campus. Carr led his teams to 13 bowl game appearances, five Big Ten Championships, and had six top-ten ranked teams. In his 13 year tenure at Michigan, Carr posted a 122-40 record and owned the third-best winning percentage (.779) in Big Ten history with a record of 81-23. An avid supporter of women’s athletics, Carr endowed a scholarship dedicated to a woman student-athlete. He has served on the NCAA Rules Committee, the American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees and as the chairperson of the Special Olympics Golf Outing.
Position: Coach
School: University of Colorado
Years: 1982-1994
Inducted: 2013
High School: Detroit Holy Redeemer
Alma mater: University of Missouri
Place of Birth: Riverview, MI
Date of Birth: August 22/1940
Wins: 93
Losses: 55
Winning percentage: 0.624
The Colorado head coach from 1982-94, Bill McCartney guided the Buffaloes to their first national title and to more bowl games than any other coach in CU football history. McCartney and the Buffs finished in the Top 20 in each of his last six seasons in Boulder, including the 1990 national crown and back-to-back appearances in the 1989 and 1990 title games. He claimed unanimous 1989 National Coach of the Year honors, and his extraordinary accomplishments include leading the Buffs to nine bowls in 13 seasons and to three Big Eight titles. His 1988-92 teams went 25 consecutive games (23-0-2) without a loss in league play, the fourth-longest streak in conference history. McCartney coached 1994 Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam; Hall of Famer and 1990 Butkus winner Alfred Williams; two Jim Thorpe award winners, Deon Figures (1992) and Chris Hudson (1994); The three-time Big Eight Coach of the Year was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1999, and he was enshrined in CU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006. Active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he was voted the 1986 FCA’s “Man-of-the-Year” in Colorado.