The 2023 Faculty Soccer Corridor of Fame poll launched Monday options among the most completed Pac-12 gamers of the previous quarter century, from Ryan Leaf and Tony Gonzalez to Marshawn Lynch, Toby Gerhart and LaMichael James.
Then there’s the headliner of headliners: Mr. Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. is on the poll.
Yep, the man from the Wendy’s commercials.
And for those who’re questioning why it took almost 20 years for some of the electrifying gamers within the sport’s historical past — and the landslide winner of the 2005 Heisman Trophy — to seem on the Corridor of Fame poll, nicely, the Hotline has information for you:
It’s a flawed course of.
How flawed?
So flawed that Junior Seau isn’t within the Faculty Soccer Corridor of Fame.
In actual fact, Seau, who produced essentially the most dominant defensive season in USC historical past and is a member of the NFL’s a centesimal anniversary All-Time Workforce, isn’t eligible for nomination as a result of he doesn’t meet the efficiency standards.
Settle in, of us. We've a narrative to inform …
Understandably, the Corridor of Fame has established a ready interval. Gamers aren’t eligible for nomination till 10 years after their remaining faculty season. (The method is completely different for coaches and relies upon, partially, on their age at retirement.)
Additionally noteworthy within the choice course of: Voters are instructed to think about a participant’s “post-football document as a citizen.”
However crucial standards is efficiency. To be eligible, a participant “at the beginning” will need to have “acquired First-Workforce All-America recognition by a selector that's acknowledged by the NCAA and utilized to comprise its consensus All-America groups.”
On the finish of the 1989 season, Seau was named to a slew of All-America groups, however solely The Sporting Information gave him first-team honors.
And in 1989, the NCAA didn’t acknowledge The Sporting Information as an official selector. It does now, nevertheless it didn’t again then.
In consequence, Seau, who died in 2012, will by no means be eligible for the Faculty Soccer Corridor of Fame so long as the present choice course of stays in place.
Our intent right here isn’t to bash the Corridor of Fame or its companion, the Nationwide Soccer Basis, whose membership makes up the Corridor’s citizens.
With so many faculties and so many deserving gamers, the nomination course of will need to have guardrails.
However maybe the Corridor ought to create a pathway for particular exemptions — for gamers who weren’t named first-team All-American by one of many acknowledged selectors. In any case, the NCAA’s listing has modified over time.
Why not permit every faculty to place ahead one nominee for particular exemption? If deemed worthy by the citizens, he’s in. If not, he’s out.
We are able to consider a number of gamers who would have a good shot at induction, together with an All-American, record-breaking tailback for UCLA who had a stable profession as a second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
And with that …
The Hotline presents its Corridor of Fame fast-track listing:
One former participant (or coach) for every Pac-12 faculty who would deserve speedy induction if the Corridor provided the one-time exemption.
Please observe: We didn't think about lively NFL gamers.
Arizona: Dick Tomey. The one coach on our listing doesn’t meet the Corridor’s qualifications: He lacks a .600 successful share — a normal that punishes coaches who take essentially the most tough jobs. Tomey both rebuilt packages from ashes (Hawaii and San Jose State) or produced unmatched success (Arizona) however by no means cleared 60 p.c for his profession. He additionally made an important contribution to the sport: No coach did extra to open Mainland entry for gamers from the Pacific Islands.
Arizona State: Terrell Suggs. The sting rusher extraordinaire received the Lombardi and Nagurski awards in 2002 and set the NCAA single-season sack document (24). It was Seau-level dominance and got here on the heels of a sophomore season (2001) wherein Suggs additionally carried out at an all-conference stage. ASU has a slew of fast-track candidates, together with linebacker Vernon Maxwell. Our desire is Suggs.
Cal: Chuck Muncie. The Hotline was shocked to find throughout our analysis course of that Muncie, who handed away a decade in the past, isn’t within the Corridor of Fame. In any case, he rushed for greater than 3,000 profession yards and completed second to Archie Griffin within the ’75 Heisman race. Maybe the citizenship issue is an impediment — Muncie was imprisoned on drug costs after retirement — but when that’s the case, shouldn’t the Corridor of Fame have booted O.J.?
Colorado: Darian Hagan. Our distinct sense is the Corridor’s standards (first-team All-America by a acknowledged selector) inherently works towards the very good choice quarterbacks of the Nineteen Eighties and 90s who weren’t as nicely considered the pocket passers of the period. Hagan, who led the Buffaloes to their 1990 nationwide title and was 28-5-2 as a starter, belongs in that firm. Additionally not within the Corridor: Oklahoma’s Jamelle Holieway.
Oregon: Haloti Ngata. If there was a extra dominant inside defensive lineman within the Pac-12 this century, we can not title him. Ngata was an Related Press first-team All-American — sure, the AP’s group counts — who ought to have been elected years in the past. We thought of Dennis Dixon and Joey Harrington and consider Chip Kelly ought to be elected instantly upon retirement for his immense affect on the sport throughout his six years in Eugene. (Additionally in that immediate-induction class: Mike Leach.)
Oregon State: John Didion. The Beavers don’t have a handful of apparent fast-track candidates from the previous 30 or 40 years, so we opted for Didion, an All-American middle from the late Sixties. (This system’s clear selections, Heisman-winning quarterback Terry Baker and record-breaking receiver Mike Haas, are already within the Corridor.) Frankly, you possibly can make a robust case for Mike Riley, whose success in Corvallis is similar to what Dick Tomey achieved at his profession stops.
Stanford: Troy Walters. The 1999 Biletnikoff Award winner and first-team All-American (by all the most important selectors) is the clear fast-track choose from a program that has produced extra Corridor of Famers than you would possibly assume. And the gamers most deserving, from Ernie Nevers and Ken Margerum to John Brodie and Jim Plunkett — plus John Elway and Andrew Luck — have been inducted. Additionally, the present head coach is a mortal lock, as soon as he meets the retirement qualifications.
UCLA: Jackie Robinson. Led the nation in punt returns in back-to-back seasons, averaged 12.2 yards per carry as a tailback and was an All-American. Additionally, from the Corridor of Fame: “Whereas every nominee’s soccer achievements in faculty are of prime consideration, his post-football document as a citizen can also be weighed. He will need to have confirmed himself worthy as a citizen.”
USC: Junior Seau. We coated his scenario above however ought to point out different Trojans who aren’t within the Corridor: Chris Claiborne, Curtis Conway, Jack Del Rio, Keyshawn Johnson, Don Mosebar, Bruce Matthews, Tim McDonald, Rodney Peete, Willie McGinest, Sam Baker, Dwayne Jarrett. Oh, and Pete Carroll.
Utah: Star Lotulelei. Former defensive lineman Luther Elliss is on the 2023 poll and deserves induction for his efficiency when the Utes had been within the WAC. But when the fast-track choice had been accessible, Lotulelei, who hasn’t performed within the NFL since 2019, could be our choose as a dominant power through the Utes’ first two seasons within the Pac-12. Utah is one other occasion of the present head coach being a no brainer Corridor of Famer.
Washington: Lawyer Milloy. To begin with, we will affirm that Steve Emtman is within the Corridor. Similar goes for Lincoln Kennedy. And Don James, too. However that’s it — nobody else from the Huskies’ glory years within the 80s and 90s has been inducted but. We slotted Milloy on the prime of the fast-track listing for his two-year dominance within the convention and first-team All-American choice in 1995. An in depth second to Milloy, in our view, is tailback Napoleon Kaufman.
Washington State: Rien Lengthy. With Jason Hanson’s 2020 induction and Ryan Leaf showing on the present poll, Lengthy was the plain fast-track choose for the Cougars (forward of Lamont Thompson). All he did was win the 2002 Outland Trophy and obtain AP All-American honors. Of observe: Lengthy took dwelling the Outland the identical yr one other Pac-12 defensive lineman, ASU’s Terrell Suggs, received the Lombardi and Nagurski awards. Goodness, how occasions have modified.
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