U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) recently joined Nick Saban and several other prominent football figures in Alabama to appear on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame.
The National Football Foundation (NFF) and the College Football Hall of Fame released the list on Monday. It includes 178 players and 43 coaches nationwide as Hall of Fame candidates.
Most prominent on the players’ side is Alabama running back Mark Ingram. He won the school’s first Heisman Trophy in 2009 and a National Championship in 2010 before foregoing his senior year to enter the draft as a first-round pick picked by the New Orleans Saints.
The coaches column featured recently retired Alabama coach Nick Saban, whose 16-year stint at the school earned him nine SEC Championships and six National Championships. Saban also worked as head coach for the University of Toledo, Michigan State and Louisiana State University. Saban was also the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns and head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
The list also featured former Troy Head Coach Larry Blakeney, who retired at the end of the 2024 season after 24 years at the school.
Tuberville made the list alongside Auburn linebackers Gregg Carr and Takeo Spikes. Tuberville took over at Auburn from Ole Miss in 1999. He led the Tigers to an SEC Championship and Western Division title. Most notably, Tuberville maintained a winning record against the school’s biggest rival, Alabama. He now serves as Alabama’s senior United States Senator.
Tuberville also coached at Texas Tech and the University of Cincinnati.
"It's an enormous honor to just be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot considering more than 5.7 million people have played college football and only 1,093 players have been inducted," said NFF president and CEO Steve Hatchell. "The Hall's requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of about 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. Being in today's elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to have ever played the game, and we look forward to announcing the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class early next year."
Ballots were emailed 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 Court, which will deliberate and select the class.
The 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be announced in early 2025. Inductees will be made official during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 2025.
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