Faulk and James Named to 2022 College Football HOF Ballots

BATON ROUGE – Kevin Faulk and Bradie James, two of the most decorated players in LSU football history, are among 78 players and seven coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision included on the 2022 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, the National Football Foundation and the College Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday.

Faulk is appearing in the ballot for the fifth time, while James is making his first appearance.

One of the all-time LSU greats and a member of the Louisiana Sports, LSU Athletic and New England Patriots Halls of Fame, Faulk helped lead the Tigers to three bowl appearances from 1995-97. He earned first team Associated Press All-America honors as an all-purpose back in 1996.

Faulk retired from the NFL in 2012 after 13 years with the New England Patriots where he helped the franchise to three Super Bowl titles. Faulk, a 1999 graduate of LSU, currently serves as LSU’s running backs coach.   

Faulk finished his LSU career with a school-records for rushing yards (4,557), rushing touchdowns (46) and he holds the SEC record for all-purpose yards (6,833). Overall, Faulk still holds 10 LSU records.  

James, who graduated from LSU in 2003 with a degree in sociology, was a first team All-America selection as a senior in 2002. A two-time All-SEC linebacker in 2001 and 2002, James holds LSU’s single-season record for tackles in a season with 154. He ranks No. 2 in LSU history for tackles in a career with 418.

In the classroom, James was a 2002 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete and was also named to the 2001 SEC Academic Honor Roll.

James, a 2019 inductee into the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame, helped lead the Tigers to the 2001 SEC Championship and was named a permanent team captain for the Tigers during the 2002 season. In 2000, James earned defensive MVP honors for his performance in LSU’s win over Georgia Tech in the Peach Bowl.

Following his LSU career, James was drafted in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He spent 10 years in the NFL, nine with the Cowboys and one with the Texans. He led the Cowboys in tackles a franchise-record six straight seasons. 

Faulk and James are looking to join an elite list of LSU Tigers in the College Football Hall of Fame. Former Tigers in the College Football Hall of Fame include: Gus Tinsley, Ken Kavanaugh Sr., Abe Mickal, Doc Fenton, Tommy Casanova, Billy Cannon, Jerry Stovall, Charles Alexander, Bert Jones, and Glenn Dorsey.

Former LSU coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame are Dana Bible, Mike Donahue, Biff Jones, Bernie Moore and Charles McClendon.

“It’s an enormous honor to just be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot considering more than 5.47 million people have played college football and only 1,038 players have been inducted,” said NFF President & 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 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class early next year.”

The ballot was emailed today 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 Courts, which will deliberate and select the class. The FBS Honors Court, chaired by NFF Board Member and College Football Hall of FamerArchie Griffin from Ohio State, and the Divisional Honors Court, chaired by former Marshall head coach, longtime athletics director and NFF Board Member Jack Lengyel, include an elite and geographically diverse pool of athletic administrators, Hall of Famers and members of the media.

“Having a ballot and a voice in the selection of the College Football Hall of Fame inductees is one of the most cherished NFF member benefits,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, a 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Mississippi. “There is no group more knowledgeable or passionate about college football than our membership, and the tradition of the ballot helps us engage them in the lofty responsibility of selecting those who have reached the pinnacle of achievement in our sport.” 

The announcement of the 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2022, with specific details to be announced in the future.

The 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 64th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 6, 2022, and permanently immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. They will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2022 season.

The criteria for Hall of Fame consideration include:

·     First and foremost, a player must have received First-Team All-America recognition by a selector that is recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise its consensus All-America teams.

·     A player becomes eligible for consideration by the Foundation’s Honors Courts 10 full seasons after his final year of intercollegiate football played.

·     While each nominee’s football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post-football record as a citizen is also weighed. He must have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether the candidate earned a college degree.

·     Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years.* For example, to be eligible for the 2022 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1972 or thereafter. In addition, players who are playing professionally and coaches who are coaching on the professional level are not eligible until after they retire.

·     A coach becomes eligible three full seasons after retirement or immediately following retirement provided he is at least 70 years of age. Active coaches become eligible at 75 years of age. He must have been a head football coach for a minimum of 10 years and coached at least 100 games with a .600 winning percentage.

·     Nominations may only be submitted by the current athletics director, head coach or sports information director (SID) of a potential candidate’s collegiate institution. Nominations may also be submitted by the president/executive director of a dues-paying chapter of the National Football Foundation.