In any sport at any level, the pinnacle of accomplishment for an athlete or coach is to be selected to join a group of elite peers in a Hall of Fame setting.
Recently the National Football Foundation released the newest crop of candidates for the College Football Hall of Fame, with former Sun Devil players DB David Fulcher and QB Jake Plummer as well as former ASU head coach Darryl Rogers on the ballot.
Currently, ASU has seven former players as members of the College Football Hall of Fame in QB Danny White (1998), DB Mike Haynes (2001), WR John Jefferson (2002), LB Ron Pritchard (2003), OL Randall McDaniel (2008), LB Pat Tillman (2010) and LB Bob Breunig (2015). Former head coaches Dan Devine (1985), Frank Kush (1995) and John Cooper (2008) have also been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Among Pac-12 teams, ASU’s 10 total inductees ranks sixth behind USC (35; 32 players, three coaches), Stanford (24; 18 players, six coaches), California (20; 16 players, four coaches), UCLA (15; 12 players, three coaches) and Washington (14; 11 players, three coaches) ahead of Oregon (eight; five players, three coaches), Colorado (seven players), Arizona (seven; four players, three coaches), Washington State (seven; five players, two coaches), Oregon State (three; two players, one coach) and Utah (one coach).
This topic begs the question – which other Sun Devils might be considered for the College Football Hall of Fame in the future?
According to the National Football Foundation, to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, candidates must meet the following requirements:
• First and foremost, a player must have received First-Team All-America recognition by a selector organization that is recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise their consensus All-America teams: Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News and the Walter Camp Foundation. • 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 and his fellow man, with love of his country. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether or not the candidate earned a college degree. • Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football with the last 50 years.* For example, to be eligible for the 2018 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1968 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.
Below is a list of former ASU football players who meet the first criterion for entry to the College Football Hall of Fame and a prediction of their chances for future enshrinement.
According to the National Football Foundation’s guidelines, no other Sun Devils from the past can be eligible as they did not earn the requisite All-America accolades. Therefore, don’t expect to see D.J. Foster, Jaelen Strong, Derek Hagan, Todd Heap, Adam Archuleta, Darren Woodson, Eric Allen or any others not listed inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame at any point.
Qualifying Honors: Sporting News (1967)
Other Honors: First-Team All-WAC (1966-67)
Likelihood of Selection: Low – A highly accomplished college athlete and now a Pro Football Hall of Famer, according to Hall of Fame rules he would have to get a special exception should he be considered in the future as his college playing days concluded more than 50 years ago.
J.D. Hill (1967-68, 1970)
Qualifying Honors: Sporting News (1970)
Other Honors: First-Team All-WAC (1970)
Likelihood of Selection: Low – A solid contributor early in his career, Hill was somewhat of a one-year wonder in terms of his All-America level of play when he became ASU’s first 1,000-yard receiver in school history in 1970.
Woody Green (1971-73)
Qualifying Honors: Consensus All-America (1972-73)
Other Honors: Heisman Trophy eighth place (1973), Honorable Mention All-America (1971), First-Team All-WAC (1971-73)
Likelihood of Selection: Low – Surprisingly, despite his greatly impressive list of accomplishments, Green is not a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and at least in the last decade hasn’t been granted a ballot selection. It is hard to believe that trend will change.
Al Harris (1975-78)
Qualifying Honors: Unanimous All-America (1978)
Other Honors: Honorable Mention All-America (1977), First-Team All-Pac-10 (1978), First-Team All-WAC (1977)
Likelihood of Selection: Medium – Harris was listed on the Hall of Fame ballots eight times in 10 years for the 2006-08 and 2011-15 classes but was not listed for the 2016-18 classes, showing he certainly has the attention of the voting committee but may have missed his chance to get over the proverbial “hump” and earn a Hall of Fame induction.
Vernon Maxwell (1979-82)
Qualifying Honors: Sporting News, Walter Camp (1982)
Other Honors: Honorable Mention All-America (1980-81), First-Team All-Pac-10 (1980-82)
Likelihood of Selection: Low – A stellar sack master at linebacker for the Sun Devils and one of the top defenders in the Pac-10 Conference during his time in Tempe, if his career efforts haven’t drawn Hall of Fame ballot attention in the past 35 years it is unlikely they will any time soon.
Mike Richardson (1979-82)
Qualifying Honors: Consensus All-America (1981-82)
Other Honors: Honorable Mention All-America (1980), First-Team All-Pac-10 (1981-82)
Likelihood of Selection: None – In 2008, Richardson was sentenced to one year in prison and 12 years of probation for what was his 21st drug conviction since the end of his football career.
Luis Zendejas (1981-84)
Qualifying Honors: Consensus All-America (1983)
Other Honors: Honorable Mention All-America (1981-82), First-Team All-Pac-10 (1983)
Likelihood of Selection: Low – With only one kicker currently inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, it is unlikely that Zendejas’ accomplishments will allow him to be added to that incredibly short list.
David Fulcher (1983-85)
Qualifying Honors: Consensus All-America (1984-85)
Other Honors: Second-Team All-America (1983), First-Team All-Pac-10 (1983-85)
Likelihood of Selection: Medium – A three-year star for ASU, Fulcher was one of the nation’s most fearsome defensive backs during his days as a safety with the body of a middle linebacker. Fulcher was a sensational playmaking defender and has gained enough respect and appreciation to be listed on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot.
Danny Villa (1984-86)
Qualifying Honors: Consensus All-America (1986)
Other Honors: Morris Trophy (1986), First-Team All-Pac-10 (1986)
Likelihood of Selection: None – Villa will never be considered for the College Football Hall of Fame as in 2009 he pleaded guilty to the rape of a child.
Shante Carver (1990-93)
Qualifying Honors: Football Writers Association of America (1993)
Other Honors: First-Team All-America (Newspaper Enterprise Association, 1992), First-Team All-Pac-10 (1992)
Likelihood of Selection: Low – An impactful pass rush force and the only player in ASU history to record at least 10 sacks all four years he played, Carver’s contributions likely weren’t quite to the level befitting a Hall of Fame entry.
Jake Plummer (1993-96)
Qualifying Honors: Football Writers Association of America (1996)
Other Honors: Heisman Trophy second runner-up (1996), Pac-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Year 1996), First-Team All-Pac-10 (1995-96), Honorable Mention All-America (1995)
Likelihood of Selection: Medium – After a very good junior season that netted him various postseason honors, Plummer was the catalyst behind ASU’s magical Rose Bowl run in 1996. His impact was felt beyond just the Tempe area, as on a regional scale he was the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and nationally he earned the respect of All-America and Heisman Trophy voters. Though he meets the criteria for induction and is on the current ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame, voters could be turned off by his first two seasons that, though not bad by any means at all, didn’t garner as much fanfare as his final two seasons.
Juan Roque (1993-96)
Qualifying Honors: Consensus All-America (1996)
Other Honors: Second-Team All-America (1995), First Team All-Pac-10 (1995-96)
Likelihood of Selection: Low – An excellent lineman at ASU and likely the best offensive tackle ever to play for the Sun Devils, it is unlikely that Roque will be considered for entry to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Terry Battle (1994-96)
Qualifying Honors: Sporting News (1996)
Other Honors: First-Team All-Pac-10 (1996)
Likelihood of Selection: Low – A reserve his first two seasons, Battle left for the NFL a year early after his spectacular junior season in 1996. His one sensational season was a memorable one for ASU but not enough to put him on the radar for the College Football Hall of Fame.
Derrick Rodgers (1996)
Qualifying Honors: Associated Press (1996), Football Writers Association of America (1996)
Other Honors: Bronko Nagurski Award finalist (1996), First-Team All-Pac-10 (1996)
Likelihood of Selection: Low – Perhaps the greatest one-year wonder in Arizona State history, Rodgers came to ASU from the JUCO ranks and after his dominant junior season bypassed his senior season to enter the NFL Draft. Similar to Battle, though that one year is unforgettable for many ASU followers it isn’t something that will catch the attention of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Jeremy Staat (1996-97)
Qualifying Honors: Football Writers Association of America (1997)
Other Honors: Morris Trophy (1997)
Likelihood of Selection: Low – At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Staat is similar to Battle and Rodgers before him in that he had one amazing year but did not play all four at ASU. Like Rodgers, Staat came to ASU in 1996 as a junior college transfer and after playing as a key reserve his junior year he became one of the nation’s most prominent linemen as a senior. Impressive as his body of work was his final season, it is doubtful Staat will earn consideration for the College Football Hall of Fame, though it may work in his favor that he served in the United States Marine Corps after the conclusion of his playing career.
Grey Ruegamer (1995-98)
Qualifying Honors: Walter Camp (1998)
Other Honors: Third-Team All-America (Sporting News, 1997), Rotary Lombardi Award semifinalist (1998), First-Team All-Pac-10 (1997-98)
Likelihood of Selection: Low – One of the best interior linemen ever to play at ASU who had a lengthy NFL career, Ruegamer likely does not have the alluring list of accomplishments required of a Hall of Fame candidate.
Terrell Suggs (2000-02)
Qualifying Honors: Unanimous All-America (2002)
Other Honors: Rotary Lombardi Award winner (2002), Bronko Nagurski Award winner (2002), Ted Hendricks Award winner (2002), Pac-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year (2002), Morris Trophy (2002), Third-Team All-America (2001), First-Team All-Pac-10 (2001-02), Pac-10 Conference Freshman of the Year (2000)
Likelihood of Selection: High – It’s not an “if”, it’s a “when”. Suggs’ NCAA record-setting junior season combined with freshman and sophomore seasons that were stellar in their own right make the local product a surefire Hall of Famer. Due to Hall of Fame requirements, Suggs will have to wait until after he ends his professional playing career. Ultimately, Suggs has a very high chance to join Mike Haynes and Randall McDaniel as the only Sun Devils to be inducted into both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
Zach Miller (2004-06)
Qualifying Honors: Walter Camp (2006)
Other Honors: Second-Team All-America (2004), Pac-10 Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year (2004), First-Team All-Pac-10 (2006)
Likelihood of Selection: Low – An outstanding tight end at ASU and one of college football’s best during his days, Miller will long be remembered as one of the absolute best in school history at his position but may not have had the career necessary for admission to the ranks of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Thomas Weber (2007-10)
Qualifying Honors: Consensus All-America (2007)
Other Honors: Lou Groza Award winner (2007), First-Team All-Pac-10 (2007)
Likelihood of Selection: Low – As a freshman, Weber appeared to be destined for greatness, but injuries and general inconsistency made his remaining three years much less impressive than his incredible rookie year.
Vontaze Burfict (2009-11)
Qualifying Honors: Sporting News (2010)
Other Honors: Pac-10 Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year (2009)
Likelihood of Selection: Low – Controversial for his behavior on the field both at the college and pro levels and a player who did not nearly reach his potential at ASU despite the accolades by Sporting News, Burfict has little to no chance of induction unless he were to somehow completely redesign his image at the NFL level and become one of the greatest, most saintly linebackers that ever lived.
Will Sutton (2009-13)
Qualifying Honors: Consensus All-American (2012), Associated Press (2013)
Other Honors: Pat Tillman Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year (2012-13), Morris Trophy (2012-13), First-Team All-Pac-12 (2012-13)
Likelihood of Selection: Medium – A two-time First-Team All-American and back-to-back winner of the Pat Tillman Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Award and Morris Trophy, Sutton had a career that could at least earn him a ballot spot at some point in the future.
Zane Gonzalez (2003-16)
Qualifying Honors: Unanimous All-American (2017)
Other Honors: Lou Groza Award Winner (2017), First Team All-Pac-12 (2013, 2016)
Likelihood of Selection: Medium – One would think that his accomplishments and myriad NCAA records would make Gonzalez a lock for the Hall of Fame, but at this point, only one kicker has been inducted into the Hall in Georgia’s Kevin Butler. If his records stand for several years – and it wouldn’t hurt if he etches out a very good NFL career – Gonzalez could have a chance.
Head Coaches
Darryl Rogers (1980-84)
Honors: Sporting News Coach of the Year (Michigan State, 1978), Big Ten Coach of the Year (Michigan State, 1977)
Likelihood of Selection: Medium – Before coming to ASU, Rogers was the head coach at Fresno State (1966-72), San Jose State (1973-75) and Michigan State (1976-79). He made his mark with the Spartans in 1977-78 and in his third year at ASU he guided the Sun Devils to a 10-2 record, a Fiesta Bowl win, and a No. 6 final ranking. He also recruited many of the players who starred on ASU’s Rose Bowl team in 1986. After the 1984 season, Rogers left for the NFL and later coached in the Canadian Football League. His final college coaching record was 126-77-7 including a 37-18-1 slate at ASU. Rogers is on the Hall of Fame ballot this year and has multiple years before, but the fact that he never won an outright conference championship much less a national title may hold him back from induction.
Dennis Erickson (2007-11)
Honors: Sporting News Coach of the Year (1992, 2000), Pac-10 Coach of the Year (1988, 2000, 2007), Big East Coach of the Year (1991-92, 1994)
Likelihood of Selection: High - A head coach for nearly 30 seasons, Erickson guided Miami (Fla.) to national championships in 1989 and 1991. A six-time conference Coach of the Year in the Big East and Pac-10 Conferences, Erickson has a college head coaching record of 179-96-1. He also coached six seasons in the NFL, 1995-98 with the Seattle Seahawks and 2003-04 with the San Francisco 49ers. Though his tenure with Arizona State was average – literally, with a 31-31 cumulative record – he helped ASU claim a split of the Pac-10 title his debut season and earlier had a top-five finish at Oregon State in 2000. Erickson spent the 2014-16 seasons as an assistant coach at Utah and retired after the 2016 season. He turned 70 in March of 2017, so he is qualified for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame at any time despite just retiring this offseason.
