Former Hoosier Great QB Antwaan Randle El Named to 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot

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Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

Former Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle is on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the 10th consecutive year. Randle El was a star for the Hoosiers from 1998 to 2001. During his time with the Hoosiers the Riverdale, Ill. native rewrote the Hoosiers offensive record book.

In 1998 Randle El was selected as Big Ten Freshman of the Year after throwing for 1,745 yards and running for another 873 yards and accounted for 17 total touchdowns.

Randle El was a three-time All-Big Ten selection and took home the 2001 Big Ten MVP and was named a first-team All-American. He was the first player in NCAA history to score 40 touchdowns (45) and throw for 40 TDs (42), the first to record over 2,500 total yards in four seasons, and the first to both pass for over 6,000 yards and rush for over 3,000 yards.

Randle El is still IU’s all-time leader in total yards (11,364) and sits second all-time in Indiana University football history for passing yards (7,469), rushing yards (3,895) and total touchdowns scored (45).

Randle El played in the NFL from 2002-2010 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington and is currently an offensive assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“It’s an enormous honor to just be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot considering more than 5.4 million people have played college football and only 1,027 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 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT early next year.”

The 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT will be officially inducted during the 64th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 7, 2021, at the New York Hilton Midtown. They will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2021 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 2021 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1971 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.