Marshall University Athletics
Troy Brown Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
5/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
May 11, 2010
DALLAS - Marshall University football great Troy Brown has been elected the College Football Hall of Fame and will be inducted during the Enshrinement Festival on July 16 and 17 at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana.
Archie Manning, chairman of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, announced the 2010 Divisional Hall of Fame Class on Tuesday, which considers players and coaches from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA), Divisions II, III and the NAIA for induction. Brown is one of four players and two coaches in this year's divisional class.
Brown was considered the single-most dangerous scoring threat in all of Division I-AA during his two seasons at Marshall and few can match his heralded record-breaking career.
A dual threat on the playing field, Brown's elusive nature as a receiver and kick returner led the Thundering Herd to back-to-back trips to the Division I- AA (now FCS) National Championship game, garnering the NCAA title in 1992. He caught 139 receptions for 2,746 yards and 24 touchdowns in his career en route to earning First Team All-America honors his senior year. Additionally, he boasted 1,825 return yards and four touchdowns on special teams.
Brown went on to play 14 years in the NFL with the New England Patriots, where he became the franchise's all-time leading receiver and won three Super Bowls with the team. A 2001 Pro Bowl selection, he served as the Patriots' team captain for five seasons.
Brown will be the fifth Thundering Herd player or coach to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He joins Harry "Cy" Young (halfback 1910-11), Jackie Hunt (halfback 1938-41), Mike Barber (wide receiver 1985-88) and Jim Donnan (head coach 1990-1995).
The former Marshall great joins Maryland Eastern Shore halfback Emerson Boozer (1962-1965), California Lutheran linebacker Brian Kelley (1969-72) and UMass tight end Milt Morin (1963-65) in this year's divisional class. Two coaches - Willie Jeffries who coached at Howard, Wichita State and South Carolina State and Ted Kessinger who coached at Bethany (Kan.) are also in the class.
"The 2010 Divisional Hall of Fame Class consists of players and coaches who have defined excellence in our sport," said Manning, a 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Ole Miss. "We share the pride felt by their families, friends and schools and look forward to immortalizing their achievements in college football's ultimate shrine."
The NFF launched its Divisional Hall of Fame program in 1996 during its annual enshrinement festival. A total of 124 players and coaches, counting this year's class, have been inducted from the divisional ranks, including Terry Bradshaw (Louisiana Tech), Walter Payton (Jackson State), John Randle (Texas A&M-Kingsville), Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State), and coach Eddie Robinson (Grambling State). Of the 4.72 million who have played college football since 1869, the newest class of inductees joins only 866 players and 186 coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame.
CRITERIA
1. 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.
2. A player becomes eligible for consideration by the Foundation's Honors Courts ten years after his final year of intercollegiate football played.
3. 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.
4. Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years*. For example, to be eligible for the 2008 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1958 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.
5. A coach becomes eligible three years 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 coach for a minimum of 10 years and coached at least 100 games with a .600 winning percentage*.
* Players that do not comply with the 50-year rule and coaches that have not won 60% of their games may still be eligible for consideration by the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) and Divisional Veterans Committees, which examine unique cases.
INDUCTEE BIOGRAPHIES
EMERSON BOOZER
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Halfback, 1962-65
A four-year letterman and storied halfback under legendary coach Vernon "Skip" McKain at Maryland Eastern Shore (formerly Maryland State College), Emerson Boozer ran over opposing defenses to secure a spot in the 2010 College Football Hall of Fame Class.
A two-time First Team All-America by the Pittsburgh Courier, Boozer amassed 2,537 yards and 22 touchdowns during his career. He averaged a remarkable 6.78 yards per carry and was named a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) All- Conference pick in 1964 and '65. He was also inducted into the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hall of Fame in 1982.
The New York Jets selected Boozer in the sixth round of the draft, and he played with the franchise for 10 seasons. He was named the 1966 Pittsburgh Courier AFL Rookie of the Year and was twice named a Pro Bowl selection. He also helped the Jets defeat the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.
After his time in the pros, Boozer worked with CBS as an NFL analyst. He has been inducted into the State of Georgia and Suffolk Sports halls of fame. Now retired, he lives in Huntington Station, N.Y.
TROY BROWN
Marshall University
Wide Receiver, 1991-92
Considered the single-most dangerous scoring threat in all of Division I-AA during his two seasons in Huntington, few can match the heralded career of Marshall's record-breaking wide receiver Troy Brown.
A dual threat on the playing field, Brown's elusive nature as a receiver and kick returner led the Thundering Herd to back-to-back trips to the Division I- AA (now FCS) National Championship game, garnering the NCAA title in 1992. He caught 139 receptions for 2,746 yards and 24 touchdowns in his career en route to earning First Team All-America honors his senior year. Additionally, he boasted 1,825 return yards and four touchdowns on special teams.
Brown went on to play 14 years in the NFL with the New England Patriots, where he became the franchise's all-time leading receiver and won three Super Bowls with the team. A 2001 Pro Bowl selection, he served as the Pats' team captain for five seasons.
Brown now serves as an NFL analyst on Comcast SportsNet and annually holds a youth football camp with former college teammate Mike Bartrum. He was inducted into the Marshall Hall of Fame in 2002 and resides in Huntington, W.Va.
BRIAN KELLEY
California Lutheran University
Linebacker, 1969-72
A team leader and ferocious hitter, Brian Kelley becomes California Lutheran University's first-ever College Football Hall of Fame inductee.
After leading the Kingsmen to the 1971 NAIA Division II National Championship and earning MVP honors in the victory, Kelley followed up his impressive junior campaign by being named an NAIA First Team All- America selection in 1972. The team co-captain and MVP was also selected to the NAIA District III Defensive First Team and the All-Lutheran College Defensive First Team as a senior. He finished his career with 17 interceptions, then a school record, and also contributed as a punter, averaging 34.6 yards per punt. He was also named the 1970 NAIA District III heavyweight wrestling champion.
Playing for the New York Giants from 1973-83, Kelley became a member of one of the most renowned linebacker corps in NFL history - the "Crunch Bunch" - with Lawrence Taylor and fellow College Football Hall of Famers Brad Van Pelt and Harry Carson. The California native was the club's leading tackler from 1974-76.
Kelley was inducted into the CLU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003. He now works as a financial advisor and resides in New Jersey.
MILT MORIN
University of Massachusetts
Tight End, 1963-65
A three-sport standout at the University of Massachusetts, Milt Morin's gridiron prowess led the Minutemen to an undefeated season in 1963 and its first-ever postseason appearance in the 1964 Tangerine Bowl.
Twice named an All-American, Morin received first team laurels in 1964 and was selected as a second team choice the following season. A member of two Yankee Conference championship teams, he was named an all-conference selection three times. Morin was chosen as a First Team All-East and First Team All-New England player in consecutive seasons. Even though he also played defense and served as the team's placekicker his senior year, Morin still finished his collegiate career with a then-school record 1,151 career receiving yards. He also earned a combined seven varsity letters in football, wrestling and lacrosse.
The first-ever UMass player to be selected as a first- round draft pick, Morin played ten years for the Cleveland Browns. He was named to the Pro Bowl three times and ranked in the franchise's top ten in receiving yards (4,208) and receptions (271) upon retirement.
A charter member of the UMass Athletic Hall of Fame, Morin served as a corrections officer following his NFL career. He resides in Massachusetts.
WILLIE JEFFRIES*
Howard University, Wichita State University, South Carolina State University
Head Coach, 179-132-6
The first African-American to be hired as a head coach at a Division-I school (Wichita State), Willie Jeffries finished his career as the winningest coach in South Carolina State and MEAC history.
A three-time Black National Championship winner, Jeffries is credited with inventing the "Freeze Option" offense and is the only person in history to coach against College Football Hall of Famers Paul "Bear" Bryant and Eddie Robinson. Jeffries won the MEAC conference title seven times, six with SCSU and one with Howard. He has also coached College Football Hall of Famers Harry Carson and Donnie Shell.
Named coach of the year on eight different occasions, he was given the lifetime achievement award by the Black Coaches Association in 2002. An inductee of both the MEAC Hall of Fame and SCSU Athletic Hall of Fame, Jeffries was awarded the Order of the Silver Crescent in 2001, South Carolina's highest honor for Outstanding Community Service.
Jeffries was recently named head coach emeritus at South Carolina State and will serve as a liaison between the university, its alumni and other constituents. He currently resides in Elloree, S.C.
* Selection from the Divisional Veterans Committee
TED KESSINGER
Bethany College (Kan.)
Head Coach, 219-57-1
Boasting a near 80 percent all-time winning percentage, the Bethany College football program never had a losing season with coach Ted Kessinger at the helm, making him one of the most successful coaches ever in NAIA history.
In 28 seasons at Bethany, Kessinger won at least a share of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) title 16 times and took home 11 conference coach of the year honors. Nearly 400 of his players were named All-KCAC. Coaching 43 NAIA All- Americans and 49 NAIA All-America Scholar-Athletes, his teams ranked in the final NAIA top 25 poll 20 times in his 28 seasons. Kessinger led his teams to 13 national championship playoff appearances and was the NAIA's winningest active coach in both percentage of victories and total wins before retiring in 2003.
Kessinger was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2003 as well as the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. A lay minister, he is active in the community with Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Kiwanis Club and has been honored by the Kansas branch of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
The KCAC Character of Champions Award has been named in his honor, and he is a lifetime member of the American Football Coaches Association. Serving as a special consultant to Bethany College president, Kessinger resides in Lindsborg, Kan.
