A pair of former Alabama standouts will be among 75 other players and six coaches on the 2017 Hall of Fame Ballot, per the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.
Both organizations made the announcement Wednesday, as running back Bobby Humphrey and linebacker E.J. Junior will grace the ballot for the Crimson Tide.
Bobby Humphrey, E.J. Junior on 2017 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot! https://t.co/snhYYDw6PO #RollTide pic.twitter.com/l5PvLad5fZ
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) June 1, 2016
Humphrey, who played from 1985-88, finished his career at Alabama with 4,958 all-purpose yards and 40 total touchdowns. He earned All-American honors in 1986, when he rushed for 1,471 yards (then school-record). The Birmingham, Alabama native followed up that season with an even better performance in 1987; a year in which he won UPI Offensive Player of the Year.
Junior was the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year during his senior campaign in 1980.
He notched first-team All-American honors, while being a finalist for the Lombardi Award. Junior would end his tenure with 39 tackles for loss, a mark that stood as Alabama’s career record at the time. He played on the final two national championship teams (1978-79) under Paul “Bear” Bryant.
The 2017 Hall of Fame class will be announced on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017 in Tampa, Fla.
The city is scheduled to host the 2017 College Football Playoff national title game on Jan. 9 at Raymond James Stadium. An induction ceremony will occur for the 2017 class on Dec. 5, 2017.
Stephen M. Smith is a senior analyst and columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
