Aikman, Novacek among new College Hall of Fame selections

Troy Aikman and Jay Novacek, two cornerstone players for the Dallas Cowboys' three Super Bowl champions of the 1990s, were among the 15 new members College Football Hall of Fame announced Thursday in New York City.

Aikman began his college career at Oklahoma before transferring to UCLA. During his senior season with the Bruins, he led the team to a Cotton Bowl appearance and was selected as the winner of the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback trophy.

Novacek was a record-setting tight end at Wyoming from 1982-84 and was a consensus first-team All-Amercan. He's the second Wyoming player to earn a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame.

"College football has meant so much to the sporting history of our country, and it means a lot to me personally," Aikman said in a statement.

"I appreciate that legacy, and I have great respect for those who have been honored before me.

"The opportunity to share this recognition with my former Cowboys teammate Jay Novacek will make this experience all the more rewarding."

The 13 players in the class of 2008 included a Heisman Trophy winner (Billy Cannon of LSU), and Texas Tech's first Associated Press All-American, split end Dave Parks.

They will be inducted during National Football Foundation ceremonies on Dec. 9 and will be enshrined next summer at the Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind.

Hall of Famers:

The 15 members of the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2008:




<TABLE class=story-table border=0><TBODY><TR class=story-table-even-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Player </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Pos. </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">School </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Years </TD></TR><TR class=story-table-odd-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Troy Aikman </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">QB </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">UCLA </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">1987-88 </TD></TR><TR class=story-table-even-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Billy Cannon </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">HB </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">LSU </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">1957-59 </TD></TR><TR class=story-table-odd-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Jim Dombrowski </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">OT </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Virginia </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">1982-85 </TD></TR><TR class=story-table-even-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Pat Fitzgerald </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">LB </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Northwestern </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">1994-96 </TD></TR><TR class=story-table-odd-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Wilber Marshall </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">LB </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Florida </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">1982-85 </TD></TR><TR class=story-table-even-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Rueben Mayes </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">RB </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Washington State </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">1982-85 </TD></TR><TR class=story-table-odd-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Randall McDaniel </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">OG </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Arizona State </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">1984-87 </TD></TR><TR class=story-table-even-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Don McPherson </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">QB </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Syracuse </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">1984-87 </TD></TR><TR class=story-table-odd-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Jay Novacek </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">TE </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Wyoming </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">1982-84 </TD></TR><TR class=story-table-even-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Dave Parks </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">SE </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Texas Tech </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">1961-63 </TD></TR><TR class=story-table-odd-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Ron Simmons </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">NT </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Florida State </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">1977-80 </TD></TR><TR class=story-table-even-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Thurman Thomas </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">RB </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Oklahoma State </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">1984-87 </TD></TR><TR class=story-table-odd-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Arnold Tucker </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">QB </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Army </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">1944-46 </TD></TR><TR class=story-table-even-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Coach </TD><TD> </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Last school </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">W-L-T </TD></TR><TR class=story-table-odd-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">John Cooper </TD><TD> </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Ohio State </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">192-84-6 </TD></TR><TR class=story-table-even-row><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">Lou Holtz </TD><TD> </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">South Carolina </TD><TD UDX7T="0" RTuCc="0">249-132-7 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Star-Telegram.com

As a long time watcher of the pac8and now pac10 I am happy for any of it's greats recieve college hall of fame status. Problem is Troy is going in more as an announcer and cowboy than a bruin. Sure they had a good record when troy was their but it wasnt like they contended for the nc and they only went to second tier bowls.He holds no records,really nothing memrable about troy at ucla. McKnown,RaMSEY,Paus,Bashore,Stevens all had success equal to troys in college.

Troy Aikman doesn't deserve to be in the college hall of fame, if it is based on his college career.
Obviously, it isn't.

It is a little surprising to see Troy in it..Nevertheless being Oklahoma boy I'm glad to see it..I was sitting out in the crowd that day in Norman when he broke his leg against the Miami Hurricanes..I didn't think he would ever play again..The next year he transferred to UCLA..But I can't really remember what kind of career he had there.

Aikman's careeer at UCLA was more than just notable.

College career
Oklahoma Sooners 1984-1985
The New York Mets offered Aikman a contract out of high school, but instead of playing baseball he chose to pursue football and attended the University of Oklahoma under head coach Barry Switzer.

In 1985, his first season as a collegiate starter, Aikman led the Sooners to wins over Minnesota, Kansas State, and #17 Texas in the Red River Shootout before hosting the Miami Hurricanes and his future head coach Jimmy Johnson.

On October 19, in front of a sellout crowd of 75,008 at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Miami's Jerome Brown broke through the offensive line, sacked Aikman on the Sooner 29-yard line and broke Aikman's ankle. Aikman, who had been six of eight passing for 131 yards, would be lost for the season.

Switzer and offensive coordinator Jim Donnan were forced to switch back to the wishbone offense under freshman quarterback Jamelle Holieway.

The team went on to win the 1985 National Championship by beating Penn State in the 1986 Orange Bowl. With Holieway established as the starting quarterback at OU, Aikman decided to transfer to UCLA.

UCLA Bruins 1986-1989

Switzer oversaw Aikman's transfer to UCLA, a program under Terry Donahue that was more conducive to a passing quarterback.

He had to redshirt one year due to college transfer rules but went on to lead the Bruins to a 20-4 record over two seasons.
As a junior, Aikman led the Bruins to a 10-2 record and the 1987 Aloha Bowl, where they beat the Florida Gators 20-16.

As a senior, Aikman won the 1988 Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top quarterback, a first for UCLA. Nothing to sneeze at.

He was a Consensus All-American, the UPI West Coast Player of the Year, the Washington DC Club QB of the Year, a finalist for the 1988 AFCA "Coaches Choice" Player of the year award, and he finished third for the 1988 Heisman Trophy.

UCLA matched the victory total from the previous season under Aikman, going 10-2 and losing only to USC and Washington State.

The season culminated with a 17-3 Bruin victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks in the 1989 Cotton Bowl, which is played in Dallas.

The Dallas media spent most of the Cotton Bowl week promoting Aikman as the "next quarterback of the Cowboys," and much was made of Tom Landry watching Troy Aikman practice during the Bruins' workouts at Texas Stadium.

Aikman finished his career as the number two career passing leader in UCLA history.





Some other Davey O'brien Award winners of note:
1997 Peyton Manning Tennessee
1981 Jim McMahon BYU
1983 Steve Young BYU
1984 Doug Flutie Boston College
1986 Vinny Testaverde Miami



wil..

PS. Aikman only ranks behind the legendary "Great One".. The 1967 Heismann Trophy winner (only Bruin to ever win it) Gary Beban as far as great UCLA quarterbacks go...

26 yr old Ricky Neuheisal was Troys qb coach at UCLA. Aikman benfeitted from tons of talent on that team as well as the Cowboys. debatable if he deserves HOF. My favorite UCLA qb was Ricky Bashore. Nick Crisman will be a good one.