The College Football Hall of Fame 2011 class was announced yesterday, headlined by Deion Sanders, Russell Maryland, and coach Lloyd Carr.
Sanders, known as the best NFL cornerback ever, played college football at Florida State from 1985-88, starting from his freshman year through his senior year. He was a two time consensus All-American selection in his sophomore and junior seasons.
He also won the third ever Jim Thorpe award for his time at Florida State, awarded to the nation’s top defensive back each year. Sanders was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this year as well.
Russell Maryland played defensive tackle for the University of Miami, winning two national championships with the team in his four years there. He won the Outland Trophy in 1990, awarded to the best lineman each year.
He was drafted first overall in 1991 by the Dallas Cowboys. Maryland is a member of the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame as of 2001. He went on to win three Super Bowls in the NFL.
Lloyd Carr coached the University of Michigan football team from 1995 to 2007, compiling a record of 122-40 in his career. Carr won six bowl games and give conference titles. He never made it to a BCS Championship Game, but his 1997 team was voted the AP National Champion.
Other selections to the 2011 Hall of Fame class were Will Shields, guard, Nebraska; Jake Scott, defensive back, Georgia; Sandy Stephens, quarterback, Minnesota; Darryl Talley, linebacker, West Virginia; defensive tackles Marty Lyons of Alabama, Rob Waldrop of Arizona, and Doug English of Texas, running backs Bill Enyart of Oregon State and Clendon Thomas of Oklahoma, wide receivers Gene Washington of Michigan State and Carlos Alvarez of Florida, and Fisher DeBerry who coached Air Force for 23 years.
The induction will take place at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner which is held at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. The ceremony is set to take place on December 6, 2011.
