Penn State’s LaVar Arrington headlines College Football Hall of Fame class
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Former North Hills and Penn State linebacker LaVar Arrington added another significant honor to his resume Monday when he was named to the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022.
During his career at Penn State, Arrington was one of the nation’s top players as a two-time All-American, the Butkus Award winner as the nation’s top linebacker in 1999 and the Bednarik Award winner as the nation’s top defensive player in 1999.
Late Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam of Colorado and two-time Heisman runner-up Andrew Luck of Stanford also headline a list of 21 former players and coaches in this year’s class.
The National Football Foundation announced the new inductees Monday. The ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 6.
NFF announces star-studded 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class!
18 players and three coaches will be inducted during the 64th #NFFDinner on Dec. 6, 2022#cfbhall
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— Football Foundation (@NFFNetwork) January 10, 2022
Salaam starred at Colorado and won college football’s most prestigious award in 1994 after rushing for a school-record 2,055 yards and 24 touchdowns. He played six NFL seasons and finished with 1,625 yards and 13 scores.
“The first thing that always comes to mind when thinking of Rashaan is that he was a complete player,” former Colorado coach Bill McCartney said. “Thorough and fast, competitive spirit off the charts. He could run inside, he could run outside, he could catch the ball, he could block with the best of them. When we recruited him, we knew that throughout the process that if we could get him, we would get a diamond — someone really special.”
He died Dec. 5, 2016, in what was ruled a suicide. He was 42.
Salaam’s death put a focus on mental health, a message that still reverberates today.
“Rashaan left five years ago, and it is still difficult to deal with,” his mother, Khalada Salaam-Alaji, said in a statement. “I wish Rashaan was still here so that he could use this wonderful recognition to support mental and physical health issues. His going into the College Hall of Fame is a good thing, but there is so much serious social work that has to be done on this side for our children and this planet.”
Luck finished second in the Heisman voting 2010 and 2011 before the Indianapolis Colts selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft. Luck and Chuck Ealey of Toledo are the only quarterbacks in this year’s class.
They will be joined by Georgia defensive back Champ Bailey, who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
There also was a heavy emphasis on offensive and defensive linemen. Alabama center Sylvester Croom, who later became the Southeastern Conference’s first Black head football coach, led the list.
Illinois defensive tackle Moe Gardner, Illinois State linebacker Boomer Grigsby, Michigan defensive tackle Mark Messner, Alcorn State center Dennis Thomas and Nebraska offensive lineman Zach Wiegert also were selected for induction.
Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree, Ohio State safety Mike Doss, LSU running back Kevin Faulk, Oregon State receiver Mike Hass, Florida State linebacker Marvin Jones, Oklahoma State running back Terry Miller, and Oklahoma defensive back Roy Williams round out the list of players.
Three coaches — John Luckhardt of Washington & Jefferson (Pennsylvania), Billy Jack Murphy of Memphis and Gary Pinkel, who coached at Toledo and Missouri — also will be honored in December.
In 1999, Arrington finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He was also a two-time All-Big Ten first-team selection, and he was the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore in 1998. He finished his career with 173 tackles, 39 tackles for loss, 19 sacks and three interceptions.
After the announcement, Arrington released a lengthy statement through Penn State:
“First and foremost, I want to give a sincere thank you to my family because without them, I would have come up short. My parents, brothers and sister instilled in me a mindset that was built so deep and so strong.
“Next, I want to thank Coach (Joe) Paterno, my coaches and my teammates. They all played a big part in my development. I love Coach (Tom) Bradley, a super, awesome confidant and guidance for me. I would also like to thank so many people who played a major role in all of this, including Don Ferrell, Todd Kulka, Mark and Sue Sherburne, Dr. Dave Yukelson, Brad “Spider” Caldwell, Kirk Diehl, Tim Shope and Tom Venturino.
“To my teammates, if it wasn’t for some of the greatest players ever to play college football, I would not have been the player I was able to be. This is for our whole squad and whole defensive unit. I couldn’t have been what I was without Courtney Brown, Brandon Short, Mac Morrison, Imani Bell, David Fleischhauer, Brad Scioli, Derek Fox, David Macklin, Anthony King, Askari Adams and James Boyd. We were all just trying to be great and it just so happens I’m a representative of the greatness we were trying to achieve.
“A big thank you to my wife, Trishia, and to my kids, Keeno, Marlee, LaVar, Laila and Penn, who is named after Penn State. Hopefully one day Keeno and little LaVar will be playing football and continuing the legacy at Penn State. I am super proud of my family. I know being a Hall of Famer has a lot to do with what you do off the field, as much as you do on the field and after your career. I would not be able to be the figure, the mentor, the businessperson and the father I am without the support and love of my entire family.
“I certainly want to send a much deserved thank you to Penn State for supporting me. I also appreciate the support from all the fans. They have always been the greatest fans in the world. The love I feel even to this day is just unmatched. Lastly, I want to give a thank you to the National Football Foundation for letting me enter into the golden gates of football, college football immortality.”
Arrington was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft and played seven seasons for the Washington Football Team and New York Giants. He made three Pro Bowls in his NFL career.