Tony Romo Named To College Football Hall of Fame

IRVING, Texas (Jan. 11, 2021) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class during “SportsCenter” on ESPN.

Included in today’s select group of inductees is former Eastern Illinois quarterback Tony Romo. Romo becomes the first Eastern Illinois player selected to the College Football Hall of Fame and joins former EIU head coach Darrell Mudra as inductees from EIU.

The winner of the 2002 Walter Payton Award as the top player in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Tony Romo goes down as one of the greatest players in Eastern Illinois history. He deservedly becomes the first Panther player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.

A First Team All-American in 2002, Romo became the first three-time Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year in league history. The Walter Payton Award winner led the Panthers to consecutive conference titles (2001, 2002) and three-straight FCS Playoff berths. EIU was 25-10 overall and 17-2 in OVC games with Romo as the starter, and the team was nationally ranked during his final three seasons.

A three-time First Team All-OVC selection, Romo set conference and school records for single-season (34 in 2002) and career (85) touchdown passes, which remained unbroken for more than a decade. The 2001 Third Team All-American owns the school record with a 157.5 career passing efficiency, and he ranks third in career passing yards with 8,212. In 2009, Romo was inducted into the EIU Athletic Hall of Fame; the same day, he became the first player to have his number retired by the Panthers.

After going undrafted in 2003, Romo would put together a standout NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003-16. The four-time Pro Bowl selection holds Cowboy records for career passing yards and passing touchdowns.

Off the field, Romo has annually hosted youth football camps in his hometown of Burlington, Wisconsin. He is also heavily involved with the United Way, Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Since retiring with the Cowboys, Romo has served as the lead color analyst for CBS’ NFL telecasts, working alongside Jim Nantz. 

Romo becomes the third player that played in the Ohio Valley Conference to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame joining Jim Youngblood from Tennessee Tech and George Floyd Jr., from Eastern Kentucky.   Three former head coaches from the OVC have also been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame with Roy Kidd (Eastern Kentucky), James “Boots” Donnelly (Middle Tennessee/Austin Peay) and Frank Beamer (Murray State).

The remainder of the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class is listed below with additional information on the ceremony.   Information on each 2021 HOF Inductee is available at https://www.cfbhall.com/

2021 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS

PLAYERS:

Harris Barton – OT, North Carolina (1983-86)

David Fulcher – DB, Arizona State (1983-85)

Dan Morgan – LB, Miami [FL] (1997-2000)

Carson Palmer – QB, Southern California (1998-2002)

Tony Romo – QB, Eastern Illinois (1999-2002)

Kenneth Sims – DT, Texas (1978-81)

C.J. Spiller – RB/KR, Clemson (2006-09)

Darren Sproles – RB, Kansas State (2001-04

)Aaron Taylor – OT, Notre Dame (1990-93)

Andre Tippett – DE, Iowa (1979-81)

Al Wilson – LB, Tennessee (1995-98)

COACHES:

Rudy Hubbard – 83-48-3 (63.1%);

Florida A&M (1974-85)Bob Stoops – 190-48-0 (79.8%);

Oklahoma (1999-2016) The 11 First Team All-America players and two standout coaches in the 2021 Class were selected from the national ballot of 78 players and seven coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and the 99 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks.

“We are extremely proud to announce the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class,” said Archie Manning, NFF Chairman and a 1989 College Football Hall of Famer from Mississippi. “Each of these men has established himself among the absolute best to have ever played or coached the game, and we look forward to immortalizing their incredible accomplishments.”

The 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 7 alongside the 2020 Hall of Fame Class (the 2020 event was canceled due to COVID-19).

The inductees will also be recognized at their respective collegiate institutions with NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the fall. Their accomplishments will be forever immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, and each inductee will receive a custom ring created by Jostens, the official and exclusive supplier of NFF rings and awards.

“With two College Football Hall of Fame classes, the NFF Annual Awards Dinner will prove to be one of the biggest events in the NFF’s history when it returns this December,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We are beyond excited to announce the 2021 electees and look forward to making induction worth the wait for the 2020 class.”

The announcement of the 2021 Class was made today during the Noon ET edition of “SportsCenter” on ESPN.

“We want to thank ESPN for the opportunity to announce the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class during ‘SportsCenter,’” said Hatchell. “Today’s announcement shines a light on the accomplishments of some of college football's greatest legends."