Heupel, Three VFLs On 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot
June 03, 2024 | Football
IRVING, Texas -- Former Oklahoma national champion quarterback and Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel as well as VFL greats Willie Gault, John Henderson and Larry Seivers appear on the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, the National Football Foundation (NFF) announced on Monday.
Heupel, who enters his fourth season with the Volunteers, is on the ballot for a fifth straight year. A 2000 consensus first-team All-American, he led the Sooners to the 2000 national championship with a win in the Orange Bowl. In two seasons, Heupel rewrote the Oklahoma record books and was the 2000 Heisman Trophy runner-up before going onto a successful coaching career.
A 1982 first-team All-American, Gault led Tennessee to three bowl berths and set six conference punt and kickoff return records. He tied the NCAA record for most kickoff return touchdowns in a single season with three in 1980. He totaled 82 catches for 1,482 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns during his career. Gault averaged an incredible 16.4 yards each time he touched the football.
Henderson is making his first appearance on the ballot. A two-time first-team consensus All-American and two-time first-team All-SEC recipient, he led the Vols to two top-10 final rankings and an SEC East championship and No. 4 ranking in 2001. Henderson was the leader of a Vols defensive unit that set a modern school record for fewest rushing yards allowed (817) in 2000, a year that he claimed the Outland Trophy and was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.
Henderson was awarded the 2000 SEC Defensive Player after collecting 71 tackles, nine tackles for loss, an SEC-best 12 sacks, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Henderson redshirted during the 1998 national championship season before earning letters from 1999-2001 at defensive tackle. He finished his three-year on-field career with 162 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and seven pass breakups. The Nashville native was recently inducted into the Tennessee Sports and Tennessee Athletics Halls of Fame.
Seivers was a two-time consensus first-team All-American in 1975 and 1976. In 1975, he became the first Vol to eclipse 800 receiving yards in a single season. He was also a two-time first-team All-SEC selection. In 1976, Seivers caught 51 passes for 737 yards, averaging 14.5 yards per catch. He left Tennessee with more catches than anyone (117) and most receiving yards gained (1,924).Â
The four individuals make up the 77 FBS players on the 2025 ballot. The announcement of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2025, with specific details to be announced in the future.
The 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 2025 at the Bellagio Hotel & Resort, and they will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2025 season.
Tennessee's proud College Football Hall of Fame tradition includes 26 inductees—22 players and four coaches—which leads the SEC. Eric Berry was the Vols' most recent inductee as a member of the Class of 2023.
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Heupel, who enters his fourth season with the Volunteers, is on the ballot for a fifth straight year. A 2000 consensus first-team All-American, he led the Sooners to the 2000 national championship with a win in the Orange Bowl. In two seasons, Heupel rewrote the Oklahoma record books and was the 2000 Heisman Trophy runner-up before going onto a successful coaching career.
A 1982 first-team All-American, Gault led Tennessee to three bowl berths and set six conference punt and kickoff return records. He tied the NCAA record for most kickoff return touchdowns in a single season with three in 1980. He totaled 82 catches for 1,482 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns during his career. Gault averaged an incredible 16.4 yards each time he touched the football.
Henderson is making his first appearance on the ballot. A two-time first-team consensus All-American and two-time first-team All-SEC recipient, he led the Vols to two top-10 final rankings and an SEC East championship and No. 4 ranking in 2001. Henderson was the leader of a Vols defensive unit that set a modern school record for fewest rushing yards allowed (817) in 2000, a year that he claimed the Outland Trophy and was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.
Henderson was awarded the 2000 SEC Defensive Player after collecting 71 tackles, nine tackles for loss, an SEC-best 12 sacks, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Henderson redshirted during the 1998 national championship season before earning letters from 1999-2001 at defensive tackle. He finished his three-year on-field career with 162 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and seven pass breakups. The Nashville native was recently inducted into the Tennessee Sports and Tennessee Athletics Halls of Fame.
Seivers was a two-time consensus first-team All-American in 1975 and 1976. In 1975, he became the first Vol to eclipse 800 receiving yards in a single season. He was also a two-time first-team All-SEC selection. In 1976, Seivers caught 51 passes for 737 yards, averaging 14.5 yards per catch. He left Tennessee with more catches than anyone (117) and most receiving yards gained (1,924).Â
The four individuals make up the 77 FBS players on the 2025 ballot. The announcement of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2025, with specific details to be announced in the future.
The 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 2025 at the Bellagio Hotel & Resort, and they will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2025 season.
Tennessee's proud College Football Hall of Fame tradition includes 26 inductees—22 players and four coaches—which leads the SEC. Eric Berry was the Vols' most recent inductee as a member of the Class of 2023.
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