By ISU Sports Information
IRVING, Texas – The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced the names on the 2018 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame Wednesday, and Illinois State’s Boomer Grigsby was among those listed for selection for the second year in a row.
Grigsby, a three-time First-Team All-American (2002-04) and the Football Championship Subdivision career leader in total (550) and solo (325) tackles, joins the list along with 75 players and six coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision, and 98 players and 31 coaches from the divisional ranks.
“It’s an enormous honor to just be on the ballot when you think that more than 5.19 million people have played college football and only 987 players have been inducted,” NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell said. “The Hall’s requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of only 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. So being in today’s elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to ever have played the game, and we are extremely proud to announce their names. We look forward to revealing the 2018 Class prior to the CFP National Championship in Atlanta, the esteemed home of the College Football Hall of Fame.”
During his illustrious career at Illinois State, Grigsby became one of the most celebrated players in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) history. The Canton, Illinois, native was a three-time Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year, making him the only player in league history to accomplish the feat. He was also a three-time finalist in The Sports Network’s Buck Buchanan Award voting as the nation’s top FCS defensive player. He is the only player in the history of the award to finish in the top-three for three-consecutive years.
He has been inducted into the Canton High School and Illinois State Athletics Percy Family halls of fame and was selected as a member of the MVFC All-Select NFL Team and Silver Anniversary Team (announced in 2009). For all of his accomplishments, the Defensive Player of the Year Award presented by College Sporting News has been named in honor Grigsby. The award is given annually by CSN, the largest and oldest news service solely devoted to publishing original content and other information of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
Following his decorated collegiate career, Grigsby was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played three seasons with the Chiefs, before finishing his career with stops with the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans. Grigsby continued his relationship with Illinois State football as the color analyst for Redbird football broadcasts on Comcast SportsNet Chicago for three seasons and also served as a television analyst for Illinois High School Association football playoff broadcasts for two years.
The announcement of the 2018 Class will be made Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in Atlanta. The city is serving as the host for the CFP National Championship, which will be played later that day at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Some of the inductees will be on site during the announcement to represent the class and share their thoughts on being elected. The Jan. 8 announcement will be televised live, and specific viewing information will be available as the date draws near. A few inductees will also participate in the pregame festivities and the coin toss before the championship game.
