The College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia, has inducted 1,093 players out of the approximately 5.7 million who have played the game. Of those inductees, 15 are from Illinois.
The latest Illinois player inducted was Moe Gardner in 2022, following Dana Howard in 2018.
Could another Illinois player join the Hall of Fame in 2025? The 2025 ballot was released on Monday.
Two Illinois football players, former linebackers Kevin Hardy and Simeon Rice, are on the ballot.
Between the two, Rice’s absence from the Hall is surprising. He is a two-time first-team All-American and a three-time All-Big Ten first teamer.
Hardy’s credentials are strong as well. He was a consensus first-team All-American in 1995, leading Illinois to multiple bowl game appearances in the 1990s.
In the 1996 NFL Draft, Hardy and Rice were selected back-to-back with the No. 2 and No. 3 picks, respectively. Hardy went to the Jacksonville Jaguars, while Rice went to the Arizona Cardinals.
The College Football Hall of Fame is a great honor, and it’s time to recognize these two college legends.
