UNC RELEASE:
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. - Former North Carolina defensive tackle William Fuller is one of 14 members of the 2016 College Football Hall of Fame class, which was announced Friday by the National Football Foundation.
Fuller will become the seventh player or coach from UNC, and second in the last three years, to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame at the induction ceremony in December. In 2014, UNC cornerback Dre’ Bly was inducted.
The inductees were selected from the national ballot of 76 All-America players and five elite coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and the 92 players and 27 coaches from the divisional ranks.
A defensive lineman from 1980 to 1983, Fuller was a consensus All-America as a senior. He also earned first-team All-America honors as a junior and is one of only seven Tar Heel players to be named first-team All-America twice. He is one of only three defensive linemen ever to make the All-ACC team three times.
Fuller, who utilized his tremendous quickness to slice through offensive lines, had 22 tackles for losses in both 1981 and 1983. He still holds the UNC career record for tackles for losses with 57 and ranks sixth with 20 sacks.
Fuller joins Bly, Don McCauley, Charlie Justice and Art Weiner as the only players in the College Football Hall of Fame that played exclusively at UNC. Hunter Carpenter (1904) and Barney Poole (1943) played one season at UNC and are also in the Hall of Fame. UNC coaches Carl Snavely and Jim Tatum are also in the College Football Hall of Fame.
The 2016 Hall of Fame Class:
• MARLIN BRISCOE – QB, Nebraska Omaha (1964-67)
• DERRICK BROOKS – LB, Florida State (1991-94)
• TOM COUSINEAU – LB, Ohio State (1975-78)
• RANDALL CUNNINGHAM – P/QB, UNLV (1982-84)
• TROY DAVIS – TB, Iowa State (1994-96)
• WILLIAM FULLER – DT, North Carolina (1981-83)
• BERT JONES – QB, LSU (1970-72)
• TIM KRUMRIE – DL, Wisconsin (1979-82)
• PAT McINALLY – TE, Harvard (1972-74)
• HERB ORVIS – DE, Colorado (1969-71)
• BILL ROYCE – LB, Ashland (Ohio) (1990-93)
• MIKE UTLEY – OG, Washington State (1985-88)
• SCOTT WOERNER – DB, Georgia (1977-80)
• ROD WOODSON – DB, Purdue (1983-86)
Coaches:
• BILL BOWES – 175-106-5 (62.1%); New Hampshire (1972-98)
• FRANK GIRARDI – 257-97-5 (72.3%); Lycoming (Pa.) (1972-2007)
Comment from ACC Commissioner John Swofford
"We are extremely proud that Derrick Brooks and William Fuller will join a long list of ACC players and coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame. Derrick and William were two of the greatest defensive players – both in this league and nationally. They join an outstanding 2016 class, and we are pleased that they are being recognized by the National Football Foundation.”
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. - Former North Carolina defensive tackle William Fuller is one of 14 members of the 2016 College Football Hall of Fame class, which was announced Friday by the National Football Foundation.
Fuller will become the seventh player or coach from UNC, and second in the last three years, to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame at the induction ceremony in December. In 2014, UNC cornerback Dre’ Bly was inducted.
The inductees were selected from the national ballot of 76 All-America players and five elite coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and the 92 players and 27 coaches from the divisional ranks.
A defensive lineman from 1980 to 1983, Fuller was a consensus All-America as a senior. He also earned first-team All-America honors as a junior and is one of only seven Tar Heel players to be named first-team All-America twice. He is one of only three defensive linemen ever to make the All-ACC team three times.
Fuller, who utilized his tremendous quickness to slice through offensive lines, had 22 tackles for losses in both 1981 and 1983. He still holds the UNC career record for tackles for losses with 57 and ranks sixth with 20 sacks.
Fuller joins Bly, Don McCauley, Charlie Justice and Art Weiner as the only players in the College Football Hall of Fame that played exclusively at UNC. Hunter Carpenter (1904) and Barney Poole (1943) played one season at UNC and are also in the Hall of Fame. UNC coaches Carl Snavely and Jim Tatum are also in the College Football Hall of Fame.
The 2016 Hall of Fame Class:
• MARLIN BRISCOE – QB, Nebraska Omaha (1964-67)
• DERRICK BROOKS – LB, Florida State (1991-94)
• TOM COUSINEAU – LB, Ohio State (1975-78)
• RANDALL CUNNINGHAM – P/QB, UNLV (1982-84)
• TROY DAVIS – TB, Iowa State (1994-96)
• WILLIAM FULLER – DT, North Carolina (1981-83)
• BERT JONES – QB, LSU (1970-72)
• TIM KRUMRIE – DL, Wisconsin (1979-82)
• PAT McINALLY – TE, Harvard (1972-74)
• HERB ORVIS – DE, Colorado (1969-71)
• BILL ROYCE – LB, Ashland (Ohio) (1990-93)
• MIKE UTLEY – OG, Washington State (1985-88)
• SCOTT WOERNER – DB, Georgia (1977-80)
• ROD WOODSON – DB, Purdue (1983-86)
Coaches:
• BILL BOWES – 175-106-5 (62.1%); New Hampshire (1972-98)
• FRANK GIRARDI – 257-97-5 (72.3%); Lycoming (Pa.) (1972-2007)
Comment from ACC Commissioner John Swofford
"We are extremely proud that Derrick Brooks and William Fuller will join a long list of ACC players and coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame. Derrick and William were two of the greatest defensive players – both in this league and nationally. They join an outstanding 2016 class, and we are pleased that they are being recognized by the National Football Foundation.”
