The 2021 College Football Hall of Fame class doesn’t include Syracuse football legends Dwight Freeney and Marvin Harrison.
Dwight Freeney and Marvin Harrison, two of the best-ever to suit up for Syracuse football in the program’s history, both were denied entry into the College Football Hall of Fame as the 2021 class got announced on Monday by the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame.
All of the 11 players who make up the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame group had terrific collegiate careers, so I don’t want to take anything away from them.
And perhaps expecting both Freeney and Harrison to make the cut in the same year is a bit unrealistic. However, for neither of them to get inducted, putting my bias for the Orange to the side, is a tad ridiculous.
In any event, the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class is:
Harris Barton, North Carolina OT
David Fulcher, Arizona State DB
Dan Morgan, Miami (Fla.) LB
Carson Palmer, Southern California QB
Tony Romo, Eastern Illinois QB
Kenneth Sims, Texas DT
C.J. Spiller, Clemson RB/KR
Darren Sproles, Kansas State RB
Aaron Taylor, Notre Dame OT
Andre Tippett, Iowa DE
Al Wilson, Tennessee LB
The ballot for the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame, released last June, featured 78 players and seven coaches from the FBS, as well as 99 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks, per an announcement at that time.
In a recent ranking of the top-25 players in the history of the ‘Cuse football team, my wonderful colleague Josh Peelman arranged both Freeney and Harrison in the top 10, and deservingly so.
When the ballot for the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame got disclosed, I penned a column noting that Freeney, an All-American defensive end, was a new candidate for induction, while excellent kick returner/wide receiver Harrison was on the ballot for the third-consecutive year, as Nate Mink of Syracuse.com had reported.
In 2001, Freeney was a unanimous first-team All-American, and he holds the NCAA record for career sacks per game, at 1.61. The 2001 Big East Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year, Freeney wrapped up his tenure in Central New York as that conference’s leader in single-season sacks, with 17.5 in 2001. He also set the Orange squad record with 50.5 career tackles for loss.
When Harrison completed his career on the Hill in 1995, at that time he had the most career receiving yards in program history, with 2,718. Harrison was also named a first-team All-American in 1995 as a kick returner.
The most recent Syracuse football player or coach to receive induction into the College Football Hall of Fame was legendary wide receiver Art Monk in 2012.
This year’s class, along with the 2020 group, is set for official induction into the College Football Hall of Fame on Dec. 7. I sincerely hope that both Freeney and Harrison hear their names called for the College Football Hall of Fame in the near future. Anything less is unacceptable.