Thanks to @ASD_Hokiesmash who forwarded this press release.
Jan. 9, 2023
Four Players and Two Head Coaches Representing the ACC Elected to 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced Monday the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class, which includes four players and two coaches representing the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, Miami offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, Syracuse defensive end Dwight Freeney, Virginia Tech defensive lineman Corey Moore were named to the 2023 class and will be joined by former Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson and former Miami head coach and current ACC Network personality Mark Richt.
“Congratulations to all the members of this year’s incredible College Football Hall of Fame class, including Dwight Freeney, Luke Kuechly, Bryant McKinnie, Corey Moore, Paul Johnson and Mark Richt,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “We are extremely proud that these outstanding individuals are being recognized by the National Football Foundation and we look forward to celebrating them throughout the year and at their induction in December.”
The ACC had more representatives in this year’s hall of fame class than any other conference.
The 18 First Team All-America players and four standout coaches in the 2023 Class were selected from the national ballot of 80 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 96 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks.
LUKE KUECHLY
Boston College
Linebacker, 2009-11
Possessing a powerful combination of size, speed and football intellect, Luke Kuechly “looked like Clark Kent and played like Superman.” He amassed the second-most career tackles in the NCAA record books, becoming the most decorated defensive player in Boston College history. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native now becomes the eighth Eagles player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
A two-time First Team All-American, unanimous in 2010 and consensus in 2011, Kuechly made a “clean sweep” of national defensive honors in 2011, including the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Butkus Award, the Rotary Lombardi Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy after leading all collegiate football players in tackles (191) and solo tackles (102). In 2010, Kuechly also led the nation in tackles with 183, including 110 solo tackles. In 2009, he was named a Freshman All-American by the FWAA and registered 158 tackles, including 87 solo tackles. His combined three-year total gave him 532 career total tackles, which ranks second in NCAA history. His 14.0 total tackles per game places him No. 1 in NCAA history, and his 7.87 solo tackles per game rank second in NCAA annals.
Kuechly’s efforts helped the Eagles secure two bowl appearances, the 2009 Emerald Bowl against Southern California and the 2010 Fight Hunger Bowl against Nevada. Despite losses in both games, Kuechly earned Defensive MVP honors in each.
The 2011 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Kuechly was a three-time First Team All-ACC selection and the 2009 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year. He led the conference in tackles per game in each of his three seasons. The 2011 team captain and MVP finished his career as BC’s all-time leader in career tackles (532), career solo tackles (299) and single-season tackles (191 in 2011). He recorded at least 10 tackles in 34-of-38 career games, including a streak of 33-straight games. He ranks third all-time at BC with 44 career tackles for loss. He finished his career with three sacks, seven interceptions, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and 10 pass breakups.
Drafted No. 9 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft by Carolina, Kuechly played for the Panthers his entire career from 2012-19, earning five Pro Bowl selections and starting in Super Bowl 50 for the franchise. He was named the 2012 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and 2013 AP and TSN Defensive Player of the Year.
Kuechly was selected as a member of the FWAA’s 75th Anniversary Team in 2015, and Boston College retired his jersey in 2016.
He currently works as a commentator on the Carolina Panthers radio broadcast team, and he assists with the D.J. Moore Pro Camp. A brand ambassador for Q-Collar, a medical device designed to reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury, Kuechly participated in the NFF’s Future for Football campaign in 2022, highlighting the cutting-edge technology that is making the sport safer.
BRYANT McKINNIE
University of Miami, FL
Offensive Tackle, 2000-01
At 6-foot-8 and more than 350 pounds, Bryant McKinnie overpowered and dominated his opponents, never allowing a single sack during his entire college career and helping the 2001 Miami Hurricanes claim the national title. The Woodbury, New Jersey, native becomes the ninth Hurricane player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame, joining his teammates Dan Morgan and Ed Reed who have previously been inducted.
A unanimous First Team All-American in 2001, McKinnie claimed the 2001 Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in the nation, and he was named the National Player of the Year by CNNSI.com while finishing eighth in 2001 Heisman Trophy voting.
The Canes went to 23-1 during his time in Coral Gables, and the team notched back-to-back postseason wins, beating Florida, 37-20, in the 2001 Sugar Bowl and claiming the national title with a 37-14 victory over Nebraska in the 2002 BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl. Miami finished no lower than No. 2 nationally in his two seasons with the Canes, and McKinnie played a key role on an offensive unit that ranked No. 2 in 2000 and No. 3 in 2001 nationally in total offense. In 2001, McKinnie anchored an offensive line that averaged 5.3 yards per rushing attempt and 43.2 points per game on the way to an undefeated season and the national title.
McKinnie blocked for back-to-back 1,000-yard rushers and protected his Maxwell Award-winning QB Ken Dorsey, who threw for 2,737 yards in 2000 and 2,652 yards in 2001. His hallmark performance came when he dominated in Miami’s 59-0 victory against Syracuse in 2001, never allowing a QB sack during 52 plays. In 2000, he had another signature game versus archrival Florida State, shutting down FSU’s highly acclaimed defense in the Canes’ 27-24 victory.
A two-time First Team All-Big East selection, McKinnie led the Canes to two Big East titles (2000, 2001) and a perfect 14-0 conference record during his career. He was named 2001 Big East Player of the Year by The Football News, and he helped the Canes lead the conference in passing yards and total offense both years.
Selected seventh overall by Minnesota in the 2002 NFL Draft, McKinnie played for the Vikings (2002-10), Ravens (2011-13) and Dolphins (2013). He was a 2009 Pro Bowl selection, and he helped Baltimore win Super Bowl XLVII.
Bryant graduated summa cum laude from Miami with a degree in psychology in 2002, and he was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. He is small business owner and local media contributor. He established the B Major Foundation to provide financial, educational and social resources to single-parent households and to promote AIDS awareness among youths.
DWIGHT FREENEY
Syracuse University
Defensive End, 1998-2001
Holding the NCAA record for career pass sacks per game, Dwight Freeney unnerved opposing quarterbacks while leading the Orange to three bowl berths and authoring one of the best defensive careers in Syracuse football history. The Hartford, Connecticut, native now becomes the 10th Cuse player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
A 2001 unanimous First Team All-American, Freeney was a finalist for the Bednarik, Lombardi and Nagurski awards, and he finished ninth in 2001 Heisman Trophy voting. He holds the NCAA record for career pass sacks per game (1.61), and he finished his career as the NCAA leader in single-season sacks with 17.5 in 2001. He had eight forced fumbles in 2001, which currently places him third in the NCAA record books, and he averaged .67 forced fumbles per game in 2001. His 4.5 sacks against Virginia Tech on Oct. 21, 2000, set a conference record.
The 2001 team captain and MVP, Freeney currently holds school records for career (50.5) and single season tackle for loss (25.5 in 2001) and forced fumbles in a career (14). He finished his career with 104 tackles and 34 sacks, second only to College Football Hall of Famer Tim Green on Syracuse’s all-time list.
Freeney led the Orange to three bowl berths, including a 20-13 win over Kentucky in the 1999 Music City Bowl and a 26-3 victory over Kansas State in the 2001 Insight.com Bowl. During his four seasons in upstate New York, he helped guide the Cuse to a 31-17 record and a No. 25 final national ranking in 1998 and the No. 14 spot in 2001. His efforts landed him an invitation to participate in the 2002 Senior Bowl.
A two-time unanimous First Team All-Big East performer and a two-time First Team All-ECAC selection, Freeney helped Syracuse claim the 1998 Big East title, and he shared Defensive Player of the Year honors with College Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed (Miami, FL) in 2001.
Drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft (11th overall) by the Colts, Freeney played in Indianapolis from 2002-12, San Diego (2013-14), Arizona (2015), Atlanta (2016) and Seattle/Detroit (2017). He was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, and he was named First Team All-Pro three times (2004-05, 2009) and Second Team All-Pro in 2003. He helped the Colts win Super Bowl XLI in 2007.
Freeney founded the Dwight Freeney Foundation, which gives back to underserved communities. He is a supporter of the Starkey Hearing Foundation, and his charitable donations have also included the West Indian Foundation, Blue Hills New Testament Church of God and Bloomfield High School.
COREY MOORE
Virginia Tech
Defensive Lineman, 1997-99
Corey Moore brought an extreme intensity and physicality to every single play, relentlessly disrupting opposing offenses en route to becoming the most decorated defensive player to wear a Hokie uniform. The Brownsville, Tennessee, native now becomes only the fifth Virginia Tech player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
A two-time First Team All-American, and just the second Hokie ever to earn unanimous honors (1999), Moore became the first player in history to claim both Lombardi Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy in the same season. As the leader of Virginia Tech’s famed “Lunch Pail Defense,” Moore anchored the effort, which saw the Hokies led the nation in rushing defense (85.0 ypg) and first downs allowed (352) during the 1998 and 1999 seasons and the nation in scoring defense (10.5 ppg) in 1999. The Football News named him the Defensive Player of the Year in 1999.
The team went 27-9 during his three seasons in Blacksburg, including three bowl berths. The team posted a 7-5 record in 1997, appearing in the 1998 Gator Bowl. The following year, the Hokies improved to 9-3 on the season, defeating Alabama, 38-7, in the Music City Bowl with Moore claiming game MVP honors. In 1999, the Hokies and Hall of Fame coach Frank Beamer crafted the best performance in school history, finishing 11-1 and ranking No. 2 in the final AP Poll after playing in the BCS National Championship Game against Florida State in the 2000 Sugar Bowl, the school’s first ever appearance in a national title game.
The two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Moore helped the Hokies claim the 1999 Big East title, and he twice led the conference in sacks, posting 17.5 in 1999 and 13.5 in 1998. He was named the recipient of the Dudley Award by the Richmond Times Dispatch as the top player in the State of Virginia in 1999.
He finished his career with 166 tackles, 58 tackles for loss, 35 sacks, four pass breakups, three fumble recoveries (including one returned for a touchdown), six forced fumbles and three blocked kicks. Moore is the only player in Virginia Tech history who longtime defensive coordinator Bud Foster has bestowed lifetime possession of “The Pail,” the iconic object among Hokie defensive players, signifying blue-collar hard work. The Hokies retired Moore’s jersey in 2010.
Drafted in the third round of the 2000 NFL by Buffalo, he played for the Bills for a single season then later signed a two-year contract with Miami.
Moore currently works in real estate development. He earned a master’s degree in student affairs from Michigan State, and he is working towards a doctorate in higher education administration. He previously worked as an academic advisor and recruiter of minority and first-generation college students at Michigan State.
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