IRVING, Texas – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today the names on the 2021 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame and for the fifth-consecutive year, former Illinois State All-American Boomer Grigsby's name appeared on the list among the greatest college football players and coaches.
"It's an enormous honor to just be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot considering more than 5.4 million people have played college football and only 1,027 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 about 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. Being in today's elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to have ever played the game, and we look forward to announcing the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT early next year."
Grigsby, a three-time First-Team All-American (2002-04) and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) career leader in total (550) and solo (325) tackles, is on the ballot with 78 players and seven coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 98 other players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks.
During his illustrious career at Illinois State, Grigsby became one of the most celebrated players in 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 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 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 NBC Sports Chicago for three seasons and served as a television analyst for Illinois High School Association football playoff broadcasts for two years. He currently works in Las Vegas for Stryker Instruments.
The announcement of the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT will be made in early 2021, with specific details to be announced in the future. The 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT will be officially inducted during the 64th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 7, 2021, at the New York Hilton Midtown. They will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2021 season.
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