Three Black Football Greats Inducted To College Football Hall Of Fame

Marcus Allen, Johnny Rodgers and Michael Haynes were recently honored in New York along with 13 other former players and coaches into the National Football Foundation's 2000 College Football Hall of Fame.

Allen played at the University of Southern California from 1978 to 1981 and became the first college player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season, totaling 2,342 yards--a feat that helped him win the Heisman Trophy in 1981.

A running back with the Oakland Raiders from 1982 to 1992, Allen led his team to win four division titles and Super Bowl XVIII, in which he was voted the Most Valuable Player.

Rodgers, who played at Nebraska, won the Heisman Trophy in 1972. He led his team to national titles and a 32-2-2 record as the starting tailback from 1970-72. He was a wide receiver with the San Diego Chargers before retiring in 1980.

Rodgers is now president of his own business, JetWear Inc., which markets and distributes NCAA collegiate-licensed juvenile bedding products. He is married with five children and resides in Omaha, Nebraska.

Haynes was a star defensive end at Arizona State University from 1972-1975. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in 1976, where he played for seven seasons. Haynes was then traded to the Los Angeles Raiders where he played another seven seasons before he retired from the NFL in 1989. Haynes received the game's highest honor of being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997.

Haynes, who is married with four children, works as a licensing manager at Callaway Golf in Carlsbad, CA. He says it's an honor to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. "I'm proud to be recognized as a student-athlete," Haynes said. "It sets an example that you can do both and you have to take academics seriously. Your future in pro sports is not guaranteed."