Former Northwest Missouri State University All-America performer Tony Miles is listed on the national ballot for the 2023 class that will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced the names on the 2023 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, including 80 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 96 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks.
Miles was a two-time first-team All-American who led the Bearcats to back-to-back Division II National Championships (1998-99) and four-consecutive MIAA titles. Miles set MIAA and school records for career receiving yards (3,890), receptions (235) and TDs (37).
Miles' head coach Mel Tjeerdsma said he was instrumental in turning the Bearcats into a national power.
"Tony was a huge part of our turnaround at Northwest," Tjeerdsma said. "We were 0-11 in 1994 and by the time he was done in 2000, we had captured two national titles in 1998 and 1999. In that 1999 national title game vs. Carson-Newman, Tony scored touchdowns three different ways via pass reception, kick return and rushing. He could hurt you in so many different ways on the field."
The ballot was emailed June 6 to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF's Honors Court, which will deliberate and select the class. The Honors Court, chaired by NFF Board Member and College Football Hall of Famer
Archie Griffin from Ohio State, includes an elite and geographically diverse pool of athletic administrators, Hall of Famers and members of the media.
"Having a ballot and a voice in the selection of the College Football Hall of Fame inductees is one of the most cherished NFF member benefits," said NFF Chairman
Archie Manning, a 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Mississippi. "There is no group more knowledgeable or passionate about college football than our membership, and the tradition of the ballot helps us engage them in the lofty responsibility of selecting those who have reached the pinnacle of achievement in our sport."
The announcement of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2023, with specific details to be announced in the future.
The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5, 2023, and permanently immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. They will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2023 season.
The criteria for Hall of Fame consideration include:
- First and foremost, a player must have received First-Team All-America recognition by a selector that is recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise its consensus All-America teams.
- A player becomes eligible for consideration by the Foundation's Honors Courts 10 full seasons after his final year of intercollegiate football played.
- While each nominee's football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post-football record as a citizen is also weighed. He must have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether the candidate earned a college degree.
- Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years.* For example, to be eligible for the 2023 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1973 or thereafter. In addition, players who are playing professionally and coaches who are coaching on the professional level are not eligible until after they retire.
- A coach becomes eligible three full seasons after retirement or immediately following retirement provided he is at least 70 years of age. Active coaches become eligible at 75 years of age. He must have been a head football coach for a minimum of 10 years and coached at least 100 games with a .600 winning percentage.
- Nominations may only be submitted by the current athletics director, head coach or sports information director (SID) of a potential candidate's collegiate institution. Nominations may also be submitted by the president/executive director of a dues-paying chapter of the National Football Foundation.
*Players who do not comply with the 50-year rule may still be eligible for consideration by the Football Bowl Subdivision and Divisional Veterans Committees. Veterans Committee candidates must still meet First Team All-America requirement.
Once nominated for consideration, all FBS player candidates are submitted to one of eight District Screening Committees, depending on their school's geographic location, which conducts a vote to determine who will appear on the ballot and represent their respective districts. Each year, approximately 15 candidates, who are not selected for the Hall of Fame but received significant votes in the final selection, will be named automatic holdovers and will bypass the district screening process and automatically appear on the ballot the following year. Additionally, the Veterans Committee may make recommendations to the Honors Court for exceptions that allow for the induction of players who played more than 50 years ago. The Honors Court annually reviews the Hall of Fame criteria to ensure a fair and streamlined process.
Of the 5.54 million individuals who have played college football since Princeton first battled Rutgers on Nov. 6, 1869, only 1,056 players have earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, or less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of those who have played the game during the past 152 years. From the coaching ranks, 226 individuals have achieved Hall of Fame distinction.
The 2023 voting deadline is
June 30. If you would like to become a member and receive this year's ballot, please contact NFF Director of Membership
Ron Dilatush at
rdilatush@footballfoundation.com.
The online voting system for the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot is powered by
TicketManager.
- A list of candidates and capsule bios are provided below. You may also
click here for a pdf of the candidate names and capsule bios. -
Consensus All-American: Listed as a First Team All-American by at least half of the recognized publications.
Unanimous All-American: Listed as a First Team All-American by all recognized publications.