May 16, 2006
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New York, N.Y. - Former Stanford great Jeff Siemon will be among 13 All-American players and two legendary coaches to be enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007. Siemon played linebacker for Stanford from 1969-71, earning consensus All-American honors as a senior and First Team All-Pac-10 selections in each of his final two campaigns to help lead the Cardinal to Rose Bowl victories over previously unbeaten Ohio State and Michigan.
Siemon also won the Silver Anniversary Dick Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker and Pop Warner Award given to the top senior on the West Coast in 1971 when he recorded a team-high 112 tackles and picked off a pair of passes. He also participated in the Hula Bowl following the season.
Siemon earned was named First Team All-Pac-10 for the first of two times when he made 83 stops as a junior in 1970.
He moved on to enjoy 11 seasons in the NFL with Minnesota after being drafted 10th overall in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Vikings. Siemon played in three Super Bowls and earned Pro Bowl status four times.
He currently resides in Edina, Minnesota, and is active in the community. Siemon sits on the local Fellowship of Christian Athletes Advisory Board and is a six-year member of the National FCA Board of Trustees. Since retiring from the NFL, he has been the Divisional Director for Search Ministries and currently resides in Edins, Minnesota.
Siemon is joined in the 2007 College Football Hall of Fame Division I-A Class by Bobby Anderson (Colorado, RB, 1967-69), Bennie Blades (Miami, Fla., DB, 1985-87), Carl Eller (Minnesota, T, 1961-63), Steve Emtman (Washington, DL, 1989-91), Thomas Everett (Baylor, FS, 1983-86), Chad Hennings (Air Force, DT, 1984-87), Chip Kell (Tennessee, OG, 1968-70), Mike Phipps (Purdue, QB, 1967-69), Mike Rozier (Nebraska, RB, 1981-83), Bruce Smith (Virginia Tech, DT, 1981-84), Emmitt Smith (Florida, RB, 1987-89) and Charlie Ward (Florida State, QB, 1989, 1991-93).
Legendary coaches Bobby Bowden (Samford, 1959-62; West Virginia, 1970-75; Florida State, 1976-present) and Joe Paterno (Penn State, 1966-present) will also be inducted at the 49th Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on December 5, 2006. They will be officially enshrined at the Hall in South Bend, Indiana, during ceremonies in the summer of 2007.
"We are very pleased to announce the induction of yet another exceptional class of college football hall of famers," said Chairman Ron Johnson. "Each year our hard-working Honors Court, chaired by Gene Corrigan, continues to do an outstanding job in ensuring the game's legends are duly recognized."
2007 Division I-A Hall of Fame Enshrinement Class
The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, Inc. contributed to this report.