Cal Football: Ron Rivera, Tony Gonzalez on College Hall of Fame Ballot - Again

Both former Golden Bears are regulars among candidates for the honor

Photo courtesy of Cal Athletics

Once again, former Cal stars Tony Gonzalez and Ron Rivera are on the ballot for possible selection to the College Football Hall of Fame.

The National Football Foundation announced candidates for the class of 2021 on Tuesday, including 78 players and seven coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The announcement of the 2021 Hall winners will be announced at a to-be-determined date early next year. Induction ceremonies will be held at the NFF’s 64th annual awards dinner, scheduled for Dec. 7, 2021 in New York City.

Gonzalez and Rivera are both regulars on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot. Gonzalez was first nominated in 2016 and appears for the fifth consecutive year while Rivera is a candidate for the 16th time after debuting on the ballot in 1997.

Both had impressive Cal careers before going on to the NFL.

Gonzalez assembled a record-breaking career as a tight end with the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons that landed him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Rivera went on to a successful NFL coaching career, including a Super Bowl appearance with the Carolina Panthers. He is beginning his first season as head coach of the NFL's Washington franchise.

At Cal, Rivera was a consensus All-America linebacker in 1983 after setting a still-standing school record with 26.5 tackles for loss, including one for a game-winning safety at Texas A&M. (More on that in the video below) He led the Bears in tackles for three straight seasons, was Pac-12 co-Defensive Player of the Year, a Lombardi Award finalist and MVP of the East-West Shrine All-Star Game.

Gonzalez, who also played for Cal’s Sweet 16 basketball team, was a first-team All-Pac-10 and consensus All-America selection his final season in 1996. He set a school record for receptions in a bowl game with nine catches in the Aloha Bowl, and finished his career with 89 catches for 1,203 yards and eight touchdowns.

Other prominent Hall of Fame candidates with West Coast connections include former USC linebacker Jack Del Rio, who later was coach of the Raiders; USC quarterback Carson Palmer; Stanford wide receiver Ed McCaffrey; UCLA linebacker Ken Norton Jr.; Oregon State running back Ken Simonton; and Notre Dame offensive lineman and one-time De La Salle High star Aaron Taylor.

Here is the criteria for inclusion on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot:

• 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 2021 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1971 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.

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo

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