Ndamukong Suh Listed on College Football Hall of Fame Ballot

The former Blackshirt could become the 21st Husker player to be inducted.

Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh during the 2009 Big 12 championship game against Texas. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Ndamukong Suh is one step closer to the College Football Hall of Fame.

The former Nebraska defensive tackle is one of 79 players on the on the 2026 ballot for the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame. This is his first year of eligibility.

Ndamukong Suh sacks Texas Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield in 2009. | Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images

Suh dominated over four years at NU. His 2009 campaign is considered one of the best individual seasons in college football history.

As a senior, Suh became the first defensive player to win the Associated Press College Player of the Year Award since the inception of the honor in 1998. He was was the first defensive tackle invited to the Heisman ceremonies in New York since Warren Sapp in 1994, ultimately finishing fourth in the voting.

In the 2009 season, Suh led ed Nebraska in tackles for the second straight season with 85 tackles. He also became the first defensive lineman to lead Nebraska in tackles in consecutive seasons. He also led the team in tackles for loss (24), sacks (12), quarterback hurries (26) and blocked kicks (3). His 24 tackles for loss were second on the Nebraska season list, while his 12 sacks ranked third in school history. Suh's 10 pass breakups were second on the team and led the nation's defensive linemen. He also added his fourth career interception, an NU record for defensive linemen.

Ndamukong Suh scores on an interception return against Colorado in 2008. | Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images

To put into perspective how ridiculous Suh played in his final season in Lincoln, below are stats from three others teams' defensive lines in 2009, along with Suh's numbers. Alabama, Texas, and Florida finished 1-2-3 in the final AP poll that year.

Team	Tackles	TFL	Sacks	QB Hurry	PBU	INT	FF	Blocked Kicks
Alabama	98	23.5	9.5	20	5	0	1	3
Texas	112	22	14	48	5	0	1	0
Florida	116	25.5	15.5	10	7	0	2	0
Suh	82	24	12	26	10	1	1	3

Suh went on to play more than a decade in the NFL for the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Philadelphia Eagles. The five-time All-Pro selection was named to the NFL's 2010's All-Decade Team. He won a Super Bowl in 2021 with the Buccaneers.

Ndamukong Suh holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy during a boat parade in 2021 to celebrate Tampa Bay's victory in Super Bowl LV against Kansas City. | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Suh will look to join 20 former Husker players and seven Nebraska coaches who are members of the College Football Hall of Fame. The announcement of the 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2026, with specific details to be announced in the future.

The 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 8, 2026, at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino, and they will be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2026 season.

The full list of candidates can be found at footballfoundation.org.

Ndamukong Suh Collegiate Awards

• Outland Trophy (2009)
  
• Lombardi Award (2009)
  
• Bronko Nagurski Trophy (2009)
  
• Chuck Bednarik Award (2009)
  
• Bill Willis Trophy (2009)
  
• AP College Football Player of the Year (2009)
  
• Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (2009)
  
• Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year (2009)
  
• Unanimous All-American (2009)
  
• 2× first-team All-Big 12 (2008, 2009)
  
• Nebraska Cornhuskers No. 93 retired

Former Nebraska Players in the College Football Hall of Fame

• Ed Weir, 1951
• George Sauer, 1954
• Guy Chamberlin, 1962
• Clarence Swanson, 1973
• Sam Francis, 1977
• Bobby Reynolds, 1984
• Forrest Behm, 1988
• Wayne Meylan, 1991
• Bob Brown, 1993
• Rich Glover, 1995
• Dave Rimington, 1997
• Johnny Rodgers, 2000
• Mike Rozier, 2006
• Grant Wistrom, 2009
• Will Shields, 2011
• Tommie Frazier, 2013
• Trev Alberts, 2015
• Aaron Taylor, 2018
• Eric Crouch, 2020
• Zach Wiegert, 2022

Former Nebraska Coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame

• Dana X. Bible, 1951
• Fielding Yost, 1951
• "Biff" Jones, 1954
• E.N. Robinson 1955
• Bob Devaney, 1981
• Tom Osborne, 1999
• Frank Solich, 2024

With year of induction.

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