Peppers, Jurkovic on College Football Hall of Fame Ballot

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Julius Peppers is among the players with Green Bay Packers ties who are on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for 2021.

“It's an enormous honor to just be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot considering more than 5.4 million people have played college football and only 1,027 players have been inducted," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "The Hall's requirement of being a first-team All-American creates a much smaller pool of about 1,500 individuals who are even eligible.”

The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame on Tuesday announced the names on the 2021 ballot for induction, a list that includes 78 players and seven coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 99 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks. The Class of 2021 will be inducted on Dec. 7, 2021.

Those with Packers ties:

Football Bowl Subdivision

Julius Peppers, North Carolina, Defensive End: 2001 unanimous first-team All-American and winner of the 2001 Bednarik and Lombardi awards…2001 Chevrolet Defensive Player of the Year who finished 10th in Heisman Trophy voting…Two-time first-team All-ACC selection, leading the conference in TFL (24) and sacks (15) in 2000. Of his 159.5 career sacks, he had 24 with Green Bay from 2014 through 2016.

Aaron Taylor, Notre Dame, Offensive Tackle: Two-time first-team All-American, earning consensus honors in '92 and unanimous in '93… 1993 Lombardi Award winner and named College Interior Lineman of the Year by Touchdown Club of Columbus (Ohio)…Led Irish to four bowl games. Taylor was a first-round pick by the Packers in 1995 who started 46 games in three seasons with the team.

Quarterbacks Tim Couch and Josh Heupel, who tried but failed to stick on the Packers’ roster, also are on the ballot.

Divisional Candidates

John Dorsey, Connecticut, Linebacker: Named first-team All-American in 1983…Led the team in tackles from 1981-83…Two-time Yankee Conference Defensive Player of the Year (1982-83). With the Packers, he played in 76 games (15 starts) as a linebacker and special-teams standout from 1984 through 1988. Starting in 1991 with Green Bay, he climbed the scouting ranks to become the Packers’ director of college scouting from 2000 through 2011 and director of football operations in 2012, to general manager of the Chiefs (2013 through 2016) and Browns (2017 through 2019).

Jahri Evans, Bloomsburg (PA). Offensive Lineman: 2005 first-team All-American who also earned Second Team All-America honors as a junior…Two-time Division II Player of the Year finalist and three-time first-team All-PSAC East selection…Helped Huskies to the 2005 PSAC East title and an NCAA playoff berth. A six-time Pro Bowl guard, he closed his career by starting 14 times for Green Bay in 2017.

John Jurkovic, Eastern Illinois, Defensive End: Two-time first-team All-America selection in 1988 and 1989…Two-time Gateway Defensive Player of the Year who led team to 1986 conference title…Set Gateway record with six sacks in a game and finished career as the conference's all-time sacks leader (27). Jurkovic started 53 games for the Packers from 1991 through 1995 before concluding his career with three years in Jacksonville and one in Cleveland.

Sean Landeta, Towson, Punter: 1982 first-team All-American and first punter ever named to the AP's College Division All-America Team; three-time first-team All-ECAC who owns Towson career punting records for punts (225) and yards (9,452)…Also team's placekicker, leading all of Division II in punting average (43.4 ypp) and field goals (14) during 1980 season. Landeta punted for 21 NFL seasons, including 1998 for the Packers.

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