LaDainian Tomlinson headlines College Football Hall of Fame inductees

LaDainian Tomlinson won the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation's top RB, in 2000. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Former TCU running back LaDainian Tomlinson and former Alabama linebacker Derrick Thomas headline this year's class of 14 players and two coaches who will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, according to a Thursday announcement.

“We are extremely proud to announce the 2014 College Football Hall of Fame Class,” said Archie Manning, chairman of the National Football Foundation. “Each of these men has established himself among the absolute best to have ever played the game, and we look forward to immortalizing their incredible accomplishments at the new Hall of Fame in Atlanta as an inspiration to future generations.”

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Thomas set an Alabama record with 27 sacks his senior year en route to the Butkus Award, given to the country's top linebacker. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler for the Chiefs before he died from complications resulting from a car crash in 2000.

Tomlinson led the nation in rushing as a junior and senior.

Here is the entire class:

CB Dre Bly, North Carolina, 1996-98

OT Tony Boselli, USC, 1991-94

DL Dave Butz, Purdue, 1970-72

LB Shane Conlan, Penn State, 1983-86

QB Joe Hamilton, Georgia Tech, 1996-99

LB John Huard, Maine, 1964-66

RB Darrin Nelson, Stanford, 1977-78, 1980-81

OT Willie Roaf, Louisiana Tech, 1990-92

QB John Sciarra, UCLA, 1972-75

WR Sterling Sharpe, South Carolina, 1983, 1985-87

CB Leonard Smith, McNeese State, 1979-82

LB Derrick Thomas, Alabama, 1985-88

RB LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU, 1997-2000

TE Wesley Walls, Ole Miss, 1985-88

Thomas, Tomlinson, Sharpe, Roaf, Boselli, Conlan, Nelson and Butz were all NFL first-round picks. Boselli was the first ever pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995, Conlan won a national championship with the Nittany Lions in 1987, Roaf was an 11-time Pro Bowler for the Saints and Chiefs, and Sharpe led the NFL in receptions on three occasions.

Former Oregon coach Mike Belotti and Jerry Moore, who won three national championships as coach of Appalachian State, will also be inducted at the Dec. 9 ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

In the future, the induction announcement will be made the Friday before the College Football Playoff championship game.

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