NEW ORLEANS (January 11, 2024) — Four legends of the Sugar Bowl are among the 22 members of the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class that was announced this week by the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Football Hall of Fame. Florida State running back Warrick Dunn (Sugar Bowl 1995 and 1997), Alabama defensive back Antonio Langham (Sugar Bowl 1993), Oklahoma nose guard Dewey Selmon (Sugar Bowl 1972, December), and Ohio State offensive lineman Chris Ward (Sugar Bowl 1978) will be inducted into the Hall of Fame later this year.
 
The Sugar Bowl in the College Football Hall of Fame
 
Since the establishment of the Sugar Bowl in 1935, the New Orleans classic has featured 157 future members of the College Football Hall of Fame. That number includes 106 players and 53 coaches (Florida legend Steve Spurrier, one of 10 individuals to both play and serve as a head coach in the Sugar Bowl, has been inducted into the Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach).
 
The 2024 Hall of Fame Class, featuring 19 First Team All-America players and three standout coaches, were selected from the national ballot of 78 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 101 players and 32 coaches from the divisional ranks.
 
The Class will officially be inducted during the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner scheduled for December 10 in Las Vegas.

WARRICK DUNN (Florida State University, Running Back, 1993-96) 
One of the most electrifying players in college football history, Warrick Dunn became the first Florida State player to rush for more than 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons while leading the Seminoles to the 1993 national title. Selected as a First Team All-American in 1996 by the Football Writers Association of America and a Third Team selection in 1995 by the Football News, Dunn finished his career as the Seminoles' all-time leader in career touchdowns scored (49), career all-purpose yards (5,321), career rushing yards (3,959), career rush average (6.9 ypp), career 100-yard games (22), single-season rushing yards (1,242 in 1995) and single-season rush average (7.5 ypp in 1995). During his career in Tallahassee, he rushed 575 times for 3,959 yards and 37 touchdowns while catching 132 passes for 1,314 yards and 12 touchdowns. Dunn finished fifth in the 1996 Heisman Trophy voting and ninth in 1995. A three-time First Team All-ACC selection, he led the league with 8.7 ppg during the 1995 season, and he finished his career ranked sixth in ACC history with 3,744 rushing yards. Helping the Noles capture four-consecutive ACC crowns, he led the team to a 31-1 conference record during career, and he was named a member of the ACC All-Academic Team in 1996. Playing for Hall of Fame coach Bobby Bowden, FSU went 43-5-1 during Dunn's career, never finishing ranked lower than No. 4. In 1993, the team went 12-1, capping the season with an 18-16 victory over No. 2 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl to claim the national title. In 1994, FSU went 10-1-1, finishing the season with a 23-17 win over Florida in the Sugar Bowl and a final No. 4 AP ranking – Dunn ran for 58 yards, caught nine passes for 51 yards, and connected on a memorable 73-yard pass in that victory. In 1995, the Noles produced a 10-2 record, including a 31-26 victory over Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl and landing at No. 4 in the final AP Poll. During Dunn's senior season, the Noles went 11-1, appearing in the Sugar Bowl in which he ran for a touchdown, as FSU finished at No. 3 in the polls. A first round pick in the 1997 NFL Draft (12th overall) by the Buccaneers, Dunn played 12 seasons in the NFL for Tampa Bay (1997-01, 2008) and the Atlanta Falcons (2002-07). He was the 1997 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and he made the Pro Bowl three times. He was named the 2004 Walter Payton Man of the Year, the NFL Byron Whizzer White Man of the Year in 2008 and NFL Bart Starr Award recipient in 2009. Known for his prolific philanthropic work, Dunn founded Warrick Dunn Charities and the Warrick Dunn Family Foundation. Its flagship program, Homes for the Holidays, has awarded more than $2 million in furnishings and $500,000 in down payment assistance to more than 200 single-parent families. His charitable work earned him the Heisman Humanitarian Award in 2010, and he earned NCAA Silver Anniversary Award in 2022. He also holds a minority stake in Atanta Falcons.
 
ANTONIO LANGHAM (University of Alabama, Cornerback, 1990-93)
A 1993 unanimous First Team All-American, Antonio Langham possessed exceptional speed and instincts, allowing him to set the record for the most interceptions at Alabama while leading the Crimson Tide to its 1992 national season which was capped by a 34-13 win over Miami in the Sugar Bowl. Langham won the Jim Thorpe Award and the Jack Tatum Trophy in 1993, both honoring the best defensive back in the nation. He was a three-time All-SEC selection, earning First Team honors as a junior and senior and Second Team accolades as a sophomore. Playing all four years for Hall of Fame Coach Gene Stallings, the Town Creek, Alabama, product was the captain on the 1993 team, and he claimed the Tide's career interception record with 19 picks, which ranks second in SEC history. He also set the Tide records for interceptions returned for a touchdown in a career (3) as well in a single season (2, 1992). Langham finished his career with 141 tackles, six tackles for loss, 19 interceptions (including three for touchdowns) and 22 pass breakups. He also returned two punts for 54 yards, and he returned one blocked kick for a touchdown during his career. Langham led Bama to a 40-9-1 record and four postseason berths during his four seasons in Tuscaloosa. He helped Alabama notch the school's first 13-win season during the 1992 national title campaign, which also marked the Tide's first undefeated season since 1979. His contributions helped the Tide claim the SEC title in 1992, and SEC West Division titles in 1992 and 1993. His 27-yard pick-six in the inaugural SEC Championship game against Florida in 1992 is widely considered among the most consequential plays in college football history, preserving the Tide's undefeated run to the national title. The Tide went 7-5 in 1990, appearing in the Fiesta Bowl against Louisville. The following season, Bama notched an 11-1 record, defeating Colorado 30-25 in the Blockbuster Bowl and ranking No. 5 in the final AP Poll. In 1992, No. 1 Alabama would go undefeated (13-0) and claim the national title following a 34-13 win against Miami (FL) in the 1993 Sugar Bowl. His senior campaign produced a 9-3-1 record for the Tide, culminating with a 24-10 win over North Carolina in the Gator Bowl and a final No. 14 AP ranking. Selected in the first round (ninth overall) of the 1994 NFL Draft by Cleveland, Langham was named the 1994 NFL Rookie of the Year by the Pro Football Writers Association. He played seven years in the NFL, including stints with the Browns, Ravens 49ers and Patriots. He is one of only two players to have played for the Cleveland Browns before they became the Baltimore Ravens and then return to the Browns after the expansion team formed in 1999. Residing in Birmingham, Alabama, Langham is the president of a real estate firm and an assistant football coach at Sylacauga High School. He volunteers at the Children's Village, which provides a "family unit" for orphaned, abused or neglected children and as greeter at Christian Life Church.
 
DEWEY SELMON (University of Oklahoma, Nose Guard, 1972-75)
An All-American on the Oklahoma teams that claimed back-to-back national titles, Dewey Selmon dominated on the defensive line for the Sooners during one of the most impressive winning streaks in college football history. A two-time First Team All-American (consensus in 1975), The Eufaula, Oklahoma, native starred for Hall of Fame coach Barry Switzer and the Sooners from 1972-75, helping them to national titles in 1974 and 1975. Oklahoma sewed up the 1975 national championship by beating No. 5 Michigan 14-6 in the Orange Bowl as Selmon recorded 13 tackles, an OU bowl game record by a defensive lineman. His Sooners held the Wolverines to just 202 offensive yards in the game. With Selmon as a starter from 1973-75, OU went a remarkable 32-1-1, boasting four-consecutive top-three final AP rankings at No. 2 in 1972, No. 3 in 1973 and No. 1 in 1974 and 1975. The Sooners allowed just 12.1 points per game in 1973, 8.4 in 1974 and 12.8 in 1975. His 34-career starts were the second-most by an OU defensive lineman at the end of his career. His teammates included his brothers Lee Roy Selmon a fellow Hall of Fame inductee and a 1975 NFF National Scholar-Athlete, and Lucious Selmon, also a First Team All-American – all three were members of the Sooner squad that took down Penn State in the December 1972 Sugar Bowl, though Dewey did not see action as a true freshman. In 2022, OU unveiled a statue of the three brothers in recognition of their unique contributions at OU. Selmon finished his OU career with 325 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. In a 16-13 win over Texas in 1974, he registered 22 tackles, which still stands as the single-game school record by a defensive lineman. He is one of only five OU defensive linemen in school history to record 100-plus tackle seasons twice. A two-time First Team All-Big Eight selection, Selmon contributions also included four-straight Big Eight titles from 1972-75 by the Sooners. Selmon also excelled in the classroom, earning recognition as a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American (1975 First Team and 1974 Second Team) and a four-time Academic All-Big Eight selection. He was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 2010. Selmon was selected in the second round of the 1976 NFL Draft by Tampa Bay. After a seven-year NFL career between the Buccaneers and San Diego Chargers, he returned to Oklahoma to work as an oil and gas consultant, later opening his own construction business. His profile work in the community includes volunteering with the United Way, serving on the board of the Shine Foundation, chairing fundraising campaigns for the Sam Nobel Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, the American Lung Association, the Ronald McDonald House and the Children's Miracle Network. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame in 2022. His son, Zac, is the director of athletics at Mississippi State.
 
CHRIS WARD (Ohio State University, Offensive Tackle, 1974-77)
Playing at 6-foot-4 and 272-pounds, Chris Ward cleared a path for the Ohio State offense, producing 1,000-yard rushers in each of his four years on the line while helping Archie Griffin become the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner in history. A two-time First All-American, earning consensus honors in 1976 and unanimous laurels in 1977, the Dayton, Ohio, native played for Hall of Fame coach Woody Hayes during an impressive run that produced a 29-3 record. The team's performance earned berths in four January bowl games, including two appearances in the Rose Bowl (1975, 1976), a slot in the 1978 Sugar Bowl and a 27-10 win in the 1977 Orange Bowl over Colorado. The Buckeyes finished with final rankings of No. 3, No. 4, No. 4 and No. 11, respectively during his time in Columbus. The team ranked in the Top 10 during all but three weeks of his career, including a 14-week run at No. 1. His blocking allowed future Hall of Famer Archie Griffin to rush for 1,695 yards in 1974 and 1,450 yards in 1975, becoming the first and only person to win the Heisman Trophy twice. The following two seasons, he opened holes for tailbacks Jeff Logan, who gained 1,248 yards in 1976, and Ron Springs, who led the Big Ten in rushing in 1977 with 1,166 yards. The Buckeyes claimed four consecutive Big Ten titles during the period as co-champs in 1974, 1976, and 1977 with an outright crown in 1975. A three-time First Team All-Big Ten selection, Ward helped OSU lead the Big Ten in rushing in 1974 and 1977 and in scoring in 1974, 1975 and 1977. The 1977 team captain, Ward was a three-year starter, who started in 36-consecutive games and culminated his college career by playing in the 1978 Hula Bowl. Ward also excelled in the classroom, earning Academic All-America honors and Academic All-Big Ten laurels in 1975. He was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989. The fourth overall pick in the 1978 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, Ward played a total of eight seasons in the NFL with the Jets, Saints, Dolphins and 49ers. Residing in Los Angeles, Ward is a real estate agent, a life insurance agent, a mortgage loan officer, as well as a financial consultant. An ordained minister, he launched Ward International, a secular after-school program that targets youth in underserved communities to become successful members of society while teaching them bible ethics. He is also the president of Pro Players North America, an organization of professional athletes and entertainers who are committed to changing the lives of young people. He is also the son-in-law of the late Jim Brown, the 1995 College Football Hall of Fame inductee from Syracuse.
 
The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 28 national champions, 107 Hall of Fame players, 52 Hall of Fame coaches and 21 Heisman Trophy winners in its 90-year history. The 91st Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic, which will double as a College Football Playoff Quarterfinal, is scheduled to be played on January 1, 2025. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting nearly $2.4 billion into the local economy in the last decade.