BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU running back Kevin Faulk, perhaps the greatest all-purpose player in the history of the Southeastern Conference, has been named to the 2022 College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation announced on Monday.
Faulk, who remains the SEC’s leader in career all-purpose yards and the school’s all-time leading rusher, becomes the 11th LSU player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame. He’s joined in the Hall Fame Class of 2022 by 17 players and three coaches.
“All praise goes to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” Faulk said. “This is an honor that wouldn’t be possible without my great teammates, coaches and everyone who helped me along the way. It’s a tremendous honor but for me, it was a team effort. I’m so humbled and honored to be included among the great list of players and coaches in the Hall of Fame Class for 2022.”
A 1996 first-team all-American as an all-purpose player, Faulk still holds the all-time SEC record with 6,833 all-purpose yards, a mark that was fourth in FBS history when he finished his career. During that 1996 season, he led the SEC in all-purpose yards and ranked second in the league in rushing. Faulk followed up his all-America campaign by leading the SEC in rushing during both his junior and senior seasons, and he also topped the league in scoring as a senior. The three-time first-team All-SEC selection was the first player in LSU history to average more than 100 yards per game during his entire career.
Setting 11 school records by career’s end, Faulk still holds LSU career marks for rushing yards (4,577), rushing touchdowns (46), all-purpose yards (6,833) and 100-yard rushing games (22). The 1995 SEC Freshman of the Year ranks fourth in the conference in career rushing yards and is tied for third in career rushing touchdowns. A two-time LSU MVP, Faulk led the Tigers to two top-15 final rankings and three bowl victories, earning offensive MVP honors following the 1995 Independence Bowl after setting LSU bowl records with 234 rushing yards and 271 all-purpose yards. Faulk owns LSU’s single-game all-purpose yards record (376 vs. Houston, 1996), and ranks fifth in school history with 832 punt return yards. He is also a member of the LSU Athletics and State of Louisiana Sports halls of fame.
Taken in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, Faulk spent his entire 13-year career with the franchise. The 2016 New England Patriots Hall of Fame inductee led the team to three Super Bowl titles (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX), and he holds the franchise record for career all-purpose yards.
Following his pro career, Faulk served as an assistant football coach from 2013-17 at his former high school, Carencro High School in Lafayette, Louisiana. He then served on the coaching staff at his alma mater, LSU, from 2018-21. He annually hosts a free youth football camp in Louisiana, and he founded the Kevin Faulk Foundation to support youth. He is the cousin of 2017 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Marshall Faulkfrom San Diego State.
Faulk will become the 11th former LSU player enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame joining end Gaynell “Gus” Tinsley (Class of 1956), end Ken Kavanaugh Sr. (Class of 1963), halfback Abe Mickal (Class of 1967), quarterback Doc Fenton (Class of 1971), safety Tommy Casanova (Class of 1995), halfback Billy Cannon (Class of 2009), halfback Jerry Stovall (Class of 2010), running back Charles Alexander (Class of 2012), quarterback Bert Jones (Class of 2016), and defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey (Class of 2020).
Former LSU coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame include Dana Bible (Class of 1951), Biff Jones (Class of 1954), Bernie Moore (Class of 1954) and Charles McClendon (Class of 1986).
The 18 first-team all-America players and three standout coaches in the 2022 Class were selected from the national ballot of 78 players and seven coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision, the 99 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks and the NFF Veterans Committee candidates.
“We are extremely proud to announce the 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class,” said Archie Manning, NFF Chairman and a 1989 College Football Hall of Famer from Ole Miss. “Each of these men has established himself among the absolute best to have ever played or coached the game, and we look forward to immortalizing their incredible accomplishments.”
The 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 64th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 6.
{Courtesy: release from LSU athletics}
