HBCU Legends Steve McNair, Rudy Hubbard Inducted Into College Football Hall of Fame
HBCU Legends, Steve McNair and Coach Rudy Hubbard, were inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame for 2020 and 2021, respectively. McNair's family and Hubbard were able to receive the honors during the 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 7.
Steve McNair and Rudy Hubbard
The National Football Foundation enshrined two legendary figures from the SWAC. Steve "Air" McNair played for Alcorn State and coach Rudy Hubbard led Florida A&M to a FCS National Championship.
The foundation listed the accomplishments of both men:
Credit:© George Walker IV / The Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLC
STEVE 'Air' McNAIR
Class of 2020
Alcorn State University
Quarterback, 1991-94
Arguably the greatest player in Alcorn State history, Steve McNair rewrote the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and school record books en route to winning the 1994 Walter Payton Award as the best player in the FCS. "Air McNair" deservedly becomes the first Brave player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
A 1994 First Team All-American, McNair finished third for the Heisman Trophy, which is tied for the highest finish ever by an FCS player. The 1994 Eddie Robinson Trophy recipient as the nation's best HBCU player, he remains the all-time total yards leader in FCS history with 16,823, and his 14,496 passing yards were a national record until 2018. The only four-time SWAC Offensive Player of the Year in history, McNair led Alcorn State to conference titles and FCS Playoff berths in 1992 and 1994. Those same two seasons, the four-time First Team All-SWAC selection led the nation in total offense with 4,057 yards in 1992 and an FCS single-season record 5,799 in 1994. McNair's other career FCS records include 41 games with 200 passing yards, 32 games with 300 passing yards, 15 games with 400 total offensive yards and nine games with 500 total offensive yards.
Alcorn State's all-time leading passer with 14,496 career yards, McNair also owns school records for career completions (958) and passing touchdowns (119). During his remarkable 1994 senior campaign, he set single-season Braves records with 5,377 passing yards, 356 completions and 47 passing touchdowns. Some of McNair's top performances from that season led to Alcorn State single-game records, including 587 passing yards against Southern, eight passing touchdowns against Chattanooga and 52 completions against Youngstown State (an FCS Playoff record). The 1991 SWAC Freshman of the Year also ranks third in school history with 2,327 rushing yards. The two-time Dean's Scholar is enshrined in the SWAC, Black College Football, State of Mississippi Sports and State of Tennessee Sports halls of fame.
The third overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers, McNair played for the Oilers/Tennessee Titans from 1995-2005 and led the franchise to a berth in Super Bowl XXXIV. The three-time Pro Bowler and 2003 NFL Co-MVP finished his pro career with the Baltimore Ravens from 2006-07. McNair is a member of the Titans/Oilers Hall of Fame, and the franchise retired his No. 9 jersey in 2019.
McNair left a lasting impact in the community through the Steve McNair Foundation, which served underprivileged youth through education and civic opportunities and raised more than $1 million for charities. He organized a highly successful relief drive following Hurricane Katrina, and he trained thousands of kids at youth football camps, covering the costs for nearly 70% of the attendees. McNair received multiple awards for his work in the community, including the NFLPA's Byron "Whizzer" White Award. He died on July 4, 2009, at the age of 36.
McNair Hall of Fame Information
Credit:© Rory Sharrock/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK
RUDY HUBBARD
CLASS OF 2021
Florida A&M University (1974-85)
Head Coach, 83-48-3 (63.1%)
The only HBCU head coach to win the Division I-AA (now FCS) national title, Rudy Hubbard posted 83 wins in his 12 seasons at Florida A&M. He becomes the fourth Rattler coach to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
During his tenure at Florida A&M from 1974-85, Hubbard compiled an 83-48-3 overall record, the third most wins in school history behind fellow College Football Hall of Fame Coaches Jake Gaither (203) and Billy Joe (86). The Rattlers went 6-5, 9-2 and 6-3-2 in his first three seasons. Hubbard's most successful stretch occurred from 1977-79 as the Rattlers compiled a 30-5 record, including a perfect 11-0 mark in 1977. The team won back-to-back Black College Football National Championships and conference titles in 1977 and 1978.
In 1978, Hubbard guided Florida A&M to a 12-1 record and wrapped up the season winning the inaugural NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship as the Rattlers defeated UMass, 35-28. Although a member of NCAA Division II's Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, FAMU successfully petitioned the NCAA for Division I-AA classification, which took effect right before the 1978 season began.
One year after winning the national title, Hubbard's Rattlers claimed another milestone when they defeated Miami (FL), 16-13. From 1974-78, Hubbard won five straight Orange Blossom Classics, which annually pitted Florida A&M against another HBCU. The numerous standout players he coached included College Football Hall of Famer and three-time All-America offensive guard Tyrone McGriff. Hubbard was inducted into the Florida A&M University Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.
A native of Hubbard, Ohio, he played running back at Ohio State from 1965-67. Hubbard then made history as the first Black assistant coach at Ohio State, where he served six seasons and was part of the 1968 and 1970 national championship staffs under College Football Hall of Fame Coach Woody Hayes.
Hubbard ended his collegiate coaching career in 1985, but he returned to the sidelines as head coach at James S. Rickards High School in Tallahassee, Florida, from 2008-11. Now retired, he is collaborating with his son to write a how-to-book on winning, and he is involved with potentially staging an HBCU game in 2021 between rivals Kentucky State and Central State in his native Ohio.
Rudy Hubbard's Hall of Fame Info
About The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include Football Matters®, the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, The William V. Campbell Trophy®, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Goodyear, the New York Athletic Club, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.