Former Bears defensive linemen Dan Hampton and Julius Peppers have been chosen as part of the College Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2024.
Hampton was a four-year letterwinner at Arkansas from 1975-78, registering 239 tackles, 32 tackles-for-loss and six fumble recoveries. The Razorbacks compiled a 35-10-2 record during Hampton's career under coaches Frank Broyles (1975-76) and Lou Holtz (1977-78).
As a senior in 1978, Hampton was named first-team All-America, first-team All-Southwest Conference and SWC defensive player of the year. He recorded 98 tackles and 18 tackles-for-loss, helping Arkansas win the Orange Bowl and finish third in the nation.
Hampton was selected to the Arkansas All-Century Team in 1994 and the Razorbacks' All-Decade team for the 1970s. He's a member of the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Hampton played his entire 12-year NFL career with the Bears from 1979-90 after being selected with the fourth pick in the first round of the 1979 draft. He was voted to four Pro Bowls, named to the NFL's All-Decade team for the 1980s and was chosen first- or second-team All-Pro five times.
Hampton was a key member of a 1985 defense that helped the Bears win Super Bowl XX and is still considered by many to be the best in NFL history. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
Peppers played at North Carolina from 1999-2001, registering 177 tackles, 30.5 sacks, 53 tackles-for-loss, five interceptions and five forced fumbles during his career with the Tar Heels.
In 2001, he was named first-team All-America and won both the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player and the Rotary Lombardi Award as the country's best interior lineman.
Peppers was selected by the Panthers with the second pick in the first round of the 2002 draft. He spent four of his 17 NFL seasons with the Bears from 2010-13 and ranks fourth in league history with 159.5 sacks. Peppers is one of 15 Modern-Era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2024, which will be announced Feb. 8.
Hampton and Peppers are among 19 former players and three former coaches who will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame at the 66th National Football Foundation Annual Awards Dinner Dec. 10 in Las Vegas.
Here's a complete list of the Class of 2024:
Players:
- Justin Blackmon – WR, Oklahoma State (2009-11)
- Paul Cameron – TB, UCLA (1951-53)
- Tim Couch – QB, Kentucky (1996-98)
- Warrick Dunn – RB, Florida State (1993-96)
- Armanti Edwards – QB, Appalachian State (2006-09)
- Deon Figures – CB, Colorado (1988, 1990-92)
- Larry Fitzgerald – WR, Pittsburgh (2002-03)
- Toby Gerhart – RB, Stanford (2006-09)
- Dan Hampton – DT, Arkansas (1975-78)
- Steve Hutchinson – OG, Michigan (1997-2000)
- Antonio Langham – CB, Alabama (1990-93)
- Randy Moss – WR, Marshall (1996-97)
- Julius Peppers – DE, North Carolina (1999-2001)
- Paul Posluszny – LB, Penn State (2003-06)
- Dewey Selmon – NG, Oklahoma (1972-75)
- Alex Smith – QB, Utah (2002-04)
- Kevin Smith – CB, Texas A&M (1988-91)
- Chris Ward – OT, Ohio State (1974-77)
- Danny Woodhead – RB, Chadron State [NE] (2004-07)
Coaches:
- Mark Dantonio – Cincinnati (2004-06), Michigan State (2007-19)
- Danny Hale – West Chester [PA] (1984-88), Bloomsburg [PA] (1993-2012)
- Frank Solich –Nebraska (1998-2003), Ohio (2005-2020)