Florida Football Ring of Honor Discussion

Currently the Florida Football Ring of Honor has five members: Wilber Marshall, Emmitt Smith, Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel, Jack Youngblood, and Tim Tebow. In order to be considered for induction into the Ring of Honor, a former player or coach needs to have been absent from the University of Florida for five years, be in good standing, and meet one of the following criteria:

• Heisman winner (Spurrier, Wuerffel, Tebow)
• All-American in Pro Football Hall of Fame (Smith, Youngblood)
• All-American NFL career category leader (Smith)
• College-career category leader (Tebow)
• Coaches with a national championship (Spurrier)
• Coaches with three SEC championships (Spurrier)
• Players with two Consensus All-American honors also named national player of the year (Marshall, Tebow)

There has been plenty of discussion on social media lately about adding Urban Meyer or Percy Harvin to the Ring of Honor. Urban Meyer is the only person eligible to be added to the Ring of Honor at this time. If there were a tweak to allow members of the College Football Hall of Fame with at least one First-team All-American award to be added, then it would open it up for the following without cheapening the value of the Ring of Honor:

• Carlos Alvarez (CFB HOF 2011, UF HOF 2014, Consensus All-American 1969, UF career receiving yardage leader). He does not qualify currently because he is short a consensus All-American award and a national player of the year award; and he lacks a Pro Football Hall of Fame induction or NFL career category leader.
  
• Wes Chandler (CFB HOF 2015, UF HOF 1989, 2X First Team All-American). He does not qualify currently because he lacks a national player of the year award and a Pro Football Hall of Fame induction or NFL career category leader.
• Dale Van Sickel (CFB HOF 1975, First-team All-American 1928, UF HOF). He does not qualify currently because his First-team All-American award is not a Consensus award (I am not even sure if consensus awards were a thing back in 1928).
  
• Lomas Brown (CFB HOF 2020, Consensus All-American, UF HOF 1995)

As much as I would like to get Percy Harvin in the Ring of Honor, I cannot find a logical way to justify it. He has a First-team All-American award, but it does not look like he will get into the CFB HOF. Maybe he will get into the UF HOF, but opening up the Ring of Honor to First-team All-Americans in the UF HOF could lead to a crowded Ring of Honor.

For reference, I will list the members of the different qualifiers.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

• Jack Youngblood 2001
• Emmitt Smith 2010

College Football Hall of Fame

• Dale Van Sickel 1975
• Steve Spurrier 1986 & 2017
• Jack Youngblood 1992
• Marcelino Huerta 2002
• Emmitt Smith 2006
• Wilber Marshall 2008
• Carlos Alvarez 2011
• Danny Wuerffel 2013
• Wes Chandler 2015
• Lomas Brown 2020

Consensus All-Americans

• Carlos Alvarez 1969
• Sammy Green 1975
• David Little 1980
• Wilber Marshall 1982 & 1983
• Lomas Brown 1984
• Louis Oliver 1988
• Brad Culpepper 1991
• Kevin Carter 1994
• Jack Jackson 1994
• Reidel Anthony 1996
  
• Ike Hilliard 1996
  
• Danny Wuerffel 1996
• Jacquez Green 1997
• Fred Weary 1997
• Alex Brown 2001
• Rex Grossman 2001
  
• Mike Pearson 2001
• Keiwan Ratliff 2003
• Reggie Nelson 2006
• Tim Tebow 2007
• Brandon James 2008
• Brandon Spikes 2009
• Maurkice Pouncey 2009
• Chas Henry 2010

All-American

• Earl "Dummy" Taylor UF HOF
  
• Ashley Ramsdell UF HOF
  
• Rex Farrior UF HOF
• Tootie Perry UF HOF
  
• Goldy Goldstein 1923 UF HOF
  
• Robbie Robinson 1923
  
• Robert "Ark" Newton UF HOF
  
• Edgar C. Jones 1925 UF HOF
  
• Goldy Goldstein 1925 UF HOF
• Lamarr Sarra UF HOF
  
• Clyde Crabtree (Hon) 1928 UF HOF
  
• Bill McRae 1928
  
• Jimmy Steele 1928
• Rainey Cawthon UF HOF
  
• Carl Brumbaugh UF HOF
  
• Goof Bowyer UF HOF
  
• Dale Van Sickel, Florida 1928 * First First-Team All-American
  
• Dale Van Sickel 1929
  
• Red Bethea 1930 UF HOF
• Walter "Tiger" Mayberry UF HOF
  
• Fergie Ferguson 1941 UF HOF
• Marcelino Huerta Jr CFB HOF, UF HOF
  
• Robert Forbes UF HOF
  
• Jack Beckwith UF HOF
• Douglas Belden UF HOF
• Billy Chase UF HOF
• William W. Corry UF HOF
• Franklin Dempsey UF HOF
• Lewis "Papa" Hall UF HOF
• Charles Hunsinger UF HOF
• William Kynes UF HOF
• Buford Long UF HOF
• Fred Montsdeoca UF HOF
• Richard Pace UF HOF
• Haywood Sullivan UF HOF
  
• Charlie LaPradd 1952 UF HOF
  
• Joe D'Agostino 1953 UF HOF
  
• Richard Casares UF HOF
• Malcolm Hammack UF HOF
  
• Steve DeLatorre 1955 UF HOF
  
• Don Chandler UF HOF
  
• John Barrow (Canadian Football HOF) 1956 UF HOF
• John Simpson UF HOF
• John Symank UF HOF
  
• Jim Rountree 1957 UF HOF
  
• Vel Heckman 1958 UF HOF
• Perry McGriff UF HOF
  
• Don Fleming UF HOF
  
• James Beaver UF HOF
• Hagood Clarke UF HOF
• Bobby Joe Green UF HOF
• Victor Miranda UF HOF
  
• Larry Libertore UF HOF
• Bernard Parrish UF HOF
• Patrick Patchen UF HOF
  
• Bruce Bennett 1964
  
• Larry Dupree 1964 UF HOF
  
• Dennis Murphy 1964
  
• Charles Casey 1964
• Tom Shannon UF HOF
  
• Dennis Murphy UF HOF
  
• Randall Jackson UF HOF
  
• Bruce Bennett 1965 UF HOF
  
• Lynn Matthews 1965 UF HOF
  
• Steve Spurrier 1965
  
• Larry Gagner 1965 UF HOF
  
• Charles Casey 1965 UF HOF
  
• Bill Carr 1966 UF HOF
  
• Steve Spurrier 1966 UF HOF
  
• Larry Smith 1967
• Dick Trapp 1967
• Graham McKeel UF HOF
• Larry Smith 1968 UF HOF
• Guy Dennis 1968 UF HOF
• Jim Yarbrough UF HOF
• Steve Tannen 1969 UF HOF
• Carlos Alvarez 1969 UF HOF
• Mac Steen UF HOF
• Jack Youngblood 1970 UF HOF
• John Reaves 1971 UF HOF
• John W. James Jr UF HOF
• Thomas Durrance 1971 UF HOF
• Frederic Abbott 1972 UF HOF
• Nathaniel Moore UF HOF
• Glenn Cameron 1974 UF HOF
• Ralph Ortega 1974 UF HOF
• Burton Lawless 1974
• Lee McGriff UF HOF
• Jimmy DuBose 1975 UF HOF
• Sammy Green 1975 UF HOF
• Wes Chandler 1976
• Wes Chandler 1977 UF HOF
• Scot Brantley 1977 UF HOF
• Scot Brantley 1978 UF HOF
• David Little 1980 UF HOF
• Cris Collinsworth 1980 UF HOF
• David Galloway 1981 UF HOF
• James Jones 1982 UF HOF
• Wilber Marshall 1982 UF HOF
• Wilber Marshall 1983 ABC DPOY UF HOF
• Dwayne Dixon 1983 UF HOF
• Wayne Peace 1983 UF HOF
• Alonzo Johnson 1984
• Tim Newton 1984
• Phil Bromley 1984
• Lomas Brown 1984 UF HOF
• C. Neal Anderson 1984 UF HOF
• C. Neal Anderson 1985 UF HOF
• Kerwin Bell 1985 UF HOF
• Ray Criswell 1985
• Alonzo Johnson 1985 UF HOF
• John L Williams 1985 UF HOF
• Jeff Zimmerman 1985
• Jeff Zimmerman 1986
• Kerwin Bell 1986 UF HOF
• Ricky Nattiel 1986 UF HOF
• Louis Oliver 1988 UF HOF
• Trace Armstrong 1988 UF HOF
• David Williams 1988 UF HOF
• Emmitt Smith 1989 UF HOF
• Richard Fain 1990
  
• Will White 1990
  
• Huey Richardson 1990 UF HOF
  
• Shane Matthews 1990 UF HOF
  
• Kirk Kirkpatrick UF HOF
  
• Brad Culpepper 1991 UF HOF
• Cal Dixon 1991
  
• Hesham Ismail 1991
  
• Shane Matthews 1991 UF HOF
  
• Willie Jackson Jr 1991 UF HOF
• Willie Jackson Jr 1992 UF HOF
• Shane Matthews 1992 UF HOF
  
• Judd Davis 1993 UF HOF
• Willie Jackson Jr 1993 UF HOF
  
• William Gaines 1993
  
• Errict Rhett 1993 UF H OF
  
• Ellis Johnson CNN DPOY 1994 UF HOF
  
• Kevin Carter 1994 UF HOF
  
• Jack Jackson 1994
  
• Jason Odom 1994
• Jason Odom 1995 UF HOF
• Chris Doering 1995 UF HOF
  
• Danny Wuerffel 1995 UF HOF
  
• Jeff Mitchell 1996
• Lawrence Wright III 1996 UF HOF
  
• Reidel Anthony 1996 UF HOF
  
• Ike Hilliard 1996 UF HOF
  
• Danny Wuerffel 1996 UF HOF
  
• Fred Weary 1997
  
• Ed Chester 1997
  
• Jacquez Green 1997
  
• Fred Taylor 1997 UF HOF
  
• Mike Peterson 1998 UF HOF
  
• Jevon Kearse 1998
  
• Alex Brown 1999
  
• Lito Sheppard 2000
  
• Gerard Warren 2000
  
• Kenyatta Walker 2000
  
• Andra Davis 2001
  
• Alex Brown 2001 UF HOF
  
• Mike Pearson 2001
  
• Jabar Gaffney 2001
  
• Rex Grossman 2001 UF HOF
• Michael Pearson 2001 UF HOF
• Ben Troupe 2003
• Keiwan Ratliff 2003 UF HOF
  
• Channing Crowder 2004
  
• Reggie Nelson 2006
  
• Jarvis Moss 2006
  
• Percy Harvin 2007
  
• Tim Tebow 2007
  
• Percy Harvin 2008
  
• Brandon James 2008
  
• Brandon Spikes 2009
  
• Tim Tebow (CFN) 2008
  
• Joe Haden 2009
  
• Brandon Spikes 2009
  
• Maurkice Pouncey 2009
  
• Mike Pouncey 2009
  
• Aaron Hernandez 2009
  
• Chas Henry 2010
• Ahmad Black, Florida 2010
  
• Mike Pouncey 2010
  
• Caleb Sturgis 2011
• Kyle Christy 2012
  
• Caleb Sturgis 2012
  
• Matt Elam 2012
• Shariff Floyd 2012
• Vernon Hargreaves III 2014
• Antonio Callaway 2015
• Jalen Tabor 2015
• Marcus Maye 2015
• Jonathan Bullard 2015
• Vernon Hargreaves III 2015
• Johnny Townsend 2016
• Johnny Townsend 2017
• Jon Greenard 2019
• CJ Henderson 2019

Dale Van Sickel should be there. Lomas Brown maybe (depending on what the NFL Hall of Fame thinks). Maurkice Pouncey will be there.

Urban Meyer is the only person remaining who qualifies for the Gator Ring of Honor. The following Ring of Honor criteria changes would qualify the following Gators:

• Players with a Consensus All-American honor also named to the College Football Hall of Fame
  • Carlos Alvarez
  • Lomas Brown
• Players with two 1st-team All-American honors also named to the College Football Hall of Fame
  • Wes Chandler
• Players with two All-American honors also named to the College Football Hall of Fame

• Players with two All-American honors also named to the University of Florida Hall of Fame

Based on the above, I would only make those top three changes to the Ring of Honor at most in order to get Carlos Alvarez, Lomas Brown, Dale Van Sickel, and Wes Chandler into the Ring of Honor. The most likely change would be the first two, if anything does change.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

• Jack Youngblood 2001
• Emmitt Smith 2010

Canadian Football Hall of Fame

• John Barrow 1956

College Football Hall of Fame

• Dale Van Sickel 1975
• Steve Spurrier 1986 & 2017
• Jack Youngblood 1992
• Marcelino Huerta 2002
• Emmitt Smith 2006
• Wilber Marshall 2008
• Carlos Alvarez 2011
• Danny Wuerffel 2013
• Wes Chandler 2015
• Lomas Brown 2020

Consensus All-Americans

• Carlos Alvarez 1969
• Sammy Green 1975
• David Little 1980
• Wilber Marshall 1982 & 1983
• Lomas Brown 1984
• Louis Oliver 1988
• Brad Culpepper 1991
• Kevin Carter 1994
• Jack Jackson 1994
• Reidel Anthony 1996
• Ike Hilliard 1996
• Danny Wuerffel 1996
• Jacquez Green 1997
• Fred Weary 1997
• Alex Brown 2001
• Rex Grossman 2001
• Mike Pearson 2001
• Keiwan Ratliff 2003
• Reggie Nelson 2006
• Tim Tebow 2007
• Brandon James 2008 & 2009
• Maurkice Pouncey 2009
• Chas Henry 2010