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Longhorn Legend CASEY HAMPTON (1996, 1998-2000) is among the greats on the 2026 ballot under consideration for induction into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame class, the National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame announced on Monday. The former Texas and NFL standout defensive lineman is a member of the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor (Class of 2014) and Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor (Class of 2024) and has been a Steelers nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame every year since his retirement in 2017. The NFF College Football Hall of Fame ballot includes 79 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and 100 players and 35 coaches from the divisional ranks.
"Casey Hampton was a great player, a pleasure to coach and an even better person," said Mack Brown, who coached Hampton at Texas. "He was a guy that always set the pace and brought his best, whether it was in offseason workouts, practice or games. He was just a relentless competitor who was unbelievably productive and led some of the best defenses in Texas history. Casey was so strong and physical and really unblockable. He drew double and even triple teams every snap, yet still led our team in tackles from an interior line position and anchored our defense for four seasons. What he did in the NFL, playing 12 seasons as a key cog on great Steelers defenses is truly incredible, as well. He is an all-time great as a college and pro player and so deserving of consideration for the College Football Hall of Fame."
Casey Hampton Leonard Davis Shaun RogersOne of the nation's most dominant defensive linemen in his final two seasons at Texas, and among the most decorated Longhorn NFL players ever, Hampton's college and NFL career spanned 17 years. A two-time first-team All-American and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, Hampton was the anchor of one of the nation's top defenses in 1999 and 2000. The Horns ranked sixth nationally in total defense (286.6 ypg) in 1999, and seventh (278.3 ypg) in 2000. A starter in 47 of 54 games as a Longhorn, including the final 38 of his career, Hampton became the first defensive lineman in school history to lead the team in tackles in back-to-back seasons, posting 101 tackles as a junior and 78 as a senior. The big, powerful defensive tackle ranks fifth on the UT all-time list in tackles for loss with 54 with 39 of those registered in his last two years. He finished his Texas career with 329 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 56 QB pressures, nine caused fumbles and three fumble recoveries. An all-state performer at Galveston Ball High School, he had his prep jersey number 63 retired in 2009.
Hampton was selected with the 19th pick of the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2001 NFL Draft and quickly became one of the NFL's premier linemen. In 12 seasons, Hampton made five Pro Bowls, joining Earl Campbell, Bobby Layne, Bud McFadin and Tommy Nobis as Longhorns with that many appearances in the Pro Football all-star game. He was voted MVP by his teammates on the Steelers Super Bowl Championship squad in 2005 along with Hines Ward. A starter in 164 of 173 career NFL games, he helped lead the Steelers to three Super Bowls, winning the coveted Lombardi Trophy twice (Super Bowl XL and XLIII). He also was a member of the Steelers 75th Anniversary Team selected during the 2007 season. His durability and success were even more impressive when you consider Hampton retired in 2012 after his third ACL reconstruction surgery. Those surgeries dated back to his first ACL tear, which prematurely ended his sophomore season at Texas.
The #Steelers are inducting four new members into the Hall of Honor on Saturday night. The Hall of Honor Class of 2024 includes LB Jason Gildon, NT Casey Hampton, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and RB Willie Parker.
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— Steelers History (@SteelersHistory) December 7, 2024
This year's College Football Hall of Fame Class includes Longhorn Legend Michael Huff (2002-05), 2005 Thorpe Award winner and Defensive MVP of the 2005 National Championship game. He is the 23rd Texas player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame, which also has enshrined three former Longhorn coaches. Huff will be officially enshrined at the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 2025, at the Bellagio Hotel & Resort, and will be honored with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments during this football season. He will be permanently immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
The announcement of the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame class will be made in early 2026, with specific details to be announced in the future.
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