May 1, 2008

Three former Big Ten standouts are among the 15 individuals representing the 2008 College Football Hall of Fame Class, the National Football Foundation (NFF) and Hall of Fame announced on Thursday. Former Northwestern linebacker and current head coach Pat Fitzgerald, former Ohio State coach John Cooper and former Minnesota head coach Lou Holtz will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December.

Entering his third year as head coach at Northwestern, Pat Fitzgerald is one of the program's most lauded players. A linebacker from 1994-96, Fitzgerald is the only two-time winner of both the Chuck Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski awards. The two-time consensus first-team All-American recorded 299 career tackles and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 1995 and 1996. Fitzgerald fronted the Wildcat defense that led the nation in scoring in 1995, helping his team to its first Rose Bowl appearance in 47 years and back-to-back Big Ten titles.

Cooper served as head coach at Ohio State from 1988-2000 and finished his tenure ranked second in the program in total wins with a 111-43-4 record. Cooper's Buckeye programs ended the regular season ranked in the top 25 in 12 of his 13 seasons. He recorded at least a share of three Big Ten Championships and mentored 20 first-team All-Americans. Cooper also spent time at Tulsa (1977-84) and Arizona State (1985-87) before taking over in Columbus, owning a career coaching record of 192-84-6 with 14 bowl appearances and nine overall conference titles.

Holtz served as head coach of six different institutions in his career, including a two-year tenure (1984-85) with Minnesota before moving to Notre Dame where he coached for 16 seasons. He was named Man of the Year by the Walter Camp Foundation in 1997 and is a two-time winner of the American Football Coaches Association's Academic Achievement Award.

The 2008 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be inducted at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 9, 2008, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. The group will officially be enshrined at the Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., during ceremonies in the summer of 2009.