| Michigan and the National Football Foundation will jointly honor Messner, a member of the 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class, when the Wolverines host Michigan State. IRVING, Texas (Oct. 27, 2022) – The University of Michigan and The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that they will jointly honor 2022 College Football Hall of Fame electee Mark Messner with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments®. The Salute will take place this Saturday, Oct. 29, during the Wolverines’ home football game against Michigan State, which will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program, which began with the inaugural College Football Hall of Fame Class in 1951, has become a hallowed tradition, and to this day the singular events remain the first of numerous activities in the Hall of Fame experience. During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each electee returns to his respective school to accept a Hall of Fame plaque that will stay on permanent display at the institution. The events take place on the field during a home game, and many Hall of Famers cite the experience as the ultimate capstone to their careers, providing them one more chance to take the field and be recognized in front of their home crowd. The 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 64th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 6 at Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Click here for more information on the Awards Dinner, including options to purchase tickets online, special travel rates to the event from Delta Air Lines and Bellagio and a concierge service provided by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “One of the greatest defensive players in Michigan history, Mark Messner terrorized offenses during his remarkable career,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We are thrilled to honor him at the Big House for his upcoming College Football Hall of Fame induction.” A unanimous First Team All-American in 1988, Messner started every game of his career (49) at Michigan. The 1988 Rotary Lombardi Award finalist remains the Wolverines’ all-time career leader with 70 tackles for loss, 376 tackles for loss yardage, 36 sacks and 273 sack yardage. Named the 1988 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, Messner led Michigan to conference titles in 1986 and 1988. He was the first player in Big Ten history to be a first team all-conference selection in four consecutive years, and his career tackles for loss and sacks are both tied for third in the Big Ten record books. The 1988 team captain led the Wolverines to three bowl victories, including the 1986 Fiesta Bowl where he earned Defensive MVP honors, as well as the 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl and the 1989 Rose Bowl. Messner guided the Wolverines to a 38-9-2 record and four final national rankings, including two top five finishes in 1985 (No. 2) and 1988 (No. 4). Michigan’s sack leader all four seasons, his five sacks against Northwestern in 1987 remain a school single-game record. The Wolverines’ 1987 team MVP and 1986 Defensive MVP led the team to a 3-1 record against archrival Ohio State. Messner was coached by College Football Hall of Famer Bo Schembechler and played alongside Hall of Famer John Elliott during his time in Ann Arbor. He capped his collegiate career in the Hula Bowl all-star game. A sixth-round pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, Messner played one season for the Los Angeles Rams before a career-ending injury. After retiring from football, Messner worked for Eastman Kodak, and he currently serves as a market vice president at Konica Minolta. He is also a board member of Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee in Florida. Messner becomes the 33rd Wolverine player in the College Football Hall of Fame, joining Albert Benbrook (1908-10), Dave Brown (1972-74), Anthony Carter (1979-82), Bob Chappuis (1942, 1946-47), Tom Curtis (1967-69), Dan Dierdorf (1968-70), Bump Elliott (1943-44, 1946-47), John Elliott (1984-87), Pete Elliott (1945-48), Benny Friedman (1924-26), Tom Harmon (1938-40), Willie Heston (1898-1904), Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch (1942-43), Desmond Howard (1989-91), Ron Johnson (1966-68), Harry Kipke (1921-23), Ron Kramer (1954-56), Rob Lytle (1974-76), James Mandich (1967-69), Johnny Maulbetsch (1911, 1914-16), Reggie McKenzie (1969-71), Harry Newman (1930-32), Bennie Oosterbaan (1925-27), Merv Pregulman (1941-43), Germany Schulz (1904-08), Neil Snow (1898-1901), Ernie Vick (1918-21), Bob Westfall (1939-41), Albert Wistert (1940-42), Alvin Wistert (1946-49), Francis Wistert (1931-33) and Charles Woodson (1995-97). Six former Michigan coaches are also in the Hall: Lloyd Carr (1995-2007), Fritz Crisler (1938-47), George Little (1924), Bo Schembechler (1969-89), Tad Wieman (1927-28) and Fielding Yost (1901-23, 1925-26). The 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class includes LaVar Arrington (Penn State), Champ Bailey (Georgia), Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech), Sylvester Croom (Alabama), Mike Doss (Ohio State), Chuck Ealey (Toledo), Kevin Faulk (LSU), Moe Gardner (Illinois), Boomer Grigsby (Illinois State), Mike Hass (Oregon State), Marvin Jones (Florida State), Andrew Luck (Stanford), Mark Messner (Michigan), Terry Miller (Oklahoma State), Rashaan Salaam (Colorado), Dennis Thomas (Alcorn State), Zach Wiegert (Nebraska), Roy Williams (Oklahoma) and coaches John Luckhardt (Washington & Jefferson [PA], California [PA]), Billy Jack Murphy (Memphis) and Gary Pinkel (Toledo, Missouri). The accomplishments of the 2022 Class will be forever immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, and each inductee will receive a custom ring created by Jostens, the official and exclusive supplier of NFF rings. Including the 2022 Hall of Fame Class, only 1,056 players and 226 coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 5.62 million who have played or coached the game during the past 153 years. In other words, less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of the individuals who have played the game have earned this distinction. Remaining Scheduled NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes,Presented by Fidelity Investments(Chronological Order) Date – Honoree – School (Opponent) Oct. 29 – LaVar Arrington – Penn State (vs. Ohio State) Oct. 29 – Mark Messner – Michigan (vs. Michigan State) Nov. 5 – Champ Bailey – Georgia (vs. Tennessee) Nov. 5 – Moe Gardner – Illinois (vs. Michigan State) Nov. 5 – Coach Billy Jack Murphy* – Memphis (vs. UCF) Nov. 5 – Roy Williams – Oklahoma (vs. Baylor) * Deceased Fidelity Investments has served as the national presenting sponsor of the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes since 2010. The salutes are one component of a multi-year initiative between the two organizations to celebrate the scholar-athlete ideal and a joint commitment to higher education. Fidelity is also the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, and it helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes in 2011, which recognize the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives around the country. About Fidelity Investments Fidelity’s mission is to inspire better futures and deliver better outcomes for the customers and businesses we serve. With assets under administration of $10.3 trillion, including discretionary assets of $3.8 trillion as of August 31, 2022, we focus on meeting the unique needs of a diverse set of customers. Privately held for over 75 years, Fidelity employs more than 60,000 associates who are focused on the long-term success of our customers. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit www.fidelity.com/about-fidelity/our-company/. 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 in 47 states, NFF programs include the selection and induction of members of the College Football Hall of Fame; the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta; Future For Football; The William V. Campbell Trophy®; the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments; the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Award; and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Jostens, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the New York Athletic Club, the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org. The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, Preparing the Future, and Protecting the Game Through Programs and Initiatives that Support• 774 Colleges & Universities • Over 81,000 College Football Players• 15,810 High Schools • Over 1.04 Million High School Football Players |
