When former NFL coach, TV football analyst, and Jackson, Mich. native Tony Dungy saw a mention on social media in 2018 that University of Toledo great Chuck Ealey was not yet a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Mr. Dungy thought it must be a mistake. Surely the powerhouse quarterback who led UT to 35-0 in 1969-1971 is in the hall of fame, he thought.
But Mr. Ealey is not there, which is the real mistake.
Actually, it is not so much a mistake as an injustice. And it’s an injustice the hall can and should address by admitting the dynamic, ahead-of-his-time quarterback who led UT to a Mid-American Conference title, bowl win, and top-20 national finish in each of his three seasons.
Mr. Dungy reacted to the realization that Mr. Ealey has been snubbed by saying he will start “a crusade” to get Mr. Ealey into the hall of fame. The Blade’s sports columnist David Briggs likewise has advocated eloquently on the reasons for the hall to rectify the issue.
The ostensible reason that Mr. Ealey has been overlooked is a provision in the hall of fame’s criteria requiring candidates to have been named a First-team All-American by an NCAA-recognized organization. Mr. Ealey was honored as such by the Football News, which is on the list of approved entities today but was not when he played. When he played Mr. Ealey, a rarity as an African-American quarterback, was often overlooked because of his style of play. Instead of ascending to lead an NFL team, he played in Canada.
This rule regarding first-team selection isn’t quite the obstacle it may seem. The hall of fame selectors can, if they choose, make an exception. They’ve done so for other inductees, including Georgia’s Fran Tarkenton and Mississippi’s Archie Manning.
Clearly, when any objective judge of college football accomplishment looks at Mr. Ealey’s career, his contribution and uniquely superior performance must be obvious — as are reasons why he was overlooked for so long. Now is the time to right this wrong and induct Mr. Ealey into the College Football Hall of Fame where he belongs.
First Published March 9, 2021, 5:00 a.m.