Wisconsin Badgers

A total of 16 former University of Wisconsin players or coaches have been enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame since 1955.

According to CFBHall.com, "Founded in 1951 by the National Football Foundation, the College Football Hall of Fame immortalizes the greatest of the amateur gridiron. 5.1 million people have coached or played the game and less than 1,300 are inductees in the Hall. This makes the College Football Hall of Fame an extremely selective group of individuals."

Search through all College Football Hall of Fame Inductees here and learn more about the selection process.

Learn more about the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame.

College Football Hall of Fame Bio  |  The Alvarez Era

The winningest coach in Wisconsin history, Alvarez led the Badgers for 16 seasons, compiling a 118-73-4 record and winning three Big Ten and Rose Bowl titles. His 118 victories is 53 more than the next UW coach. Alvarez is one of just 10 coaches in Big Ten history to win at least 100 games at the same school.

As evidenced by his three Rose Bowl wins, Alvarez's teams were at their best in the postseason. The Badgers compiled an 8-3 record in bowl games under Alvarez, the best winning percentage by a coach in NCAA history.

Alvarez was named national coach of the year in 1993 and 1999, leading UW to Big Ten titles and Rose Bowl championships in both seasons. He was also named Big Ten Coach of the Year in both '93 and 1998.

During his career, UW produced 59 NFL draft choices and 34 All-Americans. His prized pupil was running back Ron Dayne, who won the 1999 Heisman Trophy.

Alvarez was inducted into both the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame and the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 2009. He was named Wisconsin's Director of Athletics in 2004.

College Football Hall of Fame Bio 

Known as "The Horse," Ameche was one of college football's greatest fullbacks. The winner of the 1954 Heisman Trophy, Ameche held the NCAA record for career rushing yards at the time of his graduation.

In the 1951 season he became the first freshman to lead the Big Ten in rushing. Ameche duplicated his rushing feat the following year as the Badgers were Big Ten co-champions and Wisconsin made its first trip to the Rose Bowl. Despite a Rose Bowl record 133-yard performance by "The Horse," Wisconsin was defeated 7-0 by Southern California.

In 1953 Ameche won his first All-America award and the Wisconsin Most Valuable Player Award. As a senior in 1954 Ameche was named as a unanimous All-America. In addition to being two-time All-America he was a two-time Academic All-America and was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 1992.

A first-round pick by the Baltimore Colts in 1955, Ameche scored the game-winning touchdown in the 1958 NFL championship game, the first "sudden death" game in NFL history. He was a four-time All-Pro selection.

Ameche is a charter member of the UW Athletic Hall of Fame and also a member of the Wisconsin State Athletic and Rose Bowl Halls of Fame. He was named the "Greatest Player" on the University of Wisconsin All-Time Team in 1969 and had his No. 35 retired at the UW. Ameche won the NCAA Silver Anniversary Top Six Award in 1979.

College Football Hall of Fame Bio

A consensus All-American in 1923, Below played two seasons at right tackle for the Badgers. Below earned first-team All-Western Conference honors in each of his seasons in Madison after transferring from Oshkosh State Teachers College.

The legendary Red Grange, who played at the University of Illinois, called Below "the greatest lineman I ever played against."

Below is a member of the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, Class of 1992.

Ball assembled a legendary career as a Badger, becoming one of the most prolific scorers in college football history and helping the Badgers to three consecutive Rose Bowl appearances from 2010-12. Ball was a two-time consensus First Team All-American (2011, 2012) and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back in 2012.

In 2011, Ball was tabbed as the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Year and tied Hall of Famer Barry Sanders’ NCAA record of 39 total touchdowns in a season. He led the country with 1,923 yards and 2,229 total yards from scrimmage.

During his career as a Badger, Ball set the NCAA record for career touchdowns (83) and career rushing touchdowns (77). He ranks second in the Badgers’ record book for rushing yards with 5,140 during his career, second to only Hall of Famer Ron Dayne. Ball is still the only player in college football history to rush for 100+ yards in three consecutive Rose Bowl games.

Ball was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.

College Football Hall of Fame Bio

Butler was the first Badger player to earn first-team All-America honors as he was a consensus selection as a tackle in 1912.

A two-time All-Western Conference selection, Butler was a key cog in the dominant season of 1912 in which Wisconsin went 7-0, outscoring its opponents 246-29. Butler was also a second-team All-American in 1913.

Butler played professionally with the Canton Bulldogs and is a member of the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, Class of 1992.

Ron Dayne Retrospective

College football's all-time leading rusher, Dayne left behind a legacy of team success and individual accomplishment never before seen at Wisconsin when he left campus after the 1999 season. His final campaign for the Badgers was one for the ages, with Dayne recognized as the best player in college football after rushing for 2,034 yards to break the NCAA's career record.

Dayne was named winner of the 1999 Heisman Trophy and also collected the Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award as the nation's top player. He went on to lead UW to a second-consecutive win in the Rose Bowl and joined a select group in being named MVP of The Granddaddy of Them All for a second time.

In addition to the NCAA's career rushing mark, Dayne smashed countless UW and Big Ten Conference records while leading the Badgers to back-to-back Big Ten championships and Rose Bowl wins in 1998 and 1999.

Dayne was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009 and was selected for enshrinement in the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 2011.

College Football Hall of Fame Bio

A first-team All-American in 1942, Harder was a hard-charging fullback for the Badgers as they finished the season ranked third in the country. He was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection and led the conference in rushing (590 yards) and scoring (58 points) in 1941.

Harder was the MVP of the 1943 College All-Star Game after scoring two touchdowns. He was the second overall pick in the 1944 NFL Draft, the highest draft choice in UW history. Harder went on to play eight seasons as a professional, leading the league in scoring three times and finishing with 3,016 career rushing yards. Following his playing days, he served as an NFL official for 17 years.

Harder was a charter member of the UW Athletic Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Wisconsin State Athletic Hall of Fame.

College Football Hall of Fame Bio  |  Camp Randall 100: Elroy Hirsch

"Crazylegs" Hirsch played just one season for the Badgers but certainly left his mark. A brilliant triple-threat halfback, Hirsch led the 1942 Badgers to an 8-1-1 record, second place in the Big Ten and third in the final Associated Press poll.

Hirsch, whose number 40 is retired at UW, left Wisconsin to become a marine trainee in Michigan, playing two intercollegiate seasons at Michigan. He is the only Wolverine athlete to letter in four sports (football, basketball, track and baseball).

Hirsch began his professional football career with the Chicago Rockets and later starred for the Los Angeles Rams. He set an NFL record during the 1951 season with 1,495 yards, 66 catches and 17 touchdowns and ended his professional career with 7,029 career receiving yards. One of the all-time great wide receivers, Hirsch is a member of the National Football League Hall of Fame (link).

Following his playing days, Hirsch served as the UW's Director of Athletics from 1969-87. He was a charter member of the UW Athletic Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Wisconsin State Athletic Hall of Fame.

College Football Hall of Fame Bio

King compiled a .897 winning percentage in eight seasons at the helm of the Badgers' program, going 65-11-1 from 1896-1902 and 1905.

King won the program's first conference championship as his team won the inaugural Western Conference title in 1896. The team went on to win the league title the following year, as well, and once more under King in 1901.

King's 1901 team is arguably the greatest in school history. The team went 9-0 and outscored its opponents 317-5.

He also coached Wisconsin's baseball squad, winning two conference championships. King was a legendary football and baseball player at Princeton from 1890-93 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1962.

College Football Hall of Fame Bio

Finishing as Wisconsin’s all-time leading tackler, Krumrie started all 46 games of his remarkable Hall of Fame career at Wisconsin.

Krumrie was twice voted first-team All-America, including as a consensus pick in 1981, when he recorded 135 tackles to set UW’s single-season record for a defensive lineman. He logged 444 tackles in his career and owns the school record with 276 solo stops.

The three-time All-Big Ten selection led the Badgers to two bowl games, including a win in the 1982 Independence Bowl where he earned Defensive MVP honors after making 13 tackles.

He went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals and was twice named to the Pro Bowl.

Krumrie was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999.

College Football Hall of Fame Bio

Little spent the 1925 and 1926 seasons as the Badgers' head coach, leading Wisconsin to a 11-3-2 record in his two seasons at the helm. The Badgers went 6-3-2 in Big Ten play under Little's direction after winning just one of their previous 12 conference games in the three seasons prior to his arrival.

Little stepped aside from coaching after the 1926 season and devoted his full attention to his role as athletic director. He spent five more years in Madison, focusing on upgrading UW's facilities. Little added thousands of seats to Camp Randall Stadium, oversaw construction of the UW Field House and started intramural competition on campus.

Little coached at Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio) and Michigan before moving to Madison and ended his career with a 54-1-4 record as a head coach.

He followed his time at UW as the athletic director at Rutgers and went on to serve as executive secretary of the National Football Foundation.

College Football Hall of Fame Bio

Nicknamed "The Kangaroo Kicker," O'Dea was a native of Melbourne, Australia, and was a two-time All-American fullback and punter (1898, '99). One of the pioneers in the development of the drop kick to make field goals, O'Dea made a 65-yard dropkick field goal in an 1898 game at Northwestern in a snow storm.

Among O'Dea's exploits, his first play as a Badger was an 85-yard punt vs. Lake Forest in 1896, he is credited with a 110-yard punt vs. Minnesota in 1897 and he ran 100 yards for a touchdown vs. Beloit in 1899, the same game he made four field goals.

Following his playing days at UW, O'Dea coached at Notre Dame and Missouri. He disappeared in 1917, was presumed dead, and was then discovered in 1934 in Westwood, California, using the assumed name Clarence Mitchell. "I was tired of the football fame," he explained. He resumed the name O'Dea and died March 4, 1962.

A charter member of the UW Athletic Hall of Fame, O'Dea is also a member of the Wisconsin State Athletic Hall of Fame.

College Football Hall of Fame Bio  |  Camp Randall 100: Pat Richter

One of the best all-around athletes to ever wear a Wisconsin uniform, Richter was the last Badger to earn nine letters (three each in football, basketball and baseball). A two-time first-team All-American on the gridiron, Richter led the Big Ten in receiving twice (1961 and 1962) and earned all-conference accolades both seasons.

As a junior, Richter led the nation with 817 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. The following season, he set Rose Bowl records with 11 catches for 163 yards in the battle between No. 1 USC and second-ranked Wisconsin. His receptions record stood for 31 years.

An academic All-American in 1962, Richter was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 1992. He won the Big Ten Medal of Honor (proficiency in athletics and academics) in 1963 and was given the prestigious NCAA Silver Anniversary Award (for distinguished service) in 1988.

A first-round NFL draft choice of Washington in 1963, he played eight seasons for the Redskins. He was later the Director of Athletics at Wisconsin from 1989-2004.

A charter member of the UW Athletic Hall of Fame, Richter is also a member of the Wisconsin State Athletic and Rose Bowl Halls of Fame. Richter's number 88 is retired.

College Football Hall of Fame Bio 

Schreiner, a two time first-team All-American end, was named the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year in 1942. The first two-time first-team All-American in UW history, he earned three letters as an end on both offense and defense for the Badgers.

A co-captain and MVP of the 1942 team that finished 8-1-1 and defeated No. 1 ranked Ohio State 17-7, Schreiner also earned first-team All-Big Ten honors twice. He was the first Badger to catch three touchdown passes in the same quarter, doing so against Marquette in 1942.

A charter member of the UW Athletic Hall of Fame, Schreiner is also a member of the Wisconsin State Athletic Hall of Fame. His number 80 was retired after he was killed in World War II (1945).

College Football Hall of Fame Bio

Stuhldreher was a three-time All-America quarterback and member of the legendary Four Horsemen backfield at Notre Dame in the 1920s. After graduating in 1924, Stuhldreher coached at Villanova for 11 years, compiling a 65-25-10 record before coming to Wisconsin.

Stuhldreher spent 13 years as the head football coach at Wisconsin and was also the school's athletic director for 15 years. Stuhldreher led the Badgers to two second-place finishes in Big Ten play and guided the 1942 team to 8-1-1 overall record, good enough for a No. 3 national ranking.

Stuhldreher was the program's first coach to beat a ranked opponent as his Badgers downed then-No. 7 Northwestern 20-13 in Evanston, Ill. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1958.

A unanimous first-team All-American as a senior, Thomas was UW’s first winner of the Outland Trophy, given to the nation’s top interior lineman. He started 39 games at left tackle for the Badgers in his career, earning consensus first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2005 and 2006 and was a two-time Lombardi Award semifinalist.

Accomplished off the field as well, Thomas was a three-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District and Academic All-Big Ten selection. As a senior he was named a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete, second-team Academic All-American and UW’s Big Ten Male Medal of Honor recipient.

Selected by Cleveland Browns with No. 3 overall pick in 2007 NFL Draft, Thomas is the only offensive lineman in NFL history and just the fifth player in league annals to be selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first 10 seasons. He played an NFL-record 10,363 consecutive snaps to begin his career and was enshrined in the Browns’ Ring of Honor in 2018.

Vincent, a standout defensive back, was the first player to earn First Team All-America honors (1991) under Hall of Fame coach Barry Alvarez, establishing himself as one of the most dominating players in the Big Ten during his time as a Badger. Vincent earned Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors and was the runner-up for the Thorpe Award in 1991. Vincent was inducted into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.

The Trenton, NJ native finished his Badger career with 192 tackles, 31 passes defended and four interceptions while adding 66 punt returns for 773 yards and three touchdowns. Patrolling the Badger secondary, Vincent totaled a then-UW season record 13 pass breakups in 1990. Vincent’s 90-yard punt return touchdown in 1991 is the longest in UW history and his 773 career punt return yards rank third.

Drafted seventh overall in 1992 by the Miami Dolphins, Vincent played with the Dolphins (1992-95), Eagles (1996-03), Bills (2004-06) and Washington (2006). He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro pick. Vincent is the only player in NFL history to have received the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year award, the NFL Players Association Byron Whizzer White Award and the Sporting News Good Guy Award.