1995 Heisman winner Eddie George while with the Tennessee Titans.
Eddie George Nominated For Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
Heisman winner Eddie George, a two-time Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist, is among 128 modern-era players nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, the Hall announced on Wednesday (Sept. 24).
In addition to George, a handful of Heisman finalists were also nominated for the 2026 Class, including quarterbacks Drew Brees and Alex Smith and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, all of whom made the list in their first year of eligibility.
Other Heisman finalists returning as Hall of Fame nominees are Eli Manning and Steve McNair.
George, currently in his first season as head coach at Bowling Green, was a semifinalist for the 2022 and 2024 Hall of Fame classes. He is trying to become the 11th Heisman winner inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
George was taken with the 14th pick by the Houston Oilers in the 1996 NFL draft and ran for 1,368 yards during his 1996 Offensive Rookie-of-the-Year campaign before joining the franchise in its move to Tennessee.
George thrived as a Titan, gaining over 1,000 yards in his first four years in Tennessee, highlighted by a monster 1999 season that saw him post career highs with 1,509 rushing yards on 403 carries, 14 rushing TDs and 50 receptions. Tennessee made it to the Super Bowl, coming within a yard of beating the St. Louis Rams.
George had two more 1,000-yard seasons with the Titans, played one year for Dallas and retired in 2004 with 10,441 rushing yards, 268 receptions for another 2,227 yards and a combined 78 touchdowns. He started 130 consecutive games at one point, the second-longest streak in NFL history. George’s 10,441 rushing yards remains 29th on the NFL’s all-time career rushing list.The last Heisman winner to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame was Charles Woodson in 2021.
The roster of nominees consists of 77 offensive players, 42 defensive players and nine special teams players.
In the next step in the selection process, a Screening Committee will reduce the list to 50 (plus ties, if any, for the 50th spot). The results of that reduction will be announced in mid-October.
The full 50-person Hall of Fame Selection Committee then will reduce the list further – to 25 Semifinalists, later this fall. Another vote will create the list of 15 Modern-Era Player Finalists who will be discussed at the annual selection meeting ahead of Super Bowl LX. The Class of 2026 can consist of three, four or five Modern-Era Players under the Hall of Fame’s bylaws.
