2009 Heisman Winner Mark Ingram Elected To College Football Hall of Fame

Mark Ingram, the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner who was Alabama’s first recipient of the award, is among 18 All-American first teamers — including four other Heisman finalists — named to the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, announced by the National Football Foundation on Wednesday (Jan. 14).

Ingram is the 69th Heisman Trophy winner to be elected to the College Football Hall of Fame and the first since Florida’s Tim Tebow and USC’s Reggie Bush were selected as part of the 2023 Class. Other recent Heisman winners who entered the College Football Hall of Fame include Colorado’s Rashaan Salaam (Class of 2022), USC’s Carson Palmer (Class of 2021) and Nebraska’s Eric Crouch (Class of 2020).

To be eligible, a player must have “received First-Team All-America recognition by a selector that is recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise its consensus All-America teams,” per the NFF and “a player becomes eligible for consideration by the Foundation’s Honors Courts 10 full seasons after his final year of intercollegiate football played.”

The 2026 College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 8 at the Bellagio Resort & Casino.

The full release for the 2026 class and the complete criteria for the award is available here.

Four Heisman finalists and two other top 10 finishers joined Ingram in the Class of 2026. They included 1994 runner-up Ki-Jana Carter and fellow Heisman finalists Garrison Hearst (1992, third), Jordan Lynch (2013, third) and Ndamukong Suh (2009, fourth). Also in the Class of 2026 are Heisman sixth-place finishers Herman Moore (1990) and Peter Warrick (1999).

Army guard and fellow 2026 Class member Bob Novogratz wasn’t a Heisman vote-getter, but he did block for 1958 Heisman winner Pete Dawkins.

Below is the National Football Foundation’s bio of Ingram.

A powerful, downhill runner, Mark Ingram anchored an Alabama team that produced one of the most dominant eras in college football history, including a national title in 2009. The Flint, Michigan, native now becomes the 22nd Crimson Tide player to enter the NFF College Football Hall of Fame.

Ingram authored a historic sophomore season in 2009, becoming the first Heisman Trophy winner in Alabama football history. He earned unanimous First Team All-America honors and was named the Sporting News Player of the Year after leading the Tide to a perfect 14-0 record and the BCS National Championship. Ingram was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after rushing for 116 yards and two touchdowns in the title victory, capping one of the most memorable seasons ever by a Crimson Tide player.

A two-time All-SEC selection (First Team in 2009 and Second Team in 2010), Ingram was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2009, leading Alabama to its first conference championship since 1999. He paced the league in rushing yards (1,658), rushing touchdowns (17), and total touchdowns (20) during his award-winning season, while setting Alabama’s single-season rushing record. Ingram was also a Freshman All-SEC selection in 2008.

Ingram finished his Alabama career as the school’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns (42) and totaled 3,261 rushing yards on 572 carries, while adding 60 receptions for 670 yards and four touchdowns. In addition to the 2009 No. 1 final ranking, Ingram’s career included appearances in the 2009 Sugar Bowl and a victory in the 2011 Capital One Bowl, finishing ranked No. 6 and No. 10, respectively. Playing under NFF Hall of Fame head coach Nick Saban, Ingram helped Alabama notch a 36-5 overall record, three bowl appearances, and a national championship.

Selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft by New Orleans, Ingram played a total of 12 seasons in the NFL with the Saints, Ravens, and Texans, earning three Pro Bowl selections.

After retiring from professional football, Ingram transitioned into broadcasting and currently serves as a college football analyst for FOX Sports. Ingram remains active in community service through the Mark Ingram Foundation, which supports children with incarcerated parents. He was named the Saints’ 2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee and earned the NFLPA Community MVP Award during his professional career.