NEW ORLEANS – Saints legends Morten Andersen, Reggie Bush and Jahri Evans are on the 2022 ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Hall of Fame announced Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Andersen, Bush and Evans are among 78 players and seven coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), and 99 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks (Division I, II, III).
Prior to his 13-year professional career with New Orleans, Andersen earned First Team All-American honors as kicker at Michigan State University. Andersen left MSU as the Big Ten’s all-time leader in field goals (45). He set a still-standing conference record with 63-yard field goal in 1981 and was a three-time All-Big Ten performer. Andersen led the Spartans in scoring for three seasons.
In his years with the Saints, Andersen was named to six Pro Bowls, kicked 302 field goals, and scored 1318 points. Andersen is a member of the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Before the Saints selected Reggie Bush with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, Bush established himself as one of the greatest college football players of all time. At the University of Southern California, he was a two-time First Team All-American, earning consensus honors in 2004 and unanimous accolades in 2005. Bush was named the 2005 Walter Camp Player of the Year and won the 2005 Doak Walker Award. A two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year winner, Bush led the Trojans to back-to-back national championships.
The 6-0, 203-pound Bush, was one of the most prolific big-play threats in franchise history. The running back and return man played five seasons with the Saints from 2006-10. He appeared in 60 games and recorded 4,982 all-purpose yards in a Black and Gold uniform and scored 33 touchdowns. Bush carried 524 times for 2,090 yards with 17 touchdowns.
Prior to the Saints selecting Evans with the 108th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, Evans earned 2005 First Team All-American honors at Bloomsburg (Pa.). He was a two-time Division II Player of the Year finalist and three-time First Team All-PSAC East selection. Evans led the Huskies to the 2005 PSAC East title and an NCAA playoff berth.
Evans made a rapid ascent from his small school roots at Bloomsburg into one of the NFL’s top interior linemen and the top guard in Saints history. He was named to six consecutive Pro Bowls from 2009-14, and was selected an AP first-team All-Pro selection from 2009-12, adding an All-Pro second-team selection in 2013. Evans started 153 contests at right guard for New Orleans, the 10th-highest total for games played in team record books.
Former New Orleans Saints players also on the ballot include Craig Heyward and Ashley Ambrose. Hayward spent five seasons in New Orleans (1988-92) and Ambrose suited up for the Black & Gold for the 1999 season.
The announcement of the 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2022, with specific details to be announced in the future.
(Press release provided by the New Orleans Saints)