Oklahoma State's Russell Okung added to 2027 College Football Hall of Fame ballot

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Another Cowboy has the chance to be immortalized in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Former Oklahoma State offensive lineman Russell Okung was one of 80 former FBS players added to the ballot for the NFF College Football Hall of Fame’s 2027 Class. The ballots have been mailed to more than 12,000 NFF members for voting, and the new class will be announced in early 2027.

Typically, there are anywhere from 15-22 inductees each class, with 12-18 of those being players.

There are six Cowboys currently in the College Football Hall of Fame – wide receiver Justin Blackmon (Class of 2024), running back Terry Miller (2022), defensive tackle Leslie O’Neal (2020), running back Thurman Thomas (2008), running back Barry Sanders (2003) and halfback Bob Fenimore (1972).

Okung was a four-year letterwinner at OSU from 2006-09 and had one of the most decorated careers as an offensive lineman in Cowboy football history. He was a unanimous First Team All-American and Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year during his senior year in 2009, a Jim Parker Trophy winner and a two-time First Team All-Big 12 selection.

Okung also started 47 consecutive games and blocked for 1,000-yard rushers in three season, with Keith Toston (2009), Kendall Hunter (2008) and Dantrell Savage (2007). He also blocked two NCAA sacks leaders in his career – Texas A&M’s Von Miller and Indiana’s Greg Middleton – and held them each to no sacks.

The Seattle Seahawks selected Okung with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, and he spent the first six years of his 11-year NFL career with the Seahawks. Okung also spent time with the Denver Broncos (2016) and Los Angeles Chargers (2017-19) before playing his final season for the Carolina Panthers in 2020.

Okung started and played in 131 career NFL games, was a team captain on each team he played for, a Pro Bowl selection in 2012 and 2017 and a Super Bowl XLVIII champion with the Seahawks in 2014.

Okung also became well known for things off the field, too. He founded a nonprofit organization, the Greater Foundation, providing opportunities in the field of technology for at-risk youth, he’s helped with education and economic empowerment in Nigeria and Zimbabwe and he was also Vice President of the NFL Players Association. Okung was also known for having been paid in Bitcoin for a portion of his pro career.

To be eligible for College Football Hall of Fame consideration, players must be 10 years removed from their final season of college football and must have played their final season of college football in the past 50 years. Players are also not eligible until they retire from their professional football careers.

Only 1,129 players have made the College Football Hall of Fame, which is less than .02% of the 5.86 million individuals who have played in the sports 157-year history.

Rob Glass receives award

Longtime OSU strength and conditioning coach Rob Glass was this week named as the recipient of the Merv Johnson Integrity in College Coaching Award by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Oklahoma Chapter of the National Football Foundation.

The award is given annually to “an esteemed coach from any level in Oklahoma and recognizes them for their outstanding career as a coach, educator and community leader,” a release reads.

Lane Taylor.jpg

FILE – Former Oklahoma State strength and conditioning coordinator Rob Glass, right, talks with former Cowboy offensive lineman Lane Taylor following the 2022 spring football finale at Boone Pickens Stadium.

Glass, now the assistant athletic director for athlete performance, was the strength and conditioning director throughout the Mike Gundy era and spent 29 years in strength and conditioning at OSU.

A 1984 OSU graduate, Glass became a graduate assistant at OSU under head coach Pat Jones and then became the head strength coach from 1989-95. Glass held the same position at Florida the next 10 seasons before returning to OSU. He is in his 31st year at OSU and 41st in college strength and conditioning.

Along with his work in college athletics, Glass has run the powerlifting event at the Special Olympics Oklahoma Summer Games for the past 25 years. Glass will be presented the award at the All-Sports and Scholar Athletes Awards Ceremony, held at the Oklahoma Sports hall of Fame on June 25 at 2 p.m.

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