Two Chicago Bears, IHSA coach members of new College Football Hall of Fame class
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Two veteran Chicago Bears and one of the best college football players to ever play in the state of Illinois are among inductees headed into the College Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
Legendary Bears players Olin Kreutz and Jerry Azumah and Chicago native Jordan Lynch were among 18 players in the new class, which also included four coaches.
The new honorees will be inducted during the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 8.
Olin Kreutz
Kreutz played at the University of Washington from 1995-97 before being drafted by the Bears in the third round. The center played 14 seasons in the NFL, with six Pro Bowls and twice making the All-Pro team. Kreutz’s sons, Josh and James, just ended their college careers at Illinois.
Jerry Azumah
Azumah was a prolific running back at the University of New Hampshire from 1995-98, leaving with 6,193 rushing yards and 8,376 all-purpose yards before converting to defensive back in the NFL. The Bears drafted him in the fifth round in 1999, and he went on to play 105 games over seven seasons, all with Chicago.
Jordan Lynch
The Chicago native was a dominant dual-threat quarterback at Northern Illinois, accounting for more than 10,000 yards and nearly 100 touchdowns between passing and rushing. He had prolific seasons in 2012 and 2013, the second of which he was named a first-team all-American and a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. He was a training camp invitee for the Bears and played in the CFL. Lynch became head coach of his high school alma mater Chicago Mount Carmel in 2017 and had led the Caravan to five state championships.
2026 College Football Hall of Fame class
PLAYERS
- Jerry Azumah, RB (1995-98) – New Hampshire
- Ki-Jana Carter, RB (1991-94) – Penn State
- Bruce Collie, OT (1981-84) – Texas at Arlington
- George Cumby, LB (1976-79) – Oklahoma
- Aaron Donald, DT (2010-13) – Pittsburgh
- Marvin Harrison, KR/WR (1992-95) – Syracuse
- Garrison Hearst, RB (1990-92) – Georgia
- Chris Hudson, DB (1991-94) – Colorado
- Mark Ingram, RB (2008-10) – Alabama
- Olin Kreutz, C (1995-97) – Washington
- James Laurinaitis, LB (2005-08) – Ohio State
- Jordan Lynch, AP/QB (2010-13) – Northern Illinois
- Herman Moore, WR (1988-90) – Virginia
- Terence Newman, CB (1999-2002) – Kansas State
- Bob Novogratz, OG (1957-58) – Army
- Ndamukong Suh, DT (2006-09) – Nebraska
- Peter Warrick, WR (1996-99) – Florida State
- Eric Weddle, S (2003-06) – Utah
COACHES
- Jim Margraff: 221-89-3, Johns Hopkins (Maryland) (1990-2018)
- Gary Patterson: 181-79-0, TCU (2000-21)
- Chris Petersen: 147-38-0, Boise State (2006-13); Washington (2014-19)
- Ken Sparks: 338-99-2, Carson-Newman (Tennessee) (1980-2016)
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 2026 College Football Hall of Fame class includes former Bears, IHSA coach
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