May 15, 2012

Former UCLA and NFL football standout Jonathan Ogden has been selected to the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame. The announcement was made today by Archie Manning, chairman of The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame. The 2012 class includes 14 First-Team All-America players and three coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Ogden is the 14th Bruin to be selected for the NFF Hall of Fame and the third chosen in the last five years. The list includes 10 other UCLA players (Randy Cross, 2010; Troy Aikman, 2008; Bill Kilmer, 1999; Jerry Robinson, 1996; Kenny Easley, 1991; Gary Beban, 1988; Al Sparlis, 1983; Tom Fears, 1976; Donn Moomaw, 1973; and Kenny Washington, 1956) and three coaches (Terry Donahue, 2000; Red Sanders, 1996 and Tommy Prothro, 1991).

Ogden was a four-year starter (41 career starts) at offensive tackle for UCLA in the 1992-95 seasons under Hall of Fame head coach Terry Donahue. He won the 1995 Outland Trophy, was runner-up for the Lombardi Award and earned consensus All-America honors that season. Ogden was selected All-Pac-10 Conference following the 1994 and 1995 campaigns and was awarded the Morris Trophy, as the conference's best offensive lineman in 1995. He helped the Bruins to a share of the Pac-10 title in 1993 and an appearance in the 1994 Rose Bowl. Ogden's #79 jersey was retired in February of 1997, the eighth player in school history to receive that honor. He was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.

Ogden, the first-ever draft choice of the Baltimore Ravens, was selected with the fourth pick of the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played tackle for 12 seasons with Baltimore, from 1996-2007, and went on to appear in 11 straight Pro Bowls. In 2001, Baltimore won Super Bowl XXXV against the N.Y. Giants.

Ogden was chosen from the national ballot of 76 candidates and a pool of hundreds of eligible nominees. A player must have received first-team All-America honors by an NCAA recognized selector and becomes eligible for consideration ten years after his final year of intercollegiate football has been played. While each nominee's football achievements in college are of prime importance in the selection process, his post football record as a citizen may also be weighed.

"I am extremely excited and honored to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame," said Ogden. "I would like to thank all those associated with UCLA for making my time there productive and exciting on and off the field. I hope to continue representing the university well. "

The new class of Hall of Famers, which features players - tailback Charles Alexander, LSU (1975-78); halfback Otis Armstrong, Purdue (1970-72); quarterback Steve Bartkowski, California (1972-74); split end Hal Bedsole, Southern California (1961-63); tight end Dave Casper, Notre Dame (1971-73); quarterback Ty Detmer, BYU (1988-91); quarterback Tommy Kramer, Rice (1973-76); wide receiver Art Monk, Syracuse (1976-79); defensive back Greg Myers, Colorado State (1992-95); offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden, UCLA (1992-95); defensive tackle Gabe Rivera, Texas Tech (1979-82); linebacker Mark Simoneau, Kansas State (1996-99); safety Scott Thomas, Air Force (1982-85); offensive guard John Wooten, Colorado (1956-58) and coaches - Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee (1992-08); Jimmy Johnson, Oklahoma State (1979-83) and Miami, FL (1984-88); R.C. Slocum, Texas A&M (1989-02), will be honored at the 55th annual NFF Awards Dinner on Dec. 4, 2012 in New York City. In addition, they will be honored guests at the National Hall of Fame Salute at the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on January 2, 2013 and officially enshrined in the summer of 2013.