Colorado University Athletics
Bieniemy, Hudson On Ballot for College Football Hall of Fame
June 02, 2025 | Football
IRVING, Texas—RB Eric Bieniemy and CB Chris Hudson are two of the 79 players from the Football Bowl Subdivision included on the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, the National Football Foundation announced Monday.Â
The ballot was sent to more than 12,000 NFF members and current NFF Hall of Famers and voting on the 2026 class will commence through June. Â The announcement of that class will then be made in early 2026 and it will be officially inducted during the NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas on Dec. 8, 2026.Â
Of the 5.78 million individuals who have played college football, only 1,111 have earned induction into the Hall of Fame, or less than two one-hundredths of a percent. Â
Bieniemy was a unanimous first-team All-American in 1990 and finished third in the Heisman voting. Â He helped lead the Buffs to the 1990 National Championship and was the Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year. Â He finished second nationally in rushing that year and is CU's all-time leading rusher. Â He had a nine-year NFL playing career and was CU's running backs coach from 2001-02 and offensive coordinator from 2011-12 and will begin his 17th season coaching in the NFL in 2025 as the running backs coach for the Chicago Bears. Â He was the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2018-22 when the team won two Super Bowls, LIV in 2019 and LVII in 2022.Â
Hudson was a consensus first-team All-American in 1994 when he won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back.  Despite playing most of that season with a nagging turf toe injury, he …  In his CU career, he had 15 interceptions and 20 pass break-ups and had multiple interceptions in three games and two pick-sixes.  He was a third round draft pick of Jacksonville in 1995 and played in 77 games in his NFL career from 1995-2001 and had 11 interceptions. Â
Bieniemy and Hudson are looking to join 11 other Buffs in the College Football Hall of Fame, including Deon Figures, who was enshrined as part of the 2025 class. Â Others include Byron White (1952), Joe Romig (1984), Dick Anderson (1993), Bobby Anderson (2006), Alfred Williams (2010), John Wooten (2012), Bill McCartney (2013), Herb Orvis (2016), Michael Westbrook (2020) and Rashaan Salaam (2022). Â
While they are included on the ballot, the NFF does not induct players who are currently coaching in the NFL until after they retire. Â Bieniemy was coaching at UCLA for the 2024 season and was announced as the Bears RB coach on Feb. 1. Â Both Bienimey or Hudson would be the fifth player who was coached by McCartney enshrined into the Hall of Fame, joining Figures, Salaam, Westbrook and Williams. Â
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The ballot was sent to more than 12,000 NFF members and current NFF Hall of Famers and voting on the 2026 class will commence through June. Â The announcement of that class will then be made in early 2026 and it will be officially inducted during the NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas on Dec. 8, 2026.Â
Of the 5.78 million individuals who have played college football, only 1,111 have earned induction into the Hall of Fame, or less than two one-hundredths of a percent. Â
Bieniemy was a unanimous first-team All-American in 1990 and finished third in the Heisman voting. Â He helped lead the Buffs to the 1990 National Championship and was the Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year. Â He finished second nationally in rushing that year and is CU's all-time leading rusher. Â He had a nine-year NFL playing career and was CU's running backs coach from 2001-02 and offensive coordinator from 2011-12 and will begin his 17th season coaching in the NFL in 2025 as the running backs coach for the Chicago Bears. Â He was the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2018-22 when the team won two Super Bowls, LIV in 2019 and LVII in 2022.Â
Hudson was a consensus first-team All-American in 1994 when he won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back.  Despite playing most of that season with a nagging turf toe injury, he …  In his CU career, he had 15 interceptions and 20 pass break-ups and had multiple interceptions in three games and two pick-sixes.  He was a third round draft pick of Jacksonville in 1995 and played in 77 games in his NFL career from 1995-2001 and had 11 interceptions. Â
Bieniemy and Hudson are looking to join 11 other Buffs in the College Football Hall of Fame, including Deon Figures, who was enshrined as part of the 2025 class. Â Others include Byron White (1952), Joe Romig (1984), Dick Anderson (1993), Bobby Anderson (2006), Alfred Williams (2010), John Wooten (2012), Bill McCartney (2013), Herb Orvis (2016), Michael Westbrook (2020) and Rashaan Salaam (2022). Â
While they are included on the ballot, the NFF does not induct players who are currently coaching in the NFL until after they retire. Â Bieniemy was coaching at UCLA for the 2024 season and was announced as the Bears RB coach on Feb. 1. Â Both Bienimey or Hudson would be the fifth player who was coached by McCartney enshrined into the Hall of Fame, joining Figures, Salaam, Westbrook and Williams. Â
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