CU's Hudson Selected For Induction into the College Football Hall of Fame

BOULDER — Chris Hudson, one of the University of Colorado's greatest defensive backs in its history who as a senior became an All-American and trophy winner despite literally playing with nine good toes, will become the recipient of the ultimate honor in the sport.

Hudson, 54, is one of 18 players and four coaches who will be officially recognized as one of college football's all-time greats, selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in its 2026 Class, the National Football Foundation (NFF) announced Wednesday. Hudson had advanced for the sixth time from the District 7 ballot to the national one for the Hall.

He will become the 12th Buffalo enshrined in the Hall, joining Byron White (inducted in 1952), Joe Romig (1984), Dick Anderson (1993), Bobby Anderson (2006), Alfred Williams (2010), John Wooten (2012), Coach Bill McCartney (2013), Herb Orvis (2016), Michael Westbrook (2020), Rashaan Salaam (2022) and Deon Figures (2024). Hudson will be the fifth player who was coached by McCartney to enter the Hall, joining Figures, Salaam, Westbrook and Williams who all played for him during his 13-year tenure as head coach from 1982-94.

"It's amazing and you're not sure what to think until it really sinks in," Hudson said. "It means so much to be a part of the Hall of Fame, but knowing that I played for my teammates and never for myself.   I always wanted to do my best to put us in position to win and was proud to be a team player first and foremost.

"I always appreciated all my teammates, and I'll never forget being in the locker room every day, being on the practice field, in meetings and game days, especially at Folsom Field. I considered everyone on those teams as my brothers, and I still do. We were very much like a family, coaches, players and support staff. They all played a role in my success. We all owe those experiences starting with Coach Mac, he truly cared about all of us.

"I look at this as a team honor, as this could not have earned this without them," Hudson continued. "I am proud of my school – where my son Ashton currently goes – a sophomore honors student. That's testament of what I think about CU, and what he thought to follow. It's an honor and privilege for both of us."

A consensus first-team All-American as a senior team captain in 1994, recognized by the Associated Press, United Press International and the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), he was also a prestigious Playboy Preseason All-American prior to his senior year, and the recipient of Jim Thorpe Award, presented to the nation's top defensive back for his efforts on CU's Fiesta Bowl champion 11-1 team that was ranked third in the nation.

Hudson was the second Buff to win the Thorpe and at the time the fourth CU player to win a postseason trophy. But one of his most cherished honors was receiving the team's Hang Tough Award, presented to the player who overcame the most adversity in his senior year. His adversity? He played the final 10 games of the regular season with a nagging turf toe injury he suffered early in the year and still played to an All-American level and won the Thorpe hardware.

He spent dozens of hours combined both pre- and post-practice in the training room receiving treatment and was taped heavily with the injury, but in the end, it did not impede his performance.

Hudson set the stage for a big senior year by being named the Aloha Bowl's defensive most valuable player in CU's 41-30 win over Fresno State on Christmas Day '93. He was in on seven tackles with two forced fumbles, two recoveries, a quarterback sack and a pass deflection.

The ninth-ever recipient of the Thorpe Award – and near unanimous choice of the 23 voters – joining who he called his big brother Figures (the '92 winner), Hudson did not disappoint his senior season. Opponents seldom challenged him, as he allowed just five completions – no touchdowns – in 186 snaps of man coverage. He had three interceptions, six pass deflections and 37 tackles (27 solo) for the year.

Figures mentioned at the time of his induction that he wanted to see Hudson be the next Buffalo to be enshrined, a feeling echoed by Westbrook, who lined up opposite Hudson in practice for four years, a fact both claimed made them better players.

"Chris was one of the elite members of our '90 recruiting class," said Rick George, now CU's athletic director emeritus who was McCartney's recruiting director at the time. "I believe eight players in that class went on to play in the NFL and a few others made our starting lineups. He had a terrific career here and he's remained involved though the years with the program. We are proud of Chris, he was one of our great defensive backs that literally earned us the nickname "Defensive Back U."

Williams hosted Hudson on his recruiting trip to Boulder ahead of his signing with the Buffaloes in February 1990. The two became instant friends who remain in touch constantly to this da .

"I am so excited for him," Williams bellowed when receiving word (as only Alfred can). "I remember hosting him on his trip to CU, we grew up less than seven minutes from each other in Houston. We knew all the same people, played in the same parks, ate at the same restaurants – which we still do when we get together there.

"To me, this comes as close as a little brother situation because we've stayed in touch and get together quite often through all these years. I am so proud of the man, the husband and the father he has become. Chris is exactly what you want as an icon for the University of Colorado."

Greg Brown, who coached Hudson for three seasons (1991-93), actually had recruited him at Purdue when he was a high school senior. He was well aware of Hudson's abilities when McCartney hired him to coach CU's defensive backs.

"The thing that always first comes to mind when I think about Chris was his versatility," Brown said. "He was able to play corner, safety, nickel and dime – all four spots – equally as well. He was just so extremely instinctive. He had that feel for where the ball was going to be, and with his great ball skills and soft hands, he could go get it. You could see that in high school, he picked one off in the end zone and went 100 yards with it, he played quarterback and was dangerous as a return man. He did everything and had an extremely high football IQ."

"Chris had those great skills where he could just make plays, several times when we really needed one," Brown continued. "I remember we were losing to Miami late in the fourth quarter and he literally stole the ball from the runner to give us a chance – just tackled the ball right out of the guy's arms. He had several key interceptions, I know two against Oklahoma in back-to-back years. Some guys are great technicians but are not great tacklers. But Chris did everything, including not being afraid to make a big hit."

"I also had the distinct honor of coaching him in the NFL as well with Atlanta." Brown said. "As great a football player as Chris was, he was and is even a better person. He was also a serious student and has excelled after football as a businessman. Chris is one of my all-time favorite players and people in my life and we have remained in touch constantly through the years ever since."

After Brown joined the Atlanta Falcons ahead of the 1994 season, Chuck Heater coached CU's defensive backs, Hudson's senior year when he won the Thorpe Award.

"Chris was a very talented, physical player who was even a greater person to be around," Heater said. "A totally dedicated player who had all the intangibles and a great teammate. One of the reasons his teammates elected him captain of the defense in his senior year.

"He was what we called a 'football smart' guy," Heater added. "It's a hard thing to sometimes see, but he was so very instinctive. He could see outside the box, never had to play catch-up. What people didn't realize he had to overcome a severe toe injury but never missed a single practice.   That was a testimony to his toughness and character. This is a tremendous honor for him and for the CU family, something we can all rejoice in."

Colorado's defensive coordinator, Mike Hankwitz, recalled what Hudson specifically meant overall to the CU defense.

"A player like Chris allowed us to do much more defensively because he had a special kind of talent that let us evolve," he said. "In Chris' case, we could play more press-man – bump and run – play tighter on the receivers. When Greg Brown joined the staff, with all his previous NFL ideas and experience, Chris fit right into many of those things we were now able to do. He allowed us to do even more than we had been doing on defense, and it led to us having the nation's top pass defense in 1992."

That was Hudson's sophomore year, when CU allowed the fewest passing yards per game (132.8, which would be a low figure for a half for today's leaders), first in completion percentage (40.9), first in interception percentage (7.0, with 18 picks) and second in pass efficiency defense (84.9).

"Chris was a fine young man to be around who was very coachable," Hankwitz added. "He wanted to learn and be the best he could be. Seeing him grow and develop as a player was most rewarding."

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Hudson was also one of the nation's top punt returners, spending most of the year ranked in the top 10 before finishing just outside the top 20 with an 8.6 average for 29 returns; he owned an 11.7 average as a junior that was 13th best in the NCAA. For his career, he returned 53 punts for 516 yards (9.7 per).

Hudson is one of just seven three-time, first-team All-Conference performers in school history. Named first-team All-Big Eight at cornerback as a sophomore in 1992 and senior in 1994 with the nod at free safety in 1993, he joined guard/linebacker Joe Romig, punter Barry Helton, strong safety Mickey Pruitt and outside linebacker Kanavis McGee to be recognized thrice by the Big Eight. Cornerback/kick returner Ben Kelly and placekicker Mason Crosby earned the three distinctions in Big 12 Conference play.

The Buffaloes were 37-9-3 during his CU career, 22-3-3 in Big Eight games, sharing the league title in 1991 with Nebraska and finishing second the other three years behind the Cornhuskers. Colorado was 2-2 in bowl games and were ranked 20th, 13th, 16th and third in the final season polls with Hudson.

His 15 career interceptions still rank as the second most in Colorado history, while his 20 pass deflections were tied for the seventh most by a Buff at the time of his graduation. He made two interceptions in three different games and returned two for touchdowns (a 40-yard sprint at Stanford as a freshman in '91 and a 21-yard effort against Texas in the '93 season opener). He was in on 141 career tackles (104 solo, seven for losses), and registered 27 third down stops along with two forced fumbles, two recoveries and a blocked kick.

He had a career-high 13 tackles (11 solo) in a 21-16 win at Iowa State as a junior ('93). But Hudson will admit one of his favorite plays -- and likely forgotten by most – was his clutch fair catch at the CU 15-yard line of a Michigan punt with 14 seconds remaining in the game that set in motion the "Miracle in Michigan" on Sept. 24, 1994. Down 26-21 with 21 seconds remaining, the Buffs went for the block and not a return – Hudson ran up to make the fair catch with six Michigan defenders within a few yards surrounding him. Had he not, valuable seconds would have ticked off the clock, and the eventual Hail Mary touchdown pass likely never would have occurred in CU's 27-26 win.

"Coach Mac told me that you better catch that ball wherever it is, don't run it back," he recalled. "All I saw were blue jerseys closing in on me, and my heart was pounding. I was not going to not catch that ball."

Ironically, Hudson selected CU in the end over Michigan and Texas, the latter more or less a favor for his high school coach. But he was set on CU after being recruited by Bob Simmons and after making his trip to Boulder.

Hudson had his #47 jersey honored in the school's first wave of doing so in 1998 and was inducted into CU's Athletic Hall of Fame in its 2016 class. He was also a third-team All-American at free safety by the Associated Press in 1993, and in addition to his other honors, was the first recipient of CU's Tyrone "Tiger" Bussey Award, selected by the training staff, an honor for inspiration as he battled the turf toe setback. He was the national defensive player of the week for the '93 season opener against Texas, when he returned one of two interceptions for a touchdown to go with two pass deflections, seven tackles and two third stops. He was invited to and played in the '95 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

The players are annually informed from the NFF via a package that includes a commemorative Hall of Fame football. It arrived Wednesday morning at his residence in Olive Branch, Mississippi, a Memphis suburb where Hudson has long established roots in business.

He was away from home at a meeting and had to be told to go home, there's a package on your doorstep, and you don't want some "porch pirate" to beat you to it. Needless to say, he was surprised once opening it and finding the football.

"Man, this so amazing," he said after opening the package, but after realizing it wasn't a football from CU that he thought someone wanted him to sign. "One of the first things I thought of was that I get to join some of my closest friends in a very exclusive club, but also wished that Coach Mac and Rashaan were alive to share this moment with me," Hudson said. "They were both a very important part of my life."

Hudson was a third round selection by the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1995 National Football League Draft (71st overall). He played in 77 career NFL games with Jacksonville (1995-98), Chicago (1999) and Atlanta (2001) and had 11 career interceptions, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. He helped the Jags make the playoffs three straight seasons, including for the first time in just the franchise's second year of existence in 1996. That's when Jacksonville recorded one of the biggest upsets in NFL playoff history, winning 30-27 at Denver, as the Broncos were considered by many to be the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl.

Born October 6, 1971, in Houston, Hudson was All-Region, All-State and All-District in football at the city's Worthing High School (where he was vice president of his senior class). A member of CU's 1990 recruiting class which was ranked as high as fourth nationally, he redshirted as a true freshman on the school's 1990 consensus national championship team. He earned his bachelor's degree from CU's Leeds School of Business (Marketing) in December 1994, one he has put to good use in owning several successful businesses and his overall entrepreneurship.

This year's inductees in the 2026 class were selected from a national ballot of 79 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision, 100 players and 35 coaches from the divisional ranks and the NFF Veterans Committee candidates.

"We are thrilled to announce the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame Class," said Archie Manning, NFF Chairman and a 1989 College Football Hall of Famer from Mississippi. "Each of these legends rank among the absolute best to have ever played or coached the game, and we look forward to adding their incredible accomplishments to those permanently enshrined in the NFF Hall of Fame."

In addition to the official induction ceremony in Las Vegas, all inductees will also be recognized at their respective collegiate institutions at a home game this fall with NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, presented by Fidelity Investments. Their accomplishments will be forever immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Each inductee will receive a custom ring created by Jostens, the official and exclusive supplier of NFF rings

The official announcement was made during ESPN's "College Football Live" Wednesday afternoon during its pregame coverage of the CFP championship game between Indiana and Miami-Fla.

"We want to thank ESPN for the opportunity to announce the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame Class on College Football Live today," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell (who also happens to be a 1970 CU graduate). "Today's announcement shines a light on the accomplishments of some of college football's greatest legends, and we are grateful to everyone who has played a role in today's announcement."

Nearly 5.86 million have played college football during the past 157 years according to the NFF, but including the '26 class, only 1,129 have been selected for the Hall, along with 241 coaches – that's less than .02 percent of those who have played or coached the game. The most significant reason for this is that the Hall's rules for selection include that a player must have, at minimum, been selected as a first-team All-American by those organizations it recognizes as long-time selectors.

THE 2026 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS

PLAYERS: Jerry Azumah (RB, New Hampshire, 1995-98); Ki-Jana Carter (RB, Penn State, 1991-94); Bruce Collie (OT, UT-Arlington, 1981-84); George Cumby (LB, Oklahoma, 1976-79); Aaron Donald (DT, Pittsburgh, 2010-13), Marvin Harrison (WR/KR, Syracuse, 1992-95); Garrison Hearst (RB, Georgia, 1992-94); Chris Hudson (CB/FS, Colorado, 1991-94); Mark Ingram (RB, Alabama, 2008-10); Olin Kreutz (C, Washington, 1995-97); James Laurinaitis (LB, Ohio State, 2005-08); Jordan Lynch (AP/QB, Northern Illinois, 2010-13); Herman Moore (WR, Virginia, 1988-90); Terence Newman (CB, Kansas State, 1999-2002); Bob Novogratz (OG, Army, 1957-58); Ndamukong Suh (DT, Nebraska, 2006-09); Peter Warrick RB, Florida State, 1996-99), Eric Weddle (S, Utah, 2003-06).

COACHES: Jim Margraff (Johns Hopkins University); Gary Patterson (TCU); Chris Petersen (Boise State / University of Washington); Ken Sparks (Carson-Newman University).

Colorado University Athletics

CU's Hudson Selected For Induction into the College Football Hall of Fame

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