2021 College Football Hall of Fame Spotlight - Aaron Taylor

Aaron Taylor, former Notre Dame offensive tackle, will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame during the 63rd National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Annual awards dinner in Las Vegas, Nevada. The dinner will be held at the ARIA Resort & Casino on December 7th, 2021.

This black-tie affair is a homecoming for the football fraternity as the audience is graced with Hall of Famers from yesteryear, college football’s best and brightest scholar-athletes, and a who’s who of decision makers, legends, and generous supporters of the Foundation and its mission to promote and protect the game.

The event will feature the induction of the 2020 and 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Classes, recognition of the National Scholar-Athlete Class presented by Fidelity Investments and the presentation of the William V. Campbell Trophy® to college football’s top scholar-athlete.

Aaron Taylor

• Consensus All-American in 1992 and a unanimous All-American in 1993
• Lombardi Award winner in 1993 and college interior lineman of the year
• Team captain for the Irish in 1993, Notre Dame went 11-1 and won the Cotton Bowl
• Over his four-year tenure (1990-1993), the Irish went 40-8-1
• First round draft pick in 1993 NFL Draft (16th pick overall by the Green Bay Packers)

Aaron is a Super Bowl XXXI champion (with the Green Bay Packers) and retired from football at age twenty-eight. Currently, Aaron is a college football analyst for CBS Sports. His mission in life is to live to serve, which includes (but isn’t limited to) feeding the homeless on Christmas Day at Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego, mentoring with the AthLife Foundation, and creating The Joe Moore Foundation for Teamwork. (He also submitted his favorite recipe for my new “Domer Dishes” cookbook: Cinnamon Raisin Baked Bliss! Please allow for a two-hour nap after eating.)

Each player being inducted this year has been spotlighted by the NFF, and the following is an excerpt of Aaron Taylor’s spotlight, written by Matt Fortuna.

Aaron Taylor went from isolation to jubilation in a matter of minutes. The legendary offensive lineman had tested positive for COVID-19 at the turn of the calendar year, meaning he had to quarantine at a friend’s vacant house near his San Diego home. He had only mild symptoms, and when his wife Lina called him asking if he was a College Football Hall of Famer, he told her no, then asked why.

“We got a package with a football with your name on it,” Lina told him.

“FaceTime me!” Taylor said, excitedly.

The moment turned celebratory, as Aaron and Lina shared in the accomplishment of being recognized as one of the all-time greats. Taylor, the former Notre Dame offensive lineman, becomes the 48th former Notre Dame player to be enshrined in Atlanta, a number that leads all institutions.

“I’m in awe that my name would be associated with the rest of the athletes that have made it,” Taylor said. “I’ve got to be honest: it’s still a little bit surreal to be considered one of the best that’s ever played this sport, given how many incredible players there were. It’s humbling.”

Read more here.

About The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Future For Football, The William V. Campbell Trophy®, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Goodyear, Jostens, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the New York Athletic Club and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, Preparing the Future and Protecting the Game Through Programs and Initiatives that Support

• 767 Colleges & Universities • Over 81,000 College Football Players

• 15,810 High Schools • Over 1.04 Million High School Football Players

Cheers & GO IRISH!