Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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the Heisman Trophy runner‑up to BYU's Ty Detmer, before turning pro after his junior year. Gatewood held the career receiving mark at Notre Dame from 1971‑2006. Crable also was on the ballot in 2007, 2010 and 2013, and this is Ismail's third straight appearance. It is the debut for Gatewood, who was first nominated in 2007. To be eligible, a player must have been named first‑team All‑America by an NCAA‑recognized source (thereby making Joe Montana, an Associated Press honorable mention choice in 1978, ineligible), not played a college game in at least 10 years and can no longer be playing in the pros. Someone such as fullback Jerome Bettis (1990‑92) also is ineligible be‑ cause not only was he never a first‑ team All‑American, but he didn't make any teams at all his final season in 1992 while getting overshadowed by tailback Reggie Brooks, who fin‑ ished fifth in the Heisman race. Other Fighting Irish quarterback icons such as Terry Hanratty, Tom Clements and Tony Rice, all of whom steered national titles and received some first‑team All‑America notice, have slim to virtually no chance of making it because of sheer volume and selectivity. To appreciate how difficult it is to be among the dozen or so enshrined each year consider more than 1,900 having earned first‑team All‑America notice out of the 4.92 million people have played college football. Among them, 918 (less than .0002 percent) are in the Hall. Now pare that down to 75 candi‑ dates this year — and choose about 15 from that. The decision will be made in May, and the College Hall of Fame's 57th Annual Awards Dinner will be Dec. 9 at New York City's Waldorf‑Astoria. Current and active Notre Dame nominees not on this year 's ballot are 1972‑74 receiver Pete Demmerle (deceased), 1968‑70 guard Larry Di‑ Nardo, 1979‑82 defensive back Dave Duerson (deceased), 1964‑66 running back Nick Eddy, 1976‑79 running back Vagas Ferguson, 1975‑78 linebacker/ middle guard Bob Golic, 1966‑68 quar‑ terback Hanratty, 1975‑78 center Dave Huffman (deceased), 1966‑68 offensive tackle George Kunz, 1987‑90 corner‑ back Todd Lyght , 1967‑69 defensive tackle Mike McCoy, 1969‑71 defensive end Walt Patulski, 1977‑80 center John Scully, 1966‑68 receiver Jim Seymour (deceased), 1986‑90 linebacker Michael Stonebreaker and 1990‑93 offensive lineman Aaron Taylor. Here are our top five Notre Dame players who aren't already in the Hall: 1. RAGHIB "ROCKET" ISMAIL (1988-90) One of the most electrifying per‑ formers in NCAA history, Ismail aver‑ aged 7.7 yards a carry en route to 1,015 career rushing yards, which doesn't even include the 108 in the 1990 Or‑ ange Bowl victory versus No. 1 Col‑ orado that earned him MVP honors (back then bowl stats weren't counted in career stats). His 22.0 yards per catch (1,565 ca‑ reer receiving yards) is a Notre Dame career record. Furthermore, Ismail had more than 1,000 yards in return yardage — scor‑ ing six times — to complete the unique