Ken Norton Jr. and John Lee Are on the College Football Hall of Fame Ballot, And This Bruin Legacy Is Still Underestimated

Alright, Seattle, listen up! While we're all out here living and breathing every snap and pitch of our beloved Seahawks and Mariners, some serious college football history is brewing. Two absolute legends, Ken Norton Jr. and John Lee, are officially on the National Football Foundation's ballot for the 2027 College Football Hall of Fame induction class, set to be announced early next year. These guys have been on the ballot before, but seeing their names again just hits different. It's a shout-out to the kind of gridiron greatness that makes you pause and appreciate the legends who paved the way!

Remembering a Bruin Defensive Monster

First up, let's talk about Ken Norton Jr. If you watched college football in the 1980s, you knew this dude was a menace. He spent four seasons at UCLA, absolutely dominating as one of the fiercest linebackers out there. We're talking about a guy who became one of the top tacklers in the program's history. He was a First Team All-American in 1987 and a Butkus Award finalist, which, c'mon, tells you everything you need to know about his talent.

Norton Jr. led UCLA in tackles in both 1986 and 1987, racking up over 100 tackles in each of those seasons. The dude was a tackling machine! His incredible run helped UCLA win four straight bowl games: defeating Miami (FL) in the Fiesta Bowl, Iowa in the Rose Bowl, and taking down BYU and Florida in other bowl matchups. He was so impactful, he got inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame back in 1998, all while in the middle of a 13-year NFL career. He even came back to Westwood as a linebackers coach a few years ago, helping lead some top-10 defensive units. This guy's resume is just insane!

A Leg for the Ages and NCAA History

Then we have John Lee, the kicker with a leg that made history during that same era. Special teams players rarely get this kind of recognition, but Lee was different. He was a two-time First Team All-American and made history by being one of the rare special teams players selected in the early rounds of the NFL Draft, going in the second round in 1986. That tells you what kind of talent he was.

Lee holds program records for most field goals made in a game, in a season, and in a career for the Bruins. But here's the kicker, no pun intended: he boasts the NCAA's highest career field goal percentage among players with at least 55 attempts, a ridiculous .859! That's not just good, that's legendary. UCLA already has 16 members enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame, with 15 players and one coach (Terry Donahue) out of a total of 1,348. Guys like Paul Cameron (2024 class), Cade McNown (2020), Troy Aikman, Kenny Easley, and Billy Kilmer are in there. Notre Dame's got the most with 50, but UCLA's pedigree is legit.

As we watch Sam Darnold sling it for our Seahawks and Julio Rodriguez smash dingers for our Mariners, it's awesome to take a second and appreciate these true legends of the game. Norton Jr. and Lee embody the kind of relentless drive and pure skill we love to see in the Emerald City. Let's hope they get the call for the 2027 class, adding to UCLA's rich history and reminding everyone what real college football greatness looks like. Go sports!

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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.