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First Posted: 8/28/2013
ATLANTA — Art Monk, Dave Casper, Charles Alexander, Art Shell and Jimmy Johnson are among 24 former players and coaches being enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday night.
The hall has moved from South Bend, Ind., but the new building in downtown Atlanta is still under construction and scheduled to open in August 2014.
Atlanta was hosting its first enshrinement ceremony in a hotel ballroom adjacent to what will be a 94,256-square foot museum that organizers believe will host 500,000 visitors a year.
Atlanta is home to the Southeastern Conference championship game, the Chick-fil-A Bowl and the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic that this year matches up No. 1 Alabama against Virginia Tech on Saturday.
Other hall inductees included Steve Bartkowski, Jonathan Ogden, Phillip Fulmer and R.C. Slocum.
Kent State to retire Harrison’s jersey
KENT, Ohio — Kent State is retiring NFL star linebacker James Harrison’s jersey.
Harrison, a longtime star with Pittsburgh and now with Cincinnati, will be honored during the Golden Flashes’ season opener Thursday night against Liberty. Harrison, who wore No. 16 in college, is the fifth Kent State player to have his jersey retired, joining Jim Corrigall, Hall of Famer Jack Lambert, Eric Wilkerson and Josh Cribbs.
Harrison will not be able to attend the game because the Bengals are hosting their final exhibition game. Harrison’s parents will be presented with a framed No. 16 jersey on his behalf.
In addition to starring at the school from 1998-2001, Harrison donated $100,000 to his alma mater last year. The school renamed the weight room at its field house The James Harrison Strength & Conditioning Center.
Freshmen to have impact for Irish
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — No. 14 Notre Dame will start a freshman at outside linebacker against Temple on Saturday and several other members of coach Brian Kelly’s highest-rated recruiting class are expected to play.
The depth chart released Tuesday lists Jaylon Smith as a starting outside linebacker. Last year he won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top high school linebacker, the same award Manti Te’o won four years earlier.
But while it took Te’o five games to become a starter, Smith won the job from the outset.
Six other freshmen are listed on the depth chart: offensive tackles Steve Elmer and Hunter Bivin ; recievers Corey Robinson and James Onwualu, cornerback Cole Luke, defensive end Isaac Rochell and running back Greg Bryant.
Michigan St tabs Maxwell as QB
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Fifth-year senior Andrew Maxwell will be Michigan State’s starting quarterback for Friday night’s opener against Western Michigan.
Coach Mark Dantonio praised all four candidates for the job Tuesday, including sophomore Connor Cook and freshmen Tyler O’Connor and Damion Terry.
All are listed as first-team quarterbacks, with their names separated by “OR” on the weekly depth chart. But Dantonio said he was giving Maxwell the start.
Maxwell started all 13 games as a junior and completed 234 of 446 passes (52.5 percent) for 2,606 yards and 13 touchdowns. He threw nine interceptions but just six in the last 25 halves of a disappointing 7-6 season.
Cook came on to direct a game-winning drive against TCU in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.