Ken Norton Jr., John Lee and Bruin assistant coach Bill McGovern were included on the 2023 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame announced on Monday by The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame. The ballot includes players and coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision as well as from the Divisional ranks.
Norton, now an assistant coach for the Bruins, was a member of four bowl-winning teams, including the 1986 Rose Bowl squad which posted a victory over Iowa, while playing linebacker at UCLA from 1984-87 on squads which produced an overall 36-10-2 record. The Bruins also earned a share of the conference title in the 1987 season after tying the school mark for wins with 10. Norton was the team's leading tackler in both the 1986 (106) and 1987 (125) campaigns and was a finalist for the 1987 Butkus Award. He earned All-America honors in 1987 after spearheading one of the nation's top defenses which recorded two shutouts that year and limited nine opponents to less than 20 points. He finished his Bruin career ranked fifth on the all-time school tackles list (339). Norton was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998.
Lee served as the Bruin placekicker in the 1982-85 seasons. He was named a first-team All-American in 1984 and a consensus first-team selection in 1985. At the conclusion of his career, Lee stood atop the NCAA, Conference and UCLA all-time lists for PATs and field goals. In 47 career games, he booted 85 field goals in 100 attempts and converted 135 of 136 extra point attempts, including a streak of 108 straight conversions. His list of NCAA records included most career field goals (85), field goal accuracy (86%) and most field goals in a season (32 in 1984). His 117 kicking points in 1984 is still the most in a single UCLA season. Lee's 390 career points rates second on the all-time school list and he is tied on the UCLA list with Kai Forbath (2007-10) for the most career field goals (85). His 22 consecutive field goals made over the 1984 and 1985 seasons remains a school record. The 2.64 field goals per game average in 1984 set an NCAA single-season record mark. Lee is ranked among the top 10 on the all-time NCAA career field goals per game list (1.80 per game mark). He also holds the school record for most field goals in game - 6 vs. San Diego State in 1984 (tied for 2nd-most in a game on the NCAA record list). Lee was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.
McGovern, UCLA's defensive coordinator, played at Holy Cross and was named a first-team All-America selection as a defensive back in 1984 after leading the nation in interceptions with 11. He also set the Division I-AA career interception record with 24. McGovern was selected to the All-ECAC team in 1983 and 1984 and was team captain in 1984.
The ballot was emailed on Monday to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF's Honors Court, which will deliberate and select the class. The Honors Court, chaired by NFF Board Member and College Football Hall of Famer Archie Griffin from Ohio State, includes an elite and geographically diverse pool of athletic administrators, Hall of Famers and members of the media.
The announcement of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2023, with specific details to be announced in the future. The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5, 2023, and permanently immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. They will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2023 season.
Norton, now an assistant coach for the Bruins, was a member of four bowl-winning teams, including the 1986 Rose Bowl squad which posted a victory over Iowa, while playing linebacker at UCLA from 1984-87 on squads which produced an overall 36-10-2 record. The Bruins also earned a share of the conference title in the 1987 season after tying the school mark for wins with 10. Norton was the team's leading tackler in both the 1986 (106) and 1987 (125) campaigns and was a finalist for the 1987 Butkus Award. He earned All-America honors in 1987 after spearheading one of the nation's top defenses which recorded two shutouts that year and limited nine opponents to less than 20 points. He finished his Bruin career ranked fifth on the all-time school tackles list (339). Norton was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998.
Lee served as the Bruin placekicker in the 1982-85 seasons. He was named a first-team All-American in 1984 and a consensus first-team selection in 1985. At the conclusion of his career, Lee stood atop the NCAA, Conference and UCLA all-time lists for PATs and field goals. In 47 career games, he booted 85 field goals in 100 attempts and converted 135 of 136 extra point attempts, including a streak of 108 straight conversions. His list of NCAA records included most career field goals (85), field goal accuracy (86%) and most field goals in a season (32 in 1984). His 117 kicking points in 1984 is still the most in a single UCLA season. Lee's 390 career points rates second on the all-time school list and he is tied on the UCLA list with Kai Forbath (2007-10) for the most career field goals (85). His 22 consecutive field goals made over the 1984 and 1985 seasons remains a school record. The 2.64 field goals per game average in 1984 set an NCAA single-season record mark. Lee is ranked among the top 10 on the all-time NCAA career field goals per game list (1.80 per game mark). He also holds the school record for most field goals in game - 6 vs. San Diego State in 1984 (tied for 2nd-most in a game on the NCAA record list). Lee was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.
McGovern, UCLA's defensive coordinator, played at Holy Cross and was named a first-team All-America selection as a defensive back in 1984 after leading the nation in interceptions with 11. He also set the Division I-AA career interception record with 24. McGovern was selected to the All-ECAC team in 1983 and 1984 and was team captain in 1984.
The ballot was emailed on Monday to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF's Honors Court, which will deliberate and select the class. The Honors Court, chaired by NFF Board Member and College Football Hall of Famer Archie Griffin from Ohio State, includes an elite and geographically diverse pool of athletic administrators, Hall of Famers and members of the media.
The announcement of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2023, with specific details to be announced in the future. The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5, 2023, and permanently immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. They will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2023 season.