Paul Cameron to Be Inducted Into College Football Hall of Fame
January 08, 2024 | Football
UCLA's Paul Cameron will be welcomed into the College Football Hall of Fame in a ceremony on Dec. 10, 2024 when the National Football Foundation holds its 66thย NFF Annual Awards Dinner presented by Las Vegas at the Bellagio Resort & Casino. The 2024 College Football Hall of Fame class will be officially inducted in ceremonies held around the dinner.
Cameron played halfback for the Bruins from 1951-53 and twice finished amongย the top sixย in the voting for the Heisman Trophy โ third in 1953 and sixth in 1952. His UCLA teams posted a combined 21-6-1 record and finished first or second in the Pacific Coast Conference each season. The Bruins were ranked among the nation's top 10 teams in the final APย and UPI polls in the 1952 (sixth in both polls) and 1953 (fourth in UPI and fifth in AP) seasons.
The Burbank High School productย earned consensus All-America honors following the 1953 campaign when he led UCLA to the 1954 Rose Bowl Game against Michigan State. Heย pacedย UCLA in rushing in 1951 (597 yards) and 1953 (665) from his single-wing halfback position and tied a school record by scoring 13 touchdowns (78 points) in 1953. For three straight seasons, he topped the team in total offense yards โ 1951 (1,482 yards), 1952 (707), 1953 (1,143) โ and pass completions 1951 (66 with 10 TD passes), 1952 (36 with 8 TD passes) and 1953 (39 with 7 TD passes). Cameron also established a school record with 23 punt returns for a 13.1-yard average in 1953. He was selected Team MVP after the 1951 and 1953 seasons, playing both ways in 1953 when he also led the team in interceptions, with four. After his stellar career, UCLA retired his No. 34 jersey number.
Cameron completed his UCLA gridiron career as the school leader in total offense (3,332 yards), touchdown passes (25) and punting average (41.83). He was second on UCLA's pass completions list with 141 and fourth on the Bruin all-time rushing list (1,451 yards). Cameronย was enshrined into UCLA's Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984 as a charter member.
Cameron went on to be selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1954 NFL Draft. He played one season in Pittsburgh and picked off seven passes while playing safety. After a two-year stint in the military,ย heย returnedย to play three more seasons of professional football with the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League. When hisย football ended, he pursued opportunities in the motion picture business.
In December, Cameron will become UCLA's 17th inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame โ
Kenny Washington -- played halfback at UCLA from 1937-39 (Hall of Fame Class of 1956)
Al Sparlis -- played guard at UCLA from 1941-42, 45 (Hall of Fame Class of 1983)
Tom Fears -- played receiver at UCLA from 1946-47 (Hall of Fame Class of 1976)
Henry R. Red Sanders -- head coach at UCLA from 1949-57 (Hall of Fame Class of 1996)
Donn Moomaw -- played linebacker/center at UCLA from 1950-52 (Hall of Fame Class of 1973)
Billy Kilmer -- played single-wing halfback at UCLA from 1958-60 (Hall of Fame Class of 1999)
Gary Beban -- played quarterback at UCLA from 1965-67 (Hall of Fame Class of 1988)
Tommy Prothro -- head coach at UCLA from 1965-70 (Hall of Fame Class of 1991)
John Sciarra -- played quarterback at UCLA from 1972-75 (Hall of Fame Class of 2014)
Randy Cross -- played offensive guard and center at UCLA from 1973-75 (Hall of Fame Class of 2010)
Jerry Robinson -- starter at linebacker at UCLA from 1976-78 (Hall of Fame Class of 1996)
Terry Donahue -- head coach at UCLA from 1976-95 (Hall of Fame Class of 2000)
Kenny Easley -- played safety at UCLA from 1977-80 (Hall of Fame Class of 1991)
Troy Aikman -- starter at UCLA from 1987-88 (Hall of Fame Class of 2008)
Jonathan Ogden -- played offensive tackle at UCLA from 1992-95 (Hall of Fame Class of 2012)
Cade McNown -- starter at quarterback at UCLA from 1995-98 (Hall of Fame Class of 2020)
2024 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS
ย
PLAYERS:
- Justin Blackmonย โ WR, Oklahoma State (2009-11)
- Paul Cameronย โ TB, UCLA (1951-53)
- Tim Couchย โ QB, Kentucky (1996-98)
- Warrick Dunnย โ RB, Florida State (1993-96)
- Armanti Edwardsย โ QB, Appalachian State (2006-09)
- Deon Figuresย โ CB, Colorado (1988, 1990-92)
- Larry Fitzgeraldย โ WR, Pittsburgh (2002-03)
- Toby Gerhartย โ RB, Stanford (2006-09)
- Dan Hamptonย โ DT, Arkansas (1975-78)
- Steve Hutchinsonย โ OG, Michigan (1997-2000)
- Antonio Langhamย โ CB, Alabama (1990-93)
- Randy Mossย โ WR, Marshall (1996-97)
- Julius Peppersย โ DE, North Carolina (1999-2001)
- Paul Poslusznyย โ LB, Penn State (2003-06)
- Dewey Selmonย โ NG, Oklahoma (1972-75)
- Alex Smithย โ QB, Utah (2002-04)
- Kevin Smithย โ CB, Texas A&M (1988-91)
- Chris Wardย โ OT, Ohio State (1974-77)
- Danny Woodheadย โ RB, Chadron State [NE] (2004-07)ย
COACHES:
- Mark Dantonioย โ 132-74-0: Cincinnati (2004-06), Michigan State (2007-19)
- Danny Haleย โ 213-69-1: West Chester [PA] (1984-88), Bloomsburg [PA] (1993-2012)ย
- Frank Solichย โ 173-101-0: Nebraska (1998-2003), Ohio (2005-2020)ย