Aikman, Cannon, Holtz head for College Football Hall of Fame

NEW YORK — Troy Aikman, Billy Cannon and Lou Holtz are among the 15 former players and coaches elected Thursday to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Aikman started his college career at Oklahoma, then transferred to UCLA. After two stellar seasons (1987-88) with the Bruins, he was drafted first overall by the Dallas Cowboys.

(enlarge photo) This Dec. 8, 1959 file photo shows Billy Cannon posing with the Heisman Trophy. Cannon, Troy Aikman and Lou Holtz are among the 15 former players and coaches elected Thursday May 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Jacob Harris, File)

Holtz coached six schools to 249 victories in a career that spanned more than 30 years. He won a national title with Notre Dame in 1988.

Cannon played tailback for LSU from 1957-59, winning the Heisman Trophy his senior year.

The other 11 players chosen by the National Football Foundation's selection committee are Virginia offensive tackle Jim Dombrowski; Northwestern linebacker Pat Fitzgerald; Florida linebacker Wilber Marshall; Washington State running back Ruben Mayes; Arizona State guard Randall McDaniel; Syracuse quarterback Don McPherson; Wyoming tight end Jay Novacek; Texas Tech split end Dave Parks; Florida State nose guard Ron Simmons; Oklahoma State running back Thurman Thomas, and Army quarterback Arnold Tucker.

John Cooper, who went 192-84-6 with Tulsa, Arizona State and Ohio State, is the other coach selected for induction.

The latest class will be inducted at the NFF banquet in New York in December and enshrined in the summer of 2009 at the Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind.

___