Raiders legends Raghib Ismail, Darren McFadden among 2019 College Football Hall of Fame class

Tonight is the College Football National Championship game between Alabama and Clemson. Today the College Football Hall of Fame announced their class of 2019. Among them are two former Raiders — Raghib ‘Rocket’ Ismail and Darren McFadden.

Here is the entire class of 15 inductees.

Players:

Terrell Buckley, DB, Florida State (1989-91)

Rickey Dixon, DB, Oklahoma (1984-87)

London Fletcher, LB, John Carroll (1995-97)

Jacob Green, DL, Texas A&M (1977-79)

Torry Holt, WR, NC State (1995-98)

Raghib Ismail, WR, Notre Dame (1988-90)

Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas (2005-07)

Jake Plummer, QB, Arizona State (1993-96)

Troy Polamalu, DB, USC (1999-02)

Joe Thomas, OL, Wisconsin (2003-06)

Lorenzo White, RB, Michigan State (1984-87)

Patrick Willis, LB, Ole Miss (2004-06)

Vince Young, QB, Texas (2003-05)

Coaches:

Dennis Erickson (Miami, Idaho, Oregon State, Arizona State)

Joe Taylor (Howard, Virginia Union, Hampton, Florida A&M)

Both McFadden and Ismail were second in the Heisman voting in their final season of college football. McFadden finished second twice — first losing to Ohio State’s Troy Smith in 2006 and then Florida’s Tim Tebow in 2007. Ismail lost out to BYU’s Ty Detmer. Not exactly a list of successful NFL quarterbacks.

Ismail was a premiere athlete at Notre Dame as a wide receiver, running back, and return specialist. He was the Walter Camp Player of the Year in 1990. He was expected to go with the number one overall pick in the draft, but opted to sign a record deal with the CFL instead. The Raiders made hm their pick in the 4th round of the 1991 draft and two years later, he finally joined the team, playing with them the first three seasons of his 9-year NFL career.

McFadden was a two-time All SEC running back at Arkansas, running for 4590 yards in three years for the Razorbacks. He was so lethal, they had the Wild Hog formation the was designed around him. He too won the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award along with twice winning the Doak Walker Award for the Nation’s top running back in 2006-07. Then in 2008 the Raiders selected him with the 4th overall pick.

The oft-injured back would play 7 seasons with the Raiders, playing in all 16 games just once and topping 1000 yards just once as well. He put up 1157 yards in 13 games in 2010. His time in Oakland ended after the 2014 season and in 2015, at the age of 28, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys where he spent the final three years of his career. He appeared in all 16 games his first season, running for 1089 yards, but injuries hit him hard after that, as he would appear in just 4 games his final two seasons with 25 carries for 85 yards.

The 2019 class will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in a ceremony in New York City on Dec. 10.