Football: Hennings inducted into college hall of fame

  • Published
  • By Wayne Amann
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AFPN) --  A former U.S. Air Force Academy football player was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame Dec. 5 in New York City.

Chad Hennings, a 1988 academy graduate, was inducted into the 2006 College Football Hall of Fame Division I-A Class at the 49th Annual Awards Dinner.

A unanimous first-team All-America selection in 1987, Hennings received the Outland Trophy as the nation's top interior lineman. A two-time first-team all-conference selection, he is a member of the Western Athletic Conference all-time team and was named WAC defensive player of the decade for the 1980s.

Hennings led the nation with 24 sacks in 1987 and played in numerous post-season all-star games including the Japan Bowl and East-West Shrine Game. He is a two-time first-team academic All-American and earned academic All-WAC honors three times. Hennings also received the Stan Bates Award as the conference's top scholar-athlete in 1987.

"To be recognized with this honor is a testament to the guys I played with at the Academy," the Iowa product said.

"This is a great day for Falcon football. Chad has brought distinction to the academy, Falcon football and himself. Nobody ever deserved to be in the Hall of Fame more than Chad," Air Force head coach Fisher DeBerry said. "This signifies him as one of the best that ever played the game. This award not only speaks to his football ability, but to his outstanding character and personal qualities and attitudes."

He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1988 NFL Draft. First, Hennings fulfilled a four-year military commitment, serving during the first Gulf War. In 1992, he rejoined the Cowboys and embarked on a nine-year NFL career that brought him three Super Bowl titles.

"If anyone ever lived the core values of the academy and the Air Force to the limit, it's Chad. The epitome of integrity, service and excellence, he fulfilled his commitment to the Air Force as an A-10 (Thunderbolt II) pilot in Desert Storm, was given the opportunity to fulfill his Academy commitment early, and only then opted to give the NFL a try. The rest is history, but Chad never forgot his roots here," said Dr. Hans Mueh, academy athletic director and a member of the academic faculty while Hennings was a cadet. "He continues to support us as a role model to our cadets and he's a strong supporter of the athletic program. I'm honored to know him and proud to call him a friend."

Hennings was one of 13 players and two coaches to enter the Hall of Fame from a ballot of 77 candidates and a pool of hundreds of eligible nominees. They will be officially enshrined at the Hall in South Bend, Ind., during ceremonies in the summer of 2007.

Hennings joins Brock Strom of the class of 1959 as the only other Falcon player in the Hall of Fame. Former coach L.T. "Buck" Shaw, who coached the academy from 1956 to 1957, is the only former coach inducted.

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