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COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Former Saint John's University award-winning student-athlete Blake Elliott '03 was named to the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the second consecutive year on Wednesday, Oct. 22.

The announcement of the 2015 inductees, including the players and coaches from both the Football Bowl Division and the divisional ranks, will be made Friday, Jan. 9, at the media hotel in close proximity to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and the site of the Jan. 12 College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship Game. Several of the inductees will be on site to represent the class, sharing their thoughts on induction and also participating in the Jan. 12 pre-game festivities. The Jan. 9 announcement will be carried live on www.footballfoundation.org.

Another major change in this year's balloting is the National Football Foundation (NFF) has moved to an electronic voting system. The ballot was emailed Oct. 22 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 deliberates and selects the class. Chaired by Gene Corrigan, a former ACC Commissioner and NCAA president, the 17-member NFF Honors Court includes an elite and geographically diverse pool of athletic administrators, Hall of Famers and members of the media.

Elliott is one of 87 former student-athletes from the Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II and III, NAIA and junior college on the ballot. 

The new tradition of announcing the College Football Hall of Fame inductees on the Friday before the national title game will have no impact on the induction ceremonies, which will continue to take place during the NFF Annual Awards Dinner in New York City at the Waldorf Astoria, and the 2015 class will be inducted Dec. 8, 2015. This new tradition sets the calendar for several years. 

To be eligible for the ballot, players must have been named a first-team All-American by a major/national selector as recognized and utilized by the NCAA for their consensus All-America teams; played their last year of intercollegiate football at least 10 years prior; played within the last 50 years and cannot be currently playing professional football. Coaches must have coached a minimum of 10 years and 100 games as a head coach; won at least 60 percent of their games; and be retired from coaching for at least three years. If a coach is retired and over the age of 70, there is no waiting period. If he is over the age of 75, he is eligible as an active coach. In both cases, the candidate's post-football record as a citizen may also be weighed.

Once nominated for consideration, all player candidates are submitted to one of eight District Screening Committees, depending on their school's geographic location, which conducts a vote to determine who will appear on the ballot and represent their respective districts. Each year, approximately 15 candidates, who are not selected for the Hall of Fame, will be named automatic holdovers and will bypass the district screening process and automatically appear on the ballot the following year. Additionally, the Veterans Committee may make recommendations to the Honors Court for exceptions that allow for the induction of players who played more than 50 years ago.

Of the 5.06 million individuals who have played college football since Princeton first battled Rutgers on Nov. 6, 1869, only 948 players have earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, or less than two ten-thousandths (.0002) of one percent of those who have played the game during the past 146 years. From the coaching ranks, 207 individuals have achieved Hall of Fame distinction.

Elliott excelled for the Johnnies for four years and ended his career as the recipient of the Gagliardi Trophy and a national championship in 2003; a season that included former head coach John Gagliardi's record-breaking 409th career victory. He owns the NCAA all-divisions record for consecutive games played with a reception (47), three NCAA playoff records, two MIAC records and 29 SJU receiving records. Elliott was a three-time All-American, a two-time MIAC Player of the Year, a Gagliardi Trophy finalist as a junior in 2002, and was invited to play in both the AFCA Aztec Bowl and Hula Bowl following the 2003 season.

He ended his career second all-time in all NCAA divisions in catches (327) and second in NCAA Division III in touchdown receptions (56). Elliott posted 369 receptions for 4,826 yards and 63 touchdowns in his career, as well as 744 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 109 carries (prior to the 2002 season, the NCAA did not recognize playoff-game stats in season or career totals). Elliott was just as dangerous on special teams as he was on the offensive side of the ball, totaling 3,065 yards and seven touchdowns on 195 returns, kickoff and punt combined.