From staff and wire reports

Kevin Faulk and Bradie James, two of the most decorated players in LSU football history, are the ballots for the College Football Hall of Fame.

The National Football Foundation announced on Wednesday the players and coaches eligible for election into the Hall, and 26 of the 78 Football Bowl Subdivision players will be debuting on the ballot.

Faulk, from Carencro, is appearing in the ballot for a fifth time, while James, Monroe, is making his first appearance.

One of the all-time LSU greats and a member of the Louisiana Sports, LSU Athletic and New England Patriots halls of fame, Faulk helped lead the Tigers to three bowl appearances from 1995-97. He earned first-team Associated Press All-America honors as an all-purpose back in 1996.

Faulk retired from the NFL in 2012 after 13 years with New England, where he won three Super Bowl titles. Faulk, a 1999 graduate, serves as LSU’s running backs coach.

He finished as LSU’s career with a school records for rushing yards (4,557) and rushing touchdowns (46). He owns the Southeastern Conference record for all-purpose yards (6,833). Faulk owns 10 LSU records.

James, who graduated in 2003, was a first-team All-America selection as a senior in 2002. A twotime All-SEC linebacker in 2001 and 2002, James owns LSU’s single-season record for tackles (154). He ranks No. 2 in LSU history for tackles in a career with 418.

James was a 2002 NFF Scholar-Athlete and was named to the 2001 SEC Academic Honor Roll.

James was a 2019 inductee into the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame.

He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He spent 10 years in the NFL, nine with the Cowboys and one with the Houston Texans. He led the Cowboys in tackles a franchise-record six consecutive seasons.

LSU is represented in the Hall of Fame by players Gus Tinsley, Ken Kavanaugh Sr., Abe Mickal, Doc Fenton, Tommy Casanova, Billy Cannon, Jerry Stovall, Charles Alexander, Bert Jones, and Glenn Dorsey and coaches Dana Bible, Mike Donahue, Biff Jones, Bernie Moore and Charles McClendon.

Former Southern California star Reggie Bush, who had his Heisman Trophy victory in 2005 vacated for committing NCAA violations, is among the players making their first appearance on the ballot.

Other first-timers on the ballot included quarterbacks Andrew Luck of Stanford and Kellen Moore of Boise State, Penn State star linebackers LaVar Arrington and Paul Posluszny and former California running back Marshawn Lynch.

Bush’s Hall of Fame case is most intriguing. Based solely on his play, he would be a slam dunk. Bush helped USC win two national titles and won the Heisman Trophy as a junior in 2005.

He averaged 7.3 yards per carry in his career at USC, including 8.7 yards during his Heisman-winning season.

But his Heisman was later vacated after USC was hit with NCAA sanctions when it was found that Bush and his family received money and gifts during his time with the Trojans from fledgling marketing agents who were hoping to represent the rising football star.

The Heisman Trophy Trust asked Bush to return his trophy in 2010 and stripped him from its record books because he had compromised his NCAA eligibility while playing for USC.

The NCAA imposed a 10-year ban on Bush associating publicly with USC. That ended last year. USC joyously welcomed Bush back into the Trojans community and started making plans to honor him.

When the NCAA-imposed disassociation ended, it allowed USC to nominate Bush as a Hall of Fame candidate.

Bush otherwise could have been eligible for the hall and appeared on the ballot as early as 2017, a year after his 11-year NFL career ended.

Bradie James one of the most decorated players in LSU football history, is on the ballots for the College Football Hall of Fame.