Bill Kollar on College Hall of Fame ballot

[TomCat88]

Just got word that Kollar is on the ballot. A lot of players nominated. I think he’s a lock though.

Bill Kollar, Montana State-Defensive End-1973 First Team All-America selection, earning Second Team All-America accolades in 1972…1972 Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year and first lineman in conference history to earn First Team honors three times…First defensive player to earn Senior Bowl MVP honors (1974).

One of just four non-FBS players to win Senior Bowl MVP. Neil Lomax (Portland St) Terry Bradshaw (La. Tech) and Gene Filipski (Villanova) were the others.

[iaafan]

He definitely has the best lower division credentials.

[seataccat]

I thought he already was a hall of famer.

[seataccat]

I had an NFL scout tell me that he was way to strong for his frame. Which is why his NFL career was cut short.

[DriscollCat]

I thought he already was a hall of famer.

I'm thinking college hall of fame vs NFL.

[TomCat88]

I thought he already was a hall of famer.

I'm thinking college hall of fame vs NFL.

He’s in the MSU and Senior Bowl HOFs. The College HOF is a huge deal. Dave Dickenson was inducted last year (or the year before).

The Big Sky made a huge gaffe when it didn’t include him on the 50-year anniversary top 50 athletes. Huge gaffe.

[TomCat88]

From MSU:

BOZEMAN, Montana – Montana State football legend Bill Kollar, a long-time NFL assistant coach currently with the Denver Broncos, landed on the ballot for National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame’s 2020 induction class on Monday.

Kollar was a First Team All-America at MSU in 1973 after earning Second Team accolades in 1972. He was also named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year by the UPI as a junior in 1972, and was the first lineman in conference history to earn First Team honors three times. He was MVP of the 1974 Senior Bowl, the first defensive player so honored, and was drafted with the 24th selection of the 1974 NFL Draft by Cincinnati. He earned All-Rookie honors that season, and played with the Bengals until 1977 before finishing his career with Tampa Bay (1977-82).

A native of Warren, Ohio, Kollar’s number is one of four retired at Montana State and he was inducted into the Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame. He has coached with Tampa Bay (1984), St. Louis (2001-05), Buffalo (2006-08), Houston (2009-14) and Denver (2015-present) in the NFL after beginning his career as a college coach.

#GoCatsGo

[HelenaCat]

Well deserved. Kollar was such a stud in college, just unstoppable when he was healthy.

[iaafan]

He definitely has the best lower division credentials.

I believe the voters are just supposed to look at the college performance and, if so, I like his chances. They also have to pick at least one small school player. There are several players who’ve won Payton and Buchanan awards, but I consider the Senior Bowl MVP more prestigious than that.

He doesn’t have the name recognition of Tony Romo and Steve McNair. However, if they look at NFL stuff, then being a first round selection and his long tenure as an assistant are in his favor.

[BLACKnBLUEnGOLD]

I had an NFL scout tell me that he was way to strong for his frame. Which is why his NFL career was cut short.

Short? An 8-year NFL career is nothing to sneeze at.

[imacat]

Bill was an integral part of the first Tampa Bay team to play in the Super Bowl. He was a very productive NFL player.

[TomCat88]

Bill was an integral part of the first Tampa Bay team to play in the Super Bowl. He was a very productive NFL player.

First? I thought they lost to the Rams in NFC championship game. That was a great D. Lee Roy Selmon was on the line with him.

[imacat]

You are correct. I was not remembering correctly.

[JDoub]

I had an NFL scout tell me that he was way to strong for his frame. Which is why his NFL career was cut short.

Short? An 8-year NFL career is nothing to sneeze at.

<a href="https://www.statista.com/stati ... atista</a>

Average NFL Career (NFLPA) = 3.3 years
For Pro Bowlers = 11.7 years
For 1st Round draft picks = 9.3 years
For 3 pensioned seasons min. = 7.1 years
For QB's = 4.4 years
For CB's = 2.94 years
For WR's = 2.8 years
For RB's = 2.57 years

So by the stats, Kollar's NFL career was above expectations, and way above average, even if it was cut short.

#77 was my hero in 3-4th grades at Longfellow Elementary. man among boys. absolute destroyer