Former Crimson Tide All-American Langham named to College Football Hall of Fame

Former Alabama defensive back Antonio Langham was named to the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame class on Monday. (Photo courtesy Paul Bryant Museum)

By TIM GAYLE

Former Alabama All-American Antonio Langham is among the 19 players and three coaches that are part of the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame class announced on Monday afternoon. 

Langham is the 27th Crimson Tide player or coach selected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

His 27-yard interception return of Florida quarterback Shane Matthews’ pass in the inaugural Southeastern Conference Championship Game at Legion Field is widely considered one of the most consequential plays in college football history and not only cemented the concept of a conference championship game with the game’s finish but the Tide's undefeated run to the 1992 national title.

A three-time all-SEC selection, Langham served as the captain of the 1993 Crimson Tide and owns the school’s career interception record with 19 interceptions, which ranks second in SEC history. Three of those returns went for touchdowns. He helped Alabama to the national and conference championship in 1992 as well as a berth in the SEC Championship Game in 1993. 

Selected in the first round (ninth overall) of the 1994 NFL draft by Cleveland, Langham was named the 1994 NFL Rookie of the Year by the Pro Football Writers Association. He played seven years in the NFL, including stints with the Browns, Ravens, 49ers and Patriots. He is one of only two players to have played for the Cleveland Browns before they became the Baltimore Ravens and then return to the Browns after the expansion team formed in 1999.

Langham is one of eight unanimous first team All-Americans from the 2024 Hall of Fame class and joins Colorado defensive back Deon Figures as a Jim Thorpe Award winner, presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate defensive back. He is one of 12 first-round draft picks from the 2024 class and one of 10 players who played for Hall of Fame coaches.

Langham and his coach, Gene Stallings, are among the three Alabama selections from the post-Paul Bryant era, along with 2014 inductee Derrick Thomas.  

To be selected as a Hall of Famer, the player must be a first team All-America selection who is 10 years removed from his final year as a collegiate player. While his college career is the prime consideration, his post football record as a citizen is also weighed. 

The Town Creek native, who starred at Hazlewood High and now resides in Birmingham, is the president of a real estate firm and has spent the past decade working as a volunteer secondary coach at the high school level. He volunteers at the Children’s Village, which provides a “family unit” for orphaned, abused or neglected children and as greeter at Christian Life Church. In 2018, he served as the guest host for the annual Kevin Turner Golf Tournament in Prattville to help raise money for the YMCA.

The 19 first team All-America players and three standout coaches in the 2024 class were selected from the national ballot of 78 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 101 players and 32 coaches from the divisional ranks.

Langham is one of only two former Southeastern Conference players in the class, along with Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch (1996-98). Among the other members of the class are Florida State tailback Warrick Dunn (1993-96), Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (2002-03), Stanford tailback Toby Gerhart (2006-09), Marshall wide receiver Randy Moss (1996-97), North Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers (1999-2001), Utah quarterback Alex Smith (2002-04) and Texas A&M cornerback Kevin Smith (1988-91). 

Coaches selected for the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame include former Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, former Division II Bloomsburg coach Danny Hale and former Nebraska and Ohio coach Frank Solich, the winningest coach in Mid-American Conference history who coached his Bobcats to the Camellia Bowl in 2015.   

The 2024 College Football Hall of Fame class will officially be inducted during the 66th National Football Foundation annual awards dinner Dec. 10 at Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.