California football alumnus Alex Mack was officially inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. The ceremony took place Tuesday at the 67th Annual NFF Awards Dinner, held at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Mack becomes the 17th former player and 21st overall member from Cal to be enshrined.
Mack’s achievements will be recognized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. At a press conference before the event, Mack said, “I loved playing football, it’s an incredible game. I did it because it was fun and to get this award is beyond anything I ever dreamed of. I’m filled with gratitude for all of the teammates, coaches, family and friends’ support I had to be here. This was not done alone. I think everyone would nod their head in agreement. None of us got here without the help of a lot of people, and I’m filled with gratitude.”
He was selected for induction on his first appearance on the ballot and is also notable as only the fifth winner of the Campbell Trophy—known as college football’s “Academic Heisman”—to enter the Hall. Mack won this award in 2008 when it was called the Draddy Trophy.
“It’s all going to come full circle tonight when I see the other Campbell Trophy finalists there,” Mack said at the press conference. “I remember having a deep sense of imposter syndrome and feeling unworthy of the award because of the caliber of people who were on the dais with me. To win it that night was incredible, and I feel the same way about all of the gentlemen I’m here with now. I’m blown away.”
The dinner marked several months’ worth of events tied to Mack’s selection for induction, which began with January’s announcement naming him to this year’s class and included recognition during Cal’s homecoming game against Duke on October 4 and his formal entry into Cal Athletics Hall of Fame during a home game against North Carolina on October 17.
During his collegiate career from 2004-08, Mack helped lead Cal to four bowl victories—the Las Vegas Bowl (2005), Holiday Bowl (2006), Armed Forces Bowl (2007), and Emerald Bowl (2008). The Bears achieved a combined record of 34-17 while he played, appearing in national rankings each season he participated. In 2006, Cal tied its single-season record with ten wins, shared a Pac-10 championship for the first time since 1975, and finished No. 14 in final AP rankings; in 2007 they reached as high as No. 2 nationally.
As a senior in 2008, Mack served as team captain, earned Pac-10 Football Scholar-Athlete honors, received his second consecutive All-American recognition by Rivals.com, won his second Morris Trophy as top Pac-10 offensive lineman, made first-team All-Pac-10 for a third straight year, and secured his fourth consecutive Pac-10 All-Academic selection.
After college, Mack entered professional football as a first-round pick by Cleveland Browns in 2009 (No. 21 overall) and went on to play thirteen seasons in the NFL for Cleveland (2009–15), Atlanta Falcons (2016–20), and San Francisco 49ers (2021). His professional accolades include membership on Pro Football Hall of Fame’s NFL All-Decade Team for the 2010s, seven Pro Bowl selections, and three second-team All-Pro honors.
A full list documents Cal’s representatives in the College Football Hall Of Fame: seventeen players—including Stan Barnes (1954), Steve Bartkowski (2012), Vic Bottari (1981), Sam Chapman (1984), Rod Franz (1977), Walter Gordon (1975), Matt Hazeltine (1989), Bob Herwig (1964), Babe Horrell (1969), Jackie Jensen (1984), Joe Kapp (2003), Don McMillian (1971), Craig Morton (1992), Brick Muller (1951), Les Richter (1982), Alex Mack himself this year—and four head coaches: Bill Ingram (1973), Buck Shaw (1972), Andy Smith (1951) and Pappy Waldorf (1966). Additionally noted are Eggs Manske and John Ralston who served as assistant coaches at Cal before their own inductions.
