Big Red Football Hall of Fame Inductees – Class of 2019
The CFA is proud to recognize the Class of 2019 Big Red Football Hall of Fame inductees. Formal ceremonies will be held on the evening of Saturday, Oct. 5. The honorees will also be recognized at halftime of the Cornell-Georgetown football game that afternoon (3:00 PM).
Below are brief bios of our esteemed football inductees.
Nathan Ford ’09, Football and Baseball
Ford captained both the football and baseball teams, earning All-Ivy League honors in both sports. A three-year starter in baseball, Ford was a first-team all-league pick as a junior and senior and a second-team selection as a sophomore. He helped guide the Big Red to a division title as a senior. Ford graduated second on the school’s career batting average list (.361) and also ranked among the all-time leaders in slugging percentage (fifth, .537), on-base percentage (sixth, 428), hits (fourth, 181), doubles (third, 38), RBI (sixth, 100) and total bases (fifth, 269), while his .410 batting average as a junior ranked third all-time in a single season. His 59 hits that season ranked second, while his 54 hits as a senior places him in the top 10. He also graduated with the single-season record for doubles (17 in 2008), while his nine home runs as a senior ranked third with the Big Red. In football, Ford was an honorable mention All-Ivy pick as a senior. The three-year starter at quarterback led the Ivy League in both passing (281.5 yards per game) and total offense (284.9 yards per game), ranking 12th and eighth nationally in those categories, respectively, in his final season. He compiled 2,815 passing yards (second at Cornell in a single season) and 12 touchdowns while completing 61 percent of his passes. Ford set school records for completion percentage in a career (.607), consecutive completions (17) and single-game completion percentage (.833, 25-of-30 vs. Dartmouth). Ford had four career 300-yard games and two 400-yard efforts, including a 39-of-63 passing day for 438 yards and two scores in the comeback win at Lehigh, finding teammate Jesse Baker in the end zone from 20 yards out as time expired to win the game. His 6,266 passing yards ranked eighth in Ivy history and second at Cornell, while his 6,707 yards places him ninth in the Ancient Eight. Ford accounted for 37 career touchdowns (26 passing, 11 rushing).
Jim Hanchett ’53, Special Category
A long-time volunteer for the Big Red, Hanchett was chosen to receive the Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award, Cornell’s top award celebrating extraordinary service to the university through volunteer activities, in 2015. The volunteer coordinator for the Continuous Reunion Club over more than 40 years, he served as historian of the Cornell Football Association for many years. Hanchett’s work in 2004-05 researching and gathering memorabilia and artifacts led to the creation of the football program’s Tradition Room. He contributed hundreds of articles to the CFA’s seasonal newsletter and home game programs regarding the storied history of Cornell football. A longtime member of the Cornell University Council and the Student and Academic Services Advisory Council, he served as President of the Class of 1953. He spent a half-century as a writer and editor with the New York Daily News.
Additional Big Red Athletics Inductees
John Glynn ’09, Men’s Lacrosse, Bob Hoffman ’58, Special Category and Men’s Lacrosse, Jordan Leen ’09, Wrestling, Jeomi Maduka ’09, Women’s Basketball and Track & Field, Belen Martinez ’09, Field Hockey, Wes Newman ’09, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Max Seibald ’09, Men’s Lacrosse, Katherine Simmons ’08, Women’s Lacrosse, Linda Trotter ’06, Women’s Track & Field
Please join us in congratulating all of the inductees for their great achievements!
To read the full article, please visit cornellbigred.com.