Thousands of college football fans from across the country will join the National Football Foundation on July 15-16 at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind. for the annual Enshrinement Festival, which will pay tribute to the storied career of Gene Stallings and Ray Childress from Texas A&M University along with 18 other football standouts as they are formally enshrined into the Hall of Fame.
“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to enshrine another exceptional class of college football legends,” said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. “Each year our hard-working honors courts do an outstanding job ensuring the game’s greatest players and coaches find their place on college football’s mountain top. We look forward to celebrating in South Bend with this amazing class and their loyal fans from around the country.”
One of the best in the game, head coach Gene Stallings is known for his time at both Texas A&M and Alabama. Stallings played collegiately at Texas A&M and was a member of the “Junction Boys”. Gene graduated from A&M and became an Alabama assistant from 1958-64 under the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant. After landing the head coaching job at A&M in 1965, Stallings led the Aggies to the 1967 SWC Championship. In 1972, Gene left College Station to become an NFL coach and stayed for 17 seasons until returning to the collegiate gridiron in 1990 as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Following back-to-back bowl appearances in his first two seasons, Stallings led the Tide to the 1992 national championship, posting a 13-0 season record. He also directed Alabama to one Southeastern Conference title (1992), four SEC West Division championships (1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996), five victories in postseason bowl games, and four final top-ten national rankings. Under Stallings’ direction, the Crimson Tide posted a 31-game unbeaten streak spanning the 1991-93 seasons. In 1992, Gene was named the National Coach of the Year. Stallings was appointed to the Texas A&M University Board of Regents by Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2005. His term recently expired Feb. 1, 2011. He and his wife Ruth Ann reside in Powderly, Texas, and have five children.
Known for his leadership on the field, Texas A&M defensive lineman Ray Childress left College Station as one of the best ever to play for the Aggies. Childress played defensive line for the Aggies from 1981-84 and ended his career with 360 career tackles, the most of any defensive lineman in school history. At the conclusion of his time in College Station, Ray found himself second in career sacks. While at A&M, Childress showed an exceptional drive to help his team excel. A two-time All-Southwest Conference selection, he was twice named the AP Player of the Week and helped the Aggies beat Oklahoma State in the 1981 Independence Bowl. Childress, a 1985 Aggie graduate, would go on to become the third player selected in the 1985 NFL draft and played 11 seasons with the Houston Oilers. He earned All-Pro honors six times and made five Pro Bowl appearances. Ray finished his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys, retiring in 1996. Childress and his wife Kara helped form the Childress Foundation to aid at-risk youth and Ray is the former Chairman & CEO of the Ray Childress Auto Group. His son Wells is currently a redshirt freshman on the Aggie football team. Childress and his wife reside in the Houston area.
Fans will have a variety of family-friendly and affordable opportunities to meet and mingle with the enshrinees during this spectacular event. The jam-packed weekend will include a celebrity golf tournament, a fan festival, a grand parade, a youth football clinic, ribs cook-off, and block party with live music and fireworks. The festival will conclude with the Enshrinement Dinner & Show on Saturday evening.
“The College Football Hall of Fame is elated to bring another Enshrinement Festival to our community,” said Hall of Fame Executive Director Lisa Klunder. “The 2011 Enshrinement Festival promises to be even better than the last as we continue our tradition of excellence by enhancing each of our events that are engaging for the entire family. We are excited to welcome the large groups of fans and alumni that will be joining us from across the country to celebrate with this year’s class of outstanding Hall of Famers as they receive college football’s greatest honor.”