Former Denver Broncos inside linebacker Al Wilson has been voted into to the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame class, the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced Monday.
Wilson played college football at Tennessee, helping the Volunteers go on an undefeated national championship run in 1998. Wilson earned first-team All-SEC honors in 1997 and first-team All-SEC and first-team All-American honors as a senior in 1998.
In four years with the Vols (42 games), Wilson totaled 272 tackles — including 27 tackles for losses — 11 sacks, eight forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 10 pass breakups and two interceptions.
Wilson played with quarterback Peyton Manning at Tennessee. Manning was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
Wilson was selected by Denver in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft. He went on to earn five Pro Bowl selections in the NFL, totaling 714 tackles, 21.5 sacks, five interceptions and eight forced fumbles as a pro.
After a fallout with the Broncos near the end of his career, Wilson filed a malpractice suit against the team and lost. His relationship with Denver started to mend in 2018 and he announced one of the team’s draft picks in 2019. Wilson belongs in the club’s Ring of Fame.
Three other Broncos players — cornerback Champ Bailey (Georgia), kicker Jason Elam (Hawaii) and wide receiver Ed McCaffrey (Stanford) were nominated for the Hall of Fame did not make the final cut.
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