Two Detroit Lions Stars Named to College Football Hall

Two former Detroit Lions players are heading to the College Football Hall of Fame, and their college stats prove they earned every bit of this honor.

Herman Moore and Ndamukong Suh were named to the National Football Foundation's 2026 Hall of Fame Class this week. Both players dominated at the college level before becoming Lions draft picks who changed the game in Detroit.

Moore lit up the field at Virginia from 1988 to 1990, helping the Cavaliers capture their first No. 1 national ranking in 1990. The 6-foot-4 receiver from Danville, Virginia, finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting that year after putting up numbers that rewrote the ACC record books.

His 1,190 receiving yards in a single season set an ACC record, along with his 13 touchdown catches. When Moore left Virginia, he held every major receiving record the school had, including 2,504 career receiving yards and 27 touchdowns.

Suh's story at Nebraska is equally impressive. In 2009, he anchored a defense that allowed just 10.4 points per game, the best in the entire nation. He racked up 21 tackles for loss and 12 sacks that season while earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors.

His performance in the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game against Texas still stands out. Suh recorded seven tackles for loss, tying a Nebraska school record in one of the biggest games of the year.

Why This Inspires

Both players proved that excellence builds on itself. Moore's college success launched an 11-season NFL career with 670 catches and four Pro Bowl selections. Suh turned his Nebraska dominance into NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and three first-team All-Pro nods with Detroit.

Their journeys show how hard work at every level creates lasting legacies that inspire the next generation of athletes.

The two Lions legends will officially join the Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Las Vegas on December 8, 2026.