Courtesy National Football Foundation/Lucas Peltier
It was Blake Elliott on stage taking his place alongside the greats in college football history Tuesday night.
But the record-setting former Saint John’s University All-American wide receiver made it clear he didn’t get there alone.
Elliott — who helped lead the Johnnies to the 2003 NCAA Division III national title — was officially inducted as a member of the 2025 National Football Foundation (NFF) College Football Hall of Fame Class during the NFF’s 67th Annual Awards Dinner Tuesday night (Dec. 9) at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
From Saint John’s University, a wide receiver and Gagliardi Trophy winner, Blake Elliott.
The newest member of the 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐞. #GoJohnnies | #d3fb pic.twitter.com/82GH3enrG4
— Saint John’s Athletics (@SJUJohnnies) December 10, 2025
“What really hits me in the moment is how fortunate I was to be part of a program that had such a rich history of success,” said Elliott, who ended his career with three NCAA playoff records, two MIAC records and 29 SJU receiving records.
“One of the things I’m most proud of is that my freshman year, we got to the national championship game. My sophomore and junior year we got to the (national) semifinals. Then my senior year, we won a national title. We won (50) games in four years, and that wasn’t just me. It had to do with the environment the players and coaches that were there created.
“This doesn’t happen without that success.”
Elliott became the second Saint John’s inductee into college football’s ultimate shrine, joining his legendary head coach John Gagliardi who spent 60 seasons at SJU, winning four national titles and finishing his career as the all-time leader at any level of college coaching with 489 victories.
Gagliardi, who passed away at age 91 in 2018, was inducted in 2006. And while he wasn’t there in person Tuesday, he was certainly in Elliott’s thoughts.
“There’s a million things that made the culture with John as head coach special,” said Elliott, the winner of the 2003 Gagliardi Trophy, named for his head coach and honoring the most outstanding player each season at the Division III level. “He was the all-time winningest coach in the history of college football. To be part of that, and the ecosystem he created, was amazing.
“There’s no doubt I wouldn’t be sitting here if not for his involvement in the program for (60) years.”
The generational community Gagliardi created at Saint John’s was certainly on display Tuesday when 85 Johnnies showed up to celebrate Elliott’s honor. The previous record for a single inductee in the 66 prior ceremonies was 56.
“Blake’s induction is a proud moment for Saint John’s University, but it’s also a celebration of the community and culture that shaped him,” College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s President Brian Bruess said. “From his teammates and coaches to the generations of Johnnies who supported him, Blake’s success reflects the very best of what it means to be part of Saint John’s – a commitment to excellence, humility and lifting others up along the way.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to see him take his place among the legends of the game.”
Elliott said the members of the Johnnie community who made the trip to Las Vegas weren’t just fans. They are individuals who have become important and lasting parts of his life.
“Selfishly, it’s a great opportunity to connect again with all these people who have meant so much to me for so many years now,” he said. “And it’s not like ‘We’re connecting and reminiscing about 2003, but I haven’t seen you in 22 years. Rather, it’s another opportunity to connect with you, but you’re already a big part of my life.’ That’s what makes Saint John’s so special.
“One of my neighbors and a good buddy of mine went to Indiana University,” Elliott continued. “He said he can’t believe we have Saint John’s people here who are 26 that I’m friends and close with, and Saint John’s people here who are over 70 that I’m friends and close with as well. I think that’s truly unique, and a large part of it goes back to John and the legacy he left.”
Joining Elliott in this year’s class were iconic names like Michael Strahan and Michael Vick, who went on to standout careers in the NFL, and coaching legends like Nick Saban and Urban Meyer.
But Elliott — who after a brief stint with the Minnesota Vikings has gone on to a career working with disabled adults that continues today at DOMA, a Twin Cities-based health and human services company he co-founded — felt a special kinship with former Wisconsin standout running back Montee Ball, who went on to play for the NFL’s Denver Broncos.
“(He) sat right next to me (at the press conference), and from a Midwest perspective, I remember the great career he had at Wisconsin,” Elliott said. “He’s a guy who’s relatively similar to my age. We do a lot of work with the substance abuse population, and I just found out he’s doing really cool things creating high schools for individuals in Denver that are battling addiction – giving these kids a path out. We exchanged numbers and hopefully we can connect about that.
“Then to the left of me was (former Minnesota Gophers star offensive lineman) Greg Eslinger. He still lives in the Twin Cities and I’ve run into him two or three times since (this year’s Hall of Fame class) first came out last January.”
Mark Flynn ’78, a former standout linebacker for the Johnnies who serves as Campbell Trophy Summit Chairman for the NFF — which oversees support, administration and operation for the Hall of Fame — said Elliott’s induction was a much-deserved honor for him and an important milestone for Saint John’s.
“This recognition is meaningful because Blake embodied the ideals that Saint John’s cherishes — servant leadership, competitive fire, and genuine humility,” Flynn said. “The Hall of Fame welcomed a player whose character matched his ability.
“Blake’s induction matters because he didn’t just excel — he elevated everyone around him. That’s the Saint John’s tradition, and the Hall of Fame recognized the kind of leader the game needs more of.”
Rob Culligan ’82, the vice president of institutional advancement at Saint John’s, said being present in the room when Elliott was inducted was indeed a powerful moment.
“Goosebumps,” he said. “That’s the sensation that we all experienced each time the record crowd of Johnnie faithful roared when Blake’s name was mentioned.
“It was a collective emotion of joy and pride — for Blake, for his family, for his teammates and for Saint John’s. It was a ‘pinch me’ moment… a quintessential moment… a Johnnie moment.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Adam Herbst ’99, also a former standout wide receiver for the Johnnies and the current associate vice president of university relations at Saint John’s.
“Seeing Blake take his place in the College Football Hall of Fame was incredibly special,” Herbst said. “He embodies what is best about Saint John’s — humility, excellence, and deep loyalty to our community.
“The number of Johnnies and SJU friends who traveled to Las Vegas to stand with him, and the many cheering from afar, says everything about who we are. No other college shows up for its own the way Saint John’s does.”
Flynn was also proud of the level of support the Saint John’s community on hand showed.
“In a ballroom of 1,900 (people) celebrating the giants of college football, Blake inspired the largest — and unquestionably the loudest — crowd in the room,” he said. “The Johnnies showed up in numbers twice Alabama’s, and everyone heard it.”
Courtesy National Football Foundation/Melissa Macatee