By: Ryan Klinkner, SJU Director of Athletic Communications
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COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John’s University and The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced they will jointly honor 2025 College Football Hall of Fame electee Blake Elliott ’03 with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments®.
Blake Elliott Day will take place on Saturday, Sept. 13 – the Johnnies’ home and season opener against Minnesota-Morris at 1 p.m. in Clemens Stadium.
The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program, which began with the inaugural NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class in 1951, has become a hallowed tradition, serving as the first of numerous activities in each electee’s Hall of Fame experience.
During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each member of the 2025 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class returns to his respective school to accept a Hall of Fame plaque that will stay on permanent display at the institution. The events take place on the field during a home game, and many Hall of Famers cite the experience as the ultimate capstone to their careers, providing them one more chance to take the field and be recognized in front of their home crowd.
“The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute tradition allows us the opportunity to celebrate each inductee back where their journey began—among the fans and communities that helped shape their legendary careers,” NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell said. “We look forward to celebrating the amazing careers of the 2025 NFF Hall of Fame Class with the tens of thousands of fans who will witness an on-campus salute this year, creating a truly memorable experience for each inductee.”
A 2019 inductee into the SJU J-Club’s Hall of Honor, Elliott joins his head coach, SJU’s legendary John Gagliardi in the College Football Hall of Fame. Gagliardi, who was inducted in 2006, is college football’s all-time wins leader and the namesake of the Gagliardi Trophy, presented annually to the top player in Division III.
Elliott is the first College Football Hall of Fame inductee from the Division III level since John Carroll linebacker London Fletcher – a 16-year veteran of the NFL – earned the honor in 2019.
The Melrose, Minnesota native ended his career with three NCAA playoff records, two MIAC records and 29 SJU receiving records. Elliott, who was also a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy in 2002, was invited to play in both the AFCA Aztec Bowl and Hula Bowl following the 2003 season. His NCAA all-divisions record for consecutive games played with a reception (47) was not broken until 2008.
He finished his career second all-time in all NCAA divisions in catches (327) and second in NCAA Division III in touchdown receptions (56). Elliott posted 369 receptions for 4,826 yards and 63 touchdowns in his career, as well as rushing for 744 yards and eight touchdowns on 109 carries (prior to the 2002 season, the NCAA did not recognize playoff-game stats in season or career totals).
Elliott was just as dangerous on special teams, totaling 3,065 yards and seven touchdowns on 195 returns, kickoff and punt combined.
In addition to Elliott, the 2025 class includes Montee Ball (Wisconsin); Gregg Carr (Auburn); Greg Eslinger (Minnesota); Terry Hanratty (Notre Dame); Graham Harrell (Texas Tech); John Henderson (Tennessee); Michael Huff (Texas); Jim Kleinsasser (North Dakota); Alex Mack (California); Terrence Metcalf (Mississippi); Haloti Ngata (Oregon); Steve Slaton (West Virginia); Darrin Smith (Miami, Fla.); Michael Strahan (Texas Southern); Dennis Thurman (Southern California); Michael Vick (Virginia Tech); Ryan Yarborough (Wyoming); and coaches Larry Blakeney (Troy); Larry Korver (Northwestern, Iowa); Urban Meyer (Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, Ohio State); and Nick Saban (Toledo, Michigan State, Louisiana State, Alabama).
The 2025 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the National Football Foundation’s 67th Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Click here for more information on the Awards Dinner, including options to purchase tickets online, special travel rates to the event from Delta Air Lines and hotel rates at the Bellagio.
Fidelity Investments has served as the national presenting sponsor of the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes since 2010. Fidelity is also the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, and helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes, which recognize the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives around the country, in 2011.
Of the 5.78 million individuals who have played college football since the Princeton-Rutgers game on Nov. 6, 1869, only 1,111 players have earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame – that’s less than two one-hundredths (.0002) of one percent of those who have played the game during the past 155 years. From the coaching ranks, 237 individuals have achieved Hall of Fame distinction.
To be eligible for the ballot, players must have been named a first-team All-American by a major/national selector as recognized and utilized by the NCAA for their consensus All-America teams; played their last year of intercollegiate football at least 10 years prior; played within the last 50 years; and cannot be currently playing professional football.