NEW YORK - Washington State University offensive lineman Mike Utley was officially inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame at The National Football Foundation Awards Dinner held at New York City's historic Waldorf Astoria Hotel Tuesday evening.

"This is very overwhelming," Utley said in a release after the initial announcement in January. "Washington State University and head coach Jim Walden gave me an opportunity and I told him I would give 100 percent of myself. Playing for the Cougars was a wonderful experience and hopefully I've been able to pay it forward." "I speak for Cougars everywhere when I say how proud we are of Mike receiving this prestigious and well deserved honor," said WSU Director of Athletics Bill Moos. "He was a dominating player and truly one of the best to ever play the game. "

Utley is the first Cougar player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame since running back Rueben Mayes was enshrined in 2008. Additional Cougars in the College Hall of Fame include tackle Glen "Turk" Edwards (1929-31), enshrined in 1975, and center Mel Hein (1928-30), who was the first Cougar to be inducted in 1954. He also joins head coaches Orin "Babe" Hollingbery (1979), Forest "Evy" Evashevski (2000) and William "Lone Star" Dietz (2012), giving WSU seven individuals in the Hall of Fame. Hollingbery coached WSU from 1926-42, Evashevski from 1950-51 and Dietz from 1915-17.

"At the end of the day I hope I represented Washington State University in a manner my parents would be proud, and I believe I have," said Utley.

Utley, who played for the Cougars from 1984-88, concluded his senior campaign as a Consensus First-Team All-American, only the second in school history. He received All-America First-Team honors from the Associated Press, United Press International, Scripps-Howard, Football News, the Football Writers of America and the American Football Coaches Association. A two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference First-Team selection, Utley helped the Cougars to a 9-3 record and a victory over Houston  in the 1988 Aloha Bowl. That same season he was selected to play in the Hula Bowl, East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl.

"My fondest memory of Washington State, and it was two different occasions, was the first time I ran out of the tunnel, in uniform, into Martin Stadium and the last time I ran through the tunnel into Martin Stadium," said Utley. "That was always a special feeling but those two times continue to mean a lot to me."

Taken in the third round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, Utley played three seasons in the NFL before suffering from spinal cord injuries that left him paralyzed from the chest and elbows down. He has since regained the use of his shoulders, arms and hands, and even has partial movement in his legs. The Lions renamed their Spirit Award as the Mike Utley Spirit Award in his honor. He received the WSU Alumni Achievement Award in 2007 and the Walter Camp Man of the Year Award in 2006.

Since his paralysis, Utley has won dozens of awards for community service and his work with those suffering from spinal cord injuries. He established the Mike Utley Foundation in 1992, which provides research, rehab and education for those living with spinal cord injuries and financially supports rehabilitation projects as well as patient/family assistance programs.

Utley provides three scholarships for patients at Detroit Medical Center's Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, and he founded the Mike Utley Rehabilitation Scholarship Program. He also established the Mike Utley Center for Human Performance in Detroit, the Mike Utley Terrain Park in Englewood, Colo. And the Mike Utley Terrain Training Course in Atlanta.

Joining Utley in the Class of 2016 are quarterback Marlin Briscoe (Nebraska Omaha, 1964-67), linebacker Derrick Brooks (Florida State, 1991-94), linebacker Tom Cousineau (Ohio State, 1975-78), quarterback/punter Randall Cunningham (UNLV, 1982-84), tailback Troy Davis (Iowa State, 1994-96), defensive tackle William Fuller (North Carolina, 1981-83), quarterback Bert Jones (LSU, 1970-72), defensive lineman Tim Krumrie (Wisconsin, 1979-82), tight end Pat McInally (Harvard, 1972-74), defensive end Herb Orvis (Colorado, 1969-71), linebacker Bill Royce (Ohio, 1990-93), defensive back Scott Woerner (Georgia, 1977-80) and defensive back Rod Woodson (Purdue, 1983-86). Additionally, two coaches were named to the induction class, Bill Bowes, who amassed a career record of 175-106-5 at New Hampshire; and Frank Girardi, who boasts a career record of 257-97-5 while coaching at Lycoming (Pa.).
 
Earlier this season, Utley was recognized on the field during WSU's win over UCLA. Utley was joined by Washington State University Director of Athletics Bill Moos, National Football Foundation Chief Operating Office Matthew Sign, National Football Foundation Board Member Jon Taylor, Fidelity Investments representative Scott Bruce, Utley's wife, Danielle, along with former offensive line coaches Steve Morton and Gregg Smith.
 
The inductees will also be honored at the National Hall of Fame Salute at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 31, and they will also take part in a series of events at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta where their accomplishments will be forever immortalized.



MIKE UTLEY COMMENTS AT NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION PRESS CONFERENCE
Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016
 
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: From 1985-'88 Washington State offensive guard Mike Utley. '88 consensus First Team All-American, Mike led Washington State offense that ranked third nationally that season. You look at Luke Falk's numbers this year. Pretty impressive. Top five passing, 4200 some-odd yards, 37 touchdowns. But you had Mark Rypien. You had Timm Rosenbach. What was it like for you to anchor offenses that's finished among the best in school history?
MIKE UTLEY: First of all, I want to say thank you for the College Hall of Fame for bringing me out here. And it's an honor. But also listening to some of these linebackers with the great tackles and the numbers, obviously, they didn't play against guards that didn't do their damn job. But besides that... (laughter) But it was a pleasure to have guys like Mark Rypien, Ed Blount, and Timm Rosenbach and being able to compete. And that's what I really enjoyed the most, is being able to find a way to work with the other four guys and create a unity. And that's -- it's a family, being able to be up here with these guys and honestly say I enjoyed the game of football. I have no regrets. And watching these other guys like Mark Rypien becoming MVP of Super Bowl, it's just being a part of a group of men that gave 100% of themselves every play and every moment and trying to live the best way you can by example, you know, being tough on the field for a little fellow coming up and making a difference. And that's what we're trying to do and being able to fight for a moment, what God gave you the talent that he gave us to compete against the best of the best and represent Washington State Cougars, represent Frank and Irene Utley, and now everyone in the College Football Hall of Fame and being able to show society, it takes leadership. How do you do that? By giving 100% of yourself and being able to work with the Cougars and ultimately raise some numbers on the field. But again it was a team, and they deserve a lot of the credit for my success being here today. So I wanted to say thank you again.
 
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: It's so fitting in the last minute and a half, you said the word "fight" at least five or six times. And I think when so many of us look at you, that's the one word we think of Mike Utley, "fight." Congratulations.