WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – For the second consecutive season, Boilermaker legend Ryan Kerrigan is on the ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Kicking off the month of June, the National Football Foundation (NFF) announced the full list of names on the 2027 ballot under consideration for induction.
Prior to his 11-year NFL career, Kerrigan became one of the best student-athletes in Purdue Football history. He played in 12 games as a freshman before working his way into a starting role for his final three years in West Lafayette to earn a spot in the Den of Defensive Ends. As a Boilermaker, Kerrigan tied the all-time FBS record for forced fumbles (14), which also set a new mark in the Big Ten Conference. He still sits second in the Purdue record book with 33.5 sacks, while ranking fifth in tackles-for-loss (57.0).
As a senior in 2010, Kerrigan was a unanimous First Team All-American, the seventh unanimous All-American in program history and Purdue’s first since 1980. The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year led the country in TFLs (26.0), ranked second in forced fumbles (5) and tied for third in sacks (12.5), while leading the conference in all three categories. He was the runner-up for the Ted Hendricks Award (nation’s outstanding defensive end) as well as a semifinalist for three other awards (Chuck Bednarik Award, Rotary Lombardi Award, Ronnie Lott IMPACT Trophy). His 70 total tackles were the most by a defensive lineman in the Big Ten during the regular season.
During Kerrigan’s junior campaign, he led the nation and tied a school record with seven forced fumbles, which also ranked second all-time in Big Ten history. Kerrigan led the conference and was third nationally in sacks (13.0), adding 18.5 TFLs (fourth in Big Ten) on his way to being named the 2009 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year for the first time.
Following 18 tackles over 12 games as a freshman, Kerrigan became a force in the Boilermaker defense as a sophomore. Leading the team in both categories, he cracked the Big Ten’s Top 10 in sacks (7.0) and TFLs (11.5), ranking seventh and 10th, respectively. Kerrigan was named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention at the conclusion of the 2008 season.
Off the field, Kerrigan was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and earned Second Team Academic All-American accolades in 2009.
Kerrigan was selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft (16th pick) and went on to make four Pro Bowls for Washington. He became the franchise leader in sacks (95.5) and forced fumbles (26) over 10 seasons before spending his final year in the league with Philadelphia. Over 172 games, Kerrigan tallied 457 tackles, 120 TFLs and 95.5 sacks.
Kerrigan is no stranger to halls of fame. In 2018, he was inducted into Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame. Five years later, the Indiana Football Coaches Association enshrined him into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame.
The announcement of the 2027 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2027, with specific details to be announced in the future.
