Former Browns center elected to College Football HoF

Alex Mack, who spent seven seasons in Cleveland, honored for his playing career at Cal.

The Cleveland Browns have not always found success in the annual NFL Draft, but they hit the mark when they chose center Alex Mack in the first round in 2009.

Mack spent seven seasons in Cleveland as the anchor of one of the best offensive lines in the league. He joined the Atlanta Falcons as a free agent in 2016 and played five seasons, before ending his 13-year career after one season with the San Francisco 49ers.

Along the way, Mack earned seven trips to the Pro Bowl, was named Second Team All-Pro three times, and was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-2010s team.

A case can be made that Mack is a borderline Hall of Famer for his NFL career, although that may be a tough hurdle to clear as there are currently only 10 centers in the hall.

Speaking of career honors, Mack did add to his résumé this week with the announcement that he will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025.

Mack played collegiately for four seasons at Cal, helping the Bears win a bowl game each season, and closed out his time by becoming the first player in program history to win the Draddy Trophy, since renamed the William V. Campbell Trophy, college football’s premier student-athlete award which recognizes an individual as the best in the nation for his combined athletic success, football performance, and exemplary leadership.

This year’s class of 18 players and four coaches brings the hall of fame to 1,111 players and 237 coaches who have been inducted, which represents less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) who have played or coached to be honored, according to the College Football Hall of Fame’s website.

The 2025 class will be officially inducted during the NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 9 in Las Vegas. Its accomplishments will be displayed at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.