The College Football Hall of Fame will open their arms to another Florida Gator this year as former wide receiver Wes Chandler will be inducted as part of the 2015 class.
Chandler was a two-time first team All-American at Florida despite playing in the Wishbone offense. He caught 92 passes for 1,963 yards and a school record 28 touchdowns in four years in Gainesville. He was drafted third overall by the New Orleans Saints in the 1978 NFL Draft and spent 11 seasons in the NFL before turning to coaching, where he spent 15 years coaching in the NFL and NFL Europe.
“That’s an honor that words really can’t describe how I feel at this moment,” Chandler said. “I know that there’s a lot of great players that have played that great game of college football. There’s a lot of names that you recognize that have come before you and after you that have set major marks in that game. And to be considered in that elite class and recognized by individuals who say that you played the game at a level high enough to be honored, I’m very grateful.”
Chandler is the 11th Florida Gator to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining players Dale Van Sickel, Steve Spurrier, Jack Youngblood, Emmitt Smith, Wilber Marshall, Carlos Alvarez, Danny Wuerffel and coaches Charles Bachman, Ray Graves and Doug Dickey.
Chandler served as the honorary Mr. Two Bits before the game against Georgia Southern last season.