Florida Gators wide receiver Wes Chandler named to College Football Hall of Fame

Former Florida Gators wide receiver Wes Chandler will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2015 on Dec. 18 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, New York.

A three-year leader in receiving yards at Florida, Chandler was a First Team All-American as a senior and two-time First Team All-SEC selection. He ended his career with the Gators as the highest-scoring non-kicker in team history, registering 172 points via a school-record 28 touchdowns. He hauled in 92 passes for 1,963 yards and was an early winner of UF’s Fergie Ferguson Award for character and leadership.

Chandler was a first-round selection in the 1978 NFL Draft and played professional football for 11 seasons with three organizations, earning four Pro Bowl nods and registering more than 9,000 receiving yards with 56 touchdowns. He has been inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame, Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame and San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame.

Chandler is the eighth former Gators player and 11th representative of Florida (three coaches) to earn induction into the prestigious group. He joins defensive end Dale Van Sickel (1975), quarterback Steve Spurrier (1986), DE Jack Youngblood (1992), running back Emmitt Smith (2006), linebacker Wilber Marshall (2008), wide receiver Carlos Alvarez (2011) and QB Danny Wuerffel (2013) as players in the career-defining club. Coaches Charlie Bachman (1978), Ray Graves (1990) and Doug Dickey (2003) are also members.

“That’s an honor that words really can’t describe how I feel at this moment,” Chandler told Florida’s school website. “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 fifth Florida player to be elected to the hall since 2006.