MADISON, Wis. (AP) Tim Krumrie got a phone call he never expected to get after more than two decades.
The former Wisconsin defensive tackle is finally getting into the College Football Hall of Fame.
”Straight out of the blue. Didn’t even know it was happening. A complete shock,” Krumrie said.
Krumrie, 55, was part of a 16-member class announced last week. He will be the 10th Wisconsin player to be enshrined but the first defensive player to get the honor.
A ceremony in New York in December will culminate a wait that started when he was first eligible for induction about 24 years ago.
It’s not surprising then, that Krumrie didn’t believe Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez when he called to deliver the news. Krumrie now lives in Colorado, where he is a spokesman for a brain imaging facility.
”He says, `You made it,”’ Krumrie, in a recent phone interview, said in recalling Alvarez’s call.
”Made what?” Krumrie responded. ”I didn’t know.”
Krumrie started his collegiate career as a linebacker at Wisconsin before moving to nose guard. He led the Badgers in tackles in each of his four seasons, and ranks third in school history with 444 career tackles.
Krumrie’s 276 solo tackles are a Badgers’ career record. He never missed a start in 46 games.
Outside of Wisconsin, Krumrie might be better known for his NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals. He broke his leg in the 1989 Super Bowl, and played in two Pro Bowls.
Now Krumrie will also be known as a Hall of Fame member. It is worth the wait for him, even though he did play a less glamorous position.
Defensive tackles aren’t known for making sacks. They’re usually grinders in the trenches who take up blockers to free up linebackers, which makes Krumrie’s productivity even more impressive.
”Any defensive tackle is going to take longer,” Krumrie said.
Asked how he wanted his collegiate career to be remembered, Krumrie said, ”Just as a tough Wisconsin kid that always gave everything he had.”
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Follow Genaro Armas on Twitter at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP and the AP’s college football site at http://collegefootball.ap.org/
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