Rodgers says he expects that like Heisman, hall honor will grow over time

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- While Johnny Rodgers' road to the College Football Hall of Fame might have been longer than most Heisman Trophy winners, the enjoyment of arriving at the destination is just the same.

"It's like winning the Heisman Trophy. You start out in awe and it just gets better as time goes on," the former Nebraska wingback said Friday.

Rodgers will be officially enshrined into the hall Saturday night along with former Stanford quarterback John Elway, former Southern California tailback Marcus Allen and 22 other former players and coaches.

"You're joining a unique fraternity," Rodgers said. "You appreciate it year by year with the relationships you make and the new people you meet."

Rodgers, 50, joins a long list of Heisman Trophy winners in the hall. In fact, with Rodgers' enshrinement, the only two Heisman winners before 1982 not in the hall are Notre Dame quarterback John Huarte, who won the trophy in 1964, and LSU halfback Billy Cannon, the 1959 winner.

The hall requires members to have proven themselves as worthy citizens. Cannon was once convicted of counterfeiting. The hall also used to require members to be college graduates. It no longer does, but Rodgers figures earning his degree in 1997, 25 years after winning the Heisman, helped pave his way into the hall.

"I think getting all my ducks in a row and maturing made the difference," he said. "There are guys going in this weekend who played after me. There are guys going in who played long before I did. As long as you make it, it's OK."