JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – All-time coaching greats, hall of famer players, college national champions and Super Bowl winners highlight the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference Football Legends class announced on Thursday.
The 14-member group of honorees includes Florida State’s Bobby Bowden and Brian Dawkins, who played his high school football at Raines before moving on to Clemson.
Joining Bowden and Dawinks are Boston College’s Mathias Kiwanuka, Duke’s Steve Spurrier, Georgia Tech’s Joshua Nesbitt, Louisville’s Roman Oben, Miami’s Ed Reed, North Carolina’s Ron Rusnak, NC State’s Mario Williams, Pitt’s Mark May, Syracuse’s Don McPherson, Virginia’s Herman Moore, Virginia Tech’s Eddie Royal and Wake Forest’s Steve Justice.
This year’s class will be honored during the ACC Night of Legends presented by the Charlotte Sports Foundation at the Charlotte Convention Center, on Friday, Nov. 30, and during the on-field pregame festivities at the 14th annual Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game, set for the evening of Saturday, Dec. 1, at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium.
Bobby Bowden, Head Coach, Florida State (1976-2009) – Second-winningest NCAA Division I coach of all time with 377 career victories, 304 of which came in his 34 seasons with the Seminoles • Led Florida State to an Associated Press and Coaches Poll national title in 1993 and a BCS National Championship in 1999, as well as 12 ACC championships after FSU joined the conference in 1992.
Brian Dawkins, FS, Clemson (1992-95) – Named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press and The Sporting News after his senior year • Second-team All-ACC defensive back in 1993 and 1994 and a first-team selection as a senior in 1995.
Steve Spurrier, Head Coach, Duke (1987-89) – Two-time ACC Coach of the Year selection in 1988 and 1989 • Guided Duke to the 1989 ACC co-championship and All-American Bowl appearance • The 1989 ACC championship was Duke’s first since 1962, and the bowl game was the program’s first since 1960.