BOZEMAN, Montana – Montana State University and The National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Hall of Fame announced Tuesday that they will jointly honor former Bobcat All-America Bill Kollar, a 2023 College Football Hall of Fame electee, with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, on Saturday during MSU’s home game against Northern Arizona.
One of four players from a Big Sky Conference school ever selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, Kollar earned Second Team All-America honors as a Bobcat defensive tackle in 1972 before being selected First Team in 1973. One of college football’s great traditions, the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program began with the inaugural class in 1951 and initiates a slate of activities leading to the annual induction ceremony. The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 5 at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
“What a great honor it is for Bill to go into the College Football Hall of Fame and represent Montana State,” said MSU head football coach Brent Vigen. “I know he believes wholly that he’s representing Montana State, not just Bill Kollar but Montana State, and that’s a real neat deal for our football program and our university, as well as for Bill.”
The first Bobcat inducted as a college football player, Kollar will be honored between the first and second quarters Saturday. Kollar and some members of the 1973 team will also be honored before the game as part of the first team to play in Bobcat (then named Reno H. Sales) Stadium. MSU won its 200th game in their current home stadium last time out against Cal Poly.
“An amazing combination of quickness and size, Bill Kollar dominated in the Big Sky Conference in the early 1970s, disrupting offenses, blowing past linemen and helping Montana State claim the 1972 conference title,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We are thrilled to honor him at the Bobcat Stadium as a member of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class and first player ever from Montana State elected.”
Kollar helped lead the Cats to the Big Sky title in 1972 under the guidance of head coach Sonny Holland. College Football Hall of Fame coach Dennis Erickson, a former Bobcat quarterback, was an assistant on that staff. MSU finished 8-3 in 1972 and 7-4 one season later. He earned Big Sky Conference Player of the Year honors in 1972, and became the first lineman and second defensive player named First Team All-Big Sky three times. In 1973, the first MSU recorded defensive stats, Kollar registered 107 tackles, one sack, three pass break ups and three fumble recoveries.
“It is a tremendous honor to have Bill Kollar being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame,” said MSU Director of Athletics Leon Costello. “As the first Bobcat to be inducted as a player, Bill is a great representative for the university, athletic department and football program. We are fortunate Bill chose the Bobcats and thankful he is able to join us this weekend to celebrate the honor together.“
Kollar, who weighed 267 pounds and was clocked at 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash, earned an invite to the 1974 Senior Bowl, claiming MVP honors in the game to become the first defensive player and initial Big Sky player to earn the recognition. He also played in the East-West Shrine Game and was selected to play in the Blue-Gray Game and All-America Bowl.
Kollar’s No. 77 is one of four retired at Montana State, and he has been inducted into the Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame, Montana Football Hall of Fame, Senior Bowl Hall of Fame (commemorating his 1974 MVP performance), and Warren Sports Hall of Fame in his hometown.
Drafted in the first round (24th overall) of the 1974 NFL Draft by Cincinnati, Kollar played for the Bengals from 1974-77 and the Buccaneers from 1977-82. In 1974, he earned a spot on the NFL All-Rookie Team.
Kollar currently serves as a defensive/special projects coach for the Denver Broncos. His NFL coaching career, which began in 1984, also includes stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills and the Houston Texans. He appeared on the sidelines as a coach in Super Bowl XXXIII (Atlanta), Super Bowl XXXVI (St. Louis) and helped Denver win Super Bowl 50. He also coached in the college ranks at Illinois and Purdue in the 1980s. Kollar has volunteered with the Montana Special Olympics and served as the Crusade Chairman of the Clermont County (OH) Unit of the American Cancer Society.
The Warren, Ohio, native now becomes the first Montana State player to ever enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class includes Eric Berry (Tennessee), Michael Bishop (Kansas State), Reggie Bush (Southern California), Dwight Freeney (Syracuse), Robert Gallery (Iowa), LaMichael James (Oregon), Derrick Johnson (Texas), Bill Kollar (Montana State), Luke Kuechly (Boston College), Jeremy Maclin (Missouri), Terance Mathis (New Mexico), Bryant McKinnie (Miami [FL]), Corey Moore (Virginia Tech), Michael Stonebreaker (Notre Dame), Tim Tebow (Florida), Troy Vincent (Wisconsin), Brian Westbrook (Villanova), DeAngelo Williams (Memphis), and coaches Monte Cater (Lakeland [WI], Shepherd [WV]), Paul Johnson (Georgia Southern, Navy, Georgia Tech), Roy Kramer (Central Michigan) and Mark Richt (Georgia, Miami [FL]). The accomplishments of the 2023 Class will be forever immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, and each inductee will receive a custom ring created by Jostens, the official and exclusive supplier of NFF rings.
Including the 2023 Hall of Fame Class, only 1,074 players and 230 coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 5.7 million who have played or coached the game during the past 154 years. In other words, less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of the individuals who have played the game have earned this distinction.
Fidelity Investments has served as the national presenting sponsor of the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes since 2010. The salutes are one component of a multi-year initiative between the two organizations to celebrate the scholar-athlete ideal and a joint commitment to higher education. Fidelity is also the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, and it helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes in 2011, which recognize the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives around the country.
Click here for more information on the Awards Dinner, including options to purchase tickets online, special travel rates to the event from Delta Air Lines and hotel rates at the ARIA.
Saturday’s game kicks off at 1:00 pm MT and airs on MTN stations around Montana while streaming on ESPN+. The Bobcat Radio Network broadcasts the game.
