GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman's Stanford Jennings '84, one of the great players in Paladin football history, has been elected to the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame (SCFHOF), it was announced today by the organization.

Jennings, who starred as a running back for the Paladins in the early 1980s and later played nine seasons in the NFL, is among five former football greats elected for the Class of 2022 who will be enshrined in ceremonies on Apr. 21 at the Hilton Greenville off Haywood Road and Orchard Park.

Joining Jennings in the class are Clemson's Joe Bostic, South Carolina's Brad Edwards, John Gilliam of South Carolina State, and Wofford head coach Mike Ayers.

The Class of 2022 will be honored alongside Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, the 2022 Blanchard-Rogers Trophy recipient, and 2022 Humanitarian of the Year Award (TBA) honoree. 

Jennings, a native of Summerville,S.C., where he played for legendary head coach John McKissick and helped the Green Wave to a pair Class 4A state titles, came to Furman in 1980 and began a storybook career under head coach Dick Sheridan, rushing for 3,868 yards and 39 touchdowns while catching 76 passes for 865 yards and four scores over four seasons of play.

The first player in SoCon history to be named player of the year three times and an All-America selection his senior year, he helped lead the Paladins to four consecutive league championships and a four-year record of 36-9-2, including a 24-3-1 league worksheet.  In 1982 he played a key role in the Paladins' 28-23 win over South Carolina, and followed it the next year with a 168-yard rushing performance and a touchdown in a 17-14 victory over Georgia Tech.  

Selected in the third round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, then coached by former Paladin and SCHOF member Sam Wyche, he enjoyed a solid pro career as a running back and return specialist, highlighted by a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Super Bowl XXIII.

He is a member of both the Furman (1990) and South Carolina (2006) Athletic Halls of Fame.

Limited seat and table packages are available through April 7th at www.scfootballhof.org/shop. Proceeds from the event go to provide support for the Bridge Builder Excellence Program and the #SCTop10N2030 Movement to lead South Carolina students to the Top 10 in college and career readiness by December 31, 2030.