Utley Enters College Football Hall of Fame With No Regrets

NEW YORK (AP) — A football injury 25 years ago left Mike Utley paralyzed. The former Washington State and Detroit Lions offensive lineman played before concussion protocol, targeting fouls and rule tweaks intended to make a violent game safer.

Ask him about the way the game has changed over the years and he responds with a question: "Do I have to be politically correct?"

Utley still misses football and tries to stay as close to it as he can, whether he's attending Cougars games in Pullman, Washington, or Lions games in Detroit or pee-wee games wherever. He was able to reconnect again on Tuesday as part of the National Football Foundation's latest class to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Utley, who grew up in Seattle, was a three-time All-Pac 10 selection and an All-American as a senior in 1988 at Washington State. He was joined in the latest class of Hall of Famers by 13 players and two coaches.