Tracy Ham is probably known mostly in Baltimore for his two seasons playing quarterback for the Canadian Football League?s Baltimore Stallions and leading the team to the Grey Cup title in 1995.
However, to Navy football coach Paul Johnson, Ham is one of the key players that helped make Georgia Southern a college power on the Division I-AA level. Johnson was the offensive coordinator at the school when Ham rewrote the record books in helping lead the Eagles to back-to-back I-AA national titles in 1985-86.
“Tracy was an electric player, and I don?t know of anyone I?ve ever coached that could impact the course of a game the way he could,” Johnson said. “But just as important, he is a really good person and a quality family man.”
Ham?s accomplishments in college earned him even more praise this week when the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame named him as one of six members for its latest induction class. Ham will be inducted in July in the hall?s divisional class, which considers players and coaches from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formally I-AA), along with divisions II, III and the NAIA.
“When you?re playing sports in college, you don?t concern yourself with the future,” said Ham, who currently lives in Georgia. “So to receive this honor is a humbling experience and quite exciting at the same time.”
The 43-year-old Ham still holds more than 20 single-game, season and career records, along with 21 playoff game records, at Georgia Southern. He currently stands sixth all-time at Georgia Southern in career rushing yards (3,212) and first in passing yards (5,757), total offense (8,969 yards) and passing touchdowns (34). He went on to play for 13 years in the CFL.
“This is a well-deserved honor for him, and I?m proud as one of his coaches to see him get recognized,” Johnson said.
Ham said he still keeps in contact with Johnson and considers him instrumental in his success on the field both in college and on the professional level.
“Coach Johnson knew what buttons to push with me to get and keep me motivated,” Ham said.
