The University of Utah football program has itself a second Hall of Famer.
Mac Speedie, a three-year letter-winner from 1939-41 and an All-America honorable mention as a senior in 1941, was named Wednesday as one of 15 members of the Centennial Slate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020. The announcement was made on NFL Network.
To coincide with the NFL’s 100th season, the 15-member Centennial Slate is comprised of ten seniors, all of whom last played more than 25 years ago, three contributors and two coaches. Speedie, who passed away in 1993 at the age of 73, was a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist four times. He is a member of the Utah Sports and Crimson Club Halls of Fame.
Speedie, who also competed in track and field and basketball, joins Larry Wilson (1957-59) as former Utah players enshrined in Canton.
After finishing at Utah and serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Speedie played end for the Cleveland Browns from 1946-52. He was voted first-team All-Pro in six of his seven seasons, with 1951 as the outlier. A member of the NFL’s 1940s All-Decade team, Speedie finished his NFL career with 7,006 receiving yards and 45 touchdowns after being selected in the 15th round of the 1942 NFL Draft.
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