Former West Virginia running back Steve Slaton has officially been announced as a member of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class. Slaton starred under current WVU Head Coach Rich Rodriguez from 2005-2007 during the Rodriguez's first stint in Morgantown, playing a critical role in one of the most successful eras of the program's history.
Slaton's three-year tenure in the old-gold-and-blue was a stretch that saw the program finish 33-5 overall across those seasons and go 3-0 in bowl season, including BCS bowl victories in the 2006 Sugar Bowl and 2008 Fiesta Bowl. Slaton tallied 3,923 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns over those three seasons -- he holds the WVU record for career rushing touchdowns, and ranks fifth all-time in career rushing yards.
𝙎𝙐𝙋𝙀𝙍 𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙑𝙀‼️@Steve23Slaton is on his way to the College Football Hall of Fame!
— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) January 15, 2025
🔗 https://t.co/CsNkH5ibLz#HailWV pic.twitter.com/shHBEDOo7H
Slaton also hold the single-season record for rushing yards, tallying 1,744 yards alone in 2006, and sits tied with Amos Zereoue for second all-time in single-season rushing touchdowns with 18. He is also tied for the program record for single-game rushing touchdowns with 5 scores on the ground in a 2005 thriller against Louisville, and is fourth all-time in WVU history in career all-purpose yards at 4,775.
The honor will be yet another rare distinction earned by Slaton, who was one of just 14 Consensus All-Americans in program history. Slaton will be one of just 1,111 players to ever be inducted into the Hall of Fame since it's first class was inducted in 1951 -- the Hall of Fame consists of less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of the individuals who have ever played or coached college football. He is just the seventh player in WVU football history to earn the distinction as well.
According to the College Football Hall of Fame, the 2025 class will officially be inducted during the 67th National Football Foundation (NFF) Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 2025, at Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The inductees will also be recognized at their respective collegiate institutions with NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the fall season.