Drew Bledsoe Inducted into Pac-12 Hall of Honor

SAN FRANCISCO – Washington State Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Bledsoe was inducted into the Pac-12 Conference Hall of Honor Friday, the Conference's most prestigious recognition of the greatest on and off-field contributors to Pac-12 athletics. 
 
The induction ceremony was held Friday afternoon during a private ceremony prior to the semifinals of the 2022 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament, presented by New York Life. Following induction, the class was honored during a special halftime ceremony of the day's first semifinal matchup at T-Mobile Arena.  
 
The 2022 Hall of Honor class is the 20th since its creation in 2002, and the fourth to feature legendary figures from an array of sports after the Pac-12 expanded the field to be inclusive of the broad-based athletics success across the Conference of Champions® history. Following a hiatus in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 class returns the annual recognition as a new inductee from each Pac-12 university is welcome into the Hall of Honor.
 
"The Pac-12 is honored to recognize the accomplishments of 12 incredible women and men who represent the very best of the Conference of Champions, on and off the fields of play," said Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff.  "From Olympic gold medalists to Super Bowl champions to NBA All-Stars to WNBA veterans to, of course, collegiate champions, our honorees continue a showcase of our league's rich tradition of champions."

The 2021 Pac-12 Hall of Honor class features another star-studded list of inductees, including:
 
Tanya Hughes (Arizona)
Curley Culp (Arizona State)
Layshia Clarendon (California)
Jenny Simpson (Colorado)
English Gardner (Oregon)
Steven Jackson (Oregon State)
Tony Azevedo (Stanford)
Jackie-Joyner Kersee (UCLA)
John Naber (USC)
Tom Chambers (Utah)
Tina Frimpong Ellertson (Washington)
Drew Bledsoe (Washington State)
 
Among the many combined accolades of this year's class includes:

• 65 total seasons played across the NFL, NBA & WNBA
• 30 NCAA titles (individual & team combined)
• 13 NFL Pro Bowl selections
• Eight Olympic gold medals
• Four NBA All-Star selections
• Two Super Bowl champions
• Numerous annual recognitions as the top athlete in a sport, as well as top athlete overall in collegiate athletics
• One Pac-12 Player of the Century
• Multiple two-sport athletes
• Numerous philanthropists and advocates for social justice

 
Celebrating the broad-based example of excellence, the 2022 Pac-12 Hall of Honor class is a shining example of the rich history of the Conference of Champions. With over 200 more NCAA team titles than the next closest conference, the Pac-12 leads the way with 538 overall NCAA titles across 29 different sports.
 
The 2022 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament will take place Wednesday, March 9 through Saturday, March 12 with an action-packed 11 games over four days in the event's sixth year at one of Las Vegas' newest sports and entertainment venues, T-Mobile Arena. This year's event marks a return of fans in the stands, with passes and tickets, including all-tournament passes and single-session tickets, available at Pac-12.com/tickets.

 
Drew Bledsoe, Washington State (1990-92)
Drew Bledsoe was a record-setting quarterback at Washington State, 1990-92. He left school as the Cougars' single-game and single-season record holder in pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards and total offense. He also tied the single-game mark for touchdown passes with five against Oregon State as a sophomore in 1991. Bledsoe's career numbers of 7,373 passing yards and 46 touchdown tosses ranked him second in WSU history behind Jack Thompson when his career concluded. As a junior, he was named the Pacific-10 Conference's MVP on offense, earned All-America honors, was a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award, and finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting. Bledsoe capped his Cougar career leading WSU to a Copper Bowl win over Utah in 1992 and being named MVP in the game. He passed on his senior year in Pullman to enter the NFL Draft where he was selected No. 1 overall by the New England Patriots. He played 14 seasons in the NFL with the Patriots, Buffalo Bill and Dallas Cowboys, was named All-Pro twice and selected to the Pro Bowl four times. He threw for over 44,000 yards in the NFL. Bledsoe was on two Super Bowl teams, including the Patriots when they won Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002. Bledsoe became a member of the WSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001, the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in 2011 and the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. Bledsoe's career has flourished following his time in the NFL as he realized his dream of opening a winery. Through that dream, Doubleback Winery sprung up in his home town of Walla Walla, Wash. Bledsoe's goal when opening the winery was to craft America's best Cabernet Sauvignon in an elegant, true to varietal way. That determination has come to fruition with Doubleback receiving numerous honors, including a spot on the Wine Spectator Top 100 list.

Washington State Pac-12 Hall of Honor Inductees:
2002    Craig Ehlo
2003    Jack Friel
2004    George Raveling
2005    Gene Conley
2006    James Donaldson
2007    Vince Hanson
2008    Mark Hendrickson
2009    Isaac Fontaine
2010    Paul Lindemann
2011    Ray Sunquist
2012    Steve Puidokas
2013    Jim McKean
2014    Ed Gayda
2015    Bennie Seltzer
2016    Keith Morrison
2017    Carlos Daniel
2018    Laura Lavine
2019    John Olerud   
2020    Jeanne Eggart Helfer
2021    No Ceremony
2021    Drew Bledsoe