F9ive years ago, Bosworth was en route to a Subway sandwich shop in Malibu, Calif., when informed he again had been ignored. At that time, Bosworth said he was unaware an announcement was even scheduled. “I don’t really put a lot of importance on somebody else telling me what I did. I know what I did,” Bosworth said. “I don’t know anybody who doesn’t have skeletons in the closet. Hell, I brought my skeletons out for everybody to see. I walked my own walk. I had a great coach who allowed me to walk my own walk. Now, he didn’t want me to walk that walk, and in retrospect I wish I had not walked that walk.”

In late October of last year, a “30 for 30” ESPN film “Brian and the Boz” aired and showed an evolved Bosworth admitting his mistakes and flaws. Did this contrition finally sway Hall of Fame voters in Bosworth’s favor?

“I hope not,” Bosworth said. “Maybe partly so.”

The 50-year-old Bosworth has his alter-ego to thank for the delay. Brian Bosworth and “The Boz” are two different people. Bosworth likely would have been inducted shortly after he became eligible in 1996 (10 years after his final collegiate season). As for “The Boz,” well, he might have trouble getting into the College Football Hall of Fame as a patron.

“The Boz” sported a multi-colored Mohawk and filled opponent bulletin boards with inflammatory quotes, but how Bosworth looked didn’t keep him from being inducted as much as something he wore.

Suspended when he tested positive for anabolic steroids after the 1986 season, Bosworth wore a T-shirt inscribed with “National Communists Against Athletes” on the sideline during the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 1987. Bosworth started every game he ever played at OU, except his last one. He declared for the NFL Supplemental Draft shortly thereafter.

NCAA officials were livid about the T-shirt, as was Switzer. So, too, evidently were Hall of Fame voters. “I put me first instead of putting my team first,” Bosworth admitted years ago. “That was the wrong stage in which to have that protest.”

Even after Bosworth’s fall from grace, Switzer still endorsed him for the Hall of Fame. “He never was a bad citizen,” Switzer has said in the past. “He was an outstanding student. I guess being on the honor roll and graduating in 3½ years doesn't apply (to the Hall of Fame selection committee). He was a great student-athlete, but he made outrageous statements, he danced with the media, he created an image of The Boz. His play on the field should have been enough attention for him. He was a great player, a great practice player. He was never a disciplinary problem, other than keeping his damn mouth shut.”

Bosworth redshirted in 1983, played from 1984 through 1986 and never lost to Texas, Nebraska or Oklahoma State. Defensive statistics were obscure in those days and often altered by coaches after reviewing game film. Altered or not, Bosworth was a beast, averaging 138 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four sacks, four passes broken up and recovering at least one fumble each season. His 22 tackles against Miami in 1986 remain tied for second most in school history (behind Jackie Shipp’s 23 against Missouri in 1981) and Bosworth’s 413 career tackles (in just three seasons) rank seventh.

Coincidentally, the NFF headquarters are located in Irving, Texas, just three miles from where Bosworth played at MacArthur High School.

The announcement of the 2015 Class was made at the Renaissance Dallas Hotel last January, three days before the first College Football Playoff national championship game was staged at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. This year’s class formally will be inducted at the 58th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 8 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

The inductees also will be honored at the National Hall of Fame Salute at the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 1, 2016. In addition to Bosworth, this year's class includes: Trev Alberts (Nebraska), Bob Breunig (Arizona State), Sean Brewer (Millsaps [Miss.]), Ruben Brown (Pittsburgh), Wes Chandler (Florida), Thom Gatewood (Notre Dame), Dick Jauron (Yale), Clinton Jones (Michigan State), Lincoln Kennedy (Washington), the late Rob Lytle (Michigan), Michael Payton (Marshall), Art Still (Kentucky), Zach Thomas (Texas Tech), Ricky Williams (Texas) and coaches Bill Snyder (Kansas State) and Jim Tressel (Youngstown State, Ohio State).