Sam Mills joined an elite group of Division III football players in the College Football Hall of Fame this past weekend, at an induction ceremony in South Bend, Ind.

Mills, a two-time All-America linebacker for Montclair State during the late 1970s, took his rightful place in the Hall this past weekend. His son, Sam III, accepted the induction award for his father, who passed away in April 2005 following a 20-month battle with cancer.

Of the more than five million players who have played collegiate football since its beginning in 1869, only 1,000 have been enshrined into the Hall of Fame (.02 percent). Mills is the second Division III player inducted in the past two seasons, following Mount Union's Jim Ballard.

Mills was a standout at Montclair State from 1977-80, being named captain his final two seasons and a Kodak All-American selection as a senior. His 501 career tackles set a school record, his 142 tackles as a sophomore set the school's single-season mark and his 22-tackle performance as a junior established a single-game record. He was a three-time defensive player of the year selection by the New Jersey Collegiate Football Writers Association.

Mills' No. 62 was retired by Montclair State in 1981, one of two numbers in MSU history to be retired.

Deemed "too small" to play linebacker in the pros, the 5-9 Mills went on to an outstanding career which began in the United States Football League with the Philadelphia Stars. He then moved on to the NFL where he became an All-Pro with the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers.

Overall, Mills played 12 seasons in the NFL and recorded 1,319 tackles, 20.5 sacks, 11 interceptions and four touchdowns while starting 173 of 181 games. He played the first nine seasons of his career with the Saints and was a five-time Pro Bowl selection. He was also a three-time All-USFL selection and helped the Stars to league titles in 1983 and 1984.

After his playing career, Mills became an assistant coach with the Panthers and was diagnosed with cancer in 2003. Still, Mills coached Carolina throughout the season and became the team's inspiration as the Panthers won the NFC championship and went on to play in Super Bowl XXXVII against the New England Patriots.