GREENVILLE, S.C. – Coastal Carolina great and George "Buddy" Sasser Hall of Famer Mike Tolbert is part of the voting for the first-round nomination ballot for the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame (SCFHOF) Class of 2025, the SCFHOF announced Thursday.

The first-round nomination ballot voting includes 65 nominees consisting of players, administrators, and coaches — including 15 Legacy nominees. A Legacy nominee honors those considered outside of the modern era and/or who have passed away. Each nominee was either born, played, grew up, coached, or made a significant impact on the game in South Carolina.

A member of the 2018 Sasser Hall of Fame Class, Tolbert played a key role in establishing the Coastal Carolina football program as a dominant force in its early years. He was a standout performer in four of the program's first five seasons and helped lead the Chanticleers to three straight Big South championships (2004–06).

As a senior in 2007, Tolbert was named an All-American and voted first-team All-Big South after rushing for 748 yards and nine touchdowns. He finished his Chanticleer career as the program's third all-time leading rusher.

Following his time at Coastal, Tolbert went on to have a successful decade-long NFL career. He signed with the San Diego Chargers in 2008 as an undrafted free agent and later played for the Carolina Panthers (2012–16) and Buffalo Bills (2017–18). Tolbert earned three NFL Pro Bowl selections and was named first-team All-Pro twice.

Voting is open to the public and can be completed online at scfootballhof.org for free. The first-round voting period runs through December 15, 2025, allowing SCFHOF supporting members, football fans, and media to vote for up to four modern-era nominees and one legacy nominee from the ballot—or submit a write-in candidate—for the Class of 2025.

The final round of voting will follow shortly after, featuring the top nominees from the first-round ballot. The Class of 2025 will be enshrined at the organization's 13th Annual Enshrinement Ceremony on April 16, 2026, in Greenville, S.C.
 
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