SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Ahmad Rashad’s daughter came home from middle school one day saying a classmate wanted her father’s autograph.

“He said you played football,” Condola Rashad told her father. “Did you?”

The 58-year-old Rashad laughs when recalling the story from about seven years ago, saying the reason his daughter didn’t know about his football career is because he doesn’t spend much time talking about the past.

These days Rashad is more closely associated with basketball as host and executive producer of “NBA Access with Ahmad” on ABC and NBA TV’s “Tuesday Night with Ahmad” than the sport that first brought him fame.

But Rashad, who starred at Oregon during 1969-71, will allow himself some time to look back on his football career when he is enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night along with Penn State coach Joe Paterno, 1984 Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie of Boston College, and 17 others.

“Having been inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame gives me a pass to look back,” Rashad said. “I’m still looking forward, but at least I get a chance to slow down and enjoy the memories of my college football career.”

Rashad has fond memories of his college days, when he was known as Bobby Moore. He set 14 school records and was a three-time all-Pac-8 selection during 1969-71, first as a wide receiver his sophomore season and then as a running back in his junior and senior seasons.

He was the fourth pick in the 1972 NFL draft, taken by the St. Louis Cardinals. He switched back to being a wide receiver in the NFL and was selected to the Pro Bowl four times.

The college game remains special to Rashad and he goes to at least one Oregon game a year.

“I still bleed Oregon blood,” he said.

Rashad, who played for the Cardinals, Bills and Vikings during his 10 seasons in the NFL, describes his four years at college as among the best of his life.

“In terms of sports it had to be the tops, the best. It’s where you come together with a group of guys going to school as young boys and you come out as young men,” he said.

Oregon wasn’t a powerhouse back then. The Ducks went 6-4-1 his junior season, their only winning season between 1965 and 1978.

“While the individual gets the honors, it’s all about the teammates,” said Rashad, who played in college with quarterback Dan Fouts. “I had great teammates and they enabled me to do whatever I did.”

Rashad is among 20 players who will be enshrined on Saturday, along with: Mount Union quarterback Jim Ballard, Oklahoma center Tom Brahaney; Michigan defensive back Dave Brown; Clemson linebacker Jeff Davis; Texas defensive back Johnnie Johnson; Ohio State quarterback Rex Kern; North Alabama linebacker Ronald McKinnon; Texas A&I defensive end John Randle; McMurry halfback Brad Rowland; Indiana running back Anthony Thompson; Houston defensive tackle Wilson Whitley; Dartmouth linebacker Reggie Williams; Southern California linebacker Richard Wood and Notre Dame defensive end Chris Zorich.

Along with Paterno, the coaches being enshrined are Central Michigan coach Herb Deromedi, Jackson State coach W.C. Gorden and Doug Porter, who coached at Mississippi Valley State, Howard and Fort Valley State.

“I haven’t been around football players in a long time,” Rashad said. “It will be fun to just talk about it and bring you back to the old days for a little while. For a couple of hours you have a chance to tell stories and laugh and then move on with your life.”