Texas Longhorns Football Stars
University of Texas football has produced national championship seasons and tremendous players that have made incredible impacts on the collegiate and professional levels. UT has generated Heisman Trophy winners and championship NFL quarterbacks. This page shares information about some of the top Texas Longhorns Football Stars!
Texas is a leader in producing players that advance to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The Longhorns on the list include:
- Bobby Lane, 1944-47
- Earl Campbell, 1974-77
- Tom Landry, 1946-48
- Tommy Nobis, 1963-65
- Jerry Seismore, 1970-72
- Doug English, 1972-74
Texas Heisman Trophy Winners
UT has produced two Heisman Trophy winners in the form of legendary running backs Early Campbell and Ricky Williams
Earl Campbell – 1977
Known as the “Tyler Rose”, the Tyler, Texas native led the nation in rushing as a senior in 1977, with 1,744 yards and 19 touchdowns. To help clinch the award for the undefeated Longhorns, Campbell rushed for a career-high 222 yards in a 57–28 victory over Texas A&M in the regular season’s final game. Campbell dominated Oklahoma State’s Terry Miller and Notre Dame’s Ken MacAfee in the Heisman voting.
Williams became the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher late in his 1998 Heisman campaign that saw him rush for 2,327 yards and 29 TD’s. The San Diego native also gained 307 yards receiving and another score. Williams dominated the Heisman voting ahead of Kansas State’s Michael Bishop, UCLA’s Cade McNown and Kentucky’s Tim Couch.
| Retired Texas Longhorns Football Jersey Numbers The following UT football legends have had their jersey numbers retired. For a former UT student-athlete to have their jersey retired they must earn a National Player of the Year honors from one of the NCAA recognized awards. | ||
| No. | Player | Profile |
| 10 | Vince Young | Vince Young led Texas to a 41-38 victory over No. 1 USC in the Rose Bowl, a school-best 13-0 record and the 2005 National Championship in what was one of the most memorable seasons in Texas Football history. Young |
| 12 | Colt McCoy | The announcement to retire McCoy’s #12 was made in the 2010. While wearing Texas Burnt Orange (2006-2009), McCoy was a two-time Walter Camp Football Foundation National Player of the Year and won the Maxwell Award in 2009. McCoy won more games (45) in his four-year career than any player in college football history. The two-time Heisman finalist also the school’s all-time leader in total touchdowns, touchdown passes and passing yards. |
| 20 | Earl Campbell | Known as the Tyler Rose, Campbell was about as easy to tackle as a Texas tornado during his Longhorns career (1974-1977). Campbell was a two-time All-American and winner of the 1977 Heisman Trophy. He finished his four-year UT career with 4,443 yards rushing and 40 TDs. |
| 22 | Bobby Layne | Layne was a two-sport star for the Longhorns (1944-47) before later starring in the NFL. Layne finished his UT career with then school records 3,145 yards passing, 25 TD passes on 210 completions and 400 attempts, while also pitching for the baseball team. As a pro, Layne led the Detroit Lions to NFL titles in 1952 and 1953 and was later dubbed by Sports Illustrated (1995) as “The toughest quarterback who ever lived.” |
| 34 | Ricky Williams | Williams captured a Heisman Trophy. During his four-year career at Texas (1995-1998), Williams rushed for 6,279 yards and 72 TDs. He also was the 1998 Heisman Trophy winner and a two-time winner of the Doak Walker Award. When Williams’ collegiate career concluded he had run for more yards than anyone in major college football. |
| 60 | Tommy Nobis | Nobis was the Outland Trophy and Maxwell Award winner as a senior, a two-time All-American, made the All-Southwest Conference team three years and was the only sophomore starter on the Longhorns’ 1963 National Championship team. He also finished seventh in the Heisman voting in 1965, the only defensive player ranked among the top 10. In the NFL, Nobis was the first player ever drafted by the expansion Atlanta Falcons in 1966. The defensive star was a 5-time Pro Bowl player during his 10-year career. |