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Top 10 Greatest Texas Football Players Of All Time
In this ranking, we will identify the 10 best players in Texas Longhorns history. This list will span the storied history of the program, from a player who helped build the program in the 1940s all the way up to 21st century players who’ve continued the burnt orange tradition. Let’s get started.
10. Roy Williams
The 10th spot on this list was really a toss-up between the two greatest receivers in school history, Roy Williams and Jordan Shipley. Williams is second in school history in receptions but first in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
9. Bobby Layne
Bobby Layne won’t show up in any Texas leaderboards for his numbers, but during the 1940s Layne was a four-time selection to the All-Southwest Conference team. He held the team record for touchdowns in a game until 1997. Layne led Texas to the No. 5 spot in the AP poll in 1947.
8. Tommy Nobis
Tommy Nobis ranks among the greatest college linebackers ever. He helped lead the Longhorns to the 1963 national championship and won the Maxwell Award in 1965. Nobis went on to win NFL Rookie of the Year after his time with the Longhorns.
7. Michael Huff II
There have been a lot of great safeties to play for the University of Texas, but Michael Huff II stands out at the top. The 2005 Jim Thorpe gets the nod here over someone like Earl Thomas because he was an integral part of a national championship team. He picked off seven passes with four pick-sixes in four seasons at Texas.
6. Cedric Benson
The first of three running back who’ll appear in these rankings, Cedric Benson ranks second in Longhorns history in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He found the end zone 64 times on the ground over his four seasons in Austin. Texas has a long history of great running backs and Benson is near the top of the list.
5. Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy sits at the top of most Longhorns passing lists. His 13,253 career yards are the most in school history, 1,817 ahead of Sam Ehlinger. His 112 passing touchdowns make him the only Texas player to hit triple digits. He owns three of the top five single season touchdown records in school history as well. The only thing missing is a championship, though he came close in 2009 as Texas finished the season ranked No. 2 in the nation.
4. Derrick Johnson
We’ve come to the greatest defender in Texas history: Derrick Johnson. Johnson, who played for the Longhorns from 2001 to 2004, ranks third in team history in tackles. In 2004, Johnson took home the Dick Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Jack Lambert Trophy, and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award. He was the leader of some of the best defenses in school history.
3. Ricky Williams
If we’re just talking stats, Ricky Williams dominates the Texas record books. His 6,279 rushing yards are by far the most in team history and he has two of the three best single-season yardage totals for the Longhorns as well. Williams is also the only Texas player with 25 or more rushing touchdowns in a season, something he did twice. It’s no wonder the Saints traded all of their 1999 draft picks for the No. 5 pick to select Williams after his stellar Texas career.
2. Vince Young
What’s there to say about Vince Young at this point? Texas has one championship since 1969 and it’s because Young was a transcendent force, leading Texas to a 41-38 Rose Bowl victory over USC to give Texas the 2005 title. Young led a late comeback, scoring a pair of rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter as well as a two-point conversion. He’s top 10 among Texas players in passing yards, passing touchdowns, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns.
1. Earl Campbell
Finally, we have Earl Campbell. He might only be third in team history in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, but one has to account for his performance coming at a different time in college football history. Campbell is one of two Texas players to win the Heisman, taking the 1977 trophy. Earl Campbell is Texas football, and he should earn a few extra points for owning a meat product company in his retirement.
