Former Texas football DB Michael Huff selected to College Football Hall of Fame

Posted by Admin January 16, 2025 Football

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Former Texas football defensive back Michael Huff was selected Wednesday for enshrinement into the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class.

Huff is one of the best defensive backs to ever don the burnt orange. An Irving native, he played for the Longhorns from 2002-05. The two-sport athlete was Texas’ first-ever Thorpe Award winner in 2005, collecting two interceptions, two sacks, 12 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and one fumble returned for a touchdown. He also earned defensive MVP honors in the Longhorns’ BCS Championship game win over USC, collecting 12 tackles with one for a loss.

Though it’s been two decades since Huff attended UT, his name and number still hold weight on campus. Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron switched his number from 23 to seven this past year, symbolizing his decision to live up to Huff’s legacy and make the number his own.

Barron did so, captaining one of the best secondaries in the nation and winning the Thorpe Award just like Huff did before him.

Huff was taken by the then Oakland Raiders in the first round with the No. 7 pick of the 2006 NFL draft. He played for eight years, mostly with the Raiders though he had brief stints with the Ravens and the Broncos. Even after retirement, he has remained an active member of the community. During the winter storms that terrorized Texas in 2021, Huff and former UT-Arlington basketball player Marquez Haynes provided hundreds of meals to the needy in his hometown of Irving and surrounding areas.

The Class including Huff will be officially inducted during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, at the Bellagio Hotel & Resort.

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