Back in 1981, across the pond in England, the late Bill Shankly, the former manager of soccer giants Liverpool, was being interviewed. During that interview, Shankly gave one of his most well-known quotes about his dedication to his craft: “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”
Shankly’s words accurately sum up how Texans feel about sports, particularly football. While much of Fort Worth’s sports attention is focused on the Dallas Cowboys, the city has its own athletic identity. Ever since Dennis Franchione revived the Texas Christian University’s (TCU) football program, the TCU Horned Frogs have become a perennial top-10 contender and a conveyor belt of top-tier talent who have gone on to enjoy glistening National Football League (NFL) careers. This article examines four former TCU stars who shone on football’s biggest stage.
Bob Lilly – Defensive Tackle
Although Bob Lilly was a TCU Horned Frog before the Franchione era, his college and professional achievements are so high that we must mention him. Known as “Mr. Cowboy,” Lilly played for the TCU Horned Frogs from 1958 to 1961, a time long before the best online sports betting sites were even a pipedream. The 6 ft 5 in, 260-pound man-mountain was a consensus All-American as a senior in 1960, and his performances for the TCU Horned Frogs ultimately resulted in Lilly being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Lilly achieved every Horned Frogs’ dream of playing in the NFL and doing so for the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys selected Lilly as the 13th overall pick in the first round of the 1961 NFL Draft. He played as a defensive tackle for 14 seasons, winning the Super Bowl and being named a First-Team All-Star seven times. His 29-yard sack of Miami Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese during Super Bowl VI is one of the most memorable defensive plays in Super Bowl history.
Now 85, Lilly lives in Georgetown, Texas, with his wife of 50 years. They have 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
LaDainian Tomlinson – Running Back
LaDainian Tomlinson was the first superstar off the Franchione production line. The supremely talented running back spent four seasons with the Horned Frogs between 1997 and 2000, during which he played 44 games and racked up 5,263 rushing yards and 54 touchdowns. Tomlinson’s ability attracted every NFL team’s attention, but the San Diego Chargers used their number five pick to secure his signature in the 2001 NFL Draft.
The Chargers desperately needed a running back, so Tomlinson didn’t wait long to become a first-team starter. During his rookie season in 2001, he played all 16 games, gained 1,236 rushing yards, and scored ten touchdowns. Amazingly, Tomlinson scored double-digit touchdowns in all nine seasons he spent as a Charger, and only one finished with less than 1,100 rushing yards.
Tomlinson was unstoppable during the 2006 season. He played all 16 regular season games, had 348 carries, and finished with a career and league-best 1,815 rushing yards. His 28 rushing touchdowns set an NFL record. Unsurprisingly, Tomlinson was named the Associated Press NFL MVP.
Tomlinson spent the last two years of his NFL career with the New York Jets, although injuries plagued his final season, and he hung up his boots in 2011. He finished his professional career with 13,684 rushing yards and 145 touchdowns, and 4772 receiving yards and 74 touchdowns. He is an incredible individual who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
Jerry Hughes – Defensive End
Jerry Hughes played running back for Austin High School in Fort Bend County, but Gary Patterson converted him to a defensive end after Hughes accepted an athletic scholarship at TCU. Between 2006 and 2009, Hughes recorded 139 total tackles, 39 tackles-for-loss, and 28.5 sacks, making him highly sought after in the 2010 NFL Draft.
The Indianapolis Colts selected Hughes as the 31st overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft’s first round; he became the first TCU Horned Frog since Tomlinson to be selected in the first round. Although Hughes played 40 games for the Colts over three seasons, he only started seven games and was traded to the Buffalo Bills.
Aside from his first season with the Bills, Hughes was essentially ever-present across nine years. By the time his contract ended in 2021, Hughes had amassed 53 sacks, the fourth-most in Bills’ history.
Hughes signed with the Houston Texans in May 2022, despite being 35. He started 16 games in 2022 but has found game time limited since. Still, his 479 tackles, 70 sacks, and 19 forced fumbles are numbers to be proud of.
Andy Dalton – Quarterback
Andy Dalton redshirted his first season with the Horned Frogs in 2006 but was so dedicated to the team’s cause that he traveled with them to every game on the road. His loyalty and hard work paid off the following season when he was named the Horned Frogs’ starting quarterback. Four seasons and 50 games later, Dalton had amassed 10,314 passing yards and 71 touchdowns.
The 2011 NFL Draft featured 12 quarterbacks, and Dalton was the fifth selected. The Cincinnati Bengals selected Dalton 35th overall in the second round. Dalton was the Bengals’ starting quarterback from Day 1, and he enjoyed some impressive figures despite the Bengals’ struggles. His least-productive season was in 2018, when he threw 2,170 yards and 14 touchdowns. Two years later, Dalton was surplus to requirements after the Bengals selected Joe Burrow as the first overall pick.
Dalton joined the Dallas Cowboys as Dak Prescott‘s backup but made nine starts and 11 appearances after Prescott was injured. He signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears in March 2021 but played second fiddle to Justin Fields before moving to the New Orleans Saints in March 2022.
The Saints didn’t renew Dalton’s contract, so he signed a two-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers gave the starting quarterback role to first-overall draft pick Bryce Young, and Dalton played only three games. However, Young’s continued struggles in 2024 gave Dalton a chance, and he has started four games from six this season.
To date, Dalton has 39,407 regular passing yards and 86 touchdowns. Only 24 quarterbacks in NFL history have thrown for at least 40,000 passing yards. It is only a matter of time before this former Horned Frog joins that exclusive club.
