Tight end Andre Tillman, linebacker Thomas Howard and inside receiver-return man Wes Welker will be the three newest additions to the Texas Tech football Ring of Honor, athletics director Kirby Hocutt announced Monday.
Tillman and Howard played on two of the best teams in Tech history, Tillman earning first-team All-America recognition from The Associated Press after the Red Raiders’ 11-1 season of 1973 and Howard receiving first-team all-America honors from Kodak and the Walter Camp Foundation after the Red Raiders’ 10-2 season of 1976.
Welker, who played for Tech from 2000-03, remains the FBS record holder for career punt-return yardage (1,761) and returned eight punts for touchdowns, tied for second. He caught 259 passes for 3,069 yards and 21 touchdowns, figures that rank second, third and tied for ninth, respectively, in Tech history.
The three will be enshrined on the weekend of Texas Tech’s Sept. 14 home game against North Texas. All three are expected to be in attendance, and their jersey numbers and names will be added to the wall on the west building of Jones AT&T Stadium.
“The Ring of Honor is reserved for the best of the best in the history of Texas Tech football,” Hocutt said in the announcement. “Without question, the likes of Thomas Howard, Andre Tillman and Wes Welker belong in that category and are deserving inductees into the Ring of Honor. We’re pleased to welcome them and their families back to campus this season to take their place forever inside Jones AT&T Stadium.”
All three previously were inducted into the Tech Athletics Hall of Fame, Tillman in 1992, Howard in 1993 and Welker in 2016. The Tech football Ring of Honor is a more exclusive circle, established in 2012.
The three additions bring the total membership in the Tech football Ring of Honor to 11. Six are members of the College Football Hall of Fame: Center-linebacker E.J. Holub, running back Donny Anderson, end Dave Parks, defensive tackle Gabe Rivera, linebacker Zach Thomas, wide receiver Michael Crabtree.
Also in the Ring of Honor are running back-defensive back Elmer Tarbox and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Tillman was second-round draft pick by the Miami Dolphins and had an injury-shortened four-year NFL career. Howard, a third-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs, played nine years in the NFL with the Chiefs and the St. Louis Cardinals. Welker, and undrafted free agent, played 12 years in the league with five teams.
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