IRVING, Texas – The University of Texas and The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced that they will jointly honor 2023 College Football Hall of Fame electee Derrick Johnson with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments®. The Salute will take place this Saturday, Sept. 2, during the Longhorn's home football game against Rice, which will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program, which began with the inaugural College Football Hall of Fame Class in 1951, has become a hallowed tradition, and to this day the singular events remain the first of numerous activities in the Hall of Fame experience.
During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each electee returns to his respective school to accept a Hall of Fame plaque that will stay on permanent display at the institution. The events take place on the field during a home game, and many Hall of Famers cite the experience as the ultimate capstone to their careers, providing them one more chance to take the field and be recognized in front of their home crowd.
The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 5 at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Click here for more information on the Awards Dinner, including options to purchase tickets online, special travel rates to the event from Delta Air Lines and hotel rates at the ARIA.
"Exceptionally athletic with extraordinary speed, Derrick Johnson made his mark in the Big 12 with a unique ability to close on opponents, force turnovers, and take over games, " said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "We are thrilled to honor him at Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium as a member of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class."
A two-time First Team All-American, consensus in 2003 and unanimous in 2004, Johnson put together a career for the ages, claiming the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as nation's top defender in 2004. He finished 12th in Heisman Trophy voting and as a finalist for the Bednarik, Lombardi and Lott IMPACT awards in 2004. His nine forced fumbles that season place him in a tie for No. 1 in NCAA history for a single season. He was also named the 2004 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and 2004 Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year. In 2003, he became the Longhorns' first consensus First Team All-America linebacker since 1983; was one of three finalists for the Butkus Award; and was named the team MVP. In 2001, he was tabbed the Sporting News National Freshman of the Year, a First-Team Freshman All-American and Big 12 Co-Defensive Freshman of the Year.
Texas posted a 43-8 record during his tenure in Austin, and the Longhorns earned four bowl appearances, including a 47-43 win over Washington in the 2001 Holiday Bowl (with Johnson named the Defensive MVP), a 35-20 victory over LSU in the 2003 Cotton Bowl, and a 38-37 victory in the 2005 Rose Bowl against Michigan with future College Football Hall of Fame teammate Vince Young under center. A three-time First Team All-Big 12 performer, Johnson's efforts helped the Longhorns notch three 11-win seasons, while earning impressive final national rankings each of his four years: No. 5 in 2001, No. 6 in 2002, No. 12 in 2003 and No. 5 in 2004.
The two-time UT Defensive MVP tallied 458 career tackles, placing him at No. 3 in the school record books, and his 280 solo tackles rank him at No. 4 on the UT career list. His 65 tackles for loss land him at No. 1 in school annals, and he had 10.5 sacks, 30 pass breakups and nine interceptions, with both the breakups and interceptions being the most by a UT linebacker. He added 11 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries during his time in Austin.
Drafted in the first round (15th overall) in the 2005 NFL Draft by Kansas City, he played with the Chiefs until 2017, becoming the team's all-time leading tackler (1,262). He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times, and he finished his career in 2018 with the Raiders.
He founded and currently serves as the director of the Defend the Dream Foundation in Austin, Texas, which provides low-income and inner-city youth the opportunities and resources to reach their full potential in school and in life. The foundation has helped transform multiple libraries and elementary schools into reading areas called DJ's Discovery Dens, and he has donated more than 25,000 children's books.
The Waco, Texas, native now becomes the 21st Texas player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame, joining Hub Bechtol (1943-46), Earl Campbell (1974-77), Doug English (1972-74), Chris Gilbert (1966-68), Jerry Gray (1981-84), Johnnie Johnson (1976-79), Malcolm Kutner (1939-41), Bobby Layne (1944-47), Roosevelt Leaks (1972-74), Tommy Nobis (1963-65), Bud McFadin (1948-50), Steve McMichael (1976-79), Bob McKay (1968-69), James Saxton (1959-61), Harley Sewell (1950-52), Kenneth Sims (1978-81), Jerry Sisemore (1970-72), Harrison Stafford (1930-32), Ricky Williams (1995-98) and Vince Young (2003-05).
Three former Longhorn coaches are also in the Hall: Dana Bible (1937-46), Mack Brown (1998-2013), and Darrell Royal (1957-76).
The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class includes Eric Berry (Tennessee), Michael Bishop (Kansas State), Reggie Bush (Southern California), Dwight Freeney (Syracuse), Robert Gallery (Iowa), LaMichael James (Oregon), Derrick Johnson (Texas), Bill Kollar (Montana State), Luke Kuechly (Boston College), Jeremy Maclin (Missouri), Terance Mathis (New Mexico), Bryant McKinnie (Miami [FL]), Corey Moore (Virginia Tech), Michael Stonebreaker (Notre Dame), Tim Tebow (Florida), Troy Vincent (Wisconsin), Brian Westbrook (Villanova), DeAngelo Williams (Memphis), and coaches Monte Cater (Lakeland [WI], Shepherd [WV]), Paul Johnson (Georgia Southern, Navy, Georgia Tech), Roy Kramer (Central Michigan) and Mark Richt (Georgia, Miami [FL]).
The accomplishments of the 2023 Class will be forever immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, and each inductee will receive a custom ring created by Jostens, the official and exclusive supplier of NFF rings.
Including the 2023 Hall of Fame Class, only 1,074 players and 230 coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 5.7 million who have played or coached the game during the past 154 years. In other words, less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of the individuals who have played the game have earned this distinction.
Fidelity Investments has served as the national presenting sponsor of the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes since 2010. The salutes are one component of a multi-year initiative between the two organizations to celebrate the scholar-athlete ideal and a joint commitment to higher education. Fidelity is also the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, and it helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes in 2011, which recognize the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives around the country.
ABOUT FIDELITY INVESTMENTS
Fidelity's mission is to strengthen the financial well-being of our customers and deliver better outcomes for the clients and businesses we serve. With assets under administration of $11.7 trillion, including discretionary assets of $4.5 trillion as of June 30, 2023, we focus on meeting the unique needs of a diverse set of customers. Privately held for over 75 years, Fidelity employs over 70,000 associates who are focused on the long-term success of our customers. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit https://www.fidelity.com/about-fidelity/our-company.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE HALL OF FAME
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters in 47 states, NFF programs include the selection and induction of members of the College Football Hall of Fame; the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta; Future For Football; The William V. Campbell Trophy®; the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments; the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Award; and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Jostens, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the New York Athletic Club, the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.
