Top 10 TCU Football players of all time

The TCU Horned Frogs are readying themselves for a huge championship clash against Georgia, but who are the top 10 TCU representatives of all time?

The modern era has produced fewer greats from Texas Christian University than in previous years, although Andy Dalton and LaDainian Tomlinson are the two standouts of the 2000s.

Only one player from the university has even won the Heisman Trophy, and that was Davey O’Brien, although 2022’s Max Duggan was the runner-up in the voting for the award.

Duggan was the figurehead of the 2022 Horned Frogs, leading the team from the quarterback position and registering a 13-1 record for the season, one game behind the Georgia Bulldogs.

Having been a slow-burner in terms of his development, Duggan’s draft stock isn’t too high; he isn’t considered among the elite QBs of the class, but his performances this year can’t be ignored.

Who are the 10 best TCU players of all-time?

#10 Max Duggan (2019 – 2022)

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl - Michigan v TCU

Max Duggan led Texas Christian University to the national championship game in 2022 and has done so in spectacular style.

It’s unclear whether or not he has the natural talent to be a starting quarterback in the NFL, but his collegiate career will go down as one of the greatest in TCU history.

In 2022 he finished as a runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting after throwing for 3,321 yards, 30 touchdowns, and a completion percentage of 64.9.

#9 Jim Swink (1955 - 1957)

Swink was an All-American running back during his years with the Horned Frogs, and he is remembered as one of the very best to ever play the position in the Southwest Conference.

Swink’s collegiate performances were impressive, leading the team to back-to-back Conference Championships, although he was only a second-round draft choice by the Chicago Bears in the NFL.

The rusher was almost a Heisman Trophy winner for TCU, but he fell short, being voted as a runner-up.

#8 Jason Verrett (2011 - 2013)

San Diego Chargers v Kansas City Chiefs

Verrett was one of the greatest athletes to ever compete for the Horned Frogs. Whilst playing all across the secondary throughout his college football career, he also excelled in track and field.

In a 2007 100m dash, he recorded a time of 11.87 seconds. This was a major boost to his game on the football field.

He initially represented Santa Rosa Junior College, but a year later transferred to TCU.

In his debut year, he recorded 58 tackles as a cornerback, albeit sometimes playing as a safety, and then in 2012 he had 63 tackles and six interceptions, the highest of all the team’s defenders.

His brilliant college career in Texas propelled Verrett to the third-ranked cornerback prospect in the country, and he was then drafted 25th overall by the San Diego Chargers.

#7 Larry Brown (1989 – 1991)

Super Bowl XXVII: Buffalo Bills v Dallas Cowboys

Larry Brown is another great athlete who split his time between football and other athletics. Whilst eventually a defensive star, he also played running back at times.

TCU made him their starting left cornerback after transferring to the college as a junior, and he recorded 75 tackles, two interceptions, and 10 successful pass defenses.

In the Blue-Gray Football Classic, where he was invited as one of the nation’s best defenders, Brown earned the MVP award after making nine tackles.

Brown would go on to play for the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings in the NFL.

#6 Aaron Schobel (1997 – 2001)

Buffalo Bills v New England Patriots

In his three seasons with the TCU Horned Frogs, Aaron Schobel was a productive pass rusher.

He managed to dominate O-Lines at the college level due to his side and explosive first-step. In 2000 he was voted the WAC Defensive Player of the Year.

By the time Schobel left Texas Christian, he was the team’s all-time leader in sacks after registering 31 throughout his college career.

His NFL career began as a second-round pick for the Buffalo Bills, but is most remembered due to the fact Schobel is the player who has recorded the most NFL sacks on Tom Brady.

#5 Andy Dalton (2007 – 2011)

New Orleans Saints v Philadelphia Eagles

Andy Dalton was a brilliant quarterback for the TCU Horned Frogs. He never threw for less than 2,200 yards in his four seasons with the program.

His breakthrough year came in 2010 when he threw for 2,857 yards and 27 touchdowns, earning him a second-round draft selection by the Cincinnati Bengals.

#4 Sammy Baugh (1935 – 1938)

"Slingin’ Sam Baugh" revolutionized how college football was played during his career with the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs.

He threw the ball with reckless abandon, but gained incredible yardage.

Throughout his college career, he recorded 39 touchdown passes and amassed 3,384 passing yards at a time when they were much harder to get.

#3 Bob Lilly (1958 – 1960)

Nobody is more synonymous with Texas football than "Mr. Cowboy" Bob Lilly. He was an integral part of TCU’s football program in the late 1950s and is one of their most famous alumni.

His tough-nosed defensive play was brutal, but effective for the Horned Frogs, who under his guidance were able to have a defense that allowed eight points per game.

#2 Davey O’Brien (1936 – 1938)

Davey O’Brien has gone down in history as the only TCU player to win the Heisman Trophy award.

In the 1938 season, he threw for 1,457 passing yards and 19 touchdown passes.

He was one of TCU’s greatest ever performers, being named to 13 All-America teams. He was selected fourth-overall in the NFL Draft and was the first ever Heisman Trophy winner to play in the NFL.

#1 LaDainian Tomlinson (1997 – 2001)

Texas Christian V Colorado State

LaDainian Tomlinson stands atop this list as one of the most consistent running backs the modern NFL has seen.

He was one of the constant positive presences on a San Diego Chargers team that was never able to utilize its full potential.

Tomlinson’s 2000 season with TCU was one of the most memorable in college history.

In 11 games, he rushed for 2,158 yards and scored 22 touchdowns. It earned him the Jim Brown Trophy and the WAC Offensive Player of the Year.

He is an inductee in the College Football Hall of Fame and remains one of the TCU’s greatest ever products.