The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Hall of Honor
- Induction:
- 2019
- Class:
- 2008
One of the most dominant and decorated defensive players in UT football history who went on to play 10 years in the NFL, Brian Orakpo won the Nagurski Trophy (nation's top defensive player), Lombardi Award (nation's top lineman) and Hendricks Award (nation's top defensive end) and was a finalist for the Lott Trophy (defensive IMPACT player of the year) as a senior in 2008. He also was a unanimous first-team All-American, the consensus Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous first-team All-Big 12 selection. Orakpo was renowned as one of the strongest players in college football and was named the nation's top workout warrior by ESPN with a bench press of 515 lbs., squat of 600 lbs. and power clean of 380 lbs. During his time at Texas, he was part of four bowl victories, including the Rose Bowl over No. 1 USC for the National Championship and Fiesta Bowl over No. 10 Ohio State. During his four years as a letterman, Texas was 45-7 (26-6 in Big 12), won at least 10 games all four years and finished in the Top 10 nationally three times, including a No. 3 ranking in 2008 and the 2005 national title. Orakpo played in 47 career games, starting 21, and posted 132 tackles (93 solo), 22 sacks (T-No. 10 on UT's all-time list), 38 TFL, 62 pressures, six PBU, six forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. During his senior year, he started 12 games, missing the better part of two and a half games due to a knee injury, but still tallied 42 tackles (31 solo) and led the team with 11.5 sacks (sixth NCAA), 19 TFL (t-seventh NCAA), 30 pressures and four forced fumbles. He battled a knee injury for the entire 2007 season, but capped the year by earning Defensive MVP honors at the Holiday Bowl, which was a win over No. 12 Arizona State. That year, he appeared in nine games, starting eight, but missing four, while recording 37 tackles, nine TFL, 5.5 sacks, and 12 pressures. He played in all 13 games in 2006 and recorded 26 tackles, six TFL and 4.5 sacks. Orakpo was selected Defensive Freshman of the Year and first-team Freshman All-America in 2005. He was also named Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in a year where he registered 27 tackles, four TFL, a half sack and nine pressures. He would go on to become the 13th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. Orakpo had a tremendous 10-year NFL career during which he spent six seasons in Washington and the last four with the Tennessee Titans. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, most recently in 2016, he posted 423 tackles, 66 sacks, 31 passes defended, 12 forced fumbles and a defensive touchdown during his career. A native of Houston, Orakpo graduated from UT with a degree in Youth & Community Studies in 2008. Now living in Austin with his family, he is involved in several businesses, most notably drawing national recognition for partnering with former teammate and Longhorn Hall of Honor member Michael Griffin to open a Gigi's Cupcakes shop in Bee Cave, Texas.
