The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Hall of Honor
- Induction:
- 2023
Quan Cosby arrived on the Forty Acres as a former prep quarterback and minor league baseball player, and by the time he completed his collegiate career, he was one of the top wideouts and kick returners in UT history and a key member of the 2005 National Championship team as a freshman. A Biletnikoff Award semifinalist as a senior in 2008 and a two-time All-Big 12 selection, he joined with quarterback Colt McCoy to set a record for completions between a quarterback and a wide receiver with 191, which is still second all-time. In all, Cosby started 35 of his 52 career games and posted 212 receptions, which was second on UT’s all-time list at the time and now fourth, 2,598 receiving yards, which was third and now sixth, and 19 receiving touchdowns, which was fourth and now fifth. He caught a pass in 47 of those career games, including a streak of 44 consecutive to finish, a streak that is still the second-longest in program history and just three games shy of the record. As a returner, Cosby holds the UT career records for both kickoff returns with 73 and kickoff return yards with 1,731, including a 91-yard touchdown against Texas A&M in 2007, for a 23.7-yard average, which is eighth all-time. It was also in 2007 that Cosby set the Longhorn single-season records with 42 returns and 1,017 yards, both of which still hold significant margins over the next closest on the lists. Adding in his 33 career punt returns for 372 yards (an average of 11.3 that ranks sixth all-time) Cosby registered 4,701 all-purpose yards, which is also sixth, on 318 career plays (14.8 ypp). He notched seven career plays of 50 or more yards, including four receptions, two kickoff returns and two punt returns. A consensus second-team All-Big 12 performer as a senior in 2008, Cosby caught 92 passes, which was second on UT’s single-season list and is now fourth, for 1,123 yards, which was third and is now sixth, and 10 touchdowns, which was tied for fourth and is now tied for sixth. He and Jordan Shipley combined to become the top single-season receiving duo in UT history in both receptions (181) and receiving yards (2,183). He capped that season with one of the most memorable moments in Texas history, as he caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from McCoy with 16 seconds to play, lifting the third-ranked Longhorns to a 24-21 victory over No. 10 Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl to complete a 12-1 season. On the touchdown, Cosby caught a short pass, slipped a tackle and sprinted toward the goal line before diving into the end zone to finish with career highs in both receptions (14) and receiving yards (171) and his second touchdown of the night. The 14 receptions are a UT bowl record, and the 171 yards are the second most for a Longhorn in a bowl game. Along with his record-setting kick return performance as a junior in 2007, Cosby hauled in 60 receptions, which at the time was sixth all-time on UT record and is now tied for 14th, for 680 yards and five touchdowns. That season, Texas compiled a 10-3 record and defeated Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl. Prior to that, he caught 45 passes for 525 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore in 2006, along with returning 13 kickoffs for 334 yards (25.7 ypr) and two punts for 64 yards (32.0 ypr), including a 55-yard touchdown. The Longhorns went 10-3 that season with a win over Iowa in the Alamo Bowl. As a freshman in 2005, Cosby posted 15 receptions for 270 yards and two touchdowns, including two catches for 16 yards in Texas’ 41-38 victory over USC in the National Championship game. One of those went for seven yards and when combined with a facemask penalty, provided just the yardage needed for a critical first down on a third-and-12 on the first series of the game-winning drive. A first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection in 2008 and three-time member of UT’s Athletics Director’s Honor Roll, Cosby was president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and graduated with a degree in social work. Before arriving at UT, he was a two-time all-state football player at quarterback and defensive back who led Mart High School to the 2A Div. II State Championship game as a junior and senior, winning as a junior. Along with his football and baseball accomplishments, he was the 2001 2A state champion in both the 100m (10.46) and 200m (21.31) in track. He originally signed with Texas out of high school in 2001, but instead elected to play professional baseball. After being drafted by the Anaheim Angels in the sixth round of the Major League Baseball draft, he spent four years in the Angels’ farm system, before signing with the Longhorns again in 2005. After Texas, he spent four years in the National Football League with the Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars. Cosby is currently a partner at Marsh & McLennan Agency and serves The University as a liaison for external affairs in the Office of Government Affairs and Initiatives. Very active in Texas Exes events across the state and someone who regularly volunteers time in the community, he spent several years in radio and television announcing, including a seven-year stint as Texas Football’s sideline reporter on the Longhorn Radio Network and as an analyst on baseball broadcasts. In the spring of this year, Cosby was one of four Longhorn alums presented with the Presidential Citation Award for his dedication and support of The University. He was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
