The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Williams named to 2026 SEC Football Legends Class
10.08.2026 | Football
The 1998 Heisman Trophy winner will be honored at events surrounding the SEC Football Championship Game in Atlanta in December.
AUSTIN, Texas – Former Texas running back Ricky Williams was named to the 2026 Southeastern Conference Football Legends Class presented by T-Mobile, the league office announced Thursday. The group of former football standouts will be honored at events surrounding the SEC Football Championship Game in Atlanta in December.
Williams arrived at Texas in 1995 as a true freshman fullback and immediately evoked memories of Longhorn Legend Earl Campbell, breaking the Texas freshman rushing record with 990 yards and eight touchdowns. After 1,272 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore, he exploded as a junior tailback in 1997, leading the nation with 1,893 yards and 25 touchdowns, winning the Doak Walker Award and finishing fifth in Heisman voting. Returning for his senior year instead of entering the NFL Draft in 1998, Williams rushed for 2,124 yards and 27 scores, set 21 NCAA records, swept national player-of-the-year honors and won the Heisman in a historic landslide. He eclipsed Tony Dorsett's 22-year-old NCAA rushing record with 6,279 career rushing yards to go along with 72 rushing touchdowns and 46 school records. Texas later retired his No. 34.
Selected fifth overall by New Orleans in 1999, Williams rushed for 10,009 NFL yards and 66 touchdowns in his 11 seasons with the Saints, Dolphins and Ravens, and entered the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
Williams is the third former Texas player to be named to the SEC Legends Class, joining quarterback Vince Young (2024) and linebacker Derrick Johnson (2025).
The 2026 Football Legends class includes 16 former stars who excelled on the gridiron and helped write the rich history of the sport at their respective institutions. This year's class includes Heisman Trophy winners, national champions, All-Americans, All-SEC selections and NFL standouts. The group represents teams that won SEC Championships, claimed Super Bowl titles and are represented in state, school and college football halls of fame. Along with Williams, the 2026 SEC Football Legends Class includes Nick Saban (Alabama), Felix Jones (Arkansas), Benji Roland (Auburn), Chris Doering (Florida), Mark Richt (Georgia), Randall Cobb (Kentucky), Patrick Peterson (LSU), Tony Bennett (Ole Miss), Darius Slay (Mississippi State), Sean Weatherspoon (Missouri), Billy Sims (Oklahoma), Sidney Rice (South Carolina), John Henderson (Tennessee), Sam Adams (Texas A&M) and Casey Hayward (Vanderbilt).
The class will be honored at the 2026 SEC Football "Weekend of Champions" December 4-5 in Atlanta, Ga., highlighted by the annual SEC Legends Celebration presented by T-Mobile on Friday, Dec. 4, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. The group will also be recognized prior to the SEC Football Championship Game, which will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 5.
