Red Raider Football Ring of Honor inductees.
The heroes and legends that have made indelible marks on Red Raider Football will be permanently enshrined in the Texas Tech Football Ring of Honor.
The Ring of Honor will consist of an elite group of players and coaches that made outstanding contributions to Red Raider Football. Inductees will have their names permanently etched on the west stadium building facing the playing surface inside Galaxy Stadium.
Candidates for the Ring of Honor will be chosen and screened by an anonymous selection committee. Once the committee has determined a suitable candidate(s) for induction, the group will make a formal recommendation to the director of athletics
Texas Tech unveiled its first inductees into the Ring of Honor at on Thursday, July 5, 2012.
Induction
#55 E.J. Holub
2012
Center / Linebacker, 1958-60
- Nicknamed "The Beast"
- One of three Red Raiders to have his jersey formally retired at Texas Tech
- Texas Tech's first inductee into the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame (1986)
- First-Team All-American in 1959 and 1960
- Finished 10th in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1960
- Texas Tech's first All-Southwest Conference honoree in 1960
- Named to the Street & Smith's 50th Anniversary Team
- Selected to the play in the Coaches All-American Game, The Chicago Tribune All-Stars Game and the East-West Shrine Game
- Was a first-round draft pick by the AFL's Dallas Texans and a second-round draft choice by the NFL's Dallas Cowboys
- Inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Honor in 1977
- Was an AFL All-Star in 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965 and 1966
- Is the only player in history to start two Super Bowls at two different positions (started Super Bowl I at linebacker and Super Bowl IV at center)
- Won a world championship with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1970
- Inducted into the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Honor in 1976
- Played 10 seasons of professional football with the Dallas Texans (1961-1962) and the Kansas City Chiefs (1963-1970)
Induction
#21 Elmer Tarbox
2021
Most prominent two-way players in the country.
- Via texastech.com:
- Elmer Tarbox, one of the first greats in Red Raider football history, has been selected for induction into the prestigious Texas Tech Ring of Honor, Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt announced Wednesday.
- Tarbox will become the seventh member of the Ring of Honor when he is posthumously enshrined alongside fellow 2021 inductee Michael Crabtree prior to Texas Tech's meeting against Florida International on Sept. 18. The duo represents two different eras of Red Raider Football with Tarbox starring in its early stages and Crabtree in more recent years.
- "The legacy of Elmer Tarbox lives to this day, making him a perfect candidate to join the Ring of Honor," Hocutt said. "He was truly the Texas Tech version of Jim Thorpe. On the field, he could do it all whether it be as a rusher, a pass catcher or as a defensive back where he most-highly regarded. We look forward to recognizing the Tarbox family this season and seeing his name permanently etched on Jones AT&T Stadium."
- When Tarbox arrived at what was then Texas Technological College in 1935, he had never played a single down of football and had only seen part of one game after growing up in the small Panhandle town of Higgins near the Oklahoma border.
- That soon changed, however, as Pete Cawthon plunked the walk-on to join the Red Raiders, beginning a storied career that ended with Tarbox being named the most outstanding player at the 1939 Cotton Bowl, only the second postseason appearance in the school's young history. Tarbox garnered the honor despite the then Matadors falling to St. Mary's, 20-13, in what was his final game in scarlet and black.
- Tarbox played three seasons for the Red Raiders from 1936-38, quickly developing into one of the most prominent two-way players in the country. Tarbox was an honorable mention All-America selection as a half back as a senior after leading the country in yards per catch while also finishing seventh in the nation in rushing yards and 10th for receiving yards.
- For Tarbox, his legacy was felt on the defensive side of the ball. In 1938, Tarbox set the Texas Tech single-season record with 11 interceptions, a mark that has not seriously been approached by any Red Raider since then as the next-highest total is eight. He also ranked among the top-10 players in the nation that year for rushing and receiving, completing a final season that would have sent him straight to the Hall of Fame.
- His 17 career interceptions, meanwhile, were the most in school history until four-time All-Southwest Conference defensive back Tracy Saul finally broke the mark nearly 50 years later. Even with today's pass-happy offenses, Saul is still the only Red Raider to top Tarbox's career record.
- Following his collegiate career, Tarbox became only the second Red Raider at the time to hear his name called during the NFL Draft as the then Cleveland Rams selected him 18th overall in 1939. Tarbox never played a down in the NFL, though, as he elected to enlist to fight in World War II. No other Red Raider was selected higher than Tarbox until E.J. Holub, a fellow Ring of Honor member, was picked No. 16 overall in 1961.
- After his time flying B-25 bombers over the China-Burma-India sector, Tarbox returned to West Texas where he became a business leader, working for Lubbock Auto Company for 11 years and later opening and operating the first drive-in movie theater in Lubbock. Tarbox was awarded for his courage overseas, earning an Air Medal, a Silver Star and a Purple Heart during his military career.
- In 1966, Tarbox was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, a move that greatly benefited his alma mater as his work on the Appropriations Committee helped establish both the Texas Tech School of Law and what is now the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center. Tarbox was also a past president of the Texas Tech Alumni Association.
- His success in business and politics surprised few around him, especially following his playing career as a Matador. He went on to found the Tarbox Parkinson's Disease Institute in 1972 at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center in order to develop a treatment and hopefully a cure for the disease that eventually took his life in 1987.
Induction
#27 Wes Welker
2024 - 2022
Wide Receiver/Punt Returner, 2000-03
- Known as "The Natural" throughout his record-setting Red Raider career
- Was the final recruit to sign with Texas Tech as part of Mike Leach's first class as head coach
- Signing was the result of his high school coach reaching out to longtime Texas Tech Director of Football Operations Tommy McVay, who is credited with finding Welker as an overlooked prospect out of Oklahoma
- Would go on to redefine the inside receiver position at both the collegiate and NFL levels
- Recorded back-to-back seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards to close out his Red Raider career as an All-Big 12 second team honoree as a junior in 2002 and a first team selection in 2003
- Ended his career as Texas Tech's all-time receiving leader with 3,069 yards, a mark that has since been broken by only Michael Crabtree and then Jakeem Grant
- Still ranks second in Texas Tech history for career receptions (259) and tied for ninth for receiving touchdowns (21)
- Placed his name among the best punt returners in NCAA history with eight returns for a touchdown over his Red Raider career
- Found the end zone twice via punt returns as a freshman, once as a sophomore, three times as a junior and twice as a senior
- His eighth punt return for a touchdown came against Colorado in 2003
- Returned a punt 88 yards to the end zone with 2:48 remaining in Texas Tech's memorable 2002 victory at Texas A&M, which still ranks as one of the top moments in school history
- Remains the NCAA FBS record holder for career punt return yardage after totaling 1,761 over his 152 career returns
- Went undrafted in the 2004 NFL Draft before signing with the San Diego Chargers as a free agent
- Eventually signed with the Miami Dolphins to begin a 12-year NFL career that featured three Super Bowl appearances
- Played in two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and one other with the Denver Broncos
- Caught more than 100 passes five times over six seasons with the Patriots, which included an NFL record 123 receptions in 2009
- Ended his NFL career with 903 receptions for 9,924 receiving yards and 50 touchdowns to go along with an additional 2,584 yards via punt returns and 4,138 yards as a kickoff returner
- Inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Fame as part of the 2016 class
- Currently the wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins
