Texas Football: Top 15 all-time Longhorns quarterbacks

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images /
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Top All-Time Texas Football Quarterbacks – Number 12: Donnie Little (1978-81)

Career stats: 2,067 passing yards, 8 TDs, 18 INTs, 48.1 completion %, 99.4 passer rating, 1,306 rushing yards, 11 rushing TDs, 18 receptions, 338 receiving yards, 3 receiving TDs

There were a lot of different things that Donnie Little did well during his time at Texas — one of them was playing quarterback. However, as you can tell by the above stats, he also dabbled at wide receiver and even returned some kicks during his college career.

More importantly, Little was the Longhorns’ first African American starting quarterback. He served as a pioneer for the program, paving the way for future stars such as James Brown and Vince Young.

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As a player, Little’s game was built around his athleticism. Although he possessed plenty of arm talent, it was his ability to hurt defenders with his feet that made him special. That eventually led him to making the switch to wide receiver during his senior season, a position in which he also thrived.

If it wasn’t for a string of injuries that routinely cut his seasons short, Little may have built a better overall legacy for himself at Texas. Unfortunately, his inability to stay healthy forced him to miss many opportunities and even ended his professional football career before it truly took off.

Even with the injuries, Little was lauded for his willingness to sacrifice his body for the team. That quality eventually did him in, but it helped cement his status as one of the Longhorn’s all-time greats under center.