Former Texas star Sam Acho is headed to the CSC Academic All-America Hall of Fame after a standout career in football, academics, and service.
Sam Acho has added another major honor to an already remarkable body of work, as the former Texas Longhorns football standout has been selected for the CSC Academic All-America Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
For Texas fans, it’s another reminder that Acho’s legacy reaches far beyond sacks, tackles, and highlights.
Acho built one of the most complete careers any University of Texas student-athlete has put together. On the field, he was a force for the Longhorns, finishing his career with 148 tackles, 23.5 sacks, 37 tackles for loss, 44 pressures, and eight forced fumbles across 50 games.
He started 26 times and helped power Texas through some of its strongest seasons of that era, including the 2009 Big 12 championship team that reached the BCS National Championship Game.
What made Acho different, though, was how much he accomplished away from football. He graduated from the McCombs School of Business with a double major in business honors and marketing, while also becoming a two-time first-team Academic All-American.
In 2010, he captured the William V. Campbell Trophy, one of college football’s most prestigious awards, and also earned the Wuerffel Trophy for excellence in community service and leadership.
That combination of production, intelligence, and service helped define Acho’s path after college.
He was drafted in the fourth round in 2011 and went on to play nine NFL seasons, appearing in 110 games with 57 starts for the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Buffalo Bills.
Since retiring, Acho has stayed in the spotlight in a very different way.
He’s become a familiar face at ESPN, built a reputation as an author and speaker, and continued his humanitarian work through multiple organizations.
For Texas, this recognition feels fitting. Sam Acho wasn’t just a standout defensive end.
He became the kind of student-athlete every program says it wants ... and actually got one.
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