TCU football is moving closer to its 2026 season opener against North Carolina in Dublin, Ireland on Aug. 29. As the Countdown to Kickoff continues, we’ll highlight a former Horned Frog whose jersey number coincided with the number of days remaining until the opener. At No. 14 is former TCU quarterback Andy Dalton!
Nicknamed the “Red Rifle” for his red hair and tremendous arm talent, Dalton threw for over 10,000 yards during his college career, 10,314 to be exact. He amassed 71 touchdown passes to just 30 interceptions and hit on 62% of his passes. Over 50 games, Dalton completed 812 throws and led the Horned Frogs onto the national stage. He guided TCU over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl and became a second-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011. Dalton redshirted in 2006 and was a four-year starter at TCU from 2007-10.
As a redshirt freshman, Dalton set program records in completions and attempts while becoming only the fifth quarterback in program history, at the time, to exceed 2,000 passing yards in a season. He led TCU to a 20-13 win over Houston in the Texas Bowl during the 2007 season. The following season, Dalton guided the Horned Frogs to another bowl victory, this time a 17-16 win against Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl. After being named an Honorable Mention Freshman All-American in 2007, Dalton was an All-MWC Honorable Mention in 2008.
In 2009, Dalton ascended to being one of the top quarterbacks in the nation. He earned the Mountain West’s Offensive Player of the Year award, All-MWC First Team honors and All-American nods from multiple outlets. Behind Dalton, the Horned Frogs went 12-1 and played Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, falling 17-10. Dalton’s final season at TCU, 2010, saw him once again win the MWC Offensive Player of the Year award, earn All-American status and All-MWC First Team honors. TCU went 13-0 and defeated Wisconsin 21-19 to win the Rose Bowl.
Dalton ended his career as the holder of every major TCU quarterback record including completions (812), attempts (1,317), completion percentage (61.7), passing yards (10,314) and touchdown passes (71). Since starting his NFL career with the Bengals in 2011, Dalton has thrown for 39,793 yards and 254 touchdowns on a 61.4% completion rate. He’s made 179 appearance and 169 starts over his 15-year career, which includes nine years with the Bengals, one year with the Dallas Cowboys, one year with the Chicago Bears and one year with the New Orleans Saints. Dalton, 38, is entering his third year as a backup quarterback for the Carolina Panthers.