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Eric Weddle earns spot in Utah football's Ring of Honor
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- Eric Weddle earns spot in Utah football's Ring of Honor
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The Utah Utes added another prominent name to the football Ring of Honor on Saturday night.
Eric Weddle became the fourth representative for the school since it was established in 2024. He was honored in a ceremony at halftime of Utah's 43-10 win over Arkansas. The ring of fame includes "players and coaches alike, who have achieved the highest honors in college football, the pros and in the community," according to a statement by the university.
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Weddle has embraced all of those qualities during his time in Salt Lake City and has always been an ambassador for the program.
"Never in my wildest dreams would I think I'd be in this moment right now. So very humbling, emotionally," Weddle said via the Salt Lake Tribune.
"It's just special how much I love this place, and to be recognized in a way for the rest of the time is going to be insane, man. It's crazy. Even winning the Super Bowl and College Football Hall of Fame, this rivals or surpasses those moments."
Weddle will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2026 class. He was known as a solid defender during his football career. One of the stars in Utah's secondary during the mid-2000s, earning back-to-back Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors starting in 2005.
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This came right after Weddle helped boost the Utes into the national spotlight as part of the undefeated 12-0 team under Urban Meyer in 2004. Utah finished the season No. 4 in the final AP Poll, which gave the program its first BCS bowl appearance.
Weddle holds the Utah record for forced fumbles in a career with nine, and ranks second all-time with 18 interceptions. He left Salt Lake City with 277 tackles (22.5 for loss), 10 sacks, 18 INTs, and 23 PDUs. One of his biggest accomplishments was becoming the first player in Utah history to score on back-to-back plays from scrimmage.
After becoming a second round selection of the San Diego Chargers in the 2007 NFL Draft, Weddle played 14 seasons in the league before calling it quits in 2022. His final time on the field was a championship win as a member of the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI.
He was also a six-time Pro Bowler and five-time NFL All-Pro during the course of his career with the Chargers, Rams and Baltimore Ravens . Weddle was also named part of the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2010s.
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Life after football has been good for Weddle so far. He has taken on the role of being a high school coach at Ranch Bernardo in Southern California. He coaches his son, Gaige Weddle, who is a four-star two-way talent at quarterback and safety. Utah is on his final list of schools with the opportunity to follow in his father's footsteps. Gaige accompanied his father on the trip back to Rice-Eccles Stadium. He was also taking an official visit over the course of the weekend.
Weddle joins fellow former Utes players Alex Smith and Roy Jefferson, along with coach Ron McBride as the four Utah legends in the Ring of Honor.
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