Wildcats Legend Elected to College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026

Kansas State icon Terence Newman elected for ultimate collegiate accolade

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Terence Newman (23) rests during an injury timeout in the game with the San Diego Chargers in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Minnesota Vikings win 23-10. | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

The highest honor in college football now includes one of Kansas State’s greatest legends. The National Football Foundation officially announced the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026. And Terence Newman’s name sits proudly among the sport’s most iconic figures. Election to the College Football Hall of Fame represents the absolute peak of the sport.

Kansas State's Terence Newman One of the Rarest Honors in College Football

The numbers alone show how special this achievement is. Once the Class of 2026 is officially inducted, only 1,129 players and 241 coaches will have earned College Football Hall of Fame status. That group represents fewer than .02 percent of the nearly 5.86 million individuals who have played or coached the game over the past 157 years.

K-State great Terence Newman elected to College Football Hall of Famehttps://t.co/vbunMht42F pic.twitter.com/WrkBmfzvTN

— The Mercury Sports (@MERCsports) January 14, 2026

Terence Newman is not simply joining a Hall of Fame. He is entering one of the most exclusive clubs in American sports history, a place reserved for true difference-makers.

Newman becomes the eighth Kansas State player or coach to receive college football’s highest individual honor and the fifth Wildcat inducted in the last 15 years. His selection further strengthens Kansas State’s national reputation as a program capable of producing elite, Hall of Fame-level talent.

He joins former Wildcats Michael Bishop from the Class of 2023, Darren Sproles from the Class of 2021, Gary Spani from the Class of 2002, and Mark Simoneau from the Class of 2012. Newman also stands alongside coaching legends Lynn Pappy Waldorf, Charles Bachman, and his own head coach, Bill Snyder, who was inducted in 2015.

Playing for Bill Snyder from 1999 to 2002, Newman became the centerpiece of one of the most dominant defensive backfields in the country. He consistently shut down opposing receivers while also changing games as a dangerous return specialist. His college resume includes two All-Big 12 selections, Consensus First Team All-American honors, the 2002 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award, and the 2002 Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s top defensive back.

Why the 2002 Season Was Special

Newman’s senior season in 2002 stands as one of the most complete individual campaigns in Kansas State history. He dominated games on defense, flipped field position as a return man, and became the standard for versatility at cornerback.

That season, Newman swept national awards and helped lead Kansas State to an 11-win year. His impact earned him a place in the K State Ring of Honor and the Kansas State Athletics Hall of Fame long before this latest national recognition.

Newman’s greatness extended beyond football. He was also a two time All American in track and field and a two time Big 12 champion. More than two decades later, he still holds Kansas State school records in the indoor 60 meters at 6.62 seconds and the outdoor 100 meters at 10.20 seconds.

Newman’s dominance carried straight into the NFL. He was selected No. 5 overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2003 NFL Draft, becoming the second-highest draft pick in Kansas State history.

Across a 15-plus-year NFL career from 2003 to 2017, Newman recorded 876 tackles and 42 interceptions. Meanwhile, he earned two Pro Bowl selections and built a reputation as one of the most durable defensive backs of his era.

Newman will be officially inducted during the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Tuesday, December 8, 2026, at the Bellagio Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

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