FRISCO, Texas – In what was supposed to be yet another night in which former Cowboys legend Jason Witten was presenting an award, he was surprised to hear he'll be receiving one himself.
The 11-time Pro Bowl tight end was back in Frisco for his prestigious Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award banquet to honor a standout collegiate football player from the 2025 season. It's the 9th year for the award, which went to Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.
But a standout college player in his own right, Witten was also informed Thursday night that that he will be inducted into the 2026 class for the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.
The product of Elizabethton, Tennessee, Witten was a three-year standout for the University of Tennessee before being drafted by the Cowboys in the third round back in 2003.
As for Rodriguez, he is expected to be drafted in the first two rounds of next week's NFL Draft. Winning the Witten-named award is just another accomplishment for the the linebacker who finished 5th in the Heisman Trophy voting last year.
Witten credits Rodriguez for his maturity to be able to handle all the success that came his way last year, which included winning multiple defensive awards such as the Bednarik Award, Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Lombardi Award, along with being a unanimous All-American and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
"I think, the best players, and the best leaders that I was around, there was this piece of, the stage was never too big for them," Witten said. "If you spend a few minutes with him, and you see that pretty quickly, the success that he's had, and he's had his fair share of adversity, and challenges that he's had to go through, but I think there's a great sense of gratitude. It's really busy for him. And to make it a priority, and want to be a part of this, and just the questions that he asked. I mean, I think it says a lot about who he is and the reason why he's so successful."
For all the success Rodriguez had last year as a college linebacker, he's the exact player that Witten is going to try and beat. After five seasons as high school head coach, Witten was hired back in January to become the tight ends coach at the University of Oklahoma.
"I knew for a long time that this was something I eventually wanted to do, is just, what a great time in my life to be able to coach my kids," Witten said. "I really think it's something I would really enjoy - the high level football and competing in the bright lights and the big stage, But also having those pockets to truly impact, you know, men, and off the field. And so there's a unique opportunity, I think coach (Brent) Venables was somebody that I aligned with felt like that I could learn a ton from. And so it's been awesome. It's been great opportunity for me."
Witten retired from the NFL back in 2021 after his illustrious 18-year career that included his first 17 seasons with the Cowboys and one year with the Raiders. He immediately jumped into the coaching profession, becoming the head coach at nearby Liberty Christian Academy, where he led the school to back-to-back state championships in 2022 & 2023. After five seasons at Liberty, where he was able to coach his sons, including Cooper Witten, who also committed to Oklahoma.
While Witten's jump from high school to college was one major change in his life, he was hoping there would be another large item to add to his already-impeccable resume. But while he was a finalist for the 2026 class for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Witten came up short as a first-ballot member. He'll have to wait until next year to see if he can earn his spot in Canton.
As an 11-time Pro Bowler, the Cowboys' all-time leader in receptions (1,125), receiving yards (12,977) and games played (255), Witten is expected to be not only a member of the Hall of Fame, but the Cowboys Ring of Honor at AT&T Stadium as well.
