University of Texas - Class of 2010
Football
• 2009 Football First Team Academic All-America
• 2010 Football First Team Academic All-America
Sam Acho is one of the most decorated Longhorns in the history of UT football. In 2010-11 he was chosen as the Big 12 Conference Male Sportsperson of the Year. Leading Texas to a Big 12 championship and Bowl Championship Series National Championship game in 2009, Acho finished his career with the Longhorns recording 148 tackles, 23.5 sacks, 37 tackles for loss, and 44 pressures, lining up at outside linebacker/defensive end.
In 2010, he won the Wuerffel Trophy, awarded each year to the college football player with the biggest community impact. He was named to the Academic All-American first team in 2009 and 2010. He won the William V. Campbell Trophy for the nation’s highest academic performing football player and twice was awarded the Arthur Ashe Sports Scholarship. He was inducted into Texas’s Friar Society, the university’s oldest and most prestigious honor society. Additionally, he received the NCAA Top VIII Award, recognizing the top eight student athletes in collegiate athletics.
“People that get a chance to play sports in college are student-athletes,” said Acho. “And oftentimes, we forget the ‘student’ part and put a lot of focus on athletics… For me to be able to go through some ups and downs of learning what it was like to not necessarily find balance, but to learn limits and understand trade-offs, [was] very powerful on my journey in college athletics.”
Following his collegiate career, Acho was selected in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. His nine year career in professional football saw Acho play for four different teams, and as a rookie, he recorded seven sacks, 44 tackles, and four forced fumbles. He retired from football in 2019, after a career that saw him advocate for player rights and safety. He served as the NFL Players Association Vice President and was nominated for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award twice, an honor that represents Acho’s commitment to community service and impact.
He’s since worked for ESPN as an analyst, covering college football, the NFL, and the United Football League (UFL). He does coverage in-studio and as a color commentator for college football.
Acho has released two books, Let the World See You: How to Be Real in a World Full of Fakes (2020) and Following Your Fire to Heal a Broken World (2023).
Acho is the Vice President of Living Hope Ministries, an organization that provides medical, financial, and spiritual relief to Nigeria. His involvement with Living Hope Ministries started years ago when his parents created the organization. His first mission trip to Nigeria was as a 15 year-old. During his NFL career, many of Acho’s teammates accompanied him to Nigeria to assist Living Hope Ministries. Acho said, “A lot of my heartbeat is in Nigeria.” Both of his parents and his spouse were born there.
He is also an office advisor at the Athlete Family Office, serving as a mentor for young athletes to reach past their potential of physical abilities on a playing field and use their success to create better futures and impact the communities around them.
Acho shared, “I hope this recognition inspires other athletes to grow and push themselves in all areas of life.”