Utah Utes football makes perfect choice for first Ring of Honor entry

The Utah Utes football team is going to be implementing a new way to honor its past very soon. And when it does, the first player the program will honor, is almost certainly the first player modern Ute fans think of when asked about the best name in its history.

On Monday morning, the program announced that it had settled on the first name to be entered into its ring of honor. Former Utah Utes and longtime NFL quarterback Alex Smith will be the first name inducted. It’s hard to think of a better choice.

As earlier announced, The Ring of Honor will include players and coaches that have achieved the highest honors in college football, the pros, and in the community. Each season after its inaugural year in 2024, Utah Athletics will add two new members to the Ring of Honor. That means that this year, Smith is the only former Utah Utes football player to be added.

Utah Utes football pays tribute to Alex Smith

"The rich history of Utah Football has been written by so many tremendous student-athletes and coaches whose achievements have given our fans memorable moments from generation to generation," Mark Harlan, Director of Athletics said in a release. "It is fitting that we permanently recognize the all-time greats of Utah Football with the establishment of the Ring of Honor at Rice-Eccles Stadium, and we are excited to announce Alex Smith as our first inductee.”

“His record of achievements both as a Ute and in the NFL, as well as his incomparable impact beyond the field, demonstrate all of the attributes that embody the spirit and identity of Utah Football. In this year of his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, we congratulate Alex on being the inaugural member of the Utah Football Ring of Honor. We look forward to adding many more legends of Utah Football each year to join Alex in this prestigious group."

Over the course of his Utah Utes football career, Alex Smith threw for 5,203 yards, 47 touchdowns and just 8 interceptions. That included a final season in Salt Lake City where he threw for almost 3,000 yards, 32 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions.

He’ll be officially inducted into the Ring of Honor at halftime of the team’s season opener against Southern Utah.