Months removed from a remarkable comeback story that saw him win his first Super Bowl before retiring (again) from the NFL after a great career, former University of Utah star Eric Weddle will be enshrined in the school’s athletics hall of fame.
The university announced Wednesday that Weddle will be joined by seven other former Utes who will comprise the 2022 enshrinement class, which will be honored on Sept. 9.
At Utah, Weddle was a consensus All-American in 2006, who was a two-time Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year (2006 and 2007) while also playing on offense (he scored eight touchdowns in 2006, including five rushing).
A second-round pick in the 2007 NFL draft by the then-San Diego Chargers, Weddle played 14 seasons in the league and was a six-time Pro Bowl selection.
He retired in February 2020 as a member of the Los Angeles Rams before coming out of retirement in January 2022 as the Rams were dealing with major injuries.
He contributed well to Los Angeles’ Super Bowl run and then suffered a pectoral injury in that game but played through it as the Rams won.
Weddle is now primed to be a coach at Rancho Bernardo High School in California.
The other seven honorees are as follows:
- Skier Christi Hager: The only three-time national champion skier in school history.
- Swimmer Heidi Hausknecht: The first women’s swimming All-American at the U.; also competed in the 100 butterfly at the 2000 U.S. Olympic trials.
- Football player Chris Kemoeatu: A first-team All-American in 2004 who anchored the offensive line as the Utes busted the Bowl Championship Series for the first time; won two titles in the NFL.
- Runner Carla Pittelkow: A three-time All-American who was on Utah’s 1982 cross-country team that won the AIAW Division II national championship.
- Men’s basketball player Mitch Smith: A three-time All-WAC forward who is one of just four players in program history to record 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds during their career.
- Women’s basketball player Shona Thorburn: A two-time All-American who helped lead Utah to the Elite Eight of the 2006 NCAA Tournament; was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2006 WNBA draft.
- Gymnast Melissa Vituj: An 11-time All-American who had four top-10 finishes at the NCAA championships as Utah made the Super Six all four years of her career.
Honorees are typically recognized at Utah’s football game during the weekend of their enshrinement, and the Utes are scheduled to play Southern Utah at home on Sept. 10.