Alumni Spotlight

Alumni Spotlight: Andy Dalton

Andy Dalton while practicing for the Bengals.

Andy Dalton, a former TCU alumni and now one of the quarterbacks for the Dallas Cowboys, has had quite the interesting career. Dalton, originally from Katy, Texas has put on an impressive show for the Lone Star State.

Dalton played high school football for the Katy High Tigers. He split time starting as a junior and then started one full season as a senior. His senior season, Dalton took the Tigers to the state finals in 2005, but lost to Southlake Carroll. During that season, Dalton managed to amass 2,877 yards with 42 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, being named the Greater Houston Area offensive player of the year by the Houston Chronicle.

College First Half

Going into college, Dalton committed to TCU on October 15, 2005. His freshmen season saw him get redshirted, but he traveled with the Horned frogs to every game. He was also listed as their third string quarterback behind players Jeff Ballard and redshirt freshman Marcus Jackson. After an 8-5 freshmen season, he was named 2007 Texas Bowl MVP in TCU’s 20-13 victory over Houston. His sophomore season saw him compete to become the starting quarterback. Before the season opener, head coach Gary Patterson named Andy Dalton the starting quarterback. That season he was named 2007 Texas Bowl MVP in TCU’s 20-13 victory over Houston.

College Second Half

His junior season saw him lead TCU to an 11-2 record. He was also named the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl MVP following TCU’s 17-16 win over Boise State. Dalton’s 2009 senior season saw him lead TCU to a perfect regular season record of 12-0. He also recorded his 13th victory of the season against Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, thus having TCU finish the season with a perfect 13-0 record. Andy Dalton Finished his college career with TCU with records of 42 wins, 10,314 passing yards, 1,317 pass attempts, and 812 completions with a completion percentage of 61.6. Today, Andy is the all time leader in wins at Texas Christian University.

Into the NFL

After his college career, he entered the NFL draft and on April 29, 2011, he was selected in the second round by the Bengals. He was 35th overall and out of the 12 quarterbacks drafted that year, he was the 5th one selected. On June 29, 2011, Dalton signed a 4-year 5.21 million rookie contract with the Bengals. His first regular season NFL start came against the Cleveland Browns on september 11, 2011.

He only played half of the game as he suffered an injury during the game. In that half though, Dalton completed 10 of his 15 pass attempts for 81 yards and one touchdown, posting a passer rating of 102.4. The Bengals came out victorious against the Browns 27-17, marking Dalton’s first AFC North win. This season also saw Dalton become the first NFL quarterback in history, not drafted in the 1st round, to start all 16 games of their rookie season.

What’s Next

After his rookie season, Dalton would go on to play for the Bengals until 2019, where he would later announce that he signed a one year deal for the Cowboys worth $7 Million. It’s also expected he’ll be Dak Prescott’s backup for the season. As of 2019 though, he has accumulated a passing completion percentage of 62.1, with 4,449 attempts and 2,757 completions and a touchdown and interception record of 204-118. Dalton also accumulated 31,594 passing yards, 1,221 rushing yards, 22 rushing touchdowns, and has a poser rating of 87.5. Dalton’s career has been impressive so far, and right now he’s in a good spot to move up positions. Prescott’s future is looking a little shaky, and only time will tell if we may find a former TCU quarterback, the starting QB for the Dallas Cowboys.

Home Life & Charity Work

He often attributes his success to his faith. Dalton is a Christian and has spoken about his faith and how it aided his success in the NFL. Outside the NFL he has also done well for himself. In 2011, he married his longtime girlfriend Jordan Jones, who he met at TCU. July 2014, Jordan gave birth to their first son, and their second son was born in 2017. In addition, he and his wife founded the Andy & Jordan Dalton foundation. The charity focuses on helping children and families in need. In the 2017 season it once received a sizable donation after The Bengals defeated the Ravens in week 17. The victory allowed the Buffalo Bills to enter the playoffs that season, and many Bills fans donated to thank Dalton for snapping a 17 year playoff drought. Out of the 16,000 donors, the donations totalled $360,000.

He’s had quite the career in the NFL and he looks to be a promising addition to the Cowboys roster. He’s shown to be a strong quarterback and he’s still in his prime. While there’s no telling when the NFL season will start due to the current state of the world, we can’t wait to see what else Dalton has in store for us at a new team.

Story by Anthony Rodriguez, Creative Media for Campus Live

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