Former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft.
Ehlinger was the heart and soul of Texas football over the last four seasons. He appeared in 46 games with 43 starts and guided the Longhorns to 27 wins as the starting quarterback, the fourth-most in school history.
Throughout his collegiate career, he accumulated 13,339 yards of total offense (the 20th-most in NCAA history), 11,436 passing yards, 94 passing touchdowns, 923 completions and 127 total touchdowns. Ehlinger is No. 2 in school history in each of those categories behind Colt McCoy.
The No. 11 jersey that he sported in Austin will be remembered for years to come. However, Ehlinger will go back to his high school roots in Indianapolis and wear the No. 4.
Rookie numbers, anyone? đ#ď¸âŁđ pic.twitter.com/z3R7b3Z6Bv
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) May 6, 2021
Ehlinger wore No. 4 for Westlake High School prior to arriving on campus at the University of Texas. His collegiate number is currently occupied by Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who didn’t even budge on giving the No. 11 to starting quarterback Carson Wentz.
According to the Colts roster, those who’ve worn No. 4 for Indianapolis in the past include Adam Vinatieri (2006-2019), Jim Harbaugh (1995-1997) and Dean Biasucci (1986-1994).
It’s unclear when Ehlinger will re-join the team after the sudden, tragic death of his younger brother Jake Ehlinger on Thursday. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the entire Ehlinger family during this horrific time.