- Bill Wallace was Rice’s first first-team All-American.
- James Williams is Rice’s all-time leading scorer with 156 points.
- Weldon Humble is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
The Rice Owls football program has played in Rice Stadium since 1950. The program itself was established 38 years earlier, in 1912.
Fun fact: Rice has the second-smallest undergraduate enrollment of all FBS programs except for Tulsa.
Football betting on the Owls’ college football odds is available at the BetMGM online sportsbook.
See the top five Owls below.
5 Best Rice Owls Football Players, Ranked
| Rank | Player | Position | Owls Years |
| 1 | Bill Wallace | HB | 1932, 1934-1935 |
| 2 | James Williams | End/K | 1946-1949 |
| 3 | Weldon Humble | OL | 1941-1943, 1946 |
| 4 | Jarett Dillard | WR | 2005-2008 |
| 5 | Malcolm Walker | C/LB | 1962-1964 |
Rice Owls All-Time Greatest Football Players
1. Bill Wallace
Wallace was a halfback for Rice in 1932 and again from 1934 to 1935.
He was suspended in 1933, along with seven other players, due to charges related to mid-year exams.
Throughout his career at Rice, Wallace also excelled in various roles, including passing, punting, and even playing safety.
He had three punts land at the goal line and two out of bounds inside the 10-yard line.
Wallace was Rice’s first first-team All-American.
He was also a third-team All-American, two-time first-team All-SWC, and was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
Additionally, Wallace was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1978.
2. James Williams
Williams was at Rice from 1946 to 1949.
He was a consensus All-American, two-time first-team All-SWC, and second-team All-SWC.
He had the nickname “Froggy” due to his elusiveness and ability to slip away from defenders.
He’s Rice’s all-time leading scorer with 156 points. These came from 13 touchdowns, 75 extra-point kicks, and a game-winning field goal.
In 1949, he delivered the kick that beat Texas 17-15.
He’s enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
3. Weldon Humble
Humble was a guard for Rice from 1941 to 1943 and again in 1946.
Like many players of that era, he had to stop playing for a couple of seasons due to World War II.
He was a consensus All-American, first-team All-SWC twice, and is a member of the 50th-anniversary All-Southwest Conference team.
In addition to being inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the South Texas Football Hall of Fame, and the Rice University Athletics Hall of Fame, Humble is also enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
4. Jarett Dillard
Dillard played wide receiver for Rice from 2005 to 2008.
During that time, he caught 292 passes (most in program history) for 4,138 yards (first) and 60 touchdowns (first).
Not only are his 60 touchdowns a Rice record, but also an all-time NCAA record.
The next closest is Jordan Taylor with 20.
He was a first-team and second-team All-American.
5. Malcolm Walker
Walker was at Rice from 1962 to 1964.
He played both center and linebacker.
He was a second-team and third-team All-American and two-time first-team All-SWC.
Walker was inducted into the Rice Athletics Hall of Fame in 1976.
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