Dat Nguyen

Rockport-Fulton High School

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Inducted in 2017

Dat Ngyuen helped lift Rockport-Fulton to a 9-1-2 season and its first district championship in 20 years as a junior in 1992. He had key game-changing tackles, causing a fumble that was returned for a touchdown in a district win over Taft, and another big hit that shifted momentum in a pivotal district tie versus Sinton. The Pirates posted a 17-4-2 record during Nguyen’s junior and senior seasons. Nguyen drew the attention of college recruiters and came close to signing with Michigan before Texas A&M wooed him and he signed with the Aggies. Nguyen thrived at Texas A&M, earning first-team All-Big 12 three times and capturing the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honor in 1998. He also won the Chuck Bednarik Award and earned All-American honors in 1998. He made the Big 12 10th Anniversary Team in 2005 and the Associated Press All-Time Big 12 Team in 2010. Nguyen finished his Texas A&M career with 517 tackles and an Aggie-record 51 straight starts. During a seven-year NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys, Nguyen made the all-rookie team in 1999, was named second-team All-Pro in 2003 and finished with 389 career tackles.