Utah Football Names Ron McBride, Roy Jefferson As Ring Of Honor Inductees
Jun 30, 2025, 4:03 PM | Updated: 4:03 pm
7 Sep 1996: Head coach Ron McBride of the University of Utah during warm ups prior to the Utes 17-10 win over Stanford at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California. Mandatory Credit: Otto Greule/ALLSPORT
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Athletics announced former Utah standouts Ron McBride and Roy Jefferson will take their rightful places in the Utah Football Ring of Honor as the 2025 inductees.
The ceremony is set for the home opener against Cal Poly on September 6 at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Introducing the 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 Inductees!! Roy Jefferson & Coach Ron McBride!! 🙌
Join us in honoring these two Utah Legends during the first home game of the year on September 6!!
📰 https://t.co/LkHKATR6aB#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/uU2quI3XTA
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) June 30, 2025
Their enshrinement continues a tradition of celebrating those whose impact extends from the gridiron into their communities, and these two legends embody that legacy.
Ron McBride: Architect of Utah football’s turnaround
- Tenure & Record: Head Coach (1990–2002), Offensive Coordinator (1977–1982), Offensive Line Coach (1985–1986)
- Career Mark: 88–63 with six bowl appearances, including the program’s first back-to-back bowl berths since the 1960s
When McBride returned to Salt Lake City as head coach in 1990, Utah hadn’t sniffed a postseason in a quarter-century. Armed with his “MAFU” mantra—Mental toughness, Aggressiveness, Fanatical effort, Unity—he transformed a sputtering program into a national contender.
After a 7–5 breakthrough in 1991, Utah won its first eight games in 1994, capped by a Freedom Bowl victory over No. 15 Arizona that vaulted the Utes into the top 10. McBride’s teams captured shares of both the WAC (1995) and Mountain West (1999) titles, and he engineered signature bowl wins over USC (2001 Las Vegas Bowl) and fueled Carson Palmer’s Heisman campaign.
Off the field, McBride’s influence only grew. He not only sent 21 players to the NFL but also launched the Ron McBride Foundation, supporting Utah’s most vulnerable youth.
His accolades include inductions into the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame (2012), Utah Sports Hall of Fame (2013), and Weber State Hall of Fame (2021), plus national honors from the College Football Hall of Fame and the All-American Football Foundation.
Roy Jefferson: Versatile game-breaker
- Utah Career: Wide Receiver (1962–1964), Three-Time All-WAC, First-Team All-American (1964)
- Career Highlight: Atlantic City Liberty Bowl victory in 1964, the first major college game played indoors
Jefferson redefined playmaking at Utah. Averaging a record 16.66 yards per catch, he led the WAC in receiving and served as an alternate captain on the 1964 squad that went 9–2, capped by a Liberty Bowl win in a historic indoor setting.
Beyond his receiving prowess—29 catches for 435 yards and four touchdowns in ’63—he excelled as a cornerback, return specialist, and placekicker, drilling two field goals en route to upset victory.
His versatility caught the eye of NFL scouts; the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him 18th overall in 1965. Jefferson went on to a 12-year pro career, highlighted by a Super Bowl V ring with the Baltimore Colts and three Pro Bowl nods, including leading the league in receiving yards in 1968.
In 1986, he was inducted into the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame, and in 2014, his Liberty Bowl team received its own enshrinement.
With McBride’s revolutionary leadership and Jefferson’s all-around excellence, the 2025 Ring of Honor class captures what makes Utah Football special: the ability to elevate individuals who, in turn, elevate the program.
Their legacies—on the field, in the locker room, and throughout the community—remind Ute fans why this Ring of Honor stands for far more than wins and losses. It stands for enduring impact.
