“This moment means everything,” Hilton said, via FIUSports.com. “Football is the game I loved. My teammates through my years here are bonds that will be forever kept, and being the first football player inducted to the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame at a prestigious college gives the journey a forever meaning.”
Iconic former Indianapolis Colts star T.Y. Hilton received news from Florida International University Athletics Director Scott Carr on Thursday to learn he will become the first football player in program history to be inducted to the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame.
“This moment means everything,” Hilton said, via FIUSports.com. “Football is the game I loved. My teammates through my years here are bonds that will be forever kept, and being the first football player inducted to the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame at a prestigious college gives the journey a forever meaning.”
You’re gonna want to see @TYHilton13 reaction to being the first @FIUFootball player to be inducted into our Hall of Fame https://t.co/a4Rb9fLosQ pic.twitter.com/c5Dh5HpJWy
— FIU Athletics (@FIUAthletics) July 17, 2025
17 years ago, an 88-year attendance record was broken in Memorial Stadium for the Kansas Jayhawks season opener, fresh off a Big 12 North co-championship campaign in 2007. Before the road game got away from FIU in front of a packed house of 52,112 football fans, a true freshman took his first collegiate punt return 74 yards to the house to score the lone touchdown for the Golden Panthers against the No. 14 ranked Jayhawks. It was the highest ranked program FIU had ever faced in its seventh season as a program.
Hilton scored 12 total TDs to earn Sun Belt freshman Player of the Year in 2008, including seven receiving TDs, two rushing, one passing, one punt return and one kickoff return. The freshman standout also set single-season program records with 1,013 receiving yards and 2,162 all-purpose yards. If opponents were not aware of Hilton’s game-changing capabilities, it became evident when he ignited his sophomore season with a 97-yard kickoff return TD against mighty Alabama, once again on his first touch of the game.
Hilton earned First-Team All-Sun Belt recognition in all four seasons at FIU and was named Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2010. Hilton remains FIU’s all-time leader with 229 receptions for 3,531 receiving yards and 24 career receiving TDs. The future FIU Hall of Famer reached the end zone a total of 37 times in his collegiate career, including seven rushing TDs, four kickoff returns and two punt returns.
Indianapolis selected Hilton with the No. 92 overall pick in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Hilton spent his first 10 NFL seasons with the Colts, earning four consecutive pro bowl nods from 2014 to 2017. In 2016, Hilton led the NFL with 1,448 receiving yards on 91 receptions, becoming the fifth Colts receiver to do so.
What a day for @TYHilton13
The @Colts wideout honored the birth of his daughter by rocking the “baby” to sleep after scoring a TD. pic.twitter.com/9hAKnUTOWJ
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) July 26, 2021
The former Colt surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in five of his first seven seasons. In that span between 2012 to 2018, Hilton was one of only four receivers who caught for over 8,000 receiving yards, including Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, and the late Demarius Thomas. Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who recently mentioned Hilton was his veteran mentor as a rookie in 2020, replied to his former teammates’ post on X, stating “We want the Ring of Honor next”. The Miami Springs-native will be inducted into the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame during ceremonies on Sept. 12 and 13 in Miami.