E.J. Holub, a college football Hall of Famer who excelled on both sides of the ball at Texas Tech, has died at age 81.
“There are few players throughout history with the talent of an E.J. Holub,” Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt said in a statement. “He was the first College Football Hall of Famer in our history and will forever be remembered for his ability to impact the game on both sides of the ball. Most importantly, he was a dedicated Red Raider throughout his life. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time.”
Holub played linebacker and center for the Raiders. He was a consensus All-American in 1960 on a team with future NFL Hall of Famers Mike Ditka and Bob Lilly.
A Lubbock High School graduate, Holub was inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Fame in 1977, the college football Hall in 1986 and the Tech Ring of Honor in 2012.
Holub was a first-round draft pick of the Dallas Texans in the AFL and was a five-time All-Star in the league at linebacker. Multiple knee injuries forced him to move to center later in his career. He started Super Bowl I at linebacker and Super Bowl IV at center — helping lead the Chiefs to a 23-7 win over the Vikings.