Hall of Fame
Position: Cornerback
Years: 1988, 1990-92
Place of Birth: Bellflower, CA
Date of Birth: January 10, 1970
Jersey Number: 2
Height: 6-0
Weight: 200
High School: Junípero Serra (Gardena, CA)
A lockdown cornerback and the recipient of the Jim Thorpe Award, Deon Figures thwarted opposing offenses while helping Colorado claim three conference titles and the 1990 national championship. The Bellflower, California, native becomes the tenth Colorado player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
A consensus First Team All-American, Figures took home the 1992 Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back. He twice led the team in pass deflections, posting 12 in 1991 and eight in 1992. He led the team with six interceptions in 1992, and he only allowed six completions in more than 400 man-coverage snaps during his prolific senior campaign. He also won the Jack Tatum Award from the Touchdown Club of Columbus and concluded his career with 176 tackles, five tackles for loss, 13 interceptions, 27 pass breakups (second-most all-time at CU by career's end), one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and one blocked kick.
The Buffs would win three Big Eight Championships (1989, 1990, 1991 – shared) while Figures was in Boulder. He was named the Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year in 1992, and he was an All-Big Eight selection three times, earning unanimous First Team honors in 1992, Second Team honors in 1991 and Honorable Mention accolades in 1988. He was also named the Big Eight Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 1988.
Bosting exceptional speed, Figures was utilized by Colorado on punt returns his senior year, and he led the team in punt returns (42) and punt return yards (479) during his senior campaign. He still holds the CU record for most punt returns (10) and punt return yards (167) in a single game (vs. Kansas State in 1992).
CU went 36-10-3 during Figures' time in Boulder, playing for Hall of Fame coach Bill McCartney, and the Buffs claimed the 1990 national title with a 10-9 victory in the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame. Figures intercepted Irish quarterback Rick Mirer's pass on the final play of the game to secure the win and the national title with a 11-1-1 record. The Buffs would go 8-3-1 in 1991, landing at No. 20 in the final polls, and 9-2-1 in 1992, finishing at No. 13 in the polls. They appeared in the Blockbuster and Fiesta bowls, respectively following the 1991 and 1992 seasons.
Figures played in 1993 Hula Bowl before being selected in the first round of the 1993 NFL Draft (23rd overall) by Pittsburgh. He appeared in 93 games in the NFL with the Steelers from 1993-96 and Jacksonville from 1997-98, making nine career interceptions.
Figures currently owns a cleaning business in Aurora, Colorado, and he is a real estate and stock investor. He also works as an advocate for at-risk youth and with various community organizations. He was inducted into the CU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014.
