Hall of Fame
Position: Defensive Back
Years: 1988-91
Place of Birth: Trenton, NJ
Date of Birth: June 8, 1970
Jersey Number: 22
Height: 6-1
Weight: 200
High School: Pennsbury (PA)
The first player to earn First Team All-America honors under future College Football Hall of Fame Coach Barry Alvarez, Troy Vincent, Sr., established himself as one of the most dominant players in the Big Ten during his time in Madison. The Trenton, New Jersey, native becomes the 11th Wisconsin player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
Playing on teams that only won four games during his first three seasons and went 9-35 during his career, Vincent helped lay the groundwork for Alvarez who took over the head job in 1990 and would turn the Badgers into perennial contenders.
A First Team All-American in 1991, Vincent was named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Year and a runner-up for the 1991 Thorpe Award. A two-time All-Big Ten selection, he earned First Team honors as a senior and Second Team honors as a junior. He led the league in punt returns (17 for 235 yards) in 1989, and he is tied for ninth all-time in punts returned for touchdowns with three in the Big Ten. In 1990, he set the UW season record for pass breakups with 13.
The team captain and team MVP as a senior, Vincent finished his college career as school leader in punt return yards (773, now third all-time) and passes defended (31, now tied for eighth all-time). He amassed 192 tackles, 31 passes defended and four interceptions during his time in Madison. He recorded 66 punt returns for 773 yards and three touchdowns, and he returned 22 kickoffs for 485 yards.
A 1992 nominee for Jesse Owens Big Ten Athlete of the Year Award, Vincent played in the Japan Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game in 1992.
Taken in the first round (seventh overall) of the 1992 NFL Draft by Miami, he played with the Dolphins (1992-95), Eagles (1996-03), Bills (2004-06) and Washington (2006). He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro pick. Vincent is the only player in history to have received the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year award, the NFL Players Association Byron Whizzer White Award and the Sporting News Good Guy Award.
Vincent received the NCAA 2017 Silver Anniversary Award; 2017 Big Ten Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award; 2022 Black College Football Hall of Fame Founders Award. He was inducted into the to the, Pennsbury HS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003, the UW Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008, the State of Pennsylvania Football Hall of Fame in 2011, and Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame in 2012. He received the Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award from the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation in 2000, and he has also been honored by the New Jersey General Assembly with "Troy Vincent Day."
Vincent serves as the Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the National Football League. He is the recipient of the 2012 Jefferson Award from the American Institute for Public Service for outstanding public service by an athlete, and the 2022 Council of Urban Professionals Breakthrough Leadership Award.
Vincent is an advocate against domestic violence and sexual assault. Being directly affected by domestic violence, both Vincent and his wife, Tommi, share a passion and commitment to promoting the message of "Leadership Over Violence". They serve their community through developing and advancing policies and initiatives aimed at ending domestic violence and sexual assault.
Additionally, through their foundation, Love Thy Neighbor, the Vincent family is dedicated to humanitarian efforts defined by giving back to those in need throughout communities across America, beginning with their hometown of Trenton, NJ. Vincent serves on the board of directors for the Love Thy Neighbor Foundation, the Roundabout Theatre Company, the Ross Initiative for Sports Equality (RISE) and the Brian Dawkins Impact Foundation.
