NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion University Athletics announced on Friday the fifth and final member of its 2026 ODU Sports Hall of Fame induction class, football alumni Taylor Heinicke. The rest of this year’s Hall of Fame Class includes Maggie Simmermacher, Tim Hopkinson, Sarah Breen, and Daniel Hudson.
A quarterback from Atlanta, Georgia, Heinicke suited up for the Monarchs from 2011-14 and helped lead the program as it transitioned from FCS to FBS. By the time he left ODU, he had set 33 school records, to include throwing for 14,959 career passing yards, the ninth-most ever thrown by an FBS quarterback. He threw for 132 career touchdowns and his 730 passing yards and 791 yards against New Hampshire on September 22, 2012 are still FCS records.
As a freshman in 2011, Heinicke was named the College Football Performance Awards National Performance of the Year, the CFPA Freshman Performer of the Year, and the winner of the CFPA Quarterback Award. He was also the runner up for the Jerry Rice Award by The Sports Network, awarded to the National Freshman of the Year. Other accolades during his rookie campaign included being named to the Sports Journal All-Freshman Team, the All-CAA Third Team, a pair of National Freshman of the Week honors by The Sports Network, and three CAA Rookie of the Week nods. He completed 211 of 307 pass attempts, threw just one interception, threw for 25 touchdowns, and rushed for four more. Heinicke also averaged 307.5 passing yards in the postseason as the Monarchs finished 10-3.
His sophomore season in 2012 led to him winning the Walter Payton Award as well as being named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press, The Sports Network, and Phil Steele and a Walter Camp All-American. Heinicke was the Touchdown Club of Columbus Player of the Year, the Dudley Award Winner (Best Division I player in Virginia), and the CAA Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-CAA quarterback. He broke Steve McNair’s 18-year passing yards record with 5,076 yards, set the FCS record with 398 completions, and led the country in passing yards, passing yards per game, completions, passing touchdowns, total touchdowns, points responsible for, and total offense. He was 398-for-579 on passing attempts, threw 44 touchdown passes, finished second on the team with 470 rushing yards, and led the team with 11 rushing touchdowns. He threw for 400 or more yards in a game five times and led the Monarchs to an 11-2 record. His best outing came in a 64-61 win over No. 18/19 New Hampshire on September 22, in which he set a Division I record with 730 passing yards. He went 55-of-79 on the day, threw for five touchdowns, and ran for 61 yards and a score. It led to him being named CAA Player of the Week and The Sports Network National Player of the Week.
In 2013, he was named the Touchdown Club of Richmond’s Offensive Back of the Year Award and became just the 18th quarterback in Division I history to pass for 10,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in their collegiate career. Heinicke completed 340-of-486 passes for 4,022 yards and 33 touchdowns while rushing 93 times for 348 yards and five scores. He finished his junior season in the Top 10 among FBS quarterbacks in passing yards, passing yards per game, and touchdown passes. With a second quarter touchdown throw to Larry Pinkard in ODU’s win at Norfolk State, he became the first DI in Virginia to pass for 10,000 career yards. He also led the Monarchs to their first-ever win over an FBS program as ODU won, 59-38 at Idaho on November 9 that year. He completed 40-of-56 passes for 533 yards and four touchdowns while adding 20 yards on the ground and one rushing touchdown. The team finished 8-4 that season.
Heinicke repeated as the Touchdown Club of Richmond’s Offensive Back of the Year as a senior in 2014. A Conference USA Honorable Mention who played in the East-West Shrine Game, he completed 289-of-257 passes for 3,476 yards and 30 passing touchdowns, 139 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns. He turned in five games of 300 or more passing yards, to include a pair of 400-yard games, while the Monarchs finished the season, 6-6.
He finished his collegiate career ranked third all-time in FBS history with 16,279 yards of total offense, fourth in FBS history with 132 career touchdowns, and sixth with 14,959 passing yards. He completed 1,338-of-1,829 career passing attempts and rushed for 1,320 yards and 22 career touchdowns.
Though he went undrafted in 2015, he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Minnesota Vikings and would go on to play 10 seasons in the NFL, playing for the Vikings, the New England Patriots, the Houston Texans, the Carolina Panthers, the Washington Commanders, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Los Angeles Chargers. He became a fan favorite in 2020 while with the Commanders when he replaced an injured Alex Smith in a Wild Card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His second career start, Heinicke completed 26-of-44 passes for 306 yards and a passing touchdown, added 46 yards on the ground, and scored a memorable rushing touchdown in which he dove for the pylon.
The 2026 ODU Sports Hall of Fame Class will be inducted during the Jeff & Billye Chernitzer Athletics Hall of Fame Dinner on Friday, September 25 in Chartway Arena.
