Colorado has unveiled the 2023 CU Athletic Hall of Fame class to be inducted later this fall. The nine-member class includes representatives from seven different sports spanning six different decades.

The group is headlined by Nate Solder, an All-American tackle for the Buffs in the late 2000s who went on to win multiple Super Bowl rings during an 11-year NFL career. Solder is joined by Bill Harris (Football/Administration; 1961-63, 2001-10), Andre Gurode (Football; 1998-2001), Robert Doll (Men’s Basketball; 1939-42), Brittany Spears (Women’s Basketball; 2007-11), Laura Munnelly (Soccer; 2003-06), Emma Coburn (Cross Country/Track; 2009-13), Karol Damon (Track & Field; 1989-92), and Clark Matis (Skiing; 1967-69).

It will be the 18th class inducted into CU’s Hall of Fame since it was established in 1998. The group will be officially inducted during Hall of Fame Weekend (Nov. 9-11) and honored at halftime of CU’s game against Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 11.

Solder began his Buffs career as a tight end. He shifted to offensive tackle the spring prior to his sophomore year and that move set the table for what would become an illustrious college career.

In 2010, the Buena Vista High grad became the first offensive tackle at Colorado to earn All-America honors since 1979 (Stan Brock), and the first Buff to garner consensus honors at the position. As CU’s left tackle, he started the final 36 games of his career. As a senior, he was one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy, a unanimous first-team All-Big 12 selection, and the league’s Offensive Lineman of the Year.

The New England Patriots selected him with the 17th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He went on to win four AFC championships and two Super Bowls with the Patriots across seven seasons. He finished his career with the New York Giants, officially retiring after the 2021 season. Across 11 years as a professional, Solder started 143 of his 146 regular season appearances and all 15 postseason games for his teams.

“I don’t know if I deserve it, I wish I could have had a bigger impact to win more games, somehow contribute in more ways to allow our teams to have more success,” Solder said in a release from the program.  “As one player, you can only do so much.  My first year as a tight end, I really didn’t know what I was doing.  (Assistant) Coach (Jeff) Grimes had a big influence on me moving to tackle, the coaches pushed me hard and wound up building myself into something.

“Looking back, it was all so unbelievable, coming out of Buena Vista when I was first thinking about playing basketball, or not playing sports at all and concentrating on academics. My brother was at Stanford, and there were other schools I was thinking about to play basketball, Dartmouth for one.  But CU was a great option for me, and my first priority was to major in biology.  On my campus tour, they emphasized the importance of academics, and they were able to accommodate me with the classes I needed and still be able participate in everything with the team.