INDIANAPOLIS -- While he had multimillion-dollar offers to remain in college football, Quinn Ewers never considered them.
"I wanted to leave my legacy at Texas, and I didn't want to disrupt anything that I did at Texas to be flipped or turned in any other way," Ewers said Friday. "I just wanted to be remembered in college at Texas."
Ewers directed Texas to consecutive semifinal appearances in the College Football Playoff in his last two years as the Longhorns' starter. He finished as the school's third all-time leader in yards (9,128) and touchdown passes (68).
His 2024 season was affected by an oblique tear and a high ankle sprain. He said he was completely healthy for just three games in 2024 and that the oblique injury started after the Michigan game in September. He missed two games and then suffered the ankle injury against Kentucky in November.
"Just kind of thought it was a little tweak, and then throughout practice it got worse and worse and worse, and then obviously it kind of popped against UTSA," Ewers said. "I'd probably say I played two games, maybe three games, healthy. ... They labeled as a sprain, but it didn't feel like just a sprain."
Since the college season ended, Ewers has been rebuilding his body. He has added about 15 pounds of muscle to his frame, and his throwing has improved as the ankle injury healed.
His injury history has been a conversation with the teams that he has met with at the combine. He had formal interviews with the Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers.
"They're making a big investment on a guy, and they want to know who they're dealing with," Ewers said. "I'm an open book about it because I think it makes me who I am at the end of the day. I wouldn't have the character I have, the mental toughness I have, the resilience that I have if I didn't go through some of these things."
He also had to deal with the discussion around his backup, Arch Manning, with a faction of Longhorns fans wanting to see Manning play more. Ewers said the mental toughness developed throughout his college career will help him in the NFL.
"A lot of guys don't really take mental into it, and I think that it's one of the most important things you got and mine might be a little underrated," Ewers said. "I went through a lot in my career at Texas, whether that be injuries or other things like that, but I think that I wouldn't trade anything because it made me who I am today. It built my character to where I am today. If anything does happen in the future to the extent that it happened there, then I'm ready for it and how to attack it."
Ewers said he and Manning got along well, which helped them push each other.
"I wouldn't trade any of that because it's the reality of the position," Ewers said. "There's always going to be a big name in the room or around the room, so I'm glad that he was a part of our team and I'm glad I had to hear about it as well."
As for Manning, Ewers said, "He's going to be a great player."
"Obviously he's a hard-working kid," he said. "I think that he has some traits that I had as well. Like, he's definitely got the poise and composure. And I think he's ready for any moment that arises because he sat and saw how I did it and then obviously he's going to have his ways that he's going to want to do it.
"He's going to be a good ballplayer for them. I'm excited to watch him."