FORT COLLINS — In a Maybach world, Tory Horton drives a Buick Envision. While the cool kids park custom pickups and Rolls-Royces, the safest hands in the Mountain West are happy steering a grocery-getter around Pitkin Street.
“When people see the Buick, they say it’s like an ‘old man’ or a ‘grandma’ car,” the CSU Rams’ star wide receiver told me Saturday after preseason practice wrapped up across the lot from Canvas Stadium.
“But if you get in it, it’s a nice-looking car. I haven’t got any shame in a Buick or a Honda. I didn’t grow up wealthy or with the high-end stuff.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love the Hellcats and the Chryslers and the Porsches that everybody’s getting at the next level and at other schools. But I’m grateful for my Buick. And I’ll drive that Buick next to that Hellcat if I’ve got to and park right next to it.”
No. 14 could be rolling around SEC Country in a Corvette right now, high on the hog, top down.
Not his style.
“Ole Miss reached out,” Horton said of the fork in his transfer portal world this past December, the road not traveled.
“I don’t know the total amount of (name, image and likeness) numbers and whatnot. But back then, when I was in the portal, they reached out to me. It’s all good to hear that stuff, right? But I’m happy to be here.”
Not nearly as happy as FoCo is to have him back, mind you. Horton’s the best college wideout in a state that CU’s Travis Hunter also calls home, at least for a few more months.
“I’m not really worried about the fancy cars and stuff,” the fifth-year-senior-to-be continued. “I’m very blessed with the Buick I have. (It goes from) A to B. It’s great on gas. I ain’t got to worry about the high maintenance with the luxury cars. … We’re just college athletes, so we don’t drive that far anyway. We don’t have to show out in front of everybody.
“The Envision’s got the heated seats. It’s got the cooling seats. It’s great. So that’s what I need for the winter and for the summer.”
Tory Horton can’t be caught. Can’t be bought. Not that the big boys with fat wallets and hungry boosters didn’t try. SEC? Yup. Big Ten? Sure. Big 12? Of course. Cards were on the table. And cars.
“And no, I ain’t hiding from the (bigger) conferences,” Horton stressed. “Because I could compete with any conference in my opinion. And even at the next level. And I believe that.”
It’s not just about loyalty to coach Jay Norvell, whom he followed from Nevada to CSU. It’s about finishing what he started in green and gold. It’s about getting a legacy over the line.
Horton’s got five credits left to finish on his degree. Throw in his Wolf Pack numbers, and the Fresno native is poised to crush former CSU great Rashard Higgins’ all-time Mountain West receiving yardage mark of 3,649 — the former’s just 387 yards away from tying Higgins. He’s only 44 catches shy of breaking the league’s career receptions mark (283).
On his Rams numbers alone, Horton’s 72 catches from tying from the all-time CSU mark of 239 set by Higgins and 1,382 yards away from matching Higgins’ career mark.
“It’s not because of the (Mountain West) conference as to why I stayed,” Horton continued. “It’s because I felt like (Fort Collins) is my home. I just wanted to pursue my degree here and finish out my college career here.”
The NFL money? It’ll come. The NFL rides? They’re coming, too. The 6-foot-3 Horton, who goes into his final collegiate season as a potential Day 1 or Day 2 draft steal, says he’s lopped his 40-yard dash time from 4.43 last summer to 4.37 now.
“And I know I could crack the (low) 4.3s if I keep getting at it,” Horton vowed. “So, yeah, that’s my goal. Crack the threes. If I crack the (4.2s), I’d be hollering through the whole 40 process.”
“If you crack the 4.2s,” I offered, “some team’s gonna buy you a second Envision. Or a third.”
“That’d be nice,” Horton said with a grin.
On the business front, No. 14’s working on a deal for more trading-card opportunities after making his Topps Bowman Chrome University debut last year. Markley Motors lined up the lease to his Buick in February via a partnership with The Green & Gold Guard, CSU’s NIL collective.
Every player’s got their price these days. When I told Horton that On3.com estimated his NIL value at about $400,000, his eyes lit up.
“I’m not anywhere near that,” the wideout chuckled. “I’ve got a pretty decent amount. Of course, I’m blessed to have The Green & Gold Guard Collective that offers a good amount. They work their butts off to help us.”
Sometimes, it’s all about riding high in heated seats. Getting from A to B in the snow.
“I love that Buick. And (I’ll) give it to my mom if I can, because she needs a new car,” Horton gushed. “That Buick is just perfect.”
It’s a step up from his old Honda Accord, at any rate. Although No. 14 would prefer folks talk about his steak between the hash marks. Not his sizzle in the parking lot.
“I’m always grateful for what I get,” Horton said. “That Accord was the best on gas. So you can’t pass that up.”
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Originally Published: August 4, 2024 at 5:45 a.m.
