As a freshman in 1988, he played in 10 games and intercepted two passes against the Iowa State Cyclones, setting a record for Buffalo freshmen.
Memorably, Figures intercepted a pass from Irish quarterback Rick Mirer as time expired to ice the Buffaloes' 10–9 victory and win the 1990 national championship.
He was also the recipient of the Jim Thorpe Award and Jack Tatum Trophy as the best college defensive back in the country.
[5] As a member of the Steelers, he helped his team reach the AFC Championship Game against the San Diego Chargers in 1994.
[2] In his six seasons in the NFL, Figures played in 93 games, started 40 of them, and recorded 269 tackles, nine interceptions and four recovered fumbles.