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[00:00]
A
Sa.
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B
Good morning everyone. Welcome to Coffee and Football presented by Adam Lowy and the Lowy Law Firm. I'm your host Blake Monroe where I'm joined every day by Bobby Burton and Jerry Hamilton. Tell us where you're checking in from this morning, what you're drinking, get your questions in. We're going to get to those here in just a little bit as well. We also have former Texas defensive back Thorpe Award winner Aaron Ross joining us. It's Wednesday, which means hump day with heels. So we got a loaded show and it's 31 days away from kickoff. But guys, practice starts here in just a few hours. Everybody's excited. Bobby, I know you'll be be out
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C
there in just a little bit.
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D
I'm ready. As you can see. Jerry's in a hotel room in Austin, so he's ready as well.
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C
I'm drinking pure life water to prepare and I just hope I have proof of life after a 3pm practice.
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D
Yes, we get kickstarted at 2:45. We'll have some post practice notes for you here like live at on Texas Football later today. That's part of the fun of this for us coming to you guys right after that very first practice. So hope you guys enjoy that. But 99 degrees, 245 supposed to feel like it's 106 on the grass up at Dennis Fields. Couple of news and notes I want to go over before we go into anything else and and talk about practice and the excitement surrounding it. First of all, Cole Hudson, who we've been following his travails and trying to re retake another year for the class of 2022, he is not as of right now expected to practice today. He is in Austin and prepared to do so. But his temporary restraining order, the injunction appeal from the NCAA isn't until August 10th. So they're kind of playing that close to the vest trying to figure out what's the best situation. He may not rejoin the team until that August 10th time frame or something could happen in in between where the NCAA relents and Cole's able to re rejoin the team. So that's number one. Number two, a lot of people have asked about the practice facility, the indoor practice facility. Just to be clear. The plan all along has been to practice outside at Dennis Fields leading into fall camp. And one of the reasons Steve Sarkeesian has these afternoon practices in the dead of August, okay, is to prove that his team is conditioned and ready to roll when when the same thing takes place at DKR in early in Early September. So they're going to have that the new practice facility, slash indoor facility. The opening is quote unquote, likely to be the week of the season opener. I was told today. So that's a couple of news and notes to get out of the way. We also had a basketball practice we attended yesterday. Jerry, I'll let you take it from there.
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C
Yeah, I mean we can't. So we can't like get into what the practice actually was. But look, I mean anybody that's read the practice reports I've been posting all summer, I have a Q and a on otf.com right now about yesterday. I let people ask questions about yesterday and answer them. But look, I mean Texas roster is what, you know, I, I've been reporting on what you'd expect to see when you're competing at the highest level now of college basketball is I, I stand by everything I've said. I think Texas has six surefire NBA draft picks on their team that will either. Some will come out in 27, some will come out in 28. I think that they have all the pieces you need to go compete with anybody. I would say that, yeah, you know, yesterday was a, it was a. There's a lot of install going on, by the way. So there's a lot of, there's a lot of drill work for about an hour and there's a lot of install ball screen defense stuff offensively. I mean, some people have asked what, what did Texas look like here? What they look like here. One thing I tell people is 95% of the time yesterday they were in five on five. They're running offense, they're, they're installing offense right now. This is all part of install. The other cool thing yesterday was I, I got there really early and this was the first time in Moody for the team this summer. So all five transfers, all your freshmen, this is the first time they ever took the court in Moody. So he took the court and empty arena. By the way. There's media and about a hundred special guests that had the, I think it's called Germania, season ticket holders that wanted to attend. So this is the first time, this is a brand new floor. First time basketball, men's basketball worked out on this floor yesterday as well. But look, the team has everything you would expect. I mean everything I've talked about on the site and answered questions all summer. They got, they got great height, they've got great strength. They're going to have you one of the top interior player teams in the country with modest and punch. And with Marcus Spears, I think Spears offensively will probably be better than expected after he gets his feet wet in college basketball. I think he's going to score more than maybe some national people kind of thought when and including myself. Just from a coverage standpoint, Isaiah Johnson's really damn good. He's in control of everything, his mind, his body and how he plays the game, by the way. And Austin Goosby's got a world upside. It's what you would expect from those guys and, and from this team. And look, my goal with Texas basketball is unchanged from what I've reported on in the summer is. My goal is to be a, a two seed type of team and live on that, live around that, top 10, 12 teams, eight, whatever you are all season and position yourself to be a top two seed in the NCAA tournament. If you follow the three seed line, so be it. But the SEC is going to be a beast this year. So, I mean, you could, you could have a really good team and go 12 and 6 and. Hey Jerry, I want to.
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D
Hey, Jerry, I want to play back that video so people. Because people are going to ask who's who here? 31. In this video is the new, new Marcus Spears Jr. That is 31. 10 is Austin Goosby.
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A
So that's.
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D
That was Austin Goosby right there. Then you go over to. You'll see that that's Goosby again on defense. Just trying to give people a sense of who each player is here.
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A
Yeah, that is.
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D
You know, I, I think that the thing that I felt about yesterday is it felt like a big time. This is something that an Arizona, a Kansas or a Kentucky would do.
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C
Yeah, this is.
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D
Yeah, they would have their media out preseason before football kicked out and all that stuff. And it was nice of Scott McConnell, the SID, as well as, as well as head coach Sean Miller allowing us to do that.
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C
So people have asked. Mikey Lewis is zero in the gold jersey, which you could see in that video. The gold jersey player is the player of the week the week prior in the summer workouts. So Mikey Lewis was the player of the week last week. So he wears the gold jersey this week. I hear David Punch will be wearing that next week. That's the second or third time Mikey Lewis is, has taken that award this summer as the player of the week. Austin Goosby has once punches about two for the second time. And there's one other. They're gonna end up with eight. They have this week, then they have next week of summer workouts, then they're done. That's what's allowed by ncaa. Then they're done. They have eight weeks of summer workouts and that's eight hours on court each week. Tuesdays are normally the toughest workouts. And I will tell you, yeah, I played ball for a long time. That workout yesterday, guys were dragging at the end. I mean, that was a real workout. I so that the media and the season ticket holders that were there, they got to see as tough a summer workout is tech as Sean Miller will put these guys through because the, the, the Tuesday workouts are the toughest for these teams and for this team in the summer. But look, I mean, they gap a chance. That's all you can ask is you got a chance. They've got a really good balance and roster. They've got good depth. A guy like Amari Evans will be an improved player in year two from being a freshman in year one in SEC. Elijah Freeman should make a jump in year two of major college basketball. Year one was at Auburn. He started in D2, then he went to Auburn. That was a massive jump for a kid, even if you're really talented. Year three, he showed he he's a guy who flashes a lot. If you go watch Texas, he's gonna flash a lot because athletically he's probably the most gifted player in the program. So he'll, he'll flash. He'll. He's a guy that flashes a lot. Marcus Spears is going to flash a lot. The one thing I'd say about Spears is because I know a lot of people are asking why. I think one of the reasons I think he's going to be a little more impactful offensively. I think when he signed a lot of people said it'll be rebounding and it'll be shot blocking, shot changing on defense. But I think offensively what's going to, it's going to end up happening with him. David Punch is a tremendous defender, like an all Big 12 level defender and Spears against him at times yesterday, his first step is quick for a six, nine and a half, 610 kid who's by the way still 17. He's not done growing. He'll end up 611. It's not only quick, but he has such a long first step that a defender immediately is in a reactionary recovery position if he has a straight line. So when Spears had a straight line, it puts a defender in immediate trail foul position because he has to turn his shoulders and hips because that first step is so long. Then you're going to body Spears to keep him from having a straight line drive. He, he's going to create probably more fouls than you than I thought when he got to Texas. And that, that, that combination of quick first step and long first step as a four man is going to give him a chance. And, and he's a really good weak side rebounder. He has good feel for the game. He played off the weak side really well on the offensive glass yesterday. So this team has a chance. That's all you can ask. And we'll see. I mean, look, you got gotta get lucky in injuries. I mean NCAA basketball tournament was almost defined by injury last year. Anybody that follows this, Illinois's David Mirkovich broke his foot July 31, had surgery yesterday, is now out for three, four months, whatever it ends up being. You saw Syracuse lose Donnie Freeman to a torn Achilles, probably their second best player earlier in the summer. You see USC center just had a. Who transferred to ucl, just had surgery, got hurt in practice. Obviously health is big, but I think Texas has depth as well in this team. So they got a chance and that's all you can ask. And Isaiah Johnson's really good. Guys. Y' all like it?
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B
All right, before we move on this morning, I need you to tell everyone about Adam Lowy and the Lowy law firm.
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D
Bobby, I can do it. If you've been injured in a car wreck, truck wreck, automobile accident of any kind, and think you might be due compensation, make sure you reach out to Adam and his firm@lowelawfirm.com that's lowellawfirm.com they'll give you a free no strings attached consultation to see if you might be due compensation. Again, all you have to do, reach out to him@lowelawfirm.com thank you Adam for your ongoing support of on Texas football. Blake, with basketball. We've, we've had that conversation. Now it's time to turn it to football exclusively here. Longhorns practice number one today, 31 days away from the start of fall camp. Excuse me, from the season opener against against Texas State. We had a poll released yesterday that we can talk about Texas coming in at number four on the coaches poll. Ohio State the second weak opponent for the Longhorns at number one. Oregon 2 Georgia 3. Notre Dame 5. Indiana. You want to talk about big news for Indiana yesterday. The. The Hoosiers unbelievably gets get back their team tackle for loss leader because of the 2022 injunction rule that was given. He had been injured for the national championship game. He injured himself in the post game celebration of the national semifinal. Now he will be back for a fifth year at Indiana. Stephen Daley's the young man's name. He was their best interior defender. So talk about found money. Indiana found money yesterday in Stephen Daley, Miami 7, Texas A&M and OU, 8 and 9, followed by Ole Miss. Five teams in the SEC in the top 10. That's crazy. But these are all preseason polls. Even if you want to go down to Alabama at 11, six of the top 11 teams in the country in the SEC. I mean, I know we also got to say this, three of the top six, though, are from the Big Ten. Interesting dynamic there right now between those two conferences.
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C
Yeah, that was a big day for our guy in the chat, Joe Zur, his number one team, Oregon's two. His number two team, Texas is four. He's off. He's gonna have a really good college football season, I would say In Missouri, look, LSU's 13, so that's seven out of top 13. Obviously, then Tennessee's 18 and Missouri's 25th. So any poll, any, any chatter that comes out right now about the college football season tells you how difficult Texas schedule is going to be. I mean, that's the, I mean, you know, look, I mean, at the end of the day, you're playing one at home, eight on the road, nine neutral, 10 at home, 13 on the road, 18 on the road, 25 on the road. ESPN wrote something yesterday about, you know, I, Bill Connolly wrote something about Texas clothes is, is going to be extremely difficult for the Longhorn. So they have to be in really good position going into that close. But again, this Texas schedule, and by the way, most people are saying, which is so interesting to me, we've had this conversation on throughout the summer, Bobby, the two toughest Power 4 schedules this year of the contenders of teams that are supposed to be really good is Ohio State and Texas. And I just think it puts even more emphasis on that game in Austin Sept. 12, because neither one of those teams wants to drop that game and then look at the rest of the schedule and say, okay, we got one hiccup left. I mean, so I think this game's going to take on more and more meaning than just Ohio State versus Texas. Kind of the outlook of college football as we get closer. And I think more people will be talking about that as this game gets closer because it just feels like a must win game for those teams when you look at the rest of their schedule, who some of the road teams are. And I think that's the way it should be. That's why you play the game. It's a huge game. I mean, think about pre College Football playoff. The losers of this team, I mean they'd have a. It's like Ohio state Texas in OH5. You look up if you, the loser that game looks up and says we're not. We're out of it now. We're going to need help. And at least we're at a position now where the loser that game doesn't say we have to have help. You can still control your own destiny, even as tough as that destiny would appear.
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D
Let me ask you this, Jerry. Let's, let's take a question off of this that I wanted to, to kind of go into. Do you like that Texas is ranked four as opposed to number one. So the target last year they ranked number one preseason by at least one poll. Do you like being at four where expectations are high but not over the top versus being number one where the target is on your back and you know, you have to play to that level which coming into a season, if you're Steve Sarkeesian and a Texas coach I think you want, you'd rather be number four. You know, you're among the nation's elite, but you got to go win the games. What do y' all think? What, what do you think, Jerry?
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C
Yeah, I mean, look, I, I would, I would always, almost always prefer to start lower than one, you know, in, in college athletics. Right? I'm. Let's. There's different, there's different conversations for high school athletics, but this is, we're talking college football here. I, I would always prefer to start in, in the 3, 4 range, 5 range. We have a really talented team. We know we have a chance to be really good. I would much rather be four going into this game this year than one like last year. I, I thought that was, that was a really tough position for Texas to be in, but I would almost always rather start four or five and work my way up. You know, if you beat Ohio State at home on the 12th, you're going to jump probably to number one, if that's what that game will come down to. Now Georgia would have Oklahoma at home two weeks later, so. But I would, I would always prefer to start know in that 4 or 5 range if it's me. What about you, Blake?
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B
Yeah, I'm right there with, with you on that one. I then again in the chat, you know, they're saying as long as you win, it really doesn't matter, which I also agree with. But I'm happy to not be, not be ranked number one. I mean there's always a target on Texas back, but that's an even bigger target and I think that's fair. I mean I'd say anywhere from 3, 4, even 5 in my opinion is, is a fair ranking for Tesla Texas.
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D
They've, they've been, I don't know that they've been outside the top six in what I would call a major poll.
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C
I, they haven't. Yeah, you're right. They haven't. They haven't. The. What's interesting, Bobby? Okay, so let me ask the chat a question too. And you guys outside the top five, who's, who's actually let's put this more outside the top seven. Who's the team outside the top seven in the ranking and you guys opinions that will end up in the top seven at the end of the season, like who's a team you really like it from? Well, nobody's going to say eight. Probably not, Bobby. And I said Oklahoma is a possibility to, to be up there, so nobody's going to say eight. But what's the team after that that people like that could make that move, that can make that move and end up in the top seven?
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D
I, I think whoever wins the Big 12 will end up there. Yeah. I mean, just see, this is the thing that I was trying to get at when I, when I talked earlier about the two conferences kind of, you know, concentrating the wealth among the two of them. They're gonna beat each other. Yeah. They star. Okay. Of the top 11 schools, what is it? Four, three from the three from the Big Ten and six from the SEC or yes, six from the SEC. So that's nine of 11 schools. The, the only ones that aren't the SEC or, or the big big 10 are Miami and Notre Dame. So nine of 11. It's just not going to stand. So there's going to be many other schools. Texas Tech or BYU or Arizona State or Houston or somebody like that, whoever, Utah kind of works their way into the Big 12. Whoever works their way into being number two in the ACC. It just, that's how people vote. They, this is why Steve Sarkeesian and all the SEC coaches are right. People vote based on. Not on the win column, but, but on the loss column.
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C
Yeah.
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D
How many times have you seen a team that has two losses, okay, be ranked one ahead of one that has one loss? It doesn't happen unless that one loss team is in like the whack or Conference USA or it, it almost. Unless it's a, A Major, major blue blood. They never rank them has they just they count losses. That's how they end up with some of the teams they had in the College Football Playoff last year. And that's the number one issue. Texas and other SEC teams and I think the Big Ten 2 has with the current selection committee of the College Football Playoff. They just look at the loss column. They don't even look at the quality of wins, truly, because a loss matters more just the way it is.
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C
So, yep, in the chat, my point
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D
is, my point is there's going to be three or four that will end up in the top seven because they'll play different level schedules.
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C
Yeah, USC's getting some love in the chat. I, I tell you what, USC is going to be very polarizing team for people this year. One body will eat brisket with Lincoln. So that's the one thing everybody agrees on. But two, their home schedule is they may have the best home schedule of a rank of a ranked team. They get Oregon at home, they got Washington at home, they get Ohio State at home. You know that they're out on the road at Penn State, they're on the road at Indiana. But their home schedule pretty favorable if they can create a home environment, by the way. But if Gary Patterson comes in and does some work on usc, they're going to be one of the more. And I'm just saying for the fans, I've seen this a lot, they're kind of one of the more interesting teams because, you know, you get a lot of people saying, yeah, this is kind of their year to turn the corner. And I think especially when people look at their schedule and then there's a lot of other people say I had three, four lost team. That that's when, you know, it's a really big year for a guy like Lincoln Riley. By the way, he's got the schedule. USC fans know he's got a good home schedule and what's he going to do with it and how much is Gary Patterson going to impact that team? One thing Gary Patterson said about USC is best group of defensive lineman he's ever coached. All right. He had some good players at tcu, so a lot of NFL guys came through there. So what can he do with that USC defense this year? Because they have a home schedule to kind of sneak up a little bit. We'll see.
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D
I, you know, the question you have there with him is how can you change the defense? Can you change a defense that categorically in one year? Yeah, usually it takes a couple years yeah, if you didn't have a good, good unit the year before, it usually takes a couple years.
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B
Interesting stuff.
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E
Good stuff.
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A
All right.
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B
Well, you mentioned before that that we are 31 days away from kickoff and we got a pair of 31s today, guys. One of them we've had on the show, Kiki, he's been on twice if I remember correctly. And then of course we're gonna have Aaron join us here in about 15 minutes. And then your current number 31s guys, running back James Simon and defensive back yahim Riley.
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C
Man, two great 31s there that played at Texas. Obviously we've had Kiki on the show and he's the Texas career sacks leader. And I would venture to say this, Bobby, if, if Colin doesn't have a miraculous season to get that number, and it would be a miraculous season for a career number. Kiki's got a stat that may stand the test of time at Texas I. Because your best, your best pass rush guys are three year guys and Texas career sacked at 40 and a half. If a guy like Colin can't get there and he's got a real, he's got an uphill battle going into this year to get there. That record may stand a long time at the University of Texas. It's, I mean, if Collins as good as we've, we've seen as a natural pass rusher and if he can't get there, then Kiki's record's pretty, going to be pretty safe. Aaron Ross, I mean, I, I can't wait to have Aaron Ross on the show. I mean, you think about him, Bobby. They lost in the state championship when John Tyler was, was Tyler High. Was John Tyler against Katie, won a national championship at Texas, one, two, Super Bowl. I mean that guy is played for it all on every level. That's very rare that you get a guy who's either won it at multiple levels, played for it on every level of football he's been a part of. And obviously if him and Sanya don't have one of the fastest kids in America at some point. I give up.
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B
Yeah.
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D
Sonia Richards Ross, the former Olympic sprinter that he married. I think they're living in Atlanta nowadays.
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C
Some Real Housewives of Atlanta questions I'm not gonna ask today. We're gonna keep this football.
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D
One of the things I would the the two comments based on what you just said. First of all, I believe Colin would have to get, have a 20 sack campaign. So he's at 21 right now. Day Ayala has 40.5. So Colin would literally have to have a 20 sack campaign.
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C
Yeah.
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D
Right. With Aaron Ross. The other thing that I would mention that. That not a lot of people remember or recall is the perseverance he showed.
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C
Yeah.
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D
Because Aaron did not. He graduated or he was at John Tyler. He went and played in the Texas High school all Star game.
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C
Yep.
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D
But then he was denied admission to the University of Texas and to college in general and had to go back and take another class at his high school to then come back to Texas the following year.
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C
Yeah.
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D
People don't remember this. He almost. He was almost the story of the player that never was because he did not go straight to Texas out of high school. He had a circuitous route, but he stuck to it. Stuck to the plan and went after it. And very appreciative of what he did. Also one of the only guys I know of, Jerry, that didn't start the year before he won the Thorpe.
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C
Yeah.
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D
Because he had five draft picks ahead of him. He had what, three first rounders, I think, or two first rounders. And Yep, you know, so tremendous overall player, but a lot of perseverance there from. From Aaron Ross. You want to say do our commercial before we get to Tony Hills this morning, guys.
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B
Definitely. Jerry, if you don't mind, I'm gonna let you tell everyone about, hey, City Store.
[27:47]
C
I can do that. There are very few places that you, once you walk into, you know, they're just special. I mean, that is the absolute truth. And in restaurants, and that is true too. Hay City Store is one of those places. The first time I ever went to the Hay City Store with good friend Jason Watts, I was like, this place is special to me in Hay City Store that. It's one of those places that I've been to. And it was just, just a moment I walked in. They have live music six nights a week. They have a tree net for kids. You can bring your dogs. They have brunch served every Sunday from 10am to 3pm they have all their famous truck stop enchiladas. All their food is homemade right there at Hays City Store. To come check out Hays City Store this year for a college football game day. How about that? When Texas is on the road, get on over the Hays City Store. Watch college football all day. Have some of that great homemade comfort food. They have their ice house with 50 TVs right there. You can sit there and listen to live music. It's a one of a kind place. Hay City storetx.com Come on out, Say hello to Travis and all the good people at Hay City Store.
[29:05]
B
And I'm gonna tell everyone this morning about our friends over at Prize Picks, because we're always looking for ways to make watching games a little more fun. And that's exactly why we love Prize Picks. It's America's number one sports pick app. And honestly, it's about as simple as it gets for Player Picks. All you do is choose more or less on a few player stats. You lock in your lineup, that's it. But if you're someone who likes picking teams instead of individual players, well, prizepix has you covered there as well. You can now pick the winner. You can pick the spread or the total on games and even fights. And Prize Picks is available in most states, including California, Florida, and right here in Texas. So chances are you can jump in today. One of my favorite features is that you can follow users on the app. If you like the picks they're making, you can tell them with one click, and you can follow your friends picks as well. And here's the best part. If you've never tried Prize Picks before, play your first $5 lineup. And if you win, you'll get $150 in bonus lineups. Just make sure to use code HMA when you sign up. They actually just updated this offer, so there's never been a better time to get started. Come download the Prize Picks app today. Use code HMA, play that first $5 lineup, and if you win, you'll get $150 in bonus lineups. Again, prize picks HMA is the code. Good luck to you. And as always, play smart. Play responsibly. Play Prize Picks. All right. Well, I believe Bobby had to step out for a second, but that's okay because Tony Hills is here. Good morning, Tony.
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C
Come on, baby.
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A
What's happening, man? Otf, man. What's up?
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C
I got stuff for Tony.
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A
All right.
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C
Tony, do you miss 3pm practices in Austin? Like, what's happening today? 110 heat index without packaging ads on. Listen, what do you think about that?
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A
Listen to me. At 3pm I'm either at a cigar lounge, drinking bourbon, smoking a nice arrival cigar, or I'm on the golf course. That's. That's the only thing I'm doing at three.
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C
NFL retired life. Hello.
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A
Listen, listen, listen. I'm. I'm so excited for the opportunity for these young men. I've had my time in the sun. The only time I'm gonna be out there is when I'm swinging the sticks and driving a cart. That's it.
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C
I Was gonna challenge you next to come tomorrow for practice and wear a hoodie with us.
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A
No, that's a hoodie out in that
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C
110 for about an hour. Yeah.
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A
No, I'm good on the weight loss, man. As you can see, the hoodie that I have barely fits me anymore. So I'm good.
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C
Hey, Tony, first day of practice today, obviously, you go. You're walking over or you're busing over to Dennis for practice. What's the goal? What's the goal? What's the mindset? Day one? If it's.
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A
I can tell you my mindset. My mindset, day one, first day of practice. It depends on the levels. Right? When you're first getting there, you.
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C
You.
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A
It's really hard to set an expectation other than just to be physical, right? Because you're still learning everything. You're learning. You're learning what college life is like. You're learning what college ball is like. You're learning the intensity level of which this. This game is getting ready to elevate from where you came from. So it's just about being physical and showing everybody that you have that physicality and the plays that, you know, you execute at the highest level of execution and the things that you're unsure about pick a pick away and go 1,000%, you know, because the thing is, is that indecisiveness is what gets you killed. So even if you're wrong, be wrong going fast, and that wrong can be corrected. That's. That's for those younger guys, right? If you're a veteran and you've been there for a while, it's about consistency. It's about tuning up the engine. It's about understanding, how do I get better. We're not. We're not thinking about plays or things of that nature that's already taken care of. We should understand and know the playbook. What we're wanting to understand is how is our technique every single time? Are we consistent?
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D
Right.
[33:08]
A
It's kind of like I'll liken it to golf, since that's the sport I'm playing. It's like when you're going up to the driving range, right? You want to make sure you have the same setup with the same swing every single time. The moment that you have anything off, you're going to slice the ball or you're going to miss, right? And so. And so when it comes to being an athlete, it's the same thing, whether you're secondary player, linebacker, offensive lineman, receiver, the steps are the same, the lineup is the Same. The path position is the same. The landmarks are the same. Am I hitting it every single time? Because consistency is the key to winning. Right? So if you're an older guy, that's going to be probably for me, the main thing. How consistent can I be? And then ultimately, if you're older guy, we shouldn't be making, we shouldn't be making mistakes. Right. We should be locked in because we, we've had it. We've had that time to grow within the program so we understand what we have going on here. And those are the two things that I look at going into training camp real quick. I heard Jonathan Gray say this real quick. He talked about conditioning. If anybody comes into training camp and they're not in the best shape of their life, then they're not serious because that's, that's. That to me, that, like, that, that's. That's like forgetting your helmet. Like what, what have we been doing all off season if we're not ready to get out here and get after it? That conditioning to me should be the last thing that I need to worry about as a professional.
[34:26]
C
Hey, where's the. Because I. We haven't talked about this really, but where's the toughest place to be if you had a rough day of practice? Is it on the field? Field or on the film room?
[34:38]
A
I'd probably say on the field, in the film room.
[34:40]
C
That's what I was gonna say. Right.
[34:42]
A
Yeah. Because. Because in practice, in practice, it's some. It's so much happening and moving fast that you, you know, you mess up, but you don't have time to think about that. You got to get, get on to the next play. Which, which. That's the part of practice that I do love that's similar to a game is like if you mess up in a game, hey, man, you messed, you messed up in that play. You got to move on because we got another player to run. So you have that aspect in the film room. After you didn't showered up and you relax now, your mind gets to tell you about all the mistakes that you made. And not only does your mind tell you, now you get to see it. And not only do you get to see it, now everybody around you get to see it. So that's probably the toughest place to be.
[35:19]
C
Hey, Tony, we're about to have Aaron Ross come on the show after we wrap up with you. What are your thoughts, memories, any funny stories about Aaron Ross? And is there any way one of those kids isn't super fast in that Family. I mean, there's no way, right? Somebody has to run 4:3 in that family.
[35:36]
A
Oh, man, I think you. I think you're selling them short on the four three. We might get the first, the second 418. That's true, man. Like, listen, you're talking about Olympic champions, Super bowl champion. Like, they literally. Like, we talk about this sometimes, but these kids literally have championship blood. Like, there's no question about it. Like, they got gold all around them, right? So what a. What an amazing thing to be able to see, you know, something that you've helped to produce and to create. Go out there and repeat, you know, something that you've done as. As a. As an athlete. And I. One of the things that I look at, too, when I think about Aaron Ross, is I think about Sonia, and I think about them both. I mean, to be able in a world where, you know, quite frankly, marriages aren't lasting as long as they used to. You know, these two individuals, man, have been together since college, and of course, they probably had their ebbs and flows and ups and downs, but they're still standing. And I look at that unit, I look at everything they've accomplished together, everything that they've built together, not only from a relationship standpoint, but from a business standpoint. And so when you talk about how that matriculates down to the children, I mean, success is all around them, and it's all right there in front of them, and they have great examples. Now, when you talk about Aaron Ross, the individual man, I'm gonna tell you the thing that stands out to me. This dude had an infectious smile, man. I mean, he was always smiling, he was always upbeat, and he was a phenomenal competitor. And I don't really think people understood how much of a competitor a Ross was. Like, he did not like to lose, and he was always technically sound like he didn't get beat a lot, right? He didn't make many mistakes. And so if you were a young guy, I mean, for me, you know, I was a younger guy. Aaron was a little older than me. I watched that. I watched how he. How he went out about his business every single day. And I took a little bit of that from him. You know, I swiped that from. From him. Like the. Like the show says on door, swiper, no swiping. I was the swiper, man. I was swiping everything that I could to be able to be the best athlete that I could. And that's what I learned from a Ross.
[37:42]
C
One of the craziest things about Aaron to me as an athlete was we you call it loose hips. Right for. Oh dude, his, his hips could be going right and his upper body would be almost turned left.
[37:56]
A
Yep.
[37:57]
C
And if you were trying in pump return game. Right that I think that's one of the reasons he was so good in pump return game. But he had that rare ability with his hips to make look like he was going one direction maybe with his upper body and his hips were going to were actually turned and rotating in a different direction. It was kind of freaky. I can't wait to ask him about his 6.67 El cone at the NFL Combat. That's a stupid time. That's when you have unbelievable hits. That's a stupid time, man.
[38:24]
A
Crazy work. And one of the other things too that I, I believe goes underrated especially for football players is he had an amazing base. Like his base was all like the founder because your base is your foundation in the sport. And so his base was his feet were always underneath him. Right. So that's the reason why, I mean obviously the, the short area quickness. But I believe that's one of the things that really helped him be a phenomenal football player is he was always underneath himself so he could drive either way, you know what I mean? And you watch some of those plays where even in college but where he would break on balls and things of that nature and you're like, you look at the route and at the top of the route he's beat but his recovery because his face was so fast, it's like I'm throwing if I'm late on this throw, it's a pick. And that's what you would see with him time and time again. Phenomenal athlete, man.
[39:12]
C
All right, thank you, Tony. We look forward to talking with you again next week on when a week from today we'll have a few Texas practices under the belt and we'll get into surprise some pretty good ol talk at that time.
[39:25]
A
Come on now. Football is back baby. Hook them.
[39:28]
B
Thanks, Tony. All right, Jerry. Well, I think Bobby's still doing whatever it is he's doing and we're just going to waste no time here and bring bring on in former Texas defensive back Thorpe award winning two time super bowl champion Aaron Ross. Good morning to you Aaron.
[39:45]
E
Hey, morning. Morning. Hey, y' all must have paid Tony to say all that stuff, man. Y' all paid him.
[39:51]
C
No, no, hey, hey, Ross, we didn't pay him. We didn't have to pay him because you're one of the rare guys that played For a state championship in high school, won a national championship in college and won Super Bowls in the pros. Like you've played for the biggest prize at every level of football. That was the first thing I was going to ask you. Kind of like when you reflect back, you had one of the great winning career careers that I've covered of guys that played at Texas kind of take, take me through that, that, that winning career you had on the football field.
[40:29]
E
Well, the one that still hunts me.
[40:32]
C
Yep.
[40:33]
E
Night after night is the high school
[40:35]
C
when I Katie Tigers. Hate those Katie Tigers, don't you?
[40:39]
E
I am mad and sick about that one. That's the one that the, that hunts me still. Still to this day. I wish we could have gotten that one because we had an amazing team that year with John Tyler. But just being a part of winning organizations, I think it was. It's always been something that I found about all three of those teams from high school. At John Toller, at Texas, the national championship and then with the Giants, it was like that team chemistry. And then we had coaches that held everybody accountable, which kind of basically they passed that down to the group of guys, to the team, to the players and then the players held everybody accountable. So it was basically a standard. And then we just liked each other. We like being around each other. So I think, I think that was kind of the recipe of success and we worked our tails off.
[41:35]
C
Hey, we're going to get Bobby Burton back in here because we're talking about before you came, before you came on the show, that it wasn't always smooth. You had the year. You had to sit out and still come to Texas. So for the Texas fans that don't know that it kind of take Pete, take them through that. And why at that, why you stuck with Texas? Because you could have gone juco route. You could have gone somewhere else potentially.
[42:02]
D
Why?
[42:02]
C
What take people through that process and, and sticking with Texas through it all?
[42:07]
E
Well, just for those that don't know, I graduated in 2001 and during those, during that time you went to 2A days, basically two weeks before school started and graduated. Went up, checked into the dorms, got my classes, got everything situated and like a week went, got through two of these. A week before the opening game come, Coach Brown came to me and told me that I wasn't eligible with the clearinghouse, had no idea what it was. I passed the SAT act, graduated, did everything that I can imagine. So it took a year for them to try to clear it up. But what Coach Brown found out is I transferred from San Antonio to East Texas in the middle of the year. And a AP course that I took in San Antonio didn't. They didn't accept it in East Texas. So it was a half. A half a. Was it? Yeah, I had. It's been so long ago. It's been. It was a half a semester of an English 2 course that didn't transfer over to my official transcript. And the Clearinghouse, they, they, they weren't having it. So they, they told me I had to sit out that year. They tried to clear it up for me to come back that next season and play, but it didn't happen. And so now I've wasted a year. And they then came to me and said, you can either go to JUCO and basically come after two years, or you have the option to go back to high school and sit a class full of sophomores and finish that half a course of English too. And that was the decision that I made. So I actually ended up sitting out two seasons. I didn't get back to UT until 2003. And to answer your question, the reason I stuck with Texas is because they stuck with me through the whole process. It was my dream school in 2001. And for that two year process, they basically held my hand, made me feel like I was still a part of the team. And Coach Brown, Coach Drake, all of those guys continue to call me and kind of motivate me to continue to do whatever I needed to do to get back to Texas. And once everything was cleared up, they assured me that I still had a position, the squad, so I bleed orange. They believe when they didn't, when they didn't even have to, they could have just went on to somebody else.
[44:50]
D
Daryl Drake is a former coach that I haven't thought of in a long time. Rest in peace. Good guy, man. He was a really good guy. Hey, question for you, Aaron. You come from John Tyler or Tyler. And Tyler has such a rich history, the University of Texas, not just Earl Campbell, but guy named Chris Carter came through as a db, DB that played it at JT and then went on to the NFL. What's it like growing up in Tyler where there is such a rich tradition in history with UT football coming out of that program?
[45:33]
E
Oh, I'm not sure that last part broke up. I'm not sure if it was my Internet.
[45:40]
D
Yeah, the question was, Aaron, was how is it, how is it for you coming from Tyler, where there's such a rich history of UT athletes succeeding?
[45:50]
E
Oh, it was huge. So just to give A little more context. I'm originally from San Antonio and then I ended up moving to East Texas and if you know anything about San Antonio, it's more basketball based. So I thought I was going to be a basketball player coming to growing up the whole time. But when I moved to East Texas, Coach Wilson, that was the coach during that time, he set me down and said, hey, you're a six foot defensive back or a six foot point guard. The chances of you making it in the NFL compared to the NBA, this is. He kind of set me down and really shot it straight with me. So the culture of football and though specifically John Tyler really producing great football players is unmatched. I remember watching the movie Friday Night Lights and that's basically what, what Tyler football is like. Everybody shuts down on Friday night. The gas stations close early and, and they're there. They're 5,000 to 10,000 people in the stands watching a high school football game.
[47:07]
D
I, I've got to ask you, I don't know if you know this Aaron or not, but Rod Babers works with us.
[47:14]
E
Okay.
[47:14]
A
Okay.
[47:15]
D
So I may, I may need to put a little blooper. Our producer may put a little blooper reel together for Rod and Rod. Rod may not be hearing this, but we need some funny Rod Baber stories. You have. Do you have one for us?
[47:30]
E
I don't have any funny ones. I just, I respect Rod so much because coming in that first year when I, the first time when I had to sit out Robbie, he was, he was there and I, I just remember looking at him and seeing he was what, 5, 10? And just to see how physical he was and, and his technique, that's what I, I remember so much about him. And then he just had that, that voice, The voice. So I, I, that's, that's more of what I remember Robbie
[48:09]
C
does.
[48:10]
D
He does the best impersonation of Dwayne Aquina.
[48:14]
E
Oh, yeah, I know he can.
[48:20]
C
Hey, Aaron, I wanted to ask you. There's no way your kids aren't fast. Like, if there's a deuce. I think it's just, there's no way your kids aren't fast. It's like not humanly possible. Right? When do you start putting the stopwatch? When, when are you saying start putting the stopwatch on the kids, man?
[48:39]
E
Yeah, deuce. He's, he's really growing into his own. He started playing flag for. I was nervous for a second because he, he just wanted to play video games and I didn't want to force it. On him. But then he started to play Madden and that's what actually got him into wanting to play football. And he started playing flag about a year ago and he's really turned into a stud. And this, you can definitely see this.
[49:07]
C
Yeah, that's, that's pretty much a lock. Now I want to ask about, I, I mentioned this, I think you probably heard me mention this backstage. You ran a 6.67 El Cone.
[49:18]
E
Yeah.
[49:18]
C
In preparation for the NFL draft. I mean that is a absolutely wild number. And, and I kind of, while I was talking about Rod and I were talking about it on the show Sunday about your loose hips. Right. That ability to change direction. When did you realize you were special in that regard?
[49:36]
E
Not until people told me to be very honest with you, I, I guess I've always been quick. In high school they used to call me Cat. So, so that's, that's just a God given ability. So I never realized how cool quick I was because I've never been timed until I got to to Texas. So I just knew one of my strengths was getting in and out of my breaks. So I, I, I, I didn't, I didn't even know.
[50:16]
C
Hey, I wanted to ask you this too. This is actually a question from our chat. A couple of people have mentioned they wanted you to talk about the talent in that secondary on the national championship team and the competition you guys had in that secondary on a daily basis. Because what four first rounders. Terrell Brown was a third or fourth rounder. I mean talk about that. Yeah, should have been first. Talk about the talent in that secondary and the competition what that brought out of all you guys.
[50:44]
E
It was unmatched. We would compete in everything if it was just quick story. I remember being in the weight room and we were power cleaning and I could not get, I think it was like 295I was trying to get it. That would have been my max 295 on power cleans and I seen said Cedric Griffin, he got up and, and ended up getting it. There was no way I wasn't gonna get it. After I seen my God did I, I work with, kill with, do everything on a day to day basis get it and, and, and leave me behind. So it's just little things like that where we, it was friendly competition. It wasn't any hating or anything like that. It was just a friendly competition. If, if Huff ended up getting three tackles one game I want to get four. So it was just little things like that. And, and honestly the reason I give those guys Credit for me winning the, the apart. Credit for me winning the Thorpe Award. Because I remember going into my senior year, I wanted to study all the four, all the other four guys on the team that, and look at their position. Huff was the brains. Mike Griffin, he, what he brought to the team was his hard hitting. Cedric Griffin, he was, he had the tenacity and just to drive the energy. Never stop, never give up. And Terrell Brown, he was our technician. And then myself, I think my specialty was just my ball skills. So I kind of watched them and incorporated every part of my game from them and that allowed me to win the, the Thorpe Award. Of course, with the coaching of Dwayne Akina and then Larry Weathers. So that's, that was the type of competition and the respect that we have for each other. To look at each other and say, all right, he's better, better than I am in this area. So I want to take a piece of that and put it into my game to make me a better player.
[53:06]
D
That is a great breakdown of the, the skill sets of that defensive secondary because I, you could almost, as you were saying, I was kind of nodding my head yes. Those are the strengths of those individual players. Aaron, speaking of that Texas season this year, they went through about a 10 year stretch where Texas just wasn't all that good in football. And then the last three or four years they're pretty darn good. And it looks like they're probably going to be good again this year. What do you see as a former athlete that played at the highest level and won at the highest level? What are you seeing from Texas right now and from this team that Sark has built in, in your opinion?
[53:52]
E
Well, first, during those 10 years, it, it really sucked to watch college football.
[53:59]
C
Yes.
[54:01]
E
College football wasn't fun to watch at all. It's just not right if Texas ain't at the top. So, but, but now I think what Sarkis brought back is the culture. That was one of the main things that, that we had with Coach Brown. It was a coach. As soon as you walk in as a freshman, you understand your role. You understand the, the coach and the pride behind having that burnt orange jersey on with Texas on the front. So I think the, the biggest part he's brought was just the culture and now he's getting the recruits to buy into it and people want to be a part of it. So just to sum it all up, culture,
[54:44]
D
that's a good take. I, I think that the other thing right now, y', all, you just went down that that secondary group, all. I was thinking about NFL, NFL and every single one of you guys. I mean, I think he's bringing that too. I really, you know, a lot of it is culture. We agree. But y', all, the players themselves have to be ultra talented in this day and age, too. And I, I think all were ultra talented. I think this team's ultra talented. It's. It's interesting to watch it all come together.
[55:20]
E
Yeah, for sure. Yeah, he's definitely getting, Getting the recruits, but. And, And I think you. You can't win without great talent.
[55:30]
B
Yeah. Good luck.
[55:32]
D
Bobby Burton chasing Aaron Ross is like, I can have all the culture I want. It ain't working.
[55:39]
C
That culture's slow.
[55:42]
D
Hey.
[55:43]
C
Hey, Aaron, I gotta ask you this. You played with a Manning. Y' all won. What do you see from Arch Manning that you like?
[55:51]
E
I, I love just him being so humble, having that type of pedigree and having spotlight on you from probably since he's been in junior high. Just to see him handle everything, even the adversity in the beginning of the year, just to see how poised he was and to see. See how he's handling. I know the sky's the limit. His athletic ability and arm speaks for itself. So I think the mental part of the game is. Is something that I looked at it with his Uncle Eli in the New York media. He can, he can throw five interceptions and he, he's the same Eli from either throwing five interceptions or throwing five touchdowns. And I think that's something that, that I think Arch has picked up from, from. From his, from his uncles.
[56:51]
D
Interesting.
[56:51]
C
So, hey, last thing I had for you, Aaron and I, we really appreciate the time.
[56:56]
E
No worries.
[56:59]
C
Texas wide receiver core this year. Obviously. Cam Coleman transfers in very talented. Ryan Wingo back, emt, Mosley back. Obviously, if he's healthy, he's going to surprise people, I think nationally. What is it you look for in a wide receiver? What impresses you as a former tremendous corner about a wide receiver?
[57:21]
E
Of course, speed. Can't coach that. So that's, I think, without saying speed. But then the next thing, the next intangible would be just him being able to recognize coverages, having another quote, unquote quarterback out there to recognize what type of zone they're in and either to cut off the routes. He's just a. We call it a savvy, A savvy route runner because sometimes you have to adjust your route running based off of the coverage. Coach might tell you to run a. A post at your practicing every day, cutting it at 15 yards and taking it across the field, but you might have to take it to 17 or take it to 12, cut it at 12. And that's based off of what he see in the film study that he's watched and learning how to make his breaks in in zone coverage. So that's what I look for. Savvy route running receiver with speed.
[58:26]
D
Aaron, you were a kind of in your face db, but you could play off coverage. How would you. How would you cover Ryan Wingo, who's that, who's got that speed and big body, or a Cam Coleman, who's more of a catch radius guy, or even an Emmett Mosley, who may be maybe the technician of the group. How would you personally.
[58:48]
E
So speed guys, I love to press to kind of take away their strength. So if I went against a fast guy, I wanted to get up in his face and slow him down. Basically a route running receiver, a bigger body. I wanted to play off not because of him, but mainly because I can get in and out of my breaks and read what route he's running based off of the formations. Coach. Coach Akina, I mean, he's the best coach as far as teaching his defensive backs from a quarterback's perspective because he used to play quarterbacks. So he taught us from a quarterback's mindset on what to look for and what formations that the receivers are, are going to route concepts. He taught us that. He basically taught us offense. And so with bigger guys like that that I'm a little faster than, then I make it a game out of the quarterback and myself or the offensive coordinator and myself.
[59:53]
D
So speed guys bump and run. I try to knock them off the route early. And the big guys let them come to you, Is that what you're saying?
[60:06]
C
Yeah.
[60:07]
D
Aaron, thank you so much, buddy. We appreciate you. 31 days.
[60:11]
E
31. Can't wait.
[60:15]
D
Are you gonna be.
[60:16]
E
Are you.
[60:16]
D
You're in Atlanta these days, right? Are you going to be in Austin for one of the games this year?
[60:21]
E
Yes, I'll be there for every home game.
[60:24]
C
Oh, wow. Wow.
[60:25]
B
Every.
[60:25]
E
Every single one.
[60:27]
C
That's awesome. Welcome home. Welcome home.
[60:32]
E
Yeah, this is fun. It's going to be a fun season. All right.
[60:35]
D
Hook them horns, buddy. Thank you so much again.
[60:38]
E
All right.
[60:39]
A
Appreciate it.
[60:41]
D
Tremendous interview there, guys.
[60:44]
C
Awesome. Yeah, awesome. I mean, the. You know, he has the.
[60:49]
D
That.
[60:49]
C
What he said about Eli, that he didn't change because that's a lot. He, like, he. He took it down that path. That's a hell of a lot of scrutiny when you play in New York Yeah. As much as there is. You think? Right. I mean, I was gonna say you think.
[61:04]
D
You think Austin's a fishbowl.
[61:06]
C
Yeah.
[61:09]
D
Go try to be the quarterback of the New York Giants. Large media.
[61:13]
C
Media and those guys all taught Arch. Right. It's more than on a field and talking about coverages. Then probably the best advice and the best talks that I'm guessing he's ever had with Eli were about handling the fishbowl.
[61:30]
E
Yeah.
[61:30]
C
And what's in front of you if you go to a place like Texas. Because Eli. Texas finished second for Eli. Bobby. You remember that. A lot of people don't remember that, but if Chris Sims hadn't flipped and David Cutcliffe hadn't been an ole miss, Eli would have been at Texas.
[61:50]
B
Also, I want to thank Marcus Myers for helping me set that up with Aaron. So appreciate that, Marcus. That was. That was great.
[61:57]
E
For sure.
[61:59]
B
We got more to talk about this morning. We got some super chats that we definitely need to dive into. But first, I need you, Bobby, to tell us about Mint Mobile.
[62:10]
C
Absolutely.
[62:11]
D
When we were kids, summer meant freedom. No homework, no teachers, no school. And as adults, summer still means freedom, thanks to Mint Mobile's summer sale. Right now, all of Mint mobile's plans are 15 per month, even the unlimited ones. So free yourself from big wireless and their gimmicks and gotchas and switch to Mint Mobile for high speed data and coverage on the T Mobile 5G network. Amit Mobile took what's wrong with wireless and made it right with premium wireless for just 15 bucks a month. All plans come with high speed data and unlimited talk and text delivered on the nation's largest 5G network. You could even bring your current phone number and your phone. Choose from a three, six or 12 month plan and say goodbye to a monthly bill. Instead, ditch that overpriced wireless. With Mint Mobile, it's easy. Sign up online and get three months of premium wireless service for just 15 bucks a month. To get your new wireless plan for 15 bucks a month, go to mintmobile.com ontexas that's mintmobile.com on Texas. Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com ontexas.
[63:26]
B
That's it.
[63:26]
D
There's no catch. Upfront payment of 45 dollars for three months, 90 for six or 180 for 12 months. The plan is required. That's a 15 dollars per month equivalent. Like we discussed, taxes and fees, extra initial plan term only. Greater than 50 gigabytes. May slow when network is busy. Including includes up to a 20 gigabyte hotspot cable device. A capable device is required. Availability, speed and coverage varies. See mintmobile.com for details. That's mint mobile.com ontexas and Jerry, I'm
[63:58]
B
gonna let you tell everyone about Vaughn Lane.
[64:01]
C
Yeah, we can do that. The rivalry route is back. Texas OU week just got a whole lot easier. Von Lane is bringing back its Dallas to Oklahoma city route starting September 8th. Perfect timing with multiple departures every single day. Riders have been asking for this one and now it's back. You can book it today. Think about what it takes to fly that route. You're probably paying for your ticket, then paying again for your seat assignment, again for a check bag. And then you're standing in a TA set line and hoping you make your gate. Von Lane is the opposite of that. A flat rate 129 one way, no extra fees for anything. You border the beautiful hotel terminal in minutes. Settle in the one of the 22 oversized leather seats and ride with Star Link Wi Fi complimentary snacks, drinks and hot towel service the whole way. And if you're driving three plus hours and your day is gone, no work time on Von Lane. That's three hours hours of work, getting done, watching film or just relaxing before you get there. Von Lane connects Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Plano, the Woodlands, Oklahoma City, Nashville, Memphis and Atlanta. Book@vonlane.com and enter code OTF26 at checkout for $20 off your first ride. What's fun, Lane? It's private jet on wheels.
[65:13]
D
I like that. OTF 26. Yes.
[65:16]
C
Say, hey, by the way, you know, in the game. You're in the game. You know, the most important thing we heard from Aaron Ross is Deuce is a stud.
[65:25]
E
Yeah.
[65:26]
C
Defensive back or wide receiver, Deuce is a stud. That's fine. That's what I'm taking from that 20 minutes of great conversation. Deuces a stud.
[65:35]
D
We should have asked him what high school he might end up attending over in. What. What he's.
[65:40]
C
Yeah, I don't know what area of Atlanta they live in. I'm guessing Blessed Trinity will be on the list. If you live in that Roswell area. That's where D.J. jacobs goes. Ohio State commit that Texas is still trying to recruit. By the way, I want to pass on a recruiting note real quick before we get to super chats. I posted an update on otf.com this morning. Thank you, Juan Garza for the super chat. And I, I. When I. When I was told this, I. For some reason I thought of the movie Top Gun, which I put in there. And Easton Royals re engaged with the Texas Longhorns. Talk. He's talking again the college staff. So Maverick is. Maverick has re engaged almost as fast as a, as a Jet Eastern. Royal has re engaged with the Texas Longhorn staff and college staffs, obviously. So he took some time away. Now he's moved on to the next piece of his recruitment, I think, which is getting back into conversations with the Texas staff and other staffs. He'll be at the Texas Ohio State game September 12th. We also expect them at Florida. We also expect them at LSU games this year. And it's a fourth quarter recruitment. Gird up your loins.
[66:47]
B
I watched that movie last weekend.
[66:51]
C
It's on three times a week. You just got to be surfing the channels when it hits.
[66:56]
B
All right, Marco Polo. Marco says San Antonio and lifelong Longhorn fan here. Any update on local kid Michael Terry using him on wildcat formations like they did Rojo? Makes sense.
[67:11]
D
We're going to get a chance to see him today, Marco, and that's the best thing that we can say to you. Clearly he is not one of the top two right now. And as of the spring, he was not one of the top three. Derek Cooper kind of passed those guys by. So that's the update we are waiting to see what might. What if there is a spot that they can carve out for Michael Terry? Like what does he do better than anybody on the football team? I don't know that yet. Maybe it could be the Wildcat he played, you know, maybe it could be something else. If he, if they can find a position that he does or thing that he does better than anybody on the team, I'm confident that Steve Sarcasian will get him on there. But they gotta find that right now. And it's a pretty talented running back room.
[68:11]
B
And then our next super chat this morning comes from Jay Lee. Thank you, Jay. Appreciate you. He says we play six of the 14 most talented teams, teams with the most super blue chips in college football. Four of those games are not at home.
[68:26]
C
I, I, Bobby, I've been saying, I, look, I'm not even in 12 0, thinking 12 0. If Texas navigates the Schedule 11 and 1, that's a hell of a regular season. I'm saying if we don't know what's going to happen. But this is a tough schedule. That's a reality. And I've always gone back to, I know times are a little different now, but how tough is the SEC been traditionally? Actually Nick Saban had 16 seasons in the SEC. He only went undefeated in league play six or 16 times. Like, it's not easy. I think if on the schedule and to that point, those three of those last four on the road, three of those four against teams that are all ranked preseason in the top 25. I think Bill Connolly mentioned that in an ESPN article recently. If you, if you just said if you take 12, 0, say there's going to be a hiccup, you're playing really good team. Something like if you win 11 and one on that schedule, that's unbelievable to me. If they can pull that off.
[69:23]
D
Yeah, you're. The schedule is definitely going to test your metal. Yeah, I, I think that the thing that I look at with this schedule is a bad day equals a loss.
[69:38]
C
Yes.
[69:39]
D
Almost any week there may be a couple of weeks that, that you can say you might be able to get away with a bad week. An okay week, you can end up with losses probably on eight in eight games.
[69:55]
C
Yeah.
[69:56]
D
If you know what I mean. So you have to bring it every week, I think, or almost every week. The issue that, that I see when I look at this kind of stuff, Jerry, is is this going to be a team that builds its backbone as the season wears on? Right. We've seen teams grow as, as the season wears on. It did last year, I thought, I thought it did in 2024. Sark does a good job, I think, of building his team as the season wears on. And I think that what I would like to see is that kind of same maturity level take hold. If they can get past Ohio State and we, we, then all of it looks different to me. Florida, for example, you cannot have a B game against Florida. They're too talented. Can't have a B game against Ole Miss. Oklahoma. I mean, you don't want, don't, don't want to go on the road to start the SEC play in front of 105, 000 in Knoxville and lay an egg. It's going to take continued growth and continued focus so that you can get through this group, you know, and whether it's 11, 1, 12, 0. 10 and 2 gets you.
[71:22]
C
And that's all. My whole, my whole goal is, is 10 and two and getting the playoffs. Look, Miami got in at 10 and two. Obviously if they played in the SEC last year, they wouldn't have got in because they had some injuries and then they didn't play well at times. But if you can get in at 10 and 2 and you're a battle tested team coming out of the sec, you got a chance. I mean, you got a real chance. I would if you told me right now, 10 and 2. I take 10 and 2 all day long and not even play the game. Said, let's go, let's go run it up on the playoffs, see what happens.
[71:54]
D
I, I think that's fair. I think most Texas fans would take that. Yeah, I'm not so sure. You know, I, I think maybe Steve Sarkeesian might take it, you know, just, just to get into the playoffs and. Because he's got a team that has a chance. But I think it's more than that. I think he wants more from this team. Not sure if he's going to get it.
[72:20]
E
Yeah.
[72:20]
D
But I think he, he, he recognizes what he has from a talent perspective. I, I will just add this though, as we talk about talent. It's not just Texas that has more talent than, than typical. All these blue bro programs that spent heavy in the portal. They are similarly situated.
[72:42]
B
They.
[72:42]
D
Outside of Alabama and maybe Georgia, who had had ungodly talent in the early 2000s, everybody has more talent than typical, you know. So we'll see how that plays out, relatively speaking, as they, they go throughout the year.
[73:04]
B
We got a couple of preseason ranking super chats. So this first one here from the J Roll. Thank you, vj. He says, wish we were ranked lower. We have enough rat poison as it is. Thanks for the coverage on the off season, guys. Happy new college football year. And then one other one from Sailor Joe. I hate preseason ranking. 75 of these become paper tigers. That's how we end up with an undeserving OU or A M in the playoffs.
[73:33]
D
It's possible. I mean, you can have preseason favorites that just don't look that way once the season begins. Like, like, is BYU really going to be a top 15 program in the country? They've got a good running back. They've got a good quarterback.
[73:51]
C
That's.
[73:51]
D
That was younger last year. I don't know. I mean. And because of that preseason ranking alongside Texas Tech in the top 15, are they going to hover there even if they take a loss?
[74:06]
C
Yeah.
[74:06]
D
Take away, take away a spot from another team, maybe. I do agree though. I like being ranked lower. That's why I brought that topic up up for discussion. Even some people want the target on their back. I like, I like playing with a little bit of a chip on your shoulder for being number four, number five, etc. So that's where I come out. J Roll and, and Sailor Joe.
[74:32]
C
Hey, Blake. Could you bring up that coaches poll real quick?
[74:35]
B
Yep.
[74:35]
C
To answer this question because I want to point something out we've been talking about all summer. One thing about the SEC, we're going to know after two weeks this year because of some of these P4 non conference matchups, we're gonna have a pretty good feel for the SEC after week two because obviously we'll start Texas Ohio State September 12th. Right. Oklahoma is at Michigan the same day. They're the morning game. No matter what you think of Michigan, still ranked 16, still a talented team. Kyle Whittingham, that'll be a physical game. Oklahoma left to go in and win that game physically and we'll see what back foot Bryce looks like in year two for the Wolverines. But not ranked. Probably should be ranked. Obviously Ole Miss and Louisville play. I mean that's going to be right out of the gate. You're going to know where Ole Miss really stands because Louisville's going to be a quality football team. I'm not saying they're going to compete for a title or anything, but they're going to be quality football team. And then you have LSU hosting Clemson. Clemson is ranked 23. Are they 23? I don't know. But Clemson stop. Void of talent. They're void of portal talent and that's why they've slipped. But we're gonna know Bobby a lot about the SEC after the first two weeks because they have some great non conference games and you're going to learn a lot about those teams and the teams that lose. Your back's going to be up against the wall to start. When you look at the rest of your schedule, it's going to be interesting.
[76:04]
D
I want to say this because I know this is a weird topic, but Clemson vs. LSU early. I was trying, I, I had asked you yesterday who's starting at quarterback for sure for Clemson and It's Christopher Vizina Jr. But I, I started looking at the Clemson roster. Their wide receiver group is loaded.
[76:26]
C
That's awesome.
[76:28]
D
Loaded. I mean like they have a Texas almost Texas caliber wide receiver room.
[76:33]
C
Texas, Florida caliber.
[76:35]
D
D.J. moore, Brian Wesco, who's from Midlothian, had a great freshman year. Then they brought in a freshman that's kind of lighting it up named Naim Burroughs, very similar to Jermaine Bishop type guy. So lsu, Clemson's an early game to watch to see if what Lane Kiffin is, if he's able to kind of get the talent moving in the right direction. We know he has the talent. Can he get it going early out of the gate.
[77:04]
C
Out of the gate.
[77:05]
A
Yeah. Yeah.
[77:06]
C
I, I think it's a great king me. Great point here. I made this in two sports on, on Texas football.com Indiana was ranked 19th preseason.
[77:15]
D
Yep.
[77:16]
C
And two years ago, Florida basketball was ranked 21 and won the national championship. So polls matter to a certain extent. But I think in the portal era, we're going to see some teams that creep up and have a little better talent than giving credit for. And those teams come together quickly, set themselves up to make a playoff, get a lot of confidence. I think the toughest thing for me nowadays and football in the portal era is bringing so many new players to a roster every year, Bobby. And getting them to buy in one, which is summer workouts two. Then you buy in. When guys who portaled in maybe don't get as many touches or snaps as they thought. That's when some of the locker room adversity hits. And then three, bringing so many new faces together and playing disciplined football.
[78:08]
D
Hey, that's what camp at Texas is about.
[78:10]
A
Yep.
[78:11]
D
And that, that's one of the reasons I brought that up is that, you know, what an LSU looks like is going to be dictated in large part by what spring ball. And then now these next 30 days look like for the university, even at the University of Texas. I, I just think that, you know, with camp starting today, I, I wrote a little piece about it this morning and I think about the things that I want to see today. I want to see fresh legs and kind of a pep in the step. You know what I mean? I want to see. I, I want to see no balls hitting the ground when it comes to, against, you know, air essentially when all they're, all they're doing is quarterbacks throwing and, and catching. So I, I feel like all of that, all of those things are, are reality and what we need to see starting today at around 245.
[79:07]
C
Yes. By the way, I did some step ups yesterday to get me in shape for today's practice. So keep all of us on Texas football media members in your thoughts. It's going to be about 110 and you know, it's warmer when it's hotter when you're just standing versus when you're running. I'm just here to tell you. And by the way, the iPhones are going to take a beating from the sun today. So have our iPhones in, in your thoughts too because somebody's warning things gonna be, then it's gonna be dead for a while. That's your phone is overheating I don't
[79:42]
D
know if you missed it earlier in the chat or earlier in the show. Also, as of right now, Cole Hudson is not expected to participate in today's practice. Cole is in Austin and ready to go, but he is still waiting for final approval. His injunction hearing is August 10th. However, the NCAA may relent. There's some other things going on, but that's one of the things they're going to be looking for as well later today at 245.
[80:17]
B
Now, we got a little bit more to talk about before we wrap up today's show. But first, Bobby, can you tell everyone one more time about Adam Lowy, the law firm?
[80:25]
D
Absolutely can. Adam Lowy and the Loy Law Firm have been helping injured Texans for more than 20 years now. 20, 21, actually. Adam's a Texas law school grad. If you've been injured in a car wreck, truck wreck, automobile accident of any kind, and think you might be due compensation, make sure you reach out to Adam and his law firm. That's lowy law firm.com Again, lowy law firm.com Adam not only supports on Texas football, but also Texas athletics is a whole. Again, that is Loy law firm dot com.
[80:57]
C
Hey, Blake, this is one of the better ideas in the history of on Texas football. Bobby, wear the big hat to practice for shade. Bobby, you need to do that.
[81:09]
E
Dude.
[81:09]
D
I, I am. I am. So I'm gonna be like caked in, in suntan or SPF 150 probably.
[81:20]
C
Then bring the big hat. I'll wear it.
[81:21]
D
Yeah. Okay. I'll do that for you.
[81:23]
C
Yeah. Oh, gosh.
[81:26]
B
All right.
[81:27]
D
I may do the sun hat or the Indiana Jones hat or something today. I don't know.
[81:32]
C
I've got, I've got my, the, the high school coaching. That, the kind of the fishing hat from coach Red Barons at Saxy High. I may wear that one today. Maybe. Maybe a good day to break out the old coaches fishing type hat, whatever those are called. This is the day that's always a good. I'm excited. Is Sark having a practice presser after practice? Absolutely. And we will cover all of it.
[81:54]
B
Yeah, we've been asked that quite a bit. So thank you for getting to that one. And then Rocky P. Wants to talk some bold predictions. Rocky says Simmons, 15 plus sacks, five plus force fumbles. Masco four plus interceptions. Wingo most shards. Coleman most catches. Mosley most touchdowns. Relik Brown Most yards and touchdowns 120 record.
[82:23]
D
Dude, that's, that's, that, that's some salty stuff. Look, I have no Problem thinking that Colin Simmons can get to 15. I have no problem thinking that Bo Masco might lead the team interceptions, although he got his hands on more passes than anybody else in the secondary during the spring.
[82:43]
C
Yeah. So that's.
[82:44]
D
That's probably a. A fair pick, whether it's four interceptions or just leading the team and pass breakups. Most yards. Most yards. Wingo Coleman most catches. See, I. I would. I would do this. I don't disagree with Wingo. Most yards. I would flip Coleman and Mosley there.
[83:03]
C
That's what I would have.
[83:04]
D
Mosley with most catches and Coleman with most titties. Coleman is. I mean, he's a matchup nightmare in the red zone.
[83:14]
C
And Bobby, what Aaron Ross said struck me. When you talk about that in the red zone. You can't play off a guy like that in the red zone. That gives those guys the advantage in the red zone. If your quarterback can place the ball, you cannot play that off coverage in the red zone against guys like that. That gives those type of guys an advantage.
[83:34]
D
They post you up is what they do. That's essentially Relique Brown most yards and T. I. I'm gonna go with. I agree with the relique. Most yards rushing and TDS. I'll go with that.
[83:47]
E
12.
[83:48]
D
0. Do I go with that? That was my preseason prediction back in the spring. We have yet to do our final preseason prediction here. We'll. We'll have to see if I can
[83:58]
C
tell everybody I'm not going 12. Zero.
[84:02]
D
I can't. I. I still can't tell anybody that.
[84:04]
C
Yeah, I'm not.
[84:06]
D
I want to see them today and tomorrow. Let's go from there.
[84:12]
B
All right, a few more. Excuse me. The J Roll just put this in. Thank you for the huge super chat there. Really, really appreciate that. Appreciate it for sure.
[84:27]
C
That's what I'm talking about. Just go ahead and put that in your car after the show.
[84:32]
D
Bobby, what do you think Sark would say if I walked out there like this? Get his butt off the field.
[84:40]
C
He's like, this is a serious season. Please escort the Burton guy out of here immediately.
[84:49]
B
J Roll Sundays, I'm in LA, so I. I am never able to catch morning shows live. Here's my donation to the yearly on Texas football camp parking fund. Go get them, guys.
[84:59]
C
Thank you very much.
[85:01]
D
Thank you so much. It's gonna be the parking ticket fund, by the way. That's what we're worried about this year.
[85:10]
B
Oh, thank you, Bobby.
[85:12]
C
You know who would love the hat? Cooper Manning, if you wore it.
[85:14]
D
Oh, that's so true.
[85:17]
C
He would love it. He's a big hat guy. Oh, yeah. No, he, he'd probably, he probably DM you and congratulate you on having that to wear that out there.
[85:29]
B
Travis says who had the higher PFF rating or who was better at center, Cole Hudson or Connor Robertson? I cannot find a PFF rating for Cole at the moment. Connor did have a 65.8. I can tell you all that at center.
[85:46]
D
Yeah,
[85:48]
C
I, I'm not sure, I'm not sure on that.
[85:50]
D
I, I will say this. I mean, some of those grades, it's hard to have much of a grade when left guard while Hudson was playing center was really backwards, if that makes sense. I, I think it's hard for a center or even a tackle to overcome some of that because you work in unison so much.
[86:14]
B
No, now I can't tell you. Cole's grade playing guard was a 64. 4. But I don't have you a position one as far as center goes. So sorry, I looked. We got one other super chat this morning and this kind of going back to what we started with here. Bobby Gai says, Jerry, are there a limited number of basketball practices this time of year? Is this similar to spring football?
[86:39]
C
Yeah. So summer workouts, it's eight weeks and you have four. You get you eight weeks, eight hours a week on court. So essentially four two hour practices is what Texas is doing Monday through Thursday, Friday off. Now that is different from your workouts with your strength and conditioning coach. So the on court allowable by the NCAA is eight hours a week. Those teams, like yesterday was two hours. They normally split it into four two hour workouts per week. And that goes for eight weeks. This is week seven for Texas basketball. Next week is week eight. And then they're done with their summer workouts. Then they will come back and a different clock starts. It's a lot of individual work or up to three, I think it is. Some of that's changed, but that's the way it goes in the summer for basketball.
[87:30]
B
All right, guys. Well, again, fall camp starts in just a little bit, Bobby. So we've had a lot of people join since we first started. So I was hoping you could just kind of run through the coverage of how that's going to go down today. Yeah.
[87:42]
D
So we're going to do one more preview of fall camp. Jerry and I are going to talk. Rod's on the road traveling home today. So Jerry and I are going to do state of the program. The final things we're looking to see from camp. Okay. Just day one then 2:45 camp starts. There is a practice media window availability that Jerry, myself, cj, Hank Myers, Jeff Howe all will be at Post that practice. Jerry and I will do an immediate reaction video for you guys. As soon as we can get to a place that has WI fi that's passable, we will do something asap. Okay. Post that. All the other guys will be writing articles, commenting. We'll come back with even another video. And then we'll also have video tonight that is a nightly live stream that will be able to take more questions. So it will be wall to wall coverage. Look, one of the reasons that that we we do so many videos is so that you guys know that we're going to be on when you need us to be on and talking about the things that are hot and there's nothing hotter than than Texas in the summer or Texas football first day of practice. So we're going to cover you. Make sure you check us out online too because guys like Hank and C.J. they're going to be writing stories and giving you more full updates from there. Make sure you check us out. Right now we have a special. This is for new subscribers only. $3 for three months. It's a limited time offer. Three months. $3 for three months. All practice coverage. Everything we've got behind the scenes news, breaking news etc including some recruiting scoop that may or may not come. If guys show up at practice every so often in our recruits make sure you you become a member of the community@ontexasfootball.com because we can't be on here all the time but we can check in on the message boards and answer questions as much as possible. So visit with us over there, become a member of the community on Texas football.com or come back today because I I to the YouTube channel because when I tell you that we're going to have a lot of content for you guys that that is absolutely our plan. We've added more staff in the last year and we plan to to really blow it out for you guys.
[90:12]
B
All right. Well that is going to do it for this episode of Coffee and Football presented by Adam Lowy and the Lowy Law Firm. Want to thank Adam along with hey City Store Prize picks Von Lane and Mint Mobile all for sponsoring today's show. Shout out to Tony Hills and Aaron Ross for joining us as well. That was awesome to have both of them on back to back and of course we hope you all have a great day today. Now we'll be back, same time, same place tomorrow. So for Bobby Burton and Jerry Hamilton, I'm Blake Monroe. And we'll see you then. Day one. Hook them.

Summary9 min read

Coffee & Football: Latest Texas Longhorns News & Notes | Former Texas DB Aaron Ross Joins The Show!

On Texas Football Podcast
Host: Bobby Burton & Panel (Blake Monroe, Jerry Hamilton, Tony Hills, Aaron Ross)
Date: August 5, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Coffee & Football is packed with updates and discussions on Texas Longhorns football and basketball as both programs prepare for their upcoming seasons. Practice for football kicks off in brutal Texas heat, preseason rankings spark debate, and former Texas DB and Thorpe Award winner Aaron Ross joins to reflect on his storied career and discuss the current state of the program. NFL vet Tony Hills pops in to share camp wisdom and offer memories of Ross. The team delivers insights on roster battles, schedule challenges, basketball roster ceilings, and what sets Longhorns football culture apart.

Key Longhorn Football News & Notes

Opening of Fall Camp (00:24–03:23)

Practice starts today at 2:45pm with Texas gathering on Dennis Fields in Austin amid sweltering conditions (expected to feel like 106°F).
Cole Hudson (OL)
- Not expected to practice today as his NCAA injunction appeal hearing is set for August 10. Texas hoping for some resolution before then.
- "They're kind of playing that close to the vest...He may not rejoin the team until that August 10th time frame, or something could happen in between where the NCAA relents." (02:00 – Bobby Burton)
Indoor Facility Update
- The new indoor practice facility opening is likely the week of the season opener. Sarkisian opting to condition his squad outside in brutal heat to simulate early-season games.

Team Rankings & Schedule Analysis (11:38–14:04)

Texas debuts at #4 in the Coaches Poll.
- Ohio State (#1), Oregon (#2), Georgia (#3), Notre Dame (#5).
- "Five teams in the SEC in the top 10. That's crazy." (13:29 – Bobby)
- Texas faces a brutal schedule:
  - "You're playing one at home, eight on the road, nine neutral, 10 at home, 13 on the road, 18 on the road, 25 on the road." (14:04 – Jerry Hamilton)
Schedule’s National Perception:
- Both Texas and Ohio State “have the toughest Power 4 schedules this year” among the contenders.
- The Texas–Ohio State matchup (Sept 12) is shaping up as a playoff-elimination game.

Preseason Ranking Strategy (16:18–18:36)

Preference for Starting at #4 –
- "I would always prefer to start lower than one...I would much rather be four going into this game this year than one like last year." (17:08 – Jerry)
- "There's always a target on Texas back, but that's an even bigger target [at #1]." (18:11 – Blake Monroe)

Basketball Program Deep Dive (03:23–11:32)

Summer Practice Observations
- "Texas has six surefire NBA draft picks on their team...all the pieces you need to compete with anybody." (03:40 – Jerry)
- Tuesday's summer workout was the squad’s first time on Moody’s new floor—intense session with media and special guests watching.
- Practice details:
  - 95% five-on-five, heavy on offensive installation.
  - Mikey Lewis (zero, gold jersey) is Player of the Week—his second or third time claiming that summer honor.
  - “That workout yesterday, guys were dragging at the end. I mean, that was a real workout.” (07:24 – Jerry)
Roster Notes:
- Great height, strength, interior play; Marcus Spears expected to exceed offensive expectations.
- Isaiah Johnson in full command, Austin Goosby has high upside.
- Goal: aim for a #2 seed, top-10/12 finish ("My goal is to be a two seed type of team..." 05:58 – Jerry).
- The SEC will be a "beast" this year; health and depth will be critical.

Tony Hills Joins: Training Camp Mentality & Aaron Ross Memories

Wisdom on the First Day of Practice (31:39–34:25)

"It's just about being physical and showing everybody that you have that physicality...if you're unsure about the plays, pick a way and go 1,000%...Even if you're wrong, be wrong going fast." (32:06 – Tony Hills)
For veterans: "It's about consistency. It's about tuning up the engine...We should understand and know the playbook." (33:07)
"If anybody comes into training camp and they're not in the best shape of their life, then they're not serious, because that...that's like forgetting your helmet." (34:13)

Best/Worst Place After a Bad Practice

"Probably the film room. In practice it's so fast, but in film, your mind gets to tell you about all the mistakes you made...now everybody around you gets to see it." (34:41 – Tony)

On Aaron Ross as a Teammate (35:18–37:42)

"This dude had an infectious smile...and was a phenomenal competitor. He did not like to lose, was always technically sound...That's what I learned from A Ross." (36:44)
"These kids literally have championship blood...they got gold all around them." (35:36)

Notable Technical Traits of Ross

Jerry: "He had that rare ability with his hips...he could be going right, his upper body left...especially in punt return. That's a stupid time, man." (37:42)
Tony: "His base was his foundation...his feet were always underneath him." (38:24)

Interview with Aaron Ross: A Winning Career & Texas Football Culture

Ross’ Reflections on Winning at All Levels (39:45–41:35)

"The one that still hunts me night after night is the high school [title game loss]...But just being a part of winning organizations...coaches held everybody accountable, passed that down to the group of guys...We liked being around each other." (40:29 – Aaron Ross)

Overcoming Eligibility Hurdles (41:35–44:50)

Outlines the struggle with NCAA Clearinghouse — forced to retake a half-semester English class, missed 2 full seasons.
Why stick with Texas?
- "They stuck with me through the whole process...Coach Brown, Coach Drake, all those guys continued to call me...made me feel like I was still part of the team." (42:06)

On East Texas/John Tyler’s Football Culture (44:50–47:07)

"The culture of football...producing great football players is unmatched. It’s like Friday Night Lights. The gas stations close early and there are 5,000–10,000 people watching." (45:50)

Secondary Talent on 2005 Team (49:17–53:06)

Competition across the secondary drove each player higher:
- "It was unmatched. We would compete in everything...I give those guys credit for me winning the Thorpe Award." (50:44 – Ross)
- Details about each teammate:
  - Huff = brains, Michael Griffin = hard-hitting, Cedric Griffin = tenacity, Terrell Brown = technician, Ross = ball skills.
  - "It was friendly competition...I wanted to take a piece of that and put it into my game." (52:45)

Culture & The Sarkisian Era (53:52–55:19)

"During those 10 years [when Texas was down], it really sucked to watch college football...Now I think what Sark’s brought back is the culture. That was one of the main things we had with Coach Brown." (53:59)
"He's getting the recruits, but you can't win without great talent." (55:19)

Breaking Down Today’s Texas WRs (56:56–60:06)

What impresses a great DB about a WR?
- "Speed. But also being able to recognize coverages, having another quarterback out there, ‘savvy’ route running." (57:20)
On how he’d cover different types:
- "Speed guys, I love to press...Big body, I wanted to play off...Coach Akina taught us to read formations, route concepts." (58:47 & 59:52)

On Arch Manning & Eli’s Influence (55:42–56:50)

"I love just him being so humble, having that type of pedigree and having the spotlight on you...the mental part of the game is what I see he [Arch] shares with his Uncle Eli." (55:51)

Family and The Next Generation

"Deuce [his son]...started playing flag about a year ago and he's really turned into a stud." (48:39)

Notable Quotes

"If anybody comes into training camp and they're not in the best shape of their life, then they're not serious." — Tony Hills (34:13)
"I bleed orange. They believed when they didn’t even have to...they could have just went on to somebody else." — Aaron Ross (44:06)
"Culture...that’s what Sark has brought back." — Aaron Ross (54:44)
"If you win 11 and one on that schedule, that's unbelievable to me." — Jerry Hamilton (69:23)

Longhorns’ 2026 Schedule Talk: Brutality & Expectations

"If Texas navigates the schedule 11–1, that’s a hell of a regular season...this is a tough schedule." (68:26)
"It’s going to take continued growth and continued focus so that you can get through this group...A bad day equals a loss." (69:55)

Polls & Playoff Implications

Most panelists prefer preseason Texas around #4–5 rather than #1 for less outside pressure.
Expanded playoff and SEC scheduling means more attrition at the top—record doesn’t tell the whole story:
- "They just count losses...a loss matters more." (20:47 – Bobby)

Basketball Practices & NCAA Limits (86:38)

Summer Workouts Limit: 8 weeks, 8 hours/week on court (usually 4 x 2-hour practices; additional strength & conditioning is separate).
After summer, teams shift to in-season individual work.

Notable Listener Questions & Community Pulse

Super Chats dig deeper:
- How will Michael Terry be used at RB? (67:10) — TBD, but needs a unique skill to stand out in a loaded room.
- Which unranked teams could crash the top-7?
- Can Texas survive the SEC schedule with two losses and still have playoff hopes?
- Preseason picks for WR stats (82:22–83:58): Wingo for yards, Mosley for catches, Coleman for touchdowns, etc.

Fun/Memorable Moments

Tony Hills joking about never practicing in the Austin sun again:
- "At 3pm I’m either at a cigar lounge, drinking bourbon, or on the golf course...That’s the only thing I'm doing at three." (30:52)
The “big hat” debate for Bobby at practice as comic relief (80:57–85:11).

Takeaways

Texas football is at a pivotal moment with high expectations, immense schedule difficulty, but renewed belief in program culture and talent.
Basketball is loaded and aims for a deep tournament run.
Former greats like Aaron Ross and Tony Hills reinforce how much culture, competition, and perseverance define Texas success.
Camp is underway. The next 30 days will reveal answers to depth chart battles, culture cohesion, and whether the talent meets the expectation.

For full, up-to-the-minute practice reports and recruiting scoop, visit:
ontexasfootball.com – $3 for 3 months (new subscribers)

Notable Quotes:

"I bleed orange. They believed when they didn’t even have to." – Aaron Ross (44:06)
“If you're a veteran...it's about consistency...because consistency is the key to winning.” – Tony Hills (33:07)
"If you're wrong, be wrong going fast, and that wrong can be corrected." – Tony Hills (32:06)
"Culture, that's what Sark has brought back." – Aaron Ross (54:44)

Key Segment Timestamps:

[00:24] Fall camp, Cole Hudson, facilities update
[03:23] Basketball summer practice recap
[13:29] Coaches Poll & schedule
[16:18] Rankings: target and pressure
[31:39] Tony Hills: practice mindset
[39:45] Aaron Ross interview
[49:17] 2005 secondary competition
[53:52] Sark and current culture
[57:20] Evaluating Texas wideouts
[68:26] SEC schedule, expectations
[80:57] Lighthearted "big hat" segment

For fans who missed it:
This episode delivered a comprehensive preview of the 2026 football and basketball seasons, reflections from championship alums, and an insider look at the relentless climb required for Texas to reach new heights. Tune in tomorrow for instant camp reaction and daily Texas Football coverage.

Hook 'em!

Loading summary

Transcript260 lines

[00:00]
A
Sa.
[00:25]
B
Good morning everyone. Welcome to Coffee and Football presented by Adam Lowy and the Lowy Law Firm. I'm your host Blake Monroe where I'm joined every day by Bobby Burton and Jerry Hamilton. Tell us where you're checking in from this morning, what you're drinking, get your questions in. We're going to get to those here in just a little bit as well. We also have former Texas defensive back Thorpe Award winner Aaron Ross joining us. It's Wednesday, which means hump day with heels. So we got a loaded show and it's 31 days away from kickoff. But guys, practice starts here in just a few hours. Everybody's excited. Bobby, I know you'll be be out
[01:04]
C
there in just a little bit.
[01:08]
D
I'm ready. As you can see. Jerry's in a hotel room in Austin, so he's ready as well.
[01:12]
C
I'm drinking pure life water to prepare and I just hope I have proof of life after a 3pm practice.
[01:18]
D
Yes, we get kickstarted at 2:45. We'll have some post practice notes for you here like live at on Texas Football later today. That's part of the fun of this for us coming to you guys right after that very first practice. So hope you guys enjoy that. But 99 degrees, 245 supposed to feel like it's 106 on the grass up at Dennis Fields. Couple of news and notes I want to go over before we go into anything else and and talk about practice and the excitement surrounding it. First of all, Cole Hudson, who we've been following his travails and trying to re retake another year for the class of 2022, he is not as of right now expected to practice today. He is in Austin and prepared to do so. But his temporary restraining order, the injunction appeal from the NCAA isn't until August 10th. So they're kind of playing that close to the vest trying to figure out what's the best situation. He may not rejoin the team until that August 10th time frame or something could happen in in between where the NCAA relents and Cole's able to re rejoin the team. So that's number one. Number two, a lot of people have asked about the practice facility, the indoor practice facility. Just to be clear. The plan all along has been to practice outside at Dennis Fields leading into fall camp. And one of the reasons Steve Sarkeesian has these afternoon practices in the dead of August, okay, is to prove that his team is conditioned and ready to roll when when the same thing takes place at DKR in early in Early September. So they're going to have that the new practice facility, slash indoor facility. The opening is quote unquote, likely to be the week of the season opener. I was told today. So that's a couple of news and notes to get out of the way. We also had a basketball practice we attended yesterday. Jerry, I'll let you take it from there.
[03:23]
C
Yeah, I mean we can't. So we can't like get into what the practice actually was. But look, I mean anybody that's read the practice reports I've been posting all summer, I have a Q and a on otf.com right now about yesterday. I let people ask questions about yesterday and answer them. But look, I mean Texas roster is what, you know, I, I've been reporting on what you'd expect to see when you're competing at the highest level now of college basketball is I, I stand by everything I've said. I think Texas has six surefire NBA draft picks on their team that will either. Some will come out in 27, some will come out in 28. I think that they have all the pieces you need to go compete with anybody. I would say that, yeah, you know, yesterday was a, it was a. There's a lot of install going on, by the way. So there's a lot of, there's a lot of drill work for about an hour and there's a lot of install ball screen defense stuff offensively. I mean, some people have asked what, what did Texas look like here? What they look like here. One thing I tell people is 95% of the time yesterday they were in five on five. They're running offense, they're, they're installing offense right now. This is all part of install. The other cool thing yesterday was I, I got there really early and this was the first time in Moody for the team this summer. So all five transfers, all your freshmen, this is the first time they ever took the court in Moody. So he took the court and empty arena. By the way. There's media and about a hundred special guests that had the, I think it's called Germania, season ticket holders that wanted to attend. So this is the first time, this is a brand new floor. First time basketball, men's basketball worked out on this floor yesterday as well. But look, the team has everything you would expect. I mean everything I've talked about on the site and answered questions all summer. They got, they got great height, they've got great strength. They're going to have you one of the top interior player teams in the country with modest and punch. And with Marcus Spears, I think Spears offensively will probably be better than expected after he gets his feet wet in college basketball. I think he's going to score more than maybe some national people kind of thought when and including myself. Just from a coverage standpoint, Isaiah Johnson's really damn good. He's in control of everything, his mind, his body and how he plays the game, by the way. And Austin Goosby's got a world upside. It's what you would expect from those guys and, and from this team. And look, my goal with Texas basketball is unchanged from what I've reported on in the summer is. My goal is to be a, a two seed type of team and live on that, live around that, top 10, 12 teams, eight, whatever you are all season and position yourself to be a top two seed in the NCAA tournament. If you follow the three seed line, so be it. But the SEC is going to be a beast this year. So, I mean, you could, you could have a really good team and go 12 and 6 and. Hey Jerry, I want to.
[06:28]
D
Hey, Jerry, I want to play back that video so people. Because people are going to ask who's who here? 31. In this video is the new, new Marcus Spears Jr. That is 31. 10 is Austin Goosby.
[06:43]
A
So that's.
[06:43]
D
That was Austin Goosby right there. Then you go over to. You'll see that that's Goosby again on defense. Just trying to give people a sense of who each player is here.
[06:56]
A
Yeah, that is.
[06:57]
D
You know, I, I think that the thing that I felt about yesterday is it felt like a big time. This is something that an Arizona, a Kansas or a Kentucky would do.
[07:08]
C
Yeah, this is.
[07:09]
D
Yeah, they would have their media out preseason before football kicked out and all that stuff. And it was nice of Scott McConnell, the SID, as well as, as well as head coach Sean Miller allowing us to do that.
[07:24]
C
So people have asked. Mikey Lewis is zero in the gold jersey, which you could see in that video. The gold jersey player is the player of the week the week prior in the summer workouts. So Mikey Lewis was the player of the week last week. So he wears the gold jersey this week. I hear David Punch will be wearing that next week. That's the second or third time Mikey Lewis is, has taken that award this summer as the player of the week. Austin Goosby has once punches about two for the second time. And there's one other. They're gonna end up with eight. They have this week, then they have next week of summer workouts, then they're done. That's what's allowed by ncaa. Then they're done. They have eight weeks of summer workouts and that's eight hours on court each week. Tuesdays are normally the toughest workouts. And I will tell you, yeah, I played ball for a long time. That workout yesterday, guys were dragging at the end. I mean, that was a real workout. I so that the media and the season ticket holders that were there, they got to see as tough a summer workout is tech as Sean Miller will put these guys through because the, the, the Tuesday workouts are the toughest for these teams and for this team in the summer. But look, I mean, they gap a chance. That's all you can ask is you got a chance. They've got a really good balance and roster. They've got good depth. A guy like Amari Evans will be an improved player in year two from being a freshman in year one in SEC. Elijah Freeman should make a jump in year two of major college basketball. Year one was at Auburn. He started in D2, then he went to Auburn. That was a massive jump for a kid, even if you're really talented. Year three, he showed he he's a guy who flashes a lot. If you go watch Texas, he's gonna flash a lot because athletically he's probably the most gifted player in the program. So he'll, he'll flash. He'll. He's a guy that flashes a lot. Marcus Spears is going to flash a lot. The one thing I'd say about Spears is because I know a lot of people are asking why. I think one of the reasons I think he's going to be a little more impactful offensively. I think when he signed a lot of people said it'll be rebounding and it'll be shot blocking, shot changing on defense. But I think offensively what's going to, it's going to end up happening with him. David Punch is a tremendous defender, like an all Big 12 level defender and Spears against him at times yesterday, his first step is quick for a six, nine and a half, 610 kid who's by the way still 17. He's not done growing. He'll end up 611. It's not only quick, but he has such a long first step that a defender immediately is in a reactionary recovery position if he has a straight line. So when Spears had a straight line, it puts a defender in immediate trail foul position because he has to turn his shoulders and hips because that first step is so long. Then you're going to body Spears to keep him from having a straight line drive. He, he's going to create probably more fouls than you than I thought when he got to Texas. And that, that, that combination of quick first step and long first step as a four man is going to give him a chance. And, and he's a really good weak side rebounder. He has good feel for the game. He played off the weak side really well on the offensive glass yesterday. So this team has a chance. That's all you can ask. And we'll see. I mean, look, you got gotta get lucky in injuries. I mean NCAA basketball tournament was almost defined by injury last year. Anybody that follows this, Illinois's David Mirkovich broke his foot July 31, had surgery yesterday, is now out for three, four months, whatever it ends up being. You saw Syracuse lose Donnie Freeman to a torn Achilles, probably their second best player earlier in the summer. You see USC center just had a. Who transferred to ucl, just had surgery, got hurt in practice. Obviously health is big, but I think Texas has depth as well in this team. So they got a chance and that's all you can ask. And Isaiah Johnson's really good. Guys. Y' all like it?
[11:32]
B
All right, before we move on this morning, I need you to tell everyone about Adam Lowy and the Lowy law firm.
[11:39]
D
Bobby, I can do it. If you've been injured in a car wreck, truck wreck, automobile accident of any kind, and think you might be due compensation, make sure you reach out to Adam and his firm@lowelawfirm.com that's lowellawfirm.com they'll give you a free no strings attached consultation to see if you might be due compensation. Again, all you have to do, reach out to him@lowelawfirm.com thank you Adam for your ongoing support of on Texas football. Blake, with basketball. We've, we've had that conversation. Now it's time to turn it to football exclusively here. Longhorns practice number one today, 31 days away from the start of fall camp. Excuse me, from the season opener against against Texas State. We had a poll released yesterday that we can talk about Texas coming in at number four on the coaches poll. Ohio State the second weak opponent for the Longhorns at number one. Oregon 2 Georgia 3. Notre Dame 5. Indiana. You want to talk about big news for Indiana yesterday. The. The Hoosiers unbelievably gets get back their team tackle for loss leader because of the 2022 injunction rule that was given. He had been injured for the national championship game. He injured himself in the post game celebration of the national semifinal. Now he will be back for a fifth year at Indiana. Stephen Daley's the young man's name. He was their best interior defender. So talk about found money. Indiana found money yesterday in Stephen Daley, Miami 7, Texas A&M and OU, 8 and 9, followed by Ole Miss. Five teams in the SEC in the top 10. That's crazy. But these are all preseason polls. Even if you want to go down to Alabama at 11, six of the top 11 teams in the country in the SEC. I mean, I know we also got to say this, three of the top six, though, are from the Big Ten. Interesting dynamic there right now between those two conferences.
[14:05]
C
Yeah, that was a big day for our guy in the chat, Joe Zur, his number one team, Oregon's two. His number two team, Texas is four. He's off. He's gonna have a really good college football season, I would say In Missouri, look, LSU's 13, so that's seven out of top 13. Obviously, then Tennessee's 18 and Missouri's 25th. So any poll, any, any chatter that comes out right now about the college football season tells you how difficult Texas schedule is going to be. I mean, that's the, I mean, you know, look, I mean, at the end of the day, you're playing one at home, eight on the road, nine neutral, 10 at home, 13 on the road, 18 on the road, 25 on the road. ESPN wrote something yesterday about, you know, I, Bill Connolly wrote something about Texas clothes is, is going to be extremely difficult for the Longhorn. So they have to be in really good position going into that close. But again, this Texas schedule, and by the way, most people are saying, which is so interesting to me, we've had this conversation on throughout the summer, Bobby, the two toughest Power 4 schedules this year of the contenders of teams that are supposed to be really good is Ohio State and Texas. And I just think it puts even more emphasis on that game in Austin Sept. 12, because neither one of those teams wants to drop that game and then look at the rest of the schedule and say, okay, we got one hiccup left. I mean, so I think this game's going to take on more and more meaning than just Ohio State versus Texas. Kind of the outlook of college football as we get closer. And I think more people will be talking about that as this game gets closer because it just feels like a must win game for those teams when you look at the rest of their schedule, who some of the road teams are. And I think that's the way it should be. That's why you play the game. It's a huge game. I mean, think about pre College Football playoff. The losers of this team, I mean they'd have a. It's like Ohio state Texas in OH5. You look up if you, the loser that game looks up and says we're not. We're out of it now. We're going to need help. And at least we're at a position now where the loser that game doesn't say we have to have help. You can still control your own destiny, even as tough as that destiny would appear.
[16:19]
D
Let me ask you this, Jerry. Let's, let's take a question off of this that I wanted to, to kind of go into. Do you like that Texas is ranked four as opposed to number one. So the target last year they ranked number one preseason by at least one poll. Do you like being at four where expectations are high but not over the top versus being number one where the target is on your back and you know, you have to play to that level which coming into a season, if you're Steve Sarkeesian and a Texas coach I think you want, you'd rather be number four. You know, you're among the nation's elite, but you got to go win the games. What do y' all think? What, what do you think, Jerry?
[17:08]
C
Yeah, I mean, look, I, I would, I would always, almost always prefer to start lower than one, you know, in, in college athletics. Right? I'm. Let's. There's different, there's different conversations for high school athletics, but this is, we're talking college football here. I, I would always prefer to start in, in the 3, 4 range, 5 range. We have a really talented team. We know we have a chance to be really good. I would much rather be four going into this game this year than one like last year. I, I thought that was, that was a really tough position for Texas to be in, but I would almost always rather start four or five and work my way up. You know, if you beat Ohio State at home on the 12th, you're going to jump probably to number one, if that's what that game will come down to. Now Georgia would have Oklahoma at home two weeks later, so. But I would, I would always prefer to start know in that 4 or 5 range if it's me. What about you, Blake?
[18:11]
B
Yeah, I'm right there with, with you on that one. I then again in the chat, you know, they're saying as long as you win, it really doesn't matter, which I also agree with. But I'm happy to not be, not be ranked number one. I mean there's always a target on Texas back, but that's an even bigger target and I think that's fair. I mean I'd say anywhere from 3, 4, even 5 in my opinion is, is a fair ranking for Tesla Texas.
[18:36]
D
They've, they've been, I don't know that they've been outside the top six in what I would call a major poll.
[18:42]
C
I, they haven't. Yeah, you're right. They haven't. They haven't. The. What's interesting, Bobby? Okay, so let me ask the chat a question too. And you guys outside the top five, who's, who's actually let's put this more outside the top seven. Who's the team outside the top seven in the ranking and you guys opinions that will end up in the top seven at the end of the season, like who's a team you really like it from? Well, nobody's going to say eight. Probably not, Bobby. And I said Oklahoma is a possibility to, to be up there, so nobody's going to say eight. But what's the team after that that people like that could make that move, that can make that move and end up in the top seven?
[19:29]
D
I, I think whoever wins the Big 12 will end up there. Yeah. I mean, just see, this is the thing that I was trying to get at when I, when I talked earlier about the two conferences kind of, you know, concentrating the wealth among the two of them. They're gonna beat each other. Yeah. They star. Okay. Of the top 11 schools, what is it? Four, three from the three from the Big Ten and six from the SEC or yes, six from the SEC. So that's nine of 11 schools. The, the only ones that aren't the SEC or, or the big big 10 are Miami and Notre Dame. So nine of 11. It's just not going to stand. So there's going to be many other schools. Texas Tech or BYU or Arizona State or Houston or somebody like that, whoever, Utah kind of works their way into the Big 12. Whoever works their way into being number two in the ACC. It just, that's how people vote. They, this is why Steve Sarkeesian and all the SEC coaches are right. People vote based on. Not on the win column, but, but on the loss column.
[20:47]
C
Yeah.
[20:48]
D
How many times have you seen a team that has two losses, okay, be ranked one ahead of one that has one loss? It doesn't happen unless that one loss team is in like the whack or Conference USA or it, it almost. Unless it's a, A Major, major blue blood. They never rank them has they just they count losses. That's how they end up with some of the teams they had in the College Football Playoff last year. And that's the number one issue. Texas and other SEC teams and I think the Big Ten 2 has with the current selection committee of the College Football Playoff. They just look at the loss column. They don't even look at the quality of wins, truly, because a loss matters more just the way it is.
[21:38]
C
So, yep, in the chat, my point
[21:41]
D
is, my point is there's going to be three or four that will end up in the top seven because they'll play different level schedules.
[21:49]
C
Yeah, USC's getting some love in the chat. I, I tell you what, USC is going to be very polarizing team for people this year. One body will eat brisket with Lincoln. So that's the one thing everybody agrees on. But two, their home schedule is they may have the best home schedule of a rank of a ranked team. They get Oregon at home, they got Washington at home, they get Ohio State at home. You know that they're out on the road at Penn State, they're on the road at Indiana. But their home schedule pretty favorable if they can create a home environment, by the way. But if Gary Patterson comes in and does some work on usc, they're going to be one of the more. And I'm just saying for the fans, I've seen this a lot, they're kind of one of the more interesting teams because, you know, you get a lot of people saying, yeah, this is kind of their year to turn the corner. And I think especially when people look at their schedule and then there's a lot of other people say I had three, four lost team. That that's when, you know, it's a really big year for a guy like Lincoln Riley. By the way, he's got the schedule. USC fans know he's got a good home schedule and what's he going to do with it and how much is Gary Patterson going to impact that team? One thing Gary Patterson said about USC is best group of defensive lineman he's ever coached. All right. He had some good players at tcu, so a lot of NFL guys came through there. So what can he do with that USC defense this year? Because they have a home schedule to kind of sneak up a little bit. We'll see.
[23:18]
D
I, you know, the question you have there with him is how can you change the defense? Can you change a defense that categorically in one year? Yeah, usually it takes a couple years yeah, if you didn't have a good, good unit the year before, it usually takes a couple years.
[23:42]
B
Interesting stuff.
[23:43]
E
Good stuff.
[23:44]
A
All right.
[23:45]
B
Well, you mentioned before that that we are 31 days away from kickoff and we got a pair of 31s today, guys. One of them we've had on the show, Kiki, he's been on twice if I remember correctly. And then of course we're gonna have Aaron join us here in about 15 minutes. And then your current number 31s guys, running back James Simon and defensive back yahim Riley.
[24:08]
C
Man, two great 31s there that played at Texas. Obviously we've had Kiki on the show and he's the Texas career sacks leader. And I would venture to say this, Bobby, if, if Colin doesn't have a miraculous season to get that number, and it would be a miraculous season for a career number. Kiki's got a stat that may stand the test of time at Texas I. Because your best, your best pass rush guys are three year guys and Texas career sacked at 40 and a half. If a guy like Colin can't get there and he's got a real, he's got an uphill battle going into this year to get there. That record may stand a long time at the University of Texas. It's, I mean, if Collins as good as we've, we've seen as a natural pass rusher and if he can't get there, then Kiki's record's pretty, going to be pretty safe. Aaron Ross, I mean, I, I can't wait to have Aaron Ross on the show. I mean, you think about him, Bobby. They lost in the state championship when John Tyler was, was Tyler High. Was John Tyler against Katie, won a national championship at Texas, one, two, Super Bowl. I mean that guy is played for it all on every level. That's very rare that you get a guy who's either won it at multiple levels, played for it on every level of football he's been a part of. And obviously if him and Sanya don't have one of the fastest kids in America at some point. I give up.
[25:35]
B
Yeah.
[25:36]
D
Sonia Richards Ross, the former Olympic sprinter that he married. I think they're living in Atlanta nowadays.
[25:45]
C
Some Real Housewives of Atlanta questions I'm not gonna ask today. We're gonna keep this football.
[25:51]
D
One of the things I would the the two comments based on what you just said. First of all, I believe Colin would have to get, have a 20 sack campaign. So he's at 21 right now. Day Ayala has 40.5. So Colin would literally have to have a 20 sack campaign.
[26:14]
C
Yeah.
[26:15]
D
Right. With Aaron Ross. The other thing that I would mention that. That not a lot of people remember or recall is the perseverance he showed.
[26:27]
C
Yeah.
[26:27]
D
Because Aaron did not. He graduated or he was at John Tyler. He went and played in the Texas High school all Star game.
[26:39]
C
Yep.
[26:39]
D
But then he was denied admission to the University of Texas and to college in general and had to go back and take another class at his high school to then come back to Texas the following year.
[26:53]
C
Yeah.
[26:53]
D
People don't remember this. He almost. He was almost the story of the player that never was because he did not go straight to Texas out of high school. He had a circuitous route, but he stuck to it. Stuck to the plan and went after it. And very appreciative of what he did. Also one of the only guys I know of, Jerry, that didn't start the year before he won the Thorpe.
[27:21]
C
Yeah.
[27:22]
D
Because he had five draft picks ahead of him. He had what, three first rounders, I think, or two first rounders. And Yep, you know, so tremendous overall player, but a lot of perseverance there from. From Aaron Ross. You want to say do our commercial before we get to Tony Hills this morning, guys.
[27:42]
B
Definitely. Jerry, if you don't mind, I'm gonna let you tell everyone about, hey, City Store.
[27:47]
C
I can do that. There are very few places that you, once you walk into, you know, they're just special. I mean, that is the absolute truth. And in restaurants, and that is true too. Hay City Store is one of those places. The first time I ever went to the Hay City Store with good friend Jason Watts, I was like, this place is special to me in Hay City Store that. It's one of those places that I've been to. And it was just, just a moment I walked in. They have live music six nights a week. They have a tree net for kids. You can bring your dogs. They have brunch served every Sunday from 10am to 3pm they have all their famous truck stop enchiladas. All their food is homemade right there at Hays City Store. To come check out Hays City Store this year for a college football game day. How about that? When Texas is on the road, get on over the Hays City Store. Watch college football all day. Have some of that great homemade comfort food. They have their ice house with 50 TVs right there. You can sit there and listen to live music. It's a one of a kind place. Hay City storetx.com Come on out, Say hello to Travis and all the good people at Hay City Store.
[29:05]
B
And I'm gonna tell everyone this morning about our friends over at Prize Picks, because we're always looking for ways to make watching games a little more fun. And that's exactly why we love Prize Picks. It's America's number one sports pick app. And honestly, it's about as simple as it gets for Player Picks. All you do is choose more or less on a few player stats. You lock in your lineup, that's it. But if you're someone who likes picking teams instead of individual players, well, prizepix has you covered there as well. You can now pick the winner. You can pick the spread or the total on games and even fights. And Prize Picks is available in most states, including California, Florida, and right here in Texas. So chances are you can jump in today. One of my favorite features is that you can follow users on the app. If you like the picks they're making, you can tell them with one click, and you can follow your friends picks as well. And here's the best part. If you've never tried Prize Picks before, play your first $5 lineup. And if you win, you'll get $150 in bonus lineups. Just make sure to use code HMA when you sign up. They actually just updated this offer, so there's never been a better time to get started. Come download the Prize Picks app today. Use code HMA, play that first $5 lineup, and if you win, you'll get $150 in bonus lineups. Again, prize picks HMA is the code. Good luck to you. And as always, play smart. Play responsibly. Play Prize Picks. All right. Well, I believe Bobby had to step out for a second, but that's okay because Tony Hills is here. Good morning, Tony.
[30:37]
C
Come on, baby.
[30:38]
A
What's happening, man? Otf, man. What's up?
[30:41]
C
I got stuff for Tony.
[30:43]
A
All right.
[30:43]
C
Tony, do you miss 3pm practices in Austin? Like, what's happening today? 110 heat index without packaging ads on. Listen, what do you think about that?
[30:53]
A
Listen to me. At 3pm I'm either at a cigar lounge, drinking bourbon, smoking a nice arrival cigar, or I'm on the golf course. That's. That's the only thing I'm doing at three.
[31:10]
C
NFL retired life. Hello.
[31:12]
A
Listen, listen, listen. I'm. I'm so excited for the opportunity for these young men. I've had my time in the sun. The only time I'm gonna be out there is when I'm swinging the sticks and driving a cart. That's it.
[31:24]
C
I Was gonna challenge you next to come tomorrow for practice and wear a hoodie with us.
[31:28]
A
No, that's a hoodie out in that
[31:30]
C
110 for about an hour. Yeah.
[31:32]
A
No, I'm good on the weight loss, man. As you can see, the hoodie that I have barely fits me anymore. So I'm good.
[31:39]
C
Hey, Tony, first day of practice today, obviously, you go. You're walking over or you're busing over to Dennis for practice. What's the goal? What's the goal? What's the mindset? Day one? If it's.
[31:58]
A
I can tell you my mindset. My mindset, day one, first day of practice. It depends on the levels. Right? When you're first getting there, you.
[32:06]
C
You.
[32:06]
A
It's really hard to set an expectation other than just to be physical, right? Because you're still learning everything. You're learning. You're learning what college life is like. You're learning what college ball is like. You're learning the intensity level of which this. This game is getting ready to elevate from where you came from. So it's just about being physical and showing everybody that you have that physicality and the plays that, you know, you execute at the highest level of execution and the things that you're unsure about pick a pick away and go 1,000%, you know, because the thing is, is that indecisiveness is what gets you killed. So even if you're wrong, be wrong going fast, and that wrong can be corrected. That's. That's for those younger guys, right? If you're a veteran and you've been there for a while, it's about consistency. It's about tuning up the engine. It's about understanding, how do I get better. We're not. We're not thinking about plays or things of that nature that's already taken care of. We should understand and know the playbook. What we're wanting to understand is how is our technique every single time? Are we consistent?
[33:07]
D
Right.
[33:08]
A
It's kind of like I'll liken it to golf, since that's the sport I'm playing. It's like when you're going up to the driving range, right? You want to make sure you have the same setup with the same swing every single time. The moment that you have anything off, you're going to slice the ball or you're going to miss, right? And so. And so when it comes to being an athlete, it's the same thing, whether you're secondary player, linebacker, offensive lineman, receiver, the steps are the same, the lineup is the Same. The path position is the same. The landmarks are the same. Am I hitting it every single time? Because consistency is the key to winning. Right? So if you're an older guy, that's going to be probably for me, the main thing. How consistent can I be? And then ultimately, if you're older guy, we shouldn't be making, we shouldn't be making mistakes. Right. We should be locked in because we, we've had it. We've had that time to grow within the program so we understand what we have going on here. And those are the two things that I look at going into training camp real quick. I heard Jonathan Gray say this real quick. He talked about conditioning. If anybody comes into training camp and they're not in the best shape of their life, then they're not serious because that's, that's. That to me, that, like, that, that's. That's like forgetting your helmet. Like what, what have we been doing all off season if we're not ready to get out here and get after it? That conditioning to me should be the last thing that I need to worry about as a professional.
[34:26]
C
Hey, where's the. Because I. We haven't talked about this really, but where's the toughest place to be if you had a rough day of practice? Is it on the field? Field or on the film room?
[34:38]
A
I'd probably say on the field, in the film room.
[34:40]
C
That's what I was gonna say. Right.
[34:42]
A
Yeah. Because. Because in practice, in practice, it's some. It's so much happening and moving fast that you, you know, you mess up, but you don't have time to think about that. You got to get, get on to the next play. Which, which. That's the part of practice that I do love that's similar to a game is like if you mess up in a game, hey, man, you messed, you messed up in that play. You got to move on because we got another player to run. So you have that aspect in the film room. After you didn't showered up and you relax now, your mind gets to tell you about all the mistakes that you made. And not only does your mind tell you, now you get to see it. And not only do you get to see it, now everybody around you get to see it. So that's probably the toughest place to be.
[35:19]
C
Hey, Tony, we're about to have Aaron Ross come on the show after we wrap up with you. What are your thoughts, memories, any funny stories about Aaron Ross? And is there any way one of those kids isn't super fast in that Family. I mean, there's no way, right? Somebody has to run 4:3 in that family.
[35:36]
A
Oh, man, I think you. I think you're selling them short on the four three. We might get the first, the second 418. That's true, man. Like, listen, you're talking about Olympic champions, Super bowl champion. Like, they literally. Like, we talk about this sometimes, but these kids literally have championship blood. Like, there's no question about it. Like, they got gold all around them, right? So what a. What an amazing thing to be able to see, you know, something that you've helped to produce and to create. Go out there and repeat, you know, something that you've done as. As a. As an athlete. And I. One of the things that I look at, too, when I think about Aaron Ross, is I think about Sonia, and I think about them both. I mean, to be able in a world where, you know, quite frankly, marriages aren't lasting as long as they used to. You know, these two individuals, man, have been together since college, and of course, they probably had their ebbs and flows and ups and downs, but they're still standing. And I look at that unit, I look at everything they've accomplished together, everything that they've built together, not only from a relationship standpoint, but from a business standpoint. And so when you talk about how that matriculates down to the children, I mean, success is all around them, and it's all right there in front of them, and they have great examples. Now, when you talk about Aaron Ross, the individual man, I'm gonna tell you the thing that stands out to me. This dude had an infectious smile, man. I mean, he was always smiling, he was always upbeat, and he was a phenomenal competitor. And I don't really think people understood how much of a competitor a Ross was. Like, he did not like to lose, and he was always technically sound like he didn't get beat a lot, right? He didn't make many mistakes. And so if you were a young guy, I mean, for me, you know, I was a younger guy. Aaron was a little older than me. I watched that. I watched how he. How he went out about his business every single day. And I took a little bit of that from him. You know, I swiped that from. From him. Like the. Like the show says on door, swiper, no swiping. I was the swiper, man. I was swiping everything that I could to be able to be the best athlete that I could. And that's what I learned from a Ross.
[37:42]
C
One of the craziest things about Aaron to me as an athlete was we you call it loose hips. Right for. Oh dude, his, his hips could be going right and his upper body would be almost turned left.
[37:56]
A
Yep.
[37:57]
C
And if you were trying in pump return game. Right that I think that's one of the reasons he was so good in pump return game. But he had that rare ability with his hips to make look like he was going one direction maybe with his upper body and his hips were going to were actually turned and rotating in a different direction. It was kind of freaky. I can't wait to ask him about his 6.67 El cone at the NFL Combat. That's a stupid time. That's when you have unbelievable hits. That's a stupid time, man.
[38:24]
A
Crazy work. And one of the other things too that I, I believe goes underrated especially for football players is he had an amazing base. Like his base was all like the founder because your base is your foundation in the sport. And so his base was his feet were always underneath him. Right. So that's the reason why, I mean obviously the, the short area quickness. But I believe that's one of the things that really helped him be a phenomenal football player is he was always underneath himself so he could drive either way, you know what I mean? And you watch some of those plays where even in college but where he would break on balls and things of that nature and you're like, you look at the route and at the top of the route he's beat but his recovery because his face was so fast, it's like I'm throwing if I'm late on this throw, it's a pick. And that's what you would see with him time and time again. Phenomenal athlete, man.
[39:12]
C
All right, thank you, Tony. We look forward to talking with you again next week on when a week from today we'll have a few Texas practices under the belt and we'll get into surprise some pretty good ol talk at that time.
[39:25]
A
Come on now. Football is back baby. Hook them.
[39:28]
B
Thanks, Tony. All right, Jerry. Well, I think Bobby's still doing whatever it is he's doing and we're just going to waste no time here and bring bring on in former Texas defensive back Thorpe award winning two time super bowl champion Aaron Ross. Good morning to you Aaron.
[39:45]
E
Hey, morning. Morning. Hey, y' all must have paid Tony to say all that stuff, man. Y' all paid him.
[39:51]
C
No, no, hey, hey, Ross, we didn't pay him. We didn't have to pay him because you're one of the rare guys that played For a state championship in high school, won a national championship in college and won Super Bowls in the pros. Like you've played for the biggest prize at every level of football. That was the first thing I was going to ask you. Kind of like when you reflect back, you had one of the great winning career careers that I've covered of guys that played at Texas kind of take, take me through that, that, that winning career you had on the football field.
[40:29]
E
Well, the one that still hunts me.
[40:32]
C
Yep.
[40:33]
E
Night after night is the high school
[40:35]
C
when I Katie Tigers. Hate those Katie Tigers, don't you?
[40:39]
E
I am mad and sick about that one. That's the one that the, that hunts me still. Still to this day. I wish we could have gotten that one because we had an amazing team that year with John Tyler. But just being a part of winning organizations, I think it was. It's always been something that I found about all three of those teams from high school. At John Toller, at Texas, the national championship and then with the Giants, it was like that team chemistry. And then we had coaches that held everybody accountable, which kind of basically they passed that down to the group of guys, to the team, to the players and then the players held everybody accountable. So it was basically a standard. And then we just liked each other. We like being around each other. So I think, I think that was kind of the recipe of success and we worked our tails off.
[41:35]
C
Hey, we're going to get Bobby Burton back in here because we're talking about before you came, before you came on the show, that it wasn't always smooth. You had the year. You had to sit out and still come to Texas. So for the Texas fans that don't know that it kind of take Pete, take them through that. And why at that, why you stuck with Texas? Because you could have gone juco route. You could have gone somewhere else potentially.
[42:02]
D
Why?
[42:02]
C
What take people through that process and, and sticking with Texas through it all?
[42:07]
E
Well, just for those that don't know, I graduated in 2001 and during those, during that time you went to 2A days, basically two weeks before school started and graduated. Went up, checked into the dorms, got my classes, got everything situated and like a week went, got through two of these. A week before the opening game come, Coach Brown came to me and told me that I wasn't eligible with the clearinghouse, had no idea what it was. I passed the SAT act, graduated, did everything that I can imagine. So it took a year for them to try to clear it up. But what Coach Brown found out is I transferred from San Antonio to East Texas in the middle of the year. And a AP course that I took in San Antonio didn't. They didn't accept it in East Texas. So it was a half. A half a. Was it? Yeah, I had. It's been so long ago. It's been. It was a half a semester of an English 2 course that didn't transfer over to my official transcript. And the Clearinghouse, they, they, they weren't having it. So they, they told me I had to sit out that year. They tried to clear it up for me to come back that next season and play, but it didn't happen. And so now I've wasted a year. And they then came to me and said, you can either go to JUCO and basically come after two years, or you have the option to go back to high school and sit a class full of sophomores and finish that half a course of English too. And that was the decision that I made. So I actually ended up sitting out two seasons. I didn't get back to UT until 2003. And to answer your question, the reason I stuck with Texas is because they stuck with me through the whole process. It was my dream school in 2001. And for that two year process, they basically held my hand, made me feel like I was still a part of the team. And Coach Brown, Coach Drake, all of those guys continue to call me and kind of motivate me to continue to do whatever I needed to do to get back to Texas. And once everything was cleared up, they assured me that I still had a position, the squad, so I bleed orange. They believe when they didn't, when they didn't even have to, they could have just went on to somebody else.
[44:50]
D
Daryl Drake is a former coach that I haven't thought of in a long time. Rest in peace. Good guy, man. He was a really good guy. Hey, question for you, Aaron. You come from John Tyler or Tyler. And Tyler has such a rich history, the University of Texas, not just Earl Campbell, but guy named Chris Carter came through as a db, DB that played it at JT and then went on to the NFL. What's it like growing up in Tyler where there is such a rich tradition in history with UT football coming out of that program?
[45:33]
E
Oh, I'm not sure that last part broke up. I'm not sure if it was my Internet.
[45:40]
D
Yeah, the question was, Aaron, was how is it, how is it for you coming from Tyler, where there's such a rich history of UT athletes succeeding?
[45:50]
E
Oh, it was huge. So just to give A little more context. I'm originally from San Antonio and then I ended up moving to East Texas and if you know anything about San Antonio, it's more basketball based. So I thought I was going to be a basketball player coming to growing up the whole time. But when I moved to East Texas, Coach Wilson, that was the coach during that time, he set me down and said, hey, you're a six foot defensive back or a six foot point guard. The chances of you making it in the NFL compared to the NBA, this is. He kind of set me down and really shot it straight with me. So the culture of football and though specifically John Tyler really producing great football players is unmatched. I remember watching the movie Friday Night Lights and that's basically what, what Tyler football is like. Everybody shuts down on Friday night. The gas stations close early and, and they're there. They're 5,000 to 10,000 people in the stands watching a high school football game.
[47:07]
D
I, I've got to ask you, I don't know if you know this Aaron or not, but Rod Babers works with us.
[47:14]
E
Okay.
[47:14]
A
Okay.
[47:15]
D
So I may, I may need to put a little blooper. Our producer may put a little blooper reel together for Rod and Rod. Rod may not be hearing this, but we need some funny Rod Baber stories. You have. Do you have one for us?
[47:30]
E
I don't have any funny ones. I just, I respect Rod so much because coming in that first year when I, the first time when I had to sit out Robbie, he was, he was there and I, I just remember looking at him and seeing he was what, 5, 10? And just to see how physical he was and, and his technique, that's what I, I remember so much about him. And then he just had that, that voice, The voice. So I, I, that's, that's more of what I remember Robbie
[48:09]
C
does.
[48:10]
D
He does the best impersonation of Dwayne Aquina.
[48:14]
E
Oh, yeah, I know he can.
[48:20]
C
Hey, Aaron, I wanted to ask you. There's no way your kids aren't fast. Like, if there's a deuce. I think it's just, there's no way your kids aren't fast. It's like not humanly possible. Right? When do you start putting the stopwatch? When, when are you saying start putting the stopwatch on the kids, man?
[48:39]
E
Yeah, deuce. He's, he's really growing into his own. He started playing flag for. I was nervous for a second because he, he just wanted to play video games and I didn't want to force it. On him. But then he started to play Madden and that's what actually got him into wanting to play football. And he started playing flag about a year ago and he's really turned into a stud. And this, you can definitely see this.
[49:07]
C
Yeah, that's, that's pretty much a lock. Now I want to ask about, I, I mentioned this, I think you probably heard me mention this backstage. You ran a 6.67 El Cone.
[49:18]
E
Yeah.
[49:18]
C
In preparation for the NFL draft. I mean that is a absolutely wild number. And, and I kind of, while I was talking about Rod and I were talking about it on the show Sunday about your loose hips. Right. That ability to change direction. When did you realize you were special in that regard?
[49:36]
E
Not until people told me to be very honest with you, I, I guess I've always been quick. In high school they used to call me Cat. So, so that's, that's just a God given ability. So I never realized how cool quick I was because I've never been timed until I got to to Texas. So I just knew one of my strengths was getting in and out of my breaks. So I, I, I, I didn't, I didn't even know.
[50:16]
C
Hey, I wanted to ask you this too. This is actually a question from our chat. A couple of people have mentioned they wanted you to talk about the talent in that secondary on the national championship team and the competition you guys had in that secondary on a daily basis. Because what four first rounders. Terrell Brown was a third or fourth rounder. I mean talk about that. Yeah, should have been first. Talk about the talent in that secondary and the competition what that brought out of all you guys.
[50:44]
E
It was unmatched. We would compete in everything if it was just quick story. I remember being in the weight room and we were power cleaning and I could not get, I think it was like 295I was trying to get it. That would have been my max 295 on power cleans and I seen said Cedric Griffin, he got up and, and ended up getting it. There was no way I wasn't gonna get it. After I seen my God did I, I work with, kill with, do everything on a day to day basis get it and, and, and leave me behind. So it's just little things like that where we, it was friendly competition. It wasn't any hating or anything like that. It was just a friendly competition. If, if Huff ended up getting three tackles one game I want to get four. So it was just little things like that. And, and honestly the reason I give those guys Credit for me winning the, the apart. Credit for me winning the Thorpe Award. Because I remember going into my senior year, I wanted to study all the four, all the other four guys on the team that, and look at their position. Huff was the brains. Mike Griffin, he, what he brought to the team was his hard hitting. Cedric Griffin, he was, he had the tenacity and just to drive the energy. Never stop, never give up. And Terrell Brown, he was our technician. And then myself, I think my specialty was just my ball skills. So I kind of watched them and incorporated every part of my game from them and that allowed me to win the, the Thorpe Award. Of course, with the coaching of Dwayne Akina and then Larry Weathers. So that's, that was the type of competition and the respect that we have for each other. To look at each other and say, all right, he's better, better than I am in this area. So I want to take a piece of that and put it into my game to make me a better player.
[53:06]
D
That is a great breakdown of the, the skill sets of that defensive secondary because I, you could almost, as you were saying, I was kind of nodding my head yes. Those are the strengths of those individual players. Aaron, speaking of that Texas season this year, they went through about a 10 year stretch where Texas just wasn't all that good in football. And then the last three or four years they're pretty darn good. And it looks like they're probably going to be good again this year. What do you see as a former athlete that played at the highest level and won at the highest level? What are you seeing from Texas right now and from this team that Sark has built in, in your opinion?
[53:52]
E
Well, first, during those 10 years, it, it really sucked to watch college football.
[53:59]
C
Yes.
[54:01]
E
College football wasn't fun to watch at all. It's just not right if Texas ain't at the top. So, but, but now I think what Sarkis brought back is the culture. That was one of the main things that, that we had with Coach Brown. It was a coach. As soon as you walk in as a freshman, you understand your role. You understand the, the coach and the pride behind having that burnt orange jersey on with Texas on the front. So I think the, the biggest part he's brought was just the culture and now he's getting the recruits to buy into it and people want to be a part of it. So just to sum it all up, culture,
[54:44]
D
that's a good take. I, I think that the other thing right now, y', all, you just went down that that secondary group, all. I was thinking about NFL, NFL and every single one of you guys. I mean, I think he's bringing that too. I really, you know, a lot of it is culture. We agree. But y', all, the players themselves have to be ultra talented in this day and age, too. And I, I think all were ultra talented. I think this team's ultra talented. It's. It's interesting to watch it all come together.
[55:20]
E
Yeah, for sure. Yeah, he's definitely getting, Getting the recruits, but. And, And I think you. You can't win without great talent.
[55:30]
B
Yeah. Good luck.
[55:32]
D
Bobby Burton chasing Aaron Ross is like, I can have all the culture I want. It ain't working.
[55:39]
C
That culture's slow.
[55:42]
D
Hey.
[55:43]
C
Hey, Aaron, I gotta ask you this. You played with a Manning. Y' all won. What do you see from Arch Manning that you like?
[55:51]
E
I, I love just him being so humble, having that type of pedigree and having spotlight on you from probably since he's been in junior high. Just to see him handle everything, even the adversity in the beginning of the year, just to see how poised he was and to see. See how he's handling. I know the sky's the limit. His athletic ability and arm speaks for itself. So I think the mental part of the game is. Is something that I looked at it with his Uncle Eli in the New York media. He can, he can throw five interceptions and he, he's the same Eli from either throwing five interceptions or throwing five touchdowns. And I think that's something that, that I think Arch has picked up from, from. From his, from his uncles.
[56:51]
D
Interesting.
[56:51]
C
So, hey, last thing I had for you, Aaron and I, we really appreciate the time.
[56:56]
E
No worries.
[56:59]
C
Texas wide receiver core this year. Obviously. Cam Coleman transfers in very talented. Ryan Wingo back, emt, Mosley back. Obviously, if he's healthy, he's going to surprise people, I think nationally. What is it you look for in a wide receiver? What impresses you as a former tremendous corner about a wide receiver?
[57:21]
E
Of course, speed. Can't coach that. So that's, I think, without saying speed. But then the next thing, the next intangible would be just him being able to recognize coverages, having another quote, unquote quarterback out there to recognize what type of zone they're in and either to cut off the routes. He's just a. We call it a savvy, A savvy route runner because sometimes you have to adjust your route running based off of the coverage. Coach might tell you to run a. A post at your practicing every day, cutting it at 15 yards and taking it across the field, but you might have to take it to 17 or take it to 12, cut it at 12. And that's based off of what he see in the film study that he's watched and learning how to make his breaks in in zone coverage. So that's what I look for. Savvy route running receiver with speed.
[58:26]
D
Aaron, you were a kind of in your face db, but you could play off coverage. How would you. How would you cover Ryan Wingo, who's that, who's got that speed and big body, or a Cam Coleman, who's more of a catch radius guy, or even an Emmett Mosley, who may be maybe the technician of the group. How would you personally.
[58:48]
E
So speed guys, I love to press to kind of take away their strength. So if I went against a fast guy, I wanted to get up in his face and slow him down. Basically a route running receiver, a bigger body. I wanted to play off not because of him, but mainly because I can get in and out of my breaks and read what route he's running based off of the formations. Coach. Coach Akina, I mean, he's the best coach as far as teaching his defensive backs from a quarterback's perspective because he used to play quarterbacks. So he taught us from a quarterback's mindset on what to look for and what formations that the receivers are, are going to route concepts. He taught us that. He basically taught us offense. And so with bigger guys like that that I'm a little faster than, then I make it a game out of the quarterback and myself or the offensive coordinator and myself.
[59:53]
D
So speed guys bump and run. I try to knock them off the route early. And the big guys let them come to you, Is that what you're saying?
[60:06]
C
Yeah.
[60:07]
D
Aaron, thank you so much, buddy. We appreciate you. 31 days.
[60:11]
E
31. Can't wait.
[60:15]
D
Are you gonna be.
[60:16]
E
Are you.
[60:16]
D
You're in Atlanta these days, right? Are you going to be in Austin for one of the games this year?
[60:21]
E
Yes, I'll be there for every home game.
[60:24]
C
Oh, wow. Wow.
[60:25]
B
Every.
[60:25]
E
Every single one.
[60:27]
C
That's awesome. Welcome home. Welcome home.
[60:32]
E
Yeah, this is fun. It's going to be a fun season. All right.
[60:35]
D
Hook them horns, buddy. Thank you so much again.
[60:38]
E
All right.
[60:39]
A
Appreciate it.
[60:41]
D
Tremendous interview there, guys.
[60:44]
C
Awesome. Yeah, awesome. I mean, the. You know, he has the.
[60:49]
D
That.
[60:49]
C
What he said about Eli, that he didn't change because that's a lot. He, like, he. He took it down that path. That's a hell of a lot of scrutiny when you play in New York Yeah. As much as there is. You think? Right. I mean, I was gonna say you think.
[61:04]
D
You think Austin's a fishbowl.
[61:06]
C
Yeah.
[61:09]
D
Go try to be the quarterback of the New York Giants. Large media.
[61:13]
C
Media and those guys all taught Arch. Right. It's more than on a field and talking about coverages. Then probably the best advice and the best talks that I'm guessing he's ever had with Eli were about handling the fishbowl.
[61:30]
E
Yeah.
[61:30]
C
And what's in front of you if you go to a place like Texas. Because Eli. Texas finished second for Eli. Bobby. You remember that. A lot of people don't remember that, but if Chris Sims hadn't flipped and David Cutcliffe hadn't been an ole miss, Eli would have been at Texas.
[61:50]
B
Also, I want to thank Marcus Myers for helping me set that up with Aaron. So appreciate that, Marcus. That was. That was great.
[61:57]
E
For sure.
[61:59]
B
We got more to talk about this morning. We got some super chats that we definitely need to dive into. But first, I need you, Bobby, to tell us about Mint Mobile.
[62:10]
C
Absolutely.
[62:11]
D
When we were kids, summer meant freedom. No homework, no teachers, no school. And as adults, summer still means freedom, thanks to Mint Mobile's summer sale. Right now, all of Mint mobile's plans are 15 per month, even the unlimited ones. So free yourself from big wireless and their gimmicks and gotchas and switch to Mint Mobile for high speed data and coverage on the T Mobile 5G network. Amit Mobile took what's wrong with wireless and made it right with premium wireless for just 15 bucks a month. All plans come with high speed data and unlimited talk and text delivered on the nation's largest 5G network. You could even bring your current phone number and your phone. Choose from a three, six or 12 month plan and say goodbye to a monthly bill. Instead, ditch that overpriced wireless. With Mint Mobile, it's easy. Sign up online and get three months of premium wireless service for just 15 bucks a month. To get your new wireless plan for 15 bucks a month, go to mintmobile.com ontexas that's mintmobile.com on Texas. Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com ontexas.
[63:26]
B
That's it.
[63:26]
D
There's no catch. Upfront payment of 45 dollars for three months, 90 for six or 180 for 12 months. The plan is required. That's a 15 dollars per month equivalent. Like we discussed, taxes and fees, extra initial plan term only. Greater than 50 gigabytes. May slow when network is busy. Including includes up to a 20 gigabyte hotspot cable device. A capable device is required. Availability, speed and coverage varies. See mintmobile.com for details. That's mint mobile.com ontexas and Jerry, I'm
[63:58]
B
gonna let you tell everyone about Vaughn Lane.
[64:01]
C
Yeah, we can do that. The rivalry route is back. Texas OU week just got a whole lot easier. Von Lane is bringing back its Dallas to Oklahoma city route starting September 8th. Perfect timing with multiple departures every single day. Riders have been asking for this one and now it's back. You can book it today. Think about what it takes to fly that route. You're probably paying for your ticket, then paying again for your seat assignment, again for a check bag. And then you're standing in a TA set line and hoping you make your gate. Von Lane is the opposite of that. A flat rate 129 one way, no extra fees for anything. You border the beautiful hotel terminal in minutes. Settle in the one of the 22 oversized leather seats and ride with Star Link Wi Fi complimentary snacks, drinks and hot towel service the whole way. And if you're driving three plus hours and your day is gone, no work time on Von Lane. That's three hours hours of work, getting done, watching film or just relaxing before you get there. Von Lane connects Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Plano, the Woodlands, Oklahoma City, Nashville, Memphis and Atlanta. Book@vonlane.com and enter code OTF26 at checkout for $20 off your first ride. What's fun, Lane? It's private jet on wheels.
[65:13]
D
I like that. OTF 26. Yes.
[65:16]
C
Say, hey, by the way, you know, in the game. You're in the game. You know, the most important thing we heard from Aaron Ross is Deuce is a stud.
[65:25]
E
Yeah.
[65:26]
C
Defensive back or wide receiver, Deuce is a stud. That's fine. That's what I'm taking from that 20 minutes of great conversation. Deuces a stud.
[65:35]
D
We should have asked him what high school he might end up attending over in. What. What he's.
[65:40]
C
Yeah, I don't know what area of Atlanta they live in. I'm guessing Blessed Trinity will be on the list. If you live in that Roswell area. That's where D.J. jacobs goes. Ohio State commit that Texas is still trying to recruit. By the way, I want to pass on a recruiting note real quick before we get to super chats. I posted an update on otf.com this morning. Thank you, Juan Garza for the super chat. And I, I. When I. When I was told this, I. For some reason I thought of the movie Top Gun, which I put in there. And Easton Royals re engaged with the Texas Longhorns. Talk. He's talking again the college staff. So Maverick is. Maverick has re engaged almost as fast as a, as a Jet Eastern. Royal has re engaged with the Texas Longhorn staff and college staffs, obviously. So he took some time away. Now he's moved on to the next piece of his recruitment, I think, which is getting back into conversations with the Texas staff and other staffs. He'll be at the Texas Ohio State game September 12th. We also expect them at Florida. We also expect them at LSU games this year. And it's a fourth quarter recruitment. Gird up your loins.
[66:47]
B
I watched that movie last weekend.
[66:51]
C
It's on three times a week. You just got to be surfing the channels when it hits.
[66:56]
B
All right, Marco Polo. Marco says San Antonio and lifelong Longhorn fan here. Any update on local kid Michael Terry using him on wildcat formations like they did Rojo? Makes sense.
[67:11]
D
We're going to get a chance to see him today, Marco, and that's the best thing that we can say to you. Clearly he is not one of the top two right now. And as of the spring, he was not one of the top three. Derek Cooper kind of passed those guys by. So that's the update we are waiting to see what might. What if there is a spot that they can carve out for Michael Terry? Like what does he do better than anybody on the football team? I don't know that yet. Maybe it could be the Wildcat he played, you know, maybe it could be something else. If he, if they can find a position that he does or thing that he does better than anybody on the team, I'm confident that Steve Sarcasian will get him on there. But they gotta find that right now. And it's a pretty talented running back room.
[68:11]
B
And then our next super chat this morning comes from Jay Lee. Thank you, Jay. Appreciate you. He says we play six of the 14 most talented teams, teams with the most super blue chips in college football. Four of those games are not at home.
[68:26]
C
I, I, Bobby, I've been saying, I, look, I'm not even in 12 0, thinking 12 0. If Texas navigates the Schedule 11 and 1, that's a hell of a regular season. I'm saying if we don't know what's going to happen. But this is a tough schedule. That's a reality. And I've always gone back to, I know times are a little different now, but how tough is the SEC been traditionally? Actually Nick Saban had 16 seasons in the SEC. He only went undefeated in league play six or 16 times. Like, it's not easy. I think if on the schedule and to that point, those three of those last four on the road, three of those four against teams that are all ranked preseason in the top 25. I think Bill Connolly mentioned that in an ESPN article recently. If you, if you just said if you take 12, 0, say there's going to be a hiccup, you're playing really good team. Something like if you win 11 and one on that schedule, that's unbelievable to me. If they can pull that off.
[69:23]
D
Yeah, you're. The schedule is definitely going to test your metal. Yeah, I, I think that the thing that I look at with this schedule is a bad day equals a loss.
[69:38]
C
Yes.
[69:39]
D
Almost any week there may be a couple of weeks that, that you can say you might be able to get away with a bad week. An okay week, you can end up with losses probably on eight in eight games.
[69:55]
C
Yeah.
[69:56]
D
If you know what I mean. So you have to bring it every week, I think, or almost every week. The issue that, that I see when I look at this kind of stuff, Jerry, is is this going to be a team that builds its backbone as the season wears on? Right. We've seen teams grow as, as the season wears on. It did last year, I thought, I thought it did in 2024. Sark does a good job, I think, of building his team as the season wears on. And I think that what I would like to see is that kind of same maturity level take hold. If they can get past Ohio State and we, we, then all of it looks different to me. Florida, for example, you cannot have a B game against Florida. They're too talented. Can't have a B game against Ole Miss. Oklahoma. I mean, you don't want, don't, don't want to go on the road to start the SEC play in front of 105, 000 in Knoxville and lay an egg. It's going to take continued growth and continued focus so that you can get through this group, you know, and whether it's 11, 1, 12, 0. 10 and 2 gets you.
[71:22]
C
And that's all. My whole, my whole goal is, is 10 and two and getting the playoffs. Look, Miami got in at 10 and two. Obviously if they played in the SEC last year, they wouldn't have got in because they had some injuries and then they didn't play well at times. But if you can get in at 10 and 2 and you're a battle tested team coming out of the sec, you got a chance. I mean, you got a real chance. I would if you told me right now, 10 and 2. I take 10 and 2 all day long and not even play the game. Said, let's go, let's go run it up on the playoffs, see what happens.
[71:54]
D
I, I think that's fair. I think most Texas fans would take that. Yeah, I'm not so sure. You know, I, I think maybe Steve Sarkeesian might take it, you know, just, just to get into the playoffs and. Because he's got a team that has a chance. But I think it's more than that. I think he wants more from this team. Not sure if he's going to get it.
[72:20]
E
Yeah.
[72:20]
D
But I think he, he, he recognizes what he has from a talent perspective. I, I will just add this though, as we talk about talent. It's not just Texas that has more talent than, than typical. All these blue bro programs that spent heavy in the portal. They are similarly situated.
[72:42]
B
They.
[72:42]
D
Outside of Alabama and maybe Georgia, who had had ungodly talent in the early 2000s, everybody has more talent than typical, you know. So we'll see how that plays out, relatively speaking, as they, they go throughout the year.
[73:04]
B
We got a couple of preseason ranking super chats. So this first one here from the J Roll. Thank you, vj. He says, wish we were ranked lower. We have enough rat poison as it is. Thanks for the coverage on the off season, guys. Happy new college football year. And then one other one from Sailor Joe. I hate preseason ranking. 75 of these become paper tigers. That's how we end up with an undeserving OU or A M in the playoffs.
[73:33]
D
It's possible. I mean, you can have preseason favorites that just don't look that way once the season begins. Like, like, is BYU really going to be a top 15 program in the country? They've got a good running back. They've got a good quarterback.
[73:51]
C
That's.
[73:51]
D
That was younger last year. I don't know. I mean. And because of that preseason ranking alongside Texas Tech in the top 15, are they going to hover there even if they take a loss?
[74:06]
C
Yeah.
[74:06]
D
Take away, take away a spot from another team, maybe. I do agree though. I like being ranked lower. That's why I brought that topic up up for discussion. Even some people want the target on their back. I like, I like playing with a little bit of a chip on your shoulder for being number four, number five, etc. So that's where I come out. J Roll and, and Sailor Joe.
[74:32]
C
Hey, Blake. Could you bring up that coaches poll real quick?
[74:35]
B
Yep.
[74:35]
C
To answer this question because I want to point something out we've been talking about all summer. One thing about the SEC, we're going to know after two weeks this year because of some of these P4 non conference matchups, we're gonna have a pretty good feel for the SEC after week two because obviously we'll start Texas Ohio State September 12th. Right. Oklahoma is at Michigan the same day. They're the morning game. No matter what you think of Michigan, still ranked 16, still a talented team. Kyle Whittingham, that'll be a physical game. Oklahoma left to go in and win that game physically and we'll see what back foot Bryce looks like in year two for the Wolverines. But not ranked. Probably should be ranked. Obviously Ole Miss and Louisville play. I mean that's going to be right out of the gate. You're going to know where Ole Miss really stands because Louisville's going to be a quality football team. I'm not saying they're going to compete for a title or anything, but they're going to be quality football team. And then you have LSU hosting Clemson. Clemson is ranked 23. Are they 23? I don't know. But Clemson stop. Void of talent. They're void of portal talent and that's why they've slipped. But we're gonna know Bobby a lot about the SEC after the first two weeks because they have some great non conference games and you're going to learn a lot about those teams and the teams that lose. Your back's going to be up against the wall to start. When you look at the rest of your schedule, it's going to be interesting.
[76:04]
D
I want to say this because I know this is a weird topic, but Clemson vs. LSU early. I was trying, I, I had asked you yesterday who's starting at quarterback for sure for Clemson and It's Christopher Vizina Jr. But I, I started looking at the Clemson roster. Their wide receiver group is loaded.
[76:26]
C
That's awesome.
[76:28]
D
Loaded. I mean like they have a Texas almost Texas caliber wide receiver room.
[76:33]
C
Texas, Florida caliber.
[76:35]
D
D.J. moore, Brian Wesco, who's from Midlothian, had a great freshman year. Then they brought in a freshman that's kind of lighting it up named Naim Burroughs, very similar to Jermaine Bishop type guy. So lsu, Clemson's an early game to watch to see if what Lane Kiffin is, if he's able to kind of get the talent moving in the right direction. We know he has the talent. Can he get it going early out of the gate.
[77:04]
C
Out of the gate.
[77:05]
A
Yeah. Yeah.
[77:06]
C
I, I think it's a great king me. Great point here. I made this in two sports on, on Texas football.com Indiana was ranked 19th preseason.
[77:15]
D
Yep.
[77:16]
C
And two years ago, Florida basketball was ranked 21 and won the national championship. So polls matter to a certain extent. But I think in the portal era, we're going to see some teams that creep up and have a little better talent than giving credit for. And those teams come together quickly, set themselves up to make a playoff, get a lot of confidence. I think the toughest thing for me nowadays and football in the portal era is bringing so many new players to a roster every year, Bobby. And getting them to buy in one, which is summer workouts two. Then you buy in. When guys who portaled in maybe don't get as many touches or snaps as they thought. That's when some of the locker room adversity hits. And then three, bringing so many new faces together and playing disciplined football.
[78:08]
D
Hey, that's what camp at Texas is about.
[78:10]
A
Yep.
[78:11]
D
And that, that's one of the reasons I brought that up is that, you know, what an LSU looks like is going to be dictated in large part by what spring ball. And then now these next 30 days look like for the university, even at the University of Texas. I, I just think that, you know, with camp starting today, I, I wrote a little piece about it this morning and I think about the things that I want to see today. I want to see fresh legs and kind of a pep in the step. You know what I mean? I want to see. I, I want to see no balls hitting the ground when it comes to, against, you know, air essentially when all they're, all they're doing is quarterbacks throwing and, and catching. So I, I feel like all of that, all of those things are, are reality and what we need to see starting today at around 245.
[79:07]
C
Yes. By the way, I did some step ups yesterday to get me in shape for today's practice. So keep all of us on Texas football media members in your thoughts. It's going to be about 110 and you know, it's warmer when it's hotter when you're just standing versus when you're running. I'm just here to tell you. And by the way, the iPhones are going to take a beating from the sun today. So have our iPhones in, in your thoughts too because somebody's warning things gonna be, then it's gonna be dead for a while. That's your phone is overheating I don't
[79:42]
D
know if you missed it earlier in the chat or earlier in the show. Also, as of right now, Cole Hudson is not expected to participate in today's practice. Cole is in Austin and ready to go, but he is still waiting for final approval. His injunction hearing is August 10th. However, the NCAA may relent. There's some other things going on, but that's one of the things they're going to be looking for as well later today at 245.
[80:17]
B
Now, we got a little bit more to talk about before we wrap up today's show. But first, Bobby, can you tell everyone one more time about Adam Lowy, the law firm?
[80:25]
D
Absolutely can. Adam Lowy and the Loy Law Firm have been helping injured Texans for more than 20 years now. 20, 21, actually. Adam's a Texas law school grad. If you've been injured in a car wreck, truck wreck, automobile accident of any kind, and think you might be due compensation, make sure you reach out to Adam and his law firm. That's lowy law firm.com Again, lowy law firm.com Adam not only supports on Texas football, but also Texas athletics is a whole. Again, that is Loy law firm dot com.
[80:57]
C
Hey, Blake, this is one of the better ideas in the history of on Texas football. Bobby, wear the big hat to practice for shade. Bobby, you need to do that.
[81:09]
E
Dude.
[81:09]
D
I, I am. I am. So I'm gonna be like caked in, in suntan or SPF 150 probably.
[81:20]
C
Then bring the big hat. I'll wear it.
[81:21]
D
Yeah. Okay. I'll do that for you.
[81:23]
C
Yeah. Oh, gosh.
[81:26]
B
All right.
[81:27]
D
I may do the sun hat or the Indiana Jones hat or something today. I don't know.
[81:32]
C
I've got, I've got my, the, the high school coaching. That, the kind of the fishing hat from coach Red Barons at Saxy High. I may wear that one today. Maybe. Maybe a good day to break out the old coaches fishing type hat, whatever those are called. This is the day that's always a good. I'm excited. Is Sark having a practice presser after practice? Absolutely. And we will cover all of it.
[81:54]
B
Yeah, we've been asked that quite a bit. So thank you for getting to that one. And then Rocky P. Wants to talk some bold predictions. Rocky says Simmons, 15 plus sacks, five plus force fumbles. Masco four plus interceptions. Wingo most shards. Coleman most catches. Mosley most touchdowns. Relik Brown Most yards and touchdowns 120 record.
[82:23]
D
Dude, that's, that's, that, that's some salty stuff. Look, I have no Problem thinking that Colin Simmons can get to 15. I have no problem thinking that Bo Masco might lead the team interceptions, although he got his hands on more passes than anybody else in the secondary during the spring.
[82:43]
C
Yeah. So that's.
[82:44]
D
That's probably a. A fair pick, whether it's four interceptions or just leading the team and pass breakups. Most yards. Most yards. Wingo Coleman most catches. See, I. I would. I would do this. I don't disagree with Wingo. Most yards. I would flip Coleman and Mosley there.
[83:03]
C
That's what I would have.
[83:04]
D
Mosley with most catches and Coleman with most titties. Coleman is. I mean, he's a matchup nightmare in the red zone.
[83:14]
C
And Bobby, what Aaron Ross said struck me. When you talk about that in the red zone. You can't play off a guy like that in the red zone. That gives those guys the advantage in the red zone. If your quarterback can place the ball, you cannot play that off coverage in the red zone against guys like that. That gives those type of guys an advantage.
[83:34]
D
They post you up is what they do. That's essentially Relique Brown most yards and T. I. I'm gonna go with. I agree with the relique. Most yards rushing and TDS. I'll go with that.
[83:47]
E
12.
[83:48]
D
0. Do I go with that? That was my preseason prediction back in the spring. We have yet to do our final preseason prediction here. We'll. We'll have to see if I can
[83:58]
C
tell everybody I'm not going 12. Zero.
[84:02]
D
I can't. I. I still can't tell anybody that.
[84:04]
C
Yeah, I'm not.
[84:06]
D
I want to see them today and tomorrow. Let's go from there.
[84:12]
B
All right, a few more. Excuse me. The J Roll just put this in. Thank you for the huge super chat there. Really, really appreciate that. Appreciate it for sure.
[84:27]
C
That's what I'm talking about. Just go ahead and put that in your car after the show.
[84:32]
D
Bobby, what do you think Sark would say if I walked out there like this? Get his butt off the field.
[84:40]
C
He's like, this is a serious season. Please escort the Burton guy out of here immediately.
[84:49]
B
J Roll Sundays, I'm in LA, so I. I am never able to catch morning shows live. Here's my donation to the yearly on Texas football camp parking fund. Go get them, guys.
[84:59]
C
Thank you very much.
[85:01]
D
Thank you so much. It's gonna be the parking ticket fund, by the way. That's what we're worried about this year.
[85:10]
B
Oh, thank you, Bobby.
[85:12]
C
You know who would love the hat? Cooper Manning, if you wore it.
[85:14]
D
Oh, that's so true.
[85:17]
C
He would love it. He's a big hat guy. Oh, yeah. No, he, he'd probably, he probably DM you and congratulate you on having that to wear that out there.
[85:29]
B
Travis says who had the higher PFF rating or who was better at center, Cole Hudson or Connor Robertson? I cannot find a PFF rating for Cole at the moment. Connor did have a 65.8. I can tell you all that at center.
[85:46]
D
Yeah,
[85:48]
C
I, I'm not sure, I'm not sure on that.
[85:50]
D
I, I will say this. I mean, some of those grades, it's hard to have much of a grade when left guard while Hudson was playing center was really backwards, if that makes sense. I, I think it's hard for a center or even a tackle to overcome some of that because you work in unison so much.
[86:14]
B
No, now I can't tell you. Cole's grade playing guard was a 64. 4. But I don't have you a position one as far as center goes. So sorry, I looked. We got one other super chat this morning and this kind of going back to what we started with here. Bobby Gai says, Jerry, are there a limited number of basketball practices this time of year? Is this similar to spring football?
[86:39]
C
Yeah. So summer workouts, it's eight weeks and you have four. You get you eight weeks, eight hours a week on court. So essentially four two hour practices is what Texas is doing Monday through Thursday, Friday off. Now that is different from your workouts with your strength and conditioning coach. So the on court allowable by the NCAA is eight hours a week. Those teams, like yesterday was two hours. They normally split it into four two hour workouts per week. And that goes for eight weeks. This is week seven for Texas basketball. Next week is week eight. And then they're done with their summer workouts. Then they will come back and a different clock starts. It's a lot of individual work or up to three, I think it is. Some of that's changed, but that's the way it goes in the summer for basketball.
[87:30]
B
All right, guys. Well, again, fall camp starts in just a little bit, Bobby. So we've had a lot of people join since we first started. So I was hoping you could just kind of run through the coverage of how that's going to go down today. Yeah.
[87:42]
D
So we're going to do one more preview of fall camp. Jerry and I are going to talk. Rod's on the road traveling home today. So Jerry and I are going to do state of the program. The final things we're looking to see from camp. Okay. Just day one then 2:45 camp starts. There is a practice media window availability that Jerry, myself, cj, Hank Myers, Jeff Howe all will be at Post that practice. Jerry and I will do an immediate reaction video for you guys. As soon as we can get to a place that has WI fi that's passable, we will do something asap. Okay. Post that. All the other guys will be writing articles, commenting. We'll come back with even another video. And then we'll also have video tonight that is a nightly live stream that will be able to take more questions. So it will be wall to wall coverage. Look, one of the reasons that that we we do so many videos is so that you guys know that we're going to be on when you need us to be on and talking about the things that are hot and there's nothing hotter than than Texas in the summer or Texas football first day of practice. So we're going to cover you. Make sure you check us out online too because guys like Hank and C.J. they're going to be writing stories and giving you more full updates from there. Make sure you check us out. Right now we have a special. This is for new subscribers only. $3 for three months. It's a limited time offer. Three months. $3 for three months. All practice coverage. Everything we've got behind the scenes news, breaking news etc including some recruiting scoop that may or may not come. If guys show up at practice every so often in our recruits make sure you you become a member of the community@ontexasfootball.com because we can't be on here all the time but we can check in on the message boards and answer questions as much as possible. So visit with us over there, become a member of the community on Texas football.com or come back today because I I to the YouTube channel because when I tell you that we're going to have a lot of content for you guys that that is absolutely our plan. We've added more staff in the last year and we plan to to really blow it out for you guys.
[90:12]
B
All right. Well that is going to do it for this episode of Coffee and Football presented by Adam Lowy and the Lowy Law Firm. Want to thank Adam along with hey City Store Prize picks Von Lane and Mint Mobile all for sponsoring today's show. Shout out to Tony Hills and Aaron Ross for joining us as well. That was awesome to have both of them on back to back and of course we hope you all have a great day today. Now we'll be back, same time, same place tomorrow. So for Bobby Burton and Jerry Hamilton, I'm Blake Monroe. And we'll see you then. Day one. Hook them.