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Coffee & Football: Latest Texas Longhorns News & Notes | Former Texas RB Johnathan Gray Joins Us!
01:15:08
Good morning everyone! It's time for OTF's Coffee & Football, where we dive deep into the hottest Texas Longhorns football news, recruiting updates, and so much more that you won't want to miss! We would like to thank today's sponsors: Longhorn...
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Foreign.
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Good morning everyone. Welcome to Coffee and Football presented by Texas Road. I'm your host Blake Monroe where I'm joined every day by Bobby Burton. And and this morning we got Jeff how filling in for Jerry Hamilton who is on the road. But tell us where you're checking in from this morning, what you're drinking. Get those questions in. We're going to get to those here in a little bit. We're also going to have a pair of special guests join us today. Jonathan Gray, former Texas running back here in just a few minutes along with former Texas linebacker Lance Taylor will be joining reason why both of those guys wearing number 32. We are 32 days away from kickoff so we'll talk to both of them. Like I said, we'll take Yalls questions. But guys, more importantly than anything, we are less than 24 or about 24 hours away from practice start. So I want to know to both of y' all and the chat, you
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C
know, what are we, what are we
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B
really focusing in on as we just start counting down these hours?
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D
Jeff, I'll tell you what, somebody asked me that on the message board today over at on Texas football and my, my take on it is, is just the overall outlook of the team and not necessarily any single position or any single player but the team as a whole to see whose body type has changed, who's who looks more like especially of the young guys who looks more ready to contribute immediately as opposed to maybe needing another year in the oven. You know, that's really what I look for in day one is to see the body changes of guys. I'll never forget guy like Baron Sorrell went from a guy as a freshman that got some playing time but then his body started looking better and better each time we saw him and now he's with the Green Bay Packers. I think that that's kind of what I look for in that first practice. Obviously you're going to see a lot of one on ones with the quarterbacks and the wide receivers. That'll be fun. Combo blocking from the offensive line. It is a no pads practice or at least shells at the most which will limit some of the some of what we're able to determine. But I really just look to see how the team as a whole and the individual players have redefined their body.
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E
Is it, is it okay that I get nervous before the first Texas camp practice? Like I, you know, hey look, I'll be honest man, one of my middle school coaches, Coach Powell is in the chat right now. When I, I posted yesterday Shout out to all the. Shout out to all the high school football players that lost their cookies during the conditioning test.
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D
That.
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E
That wasn't a bit. That's like ptsd. I really feel for the guys. Better y', all. Than me having do that conditioning test. But I don't know, Bobby, you. I, I just get a little nervous because you obviously, you're always worried about injuries and camp because that's one. If there's anything that's going to derail what this team can do, it's that. And that's one thing nobody plans for. So you always worry about that. But I think it's to. Yeah, you don't want to see. Because we. We've seen the opposite, too, Bobby. You don't want to show up and be like, man, what'd you guys do all summer? Like, what were you guys up to? We've seen that where there's some Texas teams where you expected one thing, and in the reverse, like, oh, man, I don't know about this team, but one thing that I like judging on Thursday, team speed. Because I think you can feel that. And I, you know, this may be the fastest team Stark has had. We talk about the depth and we talk about all the other attributes this team has, so maybe the fastest team top to bottom that he's had. That's one. That's one thing I like looking for in these early camp practices, is the speed. Now, overall athleticism of this team.
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D
I, I think you could say that on, on the front seven. I don't know about the back group in the secondary and then receivers. When you've had guys like Matthew golden that run four two and Adenai Mitchell mid four threes, and you have someone like Xavier Worthy at running back, you've had Jaden Blue, too. I, I think, I think Sark has majored in speed, though, at this point. I, I think that that's definitely the case. Is it the fastest team? I don't know.
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E
Well, that's.
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D
What's the top to bottom you've got. And I will add this, you got Nick Townsend at tight end. He's gonna be faster than anybody they've had at that position. Could be. Could be. So. And Arch Manning's faster than anybody at the quarterback position they've had?
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E
Well, yeah, but that's, that's what I'm getting at with that, Bobby. I don't, I don't know that you've got anybody that can go to the combine and papa sub 43 on this team, but I think you've Got a lot of guys that are. In the. Whatever arbitrary time you want to put on it. I think a lot of guys would, Would break that barrier on this team.
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B
That's.
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D
I, I completely understand that. And get it. Jeff. Hey, Jeff. 32 days away, you were holding up a.
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E
Damn right I was.
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D
Yeah, you were holding up a Texas football magazine that looked like it was signed.
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E
Signed by Cedric Benson. Indeed.
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Yeah.
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Great.
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Benson, former 32. Will Matthews, who works with us here at Onto Football and is on the radio crew for Longhorn games. Uh, he blocked for said back in the day. Jonathan Gray wore that number. Malcolm Roach you mentioned Eddie Jones. I mean, there's a lot of guys that have worn it. We'll get to talk to a couple of those guys today, which makes me excited to, to participate in that kind of thing. We look at the season and what we're looking forward to, though, as we talk about this, Jeff, and get going, is there anything besides team speed that you're looking at? Is, Is it more physic, physical nature of them? Is there a position for you that you're actually looking at tomorrow?
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E
I'm. I'm glad that, you know, we got, we got J. Gray coming on. We're talking about Cedric Benson because I, I don't. I actually wrote this yesterday over on Texas football dot com. I don't know that we're talking enough about. And we. When you talk about the running back pecking order, a lot of the. The sentiment is, well, can Michael Terry or James Simon, can one of those guys, can Ryan Niblett have a defined role? Can those guys at the back of the depth chart, so to say, push themselves forward? I don't think we're talking about enough about. I don't think that gap between Derek Cooper and where Relig Brown and Hollywood Smothers are. I don't think it's that significant at all. And as a matter of fact, I, I'm of the opinion. I think there's a real chance. I don't know if we'll get there by the end of camp, but I think there's a real chance at some point this year we're gonna look up and Derek Cooper's going to be on the same level with those two guys. I just think, again, running back is one of those positions. I've said it before, I'll say it again. Running back's one of those spots where if you're really good as a freshman, typically it's going to come through really early and you'll be able to Make a move. And I think Derek Cooper, I think his body type and his running style profiles more like the kind of bell cow running back that Sark has typically leaned on. We got some numbers I can get into with the run game later, Bobby, to kind of maybe give people an idea of what this run game could look like. But I, I think, I don't think we're talking enough about the potential. Derek Cooper has to at some point this year. Again, I don't to be by the end of camp, but at some point it'll be effectively RB1, whether he's got that official title or not.
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All right, guys, we're going to bring in Jonathan Gray in just a second. But first, Bobby, I need you to tell us real quick about our sponsor today. That's Texas Road.
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I can do it. Every Tuesday's coffee and football brought to you by our friends over at Texas Road. Your full service solution for major road projects. Rick Valro and the guys over there. With the full support of multiple crews performing utility dirt work, concrete and asphalt. Texas Road provides on site concrete through volumetric trucks. For smaller volumes. They're able to complete road building in a high profile environment. That is Rick Valvo and our friends over at Texas Road also don't forget their sister company, Austin Underground, helping build Austin from the ground up or the underground up again. That's Rick Vro and the guys at Texas Road and Austin Underground. Thank you so much for your ongoing sponsorship of On Texas Football.
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B
Okay, well, without further ado, I'm going to bring him in. Former Texas running back Jonathan Gray. Good morning, Jonathan.
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C
Good morning. How's everything going?
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D
Good. Hey Jonathan, you should have been on the COVID of Texas Football. Like said B, you know, everything falls
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C
into place like it should, man. You know, Cedric B. Was a great guy. I got to meet him while I was at Texas and hang out with him and whatnot. So he's a great guy. So he deserves it more than I do.
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D
Hey Jonathan, thank you for joining us. We're 32 days away. You wore number 32. One of a pretty, pretty strong list. Group of guys that have worn 32. Gotta ask you, whenever we have guys on, we always ask them what they're up to nowadays and tell people where you're at, what you're doing.
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So right now I'm in Fort Worth, Texas. I'm the head strength and conditioning coach at AP Ranch. It's a little or I say little. It's a big ranch west of Fort Worth and we. It's a non profit organization and all we do is help kids. We have our basketball teams, our football teams, and our track teams, and we get kids from all over to come out and train. And we have all these resources to do, not only training, but also for school and that sort of thing. And any help that we can do on or off their sport, that's what we do. So that's what I'm currently doing right now, and I'm enjoying it.
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E
Jonathan, it's good to see you doing well. I saw. I ran into Tyrone Swoops at. At coaching school, and I told him, I said, I'll meet you guys when you guys are 14, 15, 16. Then I. I'll blink my eyes and you guys have families and careers.
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C
Yeah.
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Making me feel old. I was thinking about. Because we can go a number of different ways, Jay Gray. But one thing I wanted to get with yet, and. And I've been thinking about a lot about this game. I want to go back to your sophomore year, the 2013 game against.
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C
Okay, let me. Let me fix my mind to get back there.
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E
Yeah, the. The 2013 game against O Oklahoma. And, you know, thing. Things weren't looking good for the team at that time, but I've heard in subsequent years that, you know, Major Apple White, who's offensive coordinator at the time, for those who don't remember, he was intense. He's like, no, we're gonna run right at him. We're gonna hit him in the mouth. It's gonna be football. And I remember you and Malcolm Brown got after him early.
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D
What?
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E
Because you both. Both y' all went over 100 yards that day.
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Yeah.
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Think back to that game. What was so special about that day? And what was it? You guys took the fight to Oklahoma from the jump and never let up.
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C
I just think that Applewhite had a major part in it with his offense. It was. It was very simple, and it was just fast. Applewhite was like, look, we gonna hand y' all the ball. We gonna run at him, we gonna go fast, and we're not letting up. And I think the whole week leading up to that, Applewhite just had something going on with the team, with the offense, especially the offense side of the ball. And everybody was just ready to. Ready to play. And then, plus, I think that's when we had the gold cleats and the gold jersey and whatnot. So everybody was amped up and, you know that. I think the year before, my freshman year, we got blew out by him. I think that, you know, had a bad taste in our mouth. So coming off our sophomore year, coming back to my sophomore year, it was like, we're not letting that happen again and we're gonna go full throttle. And that's what we did. I mean, and then me and Malcolm just looked at each other like if you get in there, you know what to do with it and vice versa. And that's what we did. Office Align did a great job of blocking and defense did a hell of a job playing their butts off too. So, I mean, it was just. The atmosphere was great. You know, I think the night before one of Peter Jenkins mom, she had brought us some Rudy's chicken or something like that. So I think it was, I think it was just something that year that we, we meant to win.
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D
Hey, Jonathan, that your, your time at Texas up and down a little bit, obviously suffered some injuries. Etc. When you think about, think back on your time at Texas. What was your favorite memory in the orange and white?
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C
Oh, man, I don't, you know, honestly, I don't have a pinpoint deal. It's just been the whole gist of, you know, even the ups and downs, it was still great, you know, learning, you know, different things, learning running back stuff, just getting out in the campus and just learning to be in a regular student as well. I think all of it was a great thing. I will say my freshman year when we play Oregon, I mean not Oregon State, Oklahoma State. And I was in Wildcat the whole time because Malcolm had the toe deal and I think Joe had got hurt too. Just being in there as a freshman and shaking, but then leading the charge and to a touchdown. I think that was, that's when I knew I was, I could play in the league. And I think if I had to choose something, that would have been my spot to choose that Oregon, the Oklahoma State game.
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D
Hey, another question for you, Jonathan. There's a young man out of Richmond, Texas, down in the Houston area. Yeah. Landon Williams College. You keep up with it?
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C
Yeah.
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D
You know, you had all kinds of records in high school. I think you still have the touchdown record. Like you're three of the foremost seasons with most touchdowns.
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C
Yeah.
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High school football history. But you know, there are a lot of comparisons for him and, and big expectations.
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C
Yeah.
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D
What, what would be your advice to a young man like that if he, if you could go back and tell yourself something similar? What would you say to that? To. To Landon Williams house or yourself? You know, 12, 15 years ago now?
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I would tell him, you know, just stay with it. I mean, he's doing A hell of a job.
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He.
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He's gonna do some special things. I like the kid. He is. He. He's. He's the sort to watch. I would tell him, you know, just stay with it, keep watching film, keep being a student of the game. And then a big thing, you know, coming from the years that I play recovery, you know, we spend our, most of our time lifting and doing all this heavy stuff and doing the extra work. I think sometimes we forget that we need the recovery piece. We need to work as hard as we can, just as with recovery. So I would tell him, do those things, and I think he's going to be a hell of a player down the line and he's gonna do some great things. I'm hoping, you know, really, realistically, if he keeps doing what he's doing, he's gonna on pace to break my records. Hey, go for it. Go do the damn thing. And I'm rooting for you. And yeah, I'm, I'm a fan.
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E
Jay Gray, you talk. We talked a minute ago about the, the ups and downs of your career. You mentioned it, you know, personally, and then, you know, team wins and losses. Just that riding that roller coaster when, as you're going through it, you know, how do you, how do you handle those ebbs and flows? Because, I mean, whether it's the, you know, the Achilles injury or, you know, again, you know, coaching changes the whole thing. What do you learn about yourself when you go through so many different peaks and valleys like that?
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C
I mean, that's what, you know, that's what sports teach us, right? Adversity, ups and downs, on and off the field. You're going to go through it. And luckily, I've had the, the pleasure of having two great parents. And my dad had gone through college and pro as well, so having him in my ear, my mom in my ear, you know, when the downs come, and they've taught me at a young age, this is what happens. You know, you learn, you go through it, and you reach out to people. You start to think about, what are you, what's the next plans? You got to be productive in what you're doing. You have to take initiative because again, my parents always said, you know, sports aren't going to last, but an education will. So that always stuck with my mind. So the biggest thing for me was always, you know, I'm at the University of Texas. It's one of the best colleges in the country, bar none. So why not go get your education? Why not go do something productive outside of football? So that way when football does end, you're not in so much of a panic mode trying to figure out what you're going to do in life. So I think that was the big two big things that helped me get through my Achilles injuries and, you know, the coaching changes and the ups and downs of us winning and losing.
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D
Hey, Jonathan, I, I've got to ask you this. Jeff and I were just talking before you came on about what we're looking for the first day of practice.
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A
Huh?
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D
Okay. What we're looking for, what should we be looking for in the first day of practice? If you were, if you were a reporter going out to, to a practice, what should we be looking for you think, to learn the most about the
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team,
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C
who's in shape, who, who took, who took the time off, who's huffing and puffing, who's gas. I mean, that'll tell you a lot because if you're, if you have a team coming into it and they're already huffing and puffing due to the break and all that stuff, chances are they're going to have to, you know, go through camp in the first three days or what, not getting back in condition. So we want to be in condition. That way we can start running through the plays and then getting ready for the season, not getting ready to build our body back to get ready for the season. So I think as a reporter, that'd be the first thing I'd be looking at is who's huffing and puffing because you know that's going to take some time from a player trying to get better as football wise.
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D
Good stuff. The other question I would ask you, you watch Texas, obviously you like Sark's offense, you like what he's doing in Austin.
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C
Oh, my goodness, I love it. It's, it's an offense I'm similar to is what we were doing when Applewhite was there. You know, it's a little bit, I guess, in a way more mastered as you will. But I love the offense. It's very creative. It's opening. It gets your athletes in space. So I think he does a hell of a job doing it. So, yeah, I'm in awe with the offense and it's great that he can get the players that he needs in that offense. So I think they're going to do a hell of a thing this year and I hope we eventually we've been knocking on the door. Hopefully we end up busting through the door and get a national championship.
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E
Jay Gray, you're, you're kind of the perfect person to ask this because one of the big off season topics we talk about are rivalries. And you know, you, you, you didn't get to be a part of the A M game, but it's back, right, I would imagine in the Gray family. That's one of the families in Texas that wants Texas and Texas Tech to line up and, and play each other every year.
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B
Oh, yeah.
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C
Oh, yeah, for sure. You know, it's always good. I like the, the banner back and forth, forth. Especially me and my dad go back and forth. Matter of fact, me and my family just had my daughter's third birthday party Saturday and some people like, oh, your dad said Texas Tech. And I was like, yeah, we go back and forth, so don't bring that up in here unless you want to get kicked out. But yes, we definitely need to bring one of that rivalry back too. I think Texas Tech is a hell of a team. They've been doing their thing, so it'd be great to see a non conference game and them going back and forth with each other.
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E
Did your dad keep into that burnt orange that he had when you were Texas or once you were done?
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C
As soon as I was done, I got a box at the door. Yeah, a box at the door. Here, take your stuff back. I don't, I don't need it anymore.
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D
I love it. All right.
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C
I'll support you from afar.
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D
Jonathan, we appreciate your time so much. Thank you for coming on this morning and spending some time with us. And good luck out in Fort Worth doing what you're doing, raising a family. And you look, I gotta say this, how are you in your 30s yet at this time?
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C
I'm 33.
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D
Okay. I wish I looked back. Good at 33.
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C
I tell you, I tell you what, it's the kids, you know, the track kids, they always try me because they think I'm old and they don't think that I ran track back in the day, that I used to be fast. So I'm always out there trying to bust their butts. And I had, you know, you got to show the young bucks.
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D
Thanks, buddy. Hook them, horse man.
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C
Thank you.
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B
Hook them. Thank you, Jonathan.
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D
Awesome. He's got to show the young bucks. I love it. I wish I looked that good at 30 plus.
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B
Yeah.
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D
After my first kid.
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E
Yeah, don't we all? Don't we all? On a, on a serious note, though, Bobby, like, you know, you think about Jonathan Gray's time at Texas covers 2012-2015, so not a prosperous time on the field. But you talk about it. You talk about a guy that gave everything he had to the University of Texas, was a good leader while he was there. Just, you know, hey, with the injuries and everything, it, it didn't work out, I think like he wanted it to. But it's good to see him doing well. It's good to see him giving back and doing well in life.
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B
Yeah.
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D
Yeah, it really is. It really is.
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B
All right, guys. Well, that was one of our special guests. We got another one coming on here in just a little bit. But first, Bobby, I'm going to go ahead and let you tell everyone this morning about our friends at Mint Mobile.
- [21:03]
D
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- [22:40]
B
real quick 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. Then you lock in your lineup. But if you're someone that likes picking teams instead of individual players, they got you covered there as well. You can now pick the winner, the spread or the total games and even fights. And prize picks is available in most states including Texas, California and Florida. So chances are you can jump in today. And of course one of my favorite features is that you can follow users on the app. I said it yesterday, me and producer Matt, we use this all the time to follow each other's picks. You can tell them with one click, follow your friends picks, whatever it may be. And the best part is if you've never tried prize picks before, play your first five dollar lineup. If you win, you're gonna get a hundred and fifty dollars 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. And what we are rolling with today fellas, we're going to go across two different sports. In the wnba, I got Kayla Thornton less than eight and a half points and then I'm also taking Ryan Weathers and some MLB action to have less than five and a half strikeouts. And again, just download the prize picks app, use code HMA, play that first five dollar lineup and if you win you're going to get $150 in bonus lineups. That's prize picks code HMA. Good luck to you and as always, play smart, play responsibly. Play price picks.
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D
We should be getting ready to have Lance Taylor join us. I believe he's joining us. Is, is he ready yet? Blake? It looks like we got a blank screen on the back but video for
- [24:34]
B
a second, then it went away. So we'll give him a second and hopefully he'll get that worked out here and oh, there we go. I'm bringing in Bobby. I'll let you do the introduction.
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D
Yeah, absolutely. The leading tackler of the 1977 Texas Longhorns is Lance Taylor. Lance, a linebacker from El Paso Coronado. Still the pride of El Paso even though he lives in the in Tulsa, Oklahoma these days. Helps the Texas Exodus chapter up in in Tulsa. How you doing Lance?
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A
I'm doing great. How are you doing, Bobby?
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D
Good man. Good to see you again. I gotta, I gotta ask you. 1977 was a hell of a year for the Longhorns national championship aspirations. Went into that game against uh, A M. You got injured and then didn't play in the Notre Dame game. But you let the Longhorns and tackles that year. Lance, you see Any similarities between Yalls run at Texas and 77 to this current Texas Texas team?
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A
Yeah, I think so. You know, we had a, Earl Campbell was, they had just moved Earl Campbell to the, to the I formation. So we had a transitional player and we had changed our defense. We, that was the first year that Acres was there and he brought in Leon Fuller who just passed away the other day. And so we, we had a really good defense. I think we were in the top five in defense all year. So I think a lot of similarities what, what we see going on this year with, you know, with Arch Manning and with, with must have coming back in.
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D
I gotta ask you, what was it like tackling Earl Campbell in practice?
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A
I'm, I'm just glad I played first team because I didn't have to tackle him too much.
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D
The twos went against the ones, I take it?
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A
Is that what you're saying? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think one, I think when we first, when Akers first came in, he did one on ones for a little while, but we didn't have to do it too long.
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D
You mentioned Leon Fuller and passed away. Some other guys from that team have passed away recently. Etc, a lot of you guys still. One of the ways I got to know Lance actually was through Les Caning, former Longhorn wide receiver and a long term college football coach around the country. And he introduced me to Lance. Lance, I, I go back to when you and I talked. I went up the Tulsa, I guess a year and a half ago, maybe two years ago now.
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C
Yeah.
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D
And I spent time with you and you told me about your recruiting story about how you got to Texas. Tell folks how you even got to Texas in the first place from El Paso.
- [27:32]
A
Well, I had moved to El Paso in the sixth grade, so I wasn't, I wasn't really a Texan and I had a tendency to root for the other underdog. So back then was when Texas was winning the conference all the time. So I wasn't really a big Texas fan and my plans were not to go there. And Coach McWilliams flew down to El Paso and met with one of his friends, John Fulmer. And the smartest thing they ever did was take my dad to lunch because once they took him out, he was sold. And I was actually out of town. I was back in Utah, where I originally came from. And my dad called and said, there's this guy from Texas going to call you. And I said, tell him I'm not interested, I don't want to go to Texas. He goes, no, you need to give him a chance. And I said, okay. So Coach McWilliams called me and we were on the phone for probably over an hour. And by the time I got off the phone, I was going to Texas. So it didn't take him very long to change my mind.
- [28:34]
D
I love it. So tell people. We always do this whenever people come in. Tell folks what you've been up to since you left college and etc. And where you're living now, obviously in the Tulsa area. What are you doing these days?
- [28:49]
A
So I'm working in cells. I originally came here. There was a professor at the University of Texas where I really liked his class, and he was on the board of directors of a company here. And so I originally came up with that company and stayed there for about 20 years and so got married, had two kids. Since then I've remarried and have another. Another son through the marriage. So I've been here in Tulsa, I think, longer than I've been anywhere. But it is enemy territory. But fortunately, these days we've been getting the best of them, so it makes it a little more easy to. To live with.
- [29:33]
D
You mentioned enemy territory. Tulsa's historically one of those places, Lance, that doesn't just go for ou. They also have got people that like Arkansas. A lot of Oklahoma State fans. It may be the garden spot of Oklahoma in that regard. It's not all Sooners, although it is predominantly right.
- [29:51]
A
Yeah, there are a lot of OSU fans and fortunately, most OSU fans and Arkansas fans have a tendency to. To. Although Arkansas is a little tougher because of our rivalry, but they do have a tendency to. To pal up with me when it. When it comes to the OU game.
- [30:11]
E
Lance, I want to go back to that 77 season because it was, you know, if you look at it, you know, we look at it now, it was supposed to kind of be a transition here. Like you said, Coach, Royals last year was 76. You're coming in with, with Fred Akers taking over the program. When did you guys realize in the locker room that the 77 team had the potential to be special because you guys came out of the gates on fire? I think it was maybe 184 to 15 or 16. You guys won the first three games by that combined score. When did you guys realize 77 could be a special year?
- [30:42]
A
I think we knew we were for real when we beat ou. We hadn't beaten OU in six years. We had five losses and a tie. And it was a really good OU team. They could have won the National Championship just as easy as. As we could have won it. And we really, our defense played great. We got some incredible punts out of, out of Russell Erg Slavin that kept us in the game and flipped the field a couple of times. So when we won that game, it was sort of like coming home from a World Series. We had people lining the streets and people meeting us at the airport. It was a pretty big deal for us to win that game.
- [31:37]
D
Lance, I love it and appreciate it. You want to say hi to any of your teammates out there right now? Anybody you want to say hi to?
- [31:46]
A
No, because I got so many of them. I know that we, the older we get, I think the better we are communicating. So we've got a email list where we, we send stuff to everybody all the time. And I think Lawrence Sampleton's going to have sort of a mini reunion for the Ohio State game. So where we meet at a local restaurant that, that he goes to all the time. And so I'm looking forward to that at. It ought to be a fun time.
- [32:17]
D
Did he just make it in the hall of Fame hall of Honor? Is that correct? Did I, did I get that right?
- [32:22]
A
You know, I didn't. I didn't see that. But it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't.
- [32:27]
D
Yep, good deal. Lance, thank you so much for joining us. Number 32 for the Texas Longhorns. Lance, we appreciate you, man. Hold it, hold up. The good fight, the good fight up there in Tulsa for.
- [32:38]
A
I will do that. Okay. Good to see you, Bobby.
- [32:42]
D
Okay, thanks buddy. Good guy. He helps put together the. Every year the Tulsa folks put together a little dinner prior to the football season to get together Texas Exes and they have view game watching parties up there. If you're in the Tulsa area, make sure you guys check it out and reach out to those guys because they'll, they'll be happy to have you.
- [33:05]
E
By the way, Bobby, the. The 77 team, their first three games won by a combined score. I've got it right. 184 to 15.
- [33:15]
D
Did they play Rice in one of those first three games?
- [33:18]
E
I'd have to look back at the schedule. I know they opened with Boston College, but yeah, they. Lance talked about the Oklahoma game was 13:6 went over OU 13:9. When that was the 77 team. Yeah, I, I love that team because undefeated regular season hadn't happened a ton of times in the history of Texas program. That team did it. And you look at that formula. You know Lance mentioned Russell Erxleben that's kind of how they did it, dude. Ground and panel with Earl Campbell, great defense, maybe the best kicking game in the country in 77 with Russell Erksleven, who a lot of people still say, even though Michael Dixon was great, they'll still say Russell Oakslave is best college punter they've ever seen. Just a, an old school formula bobby that you could definitely win a lot of ball games with it. You could probably still do it now to an extent, but back then, if you had a running back like Earl Campbell, a defense like that and elite special teams that could, that could take you a long way.
- [34:14]
D
Game. Game three of that season, Texas in Austin beat Rice 72, 15.
- [34:21]
E
Okay, so that wasn't the first three.
- [34:23]
D
Okay, that was your point. They, they beat Boston College, who they had lost to the year before in Chestnut Hill. They beat them 44 to nothing. The second game they played Virginia, Virginia 68 to nothing and then 72 to 15. What a lot of people don't realize those first few games actually were with a different quarterback than the guy that eventually started. Started the rest of the season because of some injuries in the, in the Cotton bowl against OU. That's Randy McEachern. So John Oni and Mark McBath, I think were the quarterbacks for the first couple games. But long story short, tremendous team, tremendous season, but came up one game short in the Cotton bowl against Notre Dame and Joe Montana and Ross Browner, there's like half a dozen.
- [35:23]
E
We could have gone this whole show without mentioning Montana.
- [35:26]
C
I'm not.
- [35:26]
E
Yeah, knows me, knows I'm not a Montana guy. So. Way over Montana then, now and forever.
- [35:38]
B
One thing we need to talk about, you know, we had Jonathan Gray on, but we need to talk about another running back. That's Bijon Robinson, guys. He got, he got paid this morning. Signed a three year extension worth 75 million dollars. 51 million of that guaranteed. He is now the highest paid running back in NFL history. He surpasses the Quan Barkley's record breaking deal of 20.6 million a year. But not, not too shabby for the former Longhorn.
- [36:11]
D
Put some mustard on it. That's what I would say. 51 million guaranteed. Holy Toledo. And you know, Bijan, it's very interesting how his career arc started at Texas, obviously under Tom Herman, recruited by Herman and Stan Drayton, then ends up playing for Steve Sarkeesian. You know, there are, there have been a lot of really talented players and running backs at the University of Texas through the years. He is as talented as Any. Maybe not as physical as everyone, but as talented in his own way. Is there a running back in Yalls opinion that made better cuts as a Longhorn than Bijan Robinson? Like what I, I think about what his specialty is. Like what? Like Jamal Charles is just outright speed and kind of glancing off a tacklers never got hit. Square Earl Campbell, the physicality of it. Ricky Williams, a combination of physicality and speed and just toughness. I thought Bijan's kind of X factor was his vision, slash cutting ability. Is that, is that what y' all agree with? Like that's as good as anybody has been at Texas from that, that perspective.
- [37:39]
E
I, I would, I can't think of anybody else Bobby, that's been better. You know, when, when he was coming out of high school, the guy he reminded me of in a weird way, and it's appropriate that we're 32 days to kick off. Guy he reminded me of in a weird way was Cedric Benson. And I know said B had a different type of running style, but I think those two guys, I don't know that I've ever seen two backs at Texas that had better just feet and natural cutting ability in tight spaces. Like those two guys, again, they, they did it by different means. But the, the, if you could say, hey, which Texas running backs feet would you have? If it's not Bijan Robinson, it's Cedric Benson. Just the feet and natural running instincts of both those guys was off the charts.
- [38:23]
D
Yeah, I think the guy, the only guy I can think of that cut perhaps even better than Bijan was Eric Metcalf. But Eric Metcalf also gave up £30 to Bijan Robinson. Yeah, right.
- [38:35]
E
Yeah, that's the thing, Bobby. Like you look at Bijan's skill set, that's exactly what he is. He's Eric metcalf, but he's 20, 25 pounds heavier.
- [38:45]
D
Yeah, crazy. But I, I think that that was the X factor. But now he's, he's got an X and a Y factor called a bank account.
- [38:54]
E
The only, yeah, the only person, the only person happier than Bijan right now is probably Jameer Gibbs because he's about to get paid too. I don't know if his contract's going to exceed it, but now it's, you know, I was looking back at the 23 draft, Bobby, and you know, you look at some of, you know, there's a couple, just some whiffs in front of where the Falcons were at eight when they took Bijan, you know, taking Anthony Richardson again, everybody, everybody messes up quarterback. They still do. I didn't get it then. Still don't get it. Paris Johnson going for the Ohio State tackle, went to Arizona. Then Tyree Wilson, the Tech defensive end who's already been traded by the Raiders. You think any of those teams would like to have that pick back and take Bijan? I. I know. I know there's that kind of that blanket rule people talk about. You don't take a running back that high. Well, you do if it's of one of two things. If you're a team that just had a bad year and you really believe you're one special piece away, you take a running back or that guy is just such a special talent, like a Bijan Robinson, a Saquon Barkley.
- [39:55]
C
You.
- [39:55]
E
You can take those guys high in the draft because what you're gonna get, you're gonna get the very best of them, and not just at the running back, because you have one of the best weapons in the league. And I think that's what Bijan is at this point. I think he is the best offensive weapon in football right now because of that skill set.
- [40:13]
D
Good player.
- [40:14]
E
Angry Bevo. Why. Why you got to be bringing that up? Angry Bevo in the morning. We're having a great morning. We're having a great morning. And then somebody mentioned Joe Montana. They got me a little. Got me a little twitchy. And then you got to bring up how Tom Herman just refused to give his clearly best player on the field the ball.
- [40:32]
D
But why do you dislike Joe Montana? Because of Notre Dame or because his time at the Niners?
- [40:39]
E
Here's why I dislike Joe Montana. Joe Mont. It's. It's about the movie Rudy. Okay? I like Rudy. I'm in that minority of people now that like Rudy and Joe Montana. It's like the. I like suspending disbelief. I don't need Joe Montana to be the wet blanket. Be like, well, this didn't happen. And this didn't happen. Like, no, just let me enjoy my movie. Joe Montana. Don't throw a wet blanket over it. And he did. It's kind of like. Like, yes, I watch pro wrestling and I know what it is. I don't need you to tell me how it happens. Just let me enjoy it. Don't tell me how David Copperfield got himself out of the. The tank. Just let me watch it and enjoy it. Don't ruin it. So I got.
- [41:16]
D
I thought you were gonna tell me some. You were a Cowboy fan and you're upset about the NFC championship past it. Dwight Clark.
- [41:24]
E
No, no. Joe Montana.
- [41:26]
D
I don't like. He, he bagged on Rudy. That's why you don't like Joe Montana.
- [41:34]
B
That's a heck of a reason.
- [41:35]
D
That's a.
- [41:36]
C
Hey.
- [41:36]
E
That's why, you know, hey, one of my, my all time favorite New York Giant is Leonard Marshall. He pretty much ended Joe Montana's career in San Francisco. So there you go. Well, Bobby, you know, you know I'm a card collector, right? I, I, as a Cowboys fan, I cannot have, I cannot have 49ers cards in my collection like it was last year. I sold a Jerry Rice rookie. So he's like, you don't want this. I'm like, no, I don't want it. I want to, I want to get rid of it. No, I don't want it. So I can't. I just, I can't. Can't do it. Can't. No Montana, no 49ers love on, on this side.
- [42:12]
D
I knew it had to do something with the 49ers, not just Rudy. I knew you're starting to circle back into the, the 49ers hate. I, I figured it was as much
- [42:24]
E
that I'm not gonna pretend. Yeah, that does have something to do with it. But. Yeah, so, but hey, when I do my all time quarterback rankings, I'm putting Joe Montana third, fourth at best.
- [42:34]
D
Is it, Is this the year for the Cowboys, Jeff?
- [42:38]
E
You know, here's, here's why, here's where I am with the Cowboys. As a, as a lifelong fan of the Dallas football Cowboys, I was in the sixth grade when the last time the Cowboys played in a Super Bowl. My daughter's going to the third grade this year. I really hope she doesn't get to the sixth grade before the Cowboys get back to the Super Bowl. So I'm hoping in the next like 3, 3 ish years that that's the
- [43:01]
D
year the lost generation is what they'll call it.
- [43:05]
E
It's hard, like I, it's hard for me to convince somebody like C.J. vogel. Like, no, there was a time where the Cowboys were really good and you went into most Sundays just assuming they were going to win. It really. It happened. It's not a myth. It really happened.
- [43:23]
B
Oh, goodness. It's hard to believe that was 30 something years ago.
- [43:27]
E
Hey, real quick, Blake, can we match snow? We talked about Bobby, you talk about Bijan. I just want to go back to Bijan real quick. So Herman, Brooke, Bijan, and gradually. His freshman year, Bijan almost broke his neck against Texas Tech trying to hurl a defensive back that is one of the scariest, slash, most physically impressive things I have ever seen in my life. Like, most. I'd say 90 of people that take that fall probably never play again or are never the same. And there's only two human beings I've seen that have survived something like that. One was Brock Lesnar. The other's Bijan Robinson. Two of the most physically freaky people on planet Earth. So how Bijon not only got over that, but. But has had the career he's had after that is. I don't know. The good Lord only makes certain people with that kind of physical makeup, and he's one of it. Yeah, just show that part. Don't show the landing part, because it is. It is painful. It is scary. And he walked away from it, like, got up and walked away from it. It is. It's one of the craziest things I've ever seen on a football field.
- [44:26]
D
And he even bent it backwards. Unbelievable, the strength of his neck. You know, I'm glad he. He had done some weightlifting, I'll put it that way, and done some real, because otherwise there's no chance of that. Brock Lesnar, though, physic. I mean, we're. I'm learning all kinds of things about. About Jeff Howe here, lifelong Cowboys fan, 49ers hater, and now he's a. I didn't. I didn't realize you were a Rudy lover and. And a wrestling fan. To include Brock Lesnar in the category of great athletes, you and I are just gonna have to fundamentally disagree on that one.
- [45:11]
E
Blake, am I wrong? Guy was. The guy was the UFC heavyweight champion.
- [45:15]
B
He was a heck of an athlete.
- [45:16]
E
He was NCAA champion
- [45:21]
D
because he could.
- [45:22]
C
I mean, y' all are.
- [45:23]
D
You've got to be kidding me.
- [45:24]
B
The USD stuff proves. I'm sorry, I gotta. I gotta side with. If. If we're just talking straight wrestling, I. I'd side with Bobby, but the UFC
- [45:33]
D
stuff, that's a good card to play.
- [45:35]
E
Junior college national champion, NCAA heavyweight champion, UFC champion. Whether it's all been done naturally is another topic.
- [45:44]
A
For another.
- [45:46]
B
Everybody does it. It's okay.
- [45:48]
D
Everybody, wait a minute.
- [45:52]
B
All right, guys, we got a lot more to talk about. We gotta get some super chats that we need to get to. But first, we need to talk about a couple of our sponsors. One of those is Advanced Pain Care.
- [46:07]
D
Pros know the pain stops here.
- [46:09]
E
Physical therapy helps me as an athlete then and now. And do I still.
- [46:13]
C
Still need therapy?
- [46:14]
E
Yes. Advanced pain care helps with that.
- [46:16]
B
Injuries will stack up. They'll add up you can't let those injuries get you down.
- [46:20]
D
And advanced pain care has been very helpful for me. We can help with whatever's got you down from nerve damage to our spinal cord stimulator. Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. Same day appointments available.
- [46:32]
E
Advanced pain care. The pain stops here.
- [46:37]
B
Want to thank them. And Bobby, I need you to tell everyone about SeatGeek this morning.
- [46:41]
D
Absolutely. With more than 35 million downloads, SeatGate, SeatGeek is the number one rated ticketing app. It's also the official sponsor, the University of Texas Ticketing, which is why I want to give the sponsor of today's video, Seatgeek, a huge shout out. There are more than 70,000 events listed on Seatgeek, including concerts, sports festivals, and more. Right now, Major League baseball's in full swing. College football obviously around the Corner, and the NFL schedule's already out. I love using SeatGeek Talk right now, they have your back. Each ticket is rated on a scale of 1 to 10. So you know you're getting a good deal. Look for the green dots. Green means good, red means bad. Plus every ticket is backed by their buyer guarantee. Again, that seatgeek. And of course I have a code for you guys. Use on. On Texas 10 for 10 off your next set of tickets at Seatgeek. That's 10 off. Any tickets with the promo code for us. OTF10. That's OTF10. I misspoke a second ago. The code is OTF10. And we will get the. They'll be able to give you 10 off. Make sure you click the link in the description to download the app and have the code automatically added to your account so you can use it later. Thank you. From our friends over at SeatGeek.
- [48:06]
B
Okay, we got a super chat we need to get to this morning. A couple of them, actually. Rocky P, we'll start with you. He says John Meredith chose number zero. That is the third DFW five star to rock zero under Sark. I hope this is the trend we can continue. Camp starts tomorrow. What players need to show up the most to change their trajectory?
- [48:27]
D
Who are the others besides Anthony Hill? Who was the other one that was a zero.
- [48:32]
B
Was numbers zero. But was he.
- [48:34]
D
Oh, overshone.
- [48:35]
B
Yeah.
- [48:35]
D
He's from art. Yep. Absolutely. A little bit different. He's more East Texas.
- [48:42]
E
Texas. Yeah.
- [48:42]
D
Yeah, but look, I think that who. What players need to show up the most to change their trajectory.
- [48:51]
E
I'll give you one Bobby that we probably haven't talked about a ton just given where he was at the end of spring this you could tell the staff challenged Cade Phillips at the end of spring because if you go.
- [49:02]
D
Yeah.
- [49:03]
E
To spring showcase, like, Kobe Black was running ahead of Cade Phillips. And we know he's extremely talented. He, he was productive as a true freshman, but I think he's in that sophomore year now where I, I feel like with Will Muschamp and Mark Orfe, you know, having a defensive quarter that really specializes in the secondary, like, we know that's Muschamp's area of expertise, I feel like they, they know there's a different level Kate Phillips can get to. So he's a guy that I think we probably haven't talked about a ton because there's so many new moving pieces on this team. But Cade Phillips trajectory, it can, I mean, he can be a three and done guy to the NFL, but I think he needs to, I think this staff, again, they challenge him a little bit. I think they want to see him take some of those steps.
- [49:46]
D
I like that. I like that one a lot, actually. Let me see if I can think of somebody else that I really believe is in that category. Maybe Justice Terry. You know, we need to see if he can take that next step. I think that that's, we've been harping on him a little bit lately, Jerry and I in particular in these morning shows, because Xavier Phillips, to me, oh, that's a great answer too. Guys that are highly talented but have yet to truly put it out on display.
- [50:28]
E
Would you put Brent, would you put Brandon Baker in that category? Bobby, or you feel like he showed enough?
- [50:33]
D
I think he showed it. I mean, he started every game last year.
- [50:36]
E
Yeah. Okay.
- [50:38]
D
I, I, I would put Justice Terry in that category. I would put Cade Phillips in that category. I would put Xavier Philsme and Jonah Williams in that category. It like guys that need to take that next step. Probably some others that I'm just not thinking of off, off the top of my head. But to Rocky P's point, by the way, J.T. sanders was also from DFW, but he, he was number zero. But he played offense. I thought he said defensive players.
- [51:11]
B
Yeah, that's good.
- [51:12]
D
That's a good question. Rocky Peak. Thanks for asking.
- [51:14]
E
I think one of those two edges, either Lance Jackson or Xena Mosolo probably.
- [51:20]
D
Oh, Xena Murad Watson. See there, that's part of the broad.
- [51:25]
E
Watson's a good one too. Yeah.
- [51:27]
D
Yep. Just what, what we haven't seen yet in a Texas uniform that we think they're capable of. Warren Roberson penalties, especially on special teams. I think somebody asked Me, who, who I thought would be the best special teams player and I said outside of Ryan Niblett, I went with Roberson because I think like I don't know if y' all remember this, but Keaton Crawford his sophomore year had a lot of penalties on, on special teams and then his junior year became a phenomenal special teams guy. Texas.
- [52:02]
E
Yeah.
- [52:02]
D
I think Warren Roberson might be able to make that same kind of jump hopefully. Fingers crossed.
- [52:08]
E
No, you, you love for, you'd love for your core special, all your core special teams guys to be like Josh Thompson where you just put them out there, you put them out there as a true freshman and it just, it works from the jump. But not everybody's like that. I say this about Murad Watson, Bobby. He's, he's one of the guys that I think can significantly raise the ceiling of this team because there's no substitute for a 330 pound defensive tackle that can legitimately play every interior shady play over the ball, playing the A gap. He can play over the guard like anywhere you can put him a healthy marad. Watson can completely change the outlook of his defensive front.
- [52:45]
D
Hope so. That's my hope. Like I don't know that we saw, I think we saw a good player last year. I don't know that we saw a dominant player player at any point last year for him.
- [52:56]
E
That's fair.
- [52:58]
D
He's one of those guys that I think I want to see how he is physically how he looked because he, he, he did not look physically imposing last year. Even though he's a big body guy, if he better defines his body that, that, that could change quickly.
- [53:19]
E
I feel like he was in that, I don't want to call it a tweener stage but he was in that. His body was at that point where okay, you either need to lean it, get him lean a little bit to where he's a right at 300 or sub 300 pound disruptor or bulk him up to where he can be a 3:30ish guy that's still got the athleticism but can give you more down to down consistency. Stopping the run.
- [53:40]
D
Yeah. Inside and a true inside guy. Yeah, I agree with that.
- [53:46]
B
Then we got another super chat this morning, this one from Mike. Thank you Mike. Would you put Texas State quarterback Brad Jackson in the top five opposing quarterbacks Texas faces this season? Let me bring up schedule.
- [54:00]
E
I, I would there, Bobby. There are three quarterbacks that I feel are clearly better than Brad Jackson. Trinidad Shambliss, Sam Levitt, Julian Sand. I'm not convinced. If you, if you put. If you took Brad Jackson and put him at Oklahoma or Texas A M those offenses are probably better. As a matter of fact I don't think probably I think they are better with Brad Jackson instead of John Material. Marcel Reed
- [54:30]
D
See I just have not watched Texas State enough to say that I see like everybody else I see the stats. I watched him play one time. I you've probably watched them play more than I have. Jeff. I do know that it's not only him, it's also the McCown kid at UTSA. Both of those guys rank in the top five quarterbacks of non power four conferences. So the first three games Texas is going to be tested at quarterback. I mean they just are with Julian saying I think saying Chambliss and and Levitt or Fair I think Reed Mater good. I'm interested to see what Aaron Philo looks like at Florida because there's some thought that he was he was set to be the new starter at Georgia Tech this year following in the footsteps of Haynes King and now he has the same offensive coordinator going with him from Georgia Tech to Florida. There are some folks that say he's tremendous and could be a lead them to an upstart season. And then Camario Taylor.
- [55:39]
E
Love him.
- [55:41]
D
He may be the most talented quarterback Texas plays. Not the best quarterback in his first year as a starter but folks are saying he's as talented as they come. I mean Jeff Levy comparing him to Robert Griffin Jr. Robert Griffin III.
- [55:57]
E
He's and physically, physically imposing with the stature you know you have it. I can't remember in this Art Briles the variant shoot offense. I can't remember them having a guy that was this just physically as big as Camario Taylor is with the Alexa but I remember I remember watching him he got it a little bit against Texas but I remember watching him against Georgia last year and Jerry and I were texting and both of us were like that dude's going to be a problem in this offense. That that guy is going to be a problem. Those are the two wild cards Bobby. When I think of SEC quarterbacks it's Aaron Philo and it's Camaro Taylor. I just you could tell me that they're going to be top three top four type quarterbacks in the conference by the time the year's over and you could tell me they'll be in the bottom half and you can make compelling arguments for both that I would probably buy either argument. They're complete wild cards for me right now. But I'M not, I'm not joking. And Sooner's Aggies, you can mark the tape. I'm as serious as I can be right now. I would take Brad Jackson over John Material or Marcel Reed. I just think he is a he. I just think your, your offense has a higher ceiling with Brad Jackson than it does with either of those two guys. And the results against Texas State might not show it against Texas. But again I think if you put Brad Jackson or Marcel Brad Jackson at OU or A M, those, the ceiling for those two teams completely changes for the better in my opinion.
- [57:22]
D
Well, Aggies, cover your ears. I think, I think Sooner fans, this is, this is the difference between the Sooner fans and the Aggies. The Aggies still want to believe that Marcel Reed is, is this super hyper elite quarterback. Sooner fans realize that Dom Mater can be better and play and be healthier and all this other stuff, but they don't think he's going to be first team All American. Yeah, I think that's the difference between the expectation levels of those two fan bases. I think some Ag. Too many Aggies still harbor this idea that Marcel Reed is, is due for a Trinidad Chambliss type year. And I just, I don't know that that's the case.
- [58:05]
E
I don't think that with, with Matier. To your point, Bobby, I've thought all along it would be an insult to call him a poor man, Sam Ellinger, but he, his playstyle is real similar to Sam's. The difference is, I don't know, like Sam's a, you know, three, 200 yard passer at Texas and was really good throwing the football. I don't know that Matier has that type of ceiling as a passer that Sam Ellinger had. But as a run threat, every bit as good as Sam was and maybe better.
- [58:38]
B
All right, our next question this morning comes from RS Louis because we've been asked this quite a bit here lately. Always some buzz about the new practice facility. Bob, any updates on it?
- [58:49]
D
Yeah, absolutely. I think that it's possible Texas gets in there late this month mid to late this month. The idea wasn't necessarily to have them practice in it leading up to the season. So that was never the idea or not. I shouldn't say never. That has not been the idea for quite some time. Sark, by the way, wants these guys battle tested in the heat. There's a reason tomorrow's practice starts at what, 2:45 or 3:00'?
- [59:17]
B
Clock?
- [59:17]
D
Jeff? Yeah, he's done this from, from the outset. He wants the guys to feel the heat and potentially give Texas, you know, an advantage because of it, frankly. Texas, I mean I'll, I'll never forget, I mean when Alabama came to town, I mean it's not exactly cool in Tuscaloosa in August, but Texas heat can be a little bit more oppressive. There's no question that that helped contribute to Texas almost beating Alabama that day. Stark had the guys ready to go and in that kind of weather. And I think that Stark loves to challenge his team physically in that regard, especially as it relates to weather.
- [60:07]
E
Rocky P brought it up just kind of like the Colorado State game a couple years ago, like the Texas state games at 2:30. So. And I'm sure Sars gonna get asked about it Bobby, after the first practice he'll talk about like hey, there's not gonna be on September 5th. They're gonna be anywhere to run and hide from the heat. Like it's gonna be what it's going to be on the turf at DKR. Whatever the air temperature reading is, it's probably 30, 40 degrees hotter on that turf. So yeah, you, you, you gotta walk that fine line between you don't want to beat your team up in August, but you don't want them to just show up and be dealing with the heat for the first time on September 5th either.
- [60:43]
B
I tell you what, let's a lot of questions about special teams this morning. We're going to get to those in just a moment. But first, Bobby, I'm going to let you tell everyone one more time about Texas Road.
- [60:54]
D
I can do it. Thank you to our friends over at Texas Road. They are your full service solution for major road projects in the state of Texas. With the full support of multiple crews performing utility dirt work, concrete and asphalt. Texas Road provides on site concrete through volumetric trucks for smaller volumes. They're able to complete high road building in a high profile environment. That's our friend Rick Vavro and the guys at Texas Road. Thank you as always for sponsoring our Tuesday morning coffee and football again. Texas Road. Rick Vavro and his team, they are your full service solution for major road projects.
- [61:32]
B
Thank you Bobby. And I'm going to roll these two together here. Pana production says special teams update. But Jack Burton also wants to know, anyone concerned about this freshman kicker? Where are we at as far as kickers right now? And I think Jack may be forgetting about the portal kicker aesthetic.
- [61:51]
D
Yeah, Gianni Spic is the leading the leader right now in the clubhouse as far as the kicking chores are concerned. Although Spencer Barnett I think is. Has been running second. Is that correct, Jeff?
- [62:04]
E
Yeah. Barnett should be the kickoff guy also. I would think he was last year anyway.
- [62:09]
D
Gotcha. And so you add that in Spetic. I think the, the. I think he hit 75 last year if I'm not mistaken. Just off the top of my head. But he also has a big leg so he's able to hit 50 plus. The question that, that we've identified and I think that is fair as it relates to kicker is how accurate will he be on the field goals that you just expect him to make. Mason Shipley didn't miss one between 30 and 49 yards last year. That's amazing accuracy.
- [62:47]
E
Every bit what they needed him to be. Exactly.
- [62:48]
D
Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So if, if Texas can get 85 out of Gianni Spadec in that range, I think they would take it and go home. That's how good Mason Shipley was a year ago. So. And he is a transfer from Memphis. Just so you know. And that's. That's where that, that's where that's at by the way. I want to go ahead, Jeff.
- [63:12]
E
No, I was just gonna say I'm. I'm less concerned about a battle for the place kicking job. I think that's better. I think the battle could be where Jake Collette could factor in. Is there a battle between he and Spencer Barnett to be the kickoff guy? Because that's another thing about your place kicker and Jeff Banks has said this and I agree with it. You don't just don't want to wear your place kicker out having to be the kickoff guy. If you've got a guy that can do it, you'd like for them to handle it. So I. That's where, that's where Jake Collette could factor in for this team is as the kickoff guy. I wouldn't expect barring an injury, I wouldn't expect to be kicking field goals or pats.
- [63:45]
D
As long as he can make it from the right hash. Tata party says oh, that is still. That is still very raw in Texas
- [63:53]
B
fans memory 2024 especially for our own Jerry Hamilton.
- [63:59]
E
Jerry's got right hash. Jerry's got right hash. Pts.
- [64:06]
D
He can't joy.
- [64:08]
B
Josie says speaking of special teams, is Blake Gideon gonna help out again there?
- [64:13]
D
I have not heard that Josie. It's possible oftentimes like Jeff Banks is truly the special teams coach but the DB coaches often take part in that, especially the gunners the gunner part of that situation. So we'll see what happens in first it during the first practice. First couple of practices, but I can't speak to that authoritatively yet.
- [64:43]
B
All right, at the beginning of the show, we mentioned that it is 32 days away from kickoff. So we got to look at 32s here. And guys, I think this one's kind of a no brainer there. Cedric Benson is going to lead that bunch. Jonathan Gray, we had him on earlier. Malcolm Roach was another, you know, significant 32 there. And then Lance Taylor. Only deal with Lance Taylor. I couldn't find a picture to use on this graphic, so that's why he isn't on here. But we had two of these four on the show this morning, guys. But I mean, again, Benson is. Benson is the guy.
- [65:18]
D
Come on now, where's the love for Marcus Myers?
- [65:21]
E
Yeah, Blake,
- [65:25]
B
don't do that. I've been talking to Marcus all morning. Do not do that to me.
- [65:31]
E
Come on, Blake.
- [65:34]
D
I also, you know this, obviously, Cedric Benson. I had mentioned it earlier talking to Will Matthews. I even was thinking about trying to get Will to come on with us. He offered to come on this morning to talk a little bit about Said and the type of player he was. But I also want to say this. Who is the current number 32 on the roster?
- [65:57]
B
Yep. Brady.
- [65:59]
D
Yeah. Brady Sarkeesian is the current number 32 on the roster. The. The coach's son. So there we go.
- [66:06]
E
He said, Cedric Benson. I showed it this morning. I've got that sign. Dave Campbell's Texas football was said to be on the COVID from his Midland Lee days. One of my all time favorite Longhorns for a long time. When I was in high school, I had the. The Austin American Statesman article. When Cedric Benson committed to Texas. I had that tacked up on the corkboard in my bedroom in high school. Like, I just, I loved watching Cedric Benson in high school. Loved him in Texas. Here's an interesting tidbit, Bobby. I picked up a few years ago about Malcolm Roach and his recruitment at Texas. And that was he. Malcolm Roach is the kind of guy that you can find in Louisiana that might slip through the cracks because physically he didn't fit the profile of a guy that LSU wanted, you know, and his recruitment was kind of weird because it seemed like he just kind of popped up and committed to Texas out of nowhere. And when I was doing the show with Craig Way in Austin, we had Malcolm one time and he said, oh, no. He said, I just didn't tell anybody. He's like, I was committed to Texas for months. He said, I just didn't tell anyone. I never put it out there. We're like, oh, so we. We thought, like, there was this battle for Malcolm. No, I just told. I just told Coach Strong I didn't want it out and just didn't commit till I was fully good and ready. But that was a really, really good evaluation. It's one of those deals. Bobby, they didn't really know what he was, but they just knew he was a really good defensive football player and a guy that's still in the league getting paid to play football.
- [67:22]
D
It goes to show also, the lot of defensive players in the state of Louisiana get overlooked by lsu. Malcolm Roach from Baton Rouge is one of them. Baron Sorrell, defensive end. And I think about both of those guys, and both of them were undersized for what they would eventually be.
- [67:46]
E
Yeah.
- [67:47]
D
And. But athletic. I mean, I'll tell you who used to make real hay in Louisiana on players like that is Gary Patterson.
- [67:58]
E
Yeah, I knew you were going there.
- [67:59]
D
I mean, he would find guys more so even in northern Louisiana. A lot of people don't remember Jamar Chase, the wide receiver originally committed to tcu and then he went to lsu and, you know, he is who he is. But I thought that. That Gary Patterson did a great job identifying defensive players who weren't 6, 4, 2, 25. That. That LSU had to take and were the. The blue chip of the blue. The bluest of the blue chips. You can still do that in the state of Louisiana, in my opinion.
- [68:39]
E
Here's, Here's a quick, quick tidbit about the Jamar chasing Bobby, you mentioned tcu. He was. If I remember right, I think it was the opening. Whatever. He was one of those summer showcases that was on the NFL Network and he was going to commit live on the NFL Network. The tcu, well, they ran out of time and weren't able to get it on the broadcast, so he never went public with it and then just kind of marinated on it. And then LSU eventually got it on.
- [69:03]
D
Just.
- [69:04]
E
I just keep thinking about the 2019 LSU offensive Texas face and the fact that, like, Texas somehow was in it with a chance to win that game is remarkable because you have Chase and Jefferson and Joe Burrow and Clyde Edwards, Alaire. It was. That was a. A stupidly talented offense. LSU had Malcolm Roach great career, except for that one game when Todd Orlando tried to put him at middle linebacker. Other than that, Malcolm Roach had a great career at Texas and that. That move was not his fault.
- [69:33]
D
I was gonna say that wasn't.
- [69:35]
E
That wasn't his fault.
- [69:36]
D
That wasn't Malcolm Roach's. Yeah.
- [69:41]
B
Speaking of fault, Rocky P Is blaming Jerry for the right half issues. Says he cursed Auburn playing him in paper football at hole in the wall.
- [69:52]
D
True, true story. He was never the same. Never the same after Jerry entered the picture.
- [69:59]
B
Yeah. So Jerry's the fault for his own downfall. I mean.
- [70:03]
D
Yes, yes.
- [70:06]
E
A prisoner of his own excellence.
- [70:09]
D
So the Georgia game was. Was a bad one for Bert Auburn.
- [70:15]
E
Right.
- [70:15]
D
But do y' all remember the. The look Texas in the Arizona State game and, and he tried to hit a kick to win it and it hit the left upright and kind of just. I. That game was so up and down for Texas, right? Like, oh, they're gonna win it easily. Then all of a sudden this other team comes back and then I think that they're gonna. Arizona State's gonna win because I thought it might have been targeting on Michael Taff. And then Texas gets the ball back and, and drives far enough to get a kickoff. And then doink. I was like, this game is too up and down for me. And then 4th and 13 and Quinn connects with. With, with Matthew Golden. And it was, that was, that was one of the more up and down games in Texas football history. And Fever Dream.
- [71:09]
E
Fever Dream is the best way I'd describe that Peach Bowl, Bobby.
- [71:13]
D
Fever Dream. Okay, that's fine. I mean, Texas went out heavy then. Then Arizona State came roaring back and then there was a back and forth right before in the final two minutes. And then it. That was, that was. That is one of the more challenging games to re. Watch if you've ever done it. And I've done it because you just. You can see the slow burn of losing the lead in front of your eyes and then the hairiness of the last two minutes. It kind of. It's crazy.
- [71:51]
E
He'll never admit it, but I still think Kelvin Banks took a strategic false start to set up that fourth. He knew Matthew golden needed that extra five yards to make sure he got open for Quinn to deliver the ball. So Kelvin will never admit it, but I'll take up for the Outland Trophy winner on the false start, if nothing else. Bobby, it sounds great, right?
- [72:15]
B
Oh, goodness. All right, guys, that is gonna do it. For this episode of Coffee and Football presented by Texas Road, we want to thank Texas Road along with prize picks Mint Mobile, Advanced Pain, Care for sponsoring today's show and seatgeek, of course. And shout out to Lance Taylor and Jonathan Gray for joining us. And Bobby, what do you have later today?
- [72:38]
D
Recruiting breakdown coming up. A lot of us are those that aren't already in Austin are headed this way for the first practice tomorrow. We'll get a chance to see the team for media will and then also on Thursday we'll get another opportunity. We'll speak to Sark post practice tomorrow and then a couple of players on Thursday as well. Look guys, we're coming up on it. We also have a live stream tonight and we'll have another show or two. Please join us right now though over at ontexasfootball.com we're getting ready to blow out the coverage for this practice session and fall camp for the Longhorns. Right now you can get it for $3 for three months. This is a limited time offer for new subscribers only. That's $3 for three months. Give us a try. Come over, hang out with us on the message boards, ask any questions you want and talk with other like minded Longhorn fans and visit. It's a fun time and hope you guys take us up on this opportunity.
- [73:41]
B
That's right.
- [73:42]
E
Hey Bobby, I'll and I'll add real quick since it is Tuesday, we've got our OTF Ask OTF Anything Tuesday thread going up. That thing is already three pages deep. So if you want to ask anybody on the OTF staff anything you want to ask CJ about his love for John Mater or Jerry about corn dogs, whatever you want. Go ahead and pop that thread and ask away.
- [74:02]
B
By the way, tomorrow, 31 days. So we'll be joined by former Texas defensive back Aaron Ross. He'll be coming in for coffee and football, so we'll be looking forward to that. And that's a great.
- [74:16]
D
He may be the former Texas Longhorn, but he is always the Thorpe Award winner.
- [74:20]
B
That's right. Two time super bowl champ, national champ. Hey, we could give him a heck of an intro, no doubt about it. But that will be tomorrow, so don't forget to hit that like and subscribe button. Ring the bell so you're notified anytime we go live. And that way you don't miss anything like Aaron Ross joining us. And we'll be back same time, same place tomorrow. So for Bobby Burton and Jerry Hamilton or excuse me, Bobby. Sorry Jeff, it's old habits die hard.
- [74:46]
E
I even went the whole show without muting myself. I should get a. I should get a gold star for like.
- [74:51]
B
It's like one of those automatic know I've been saying it for three years every day of the week for three plus years now and it just rose off the tip of the tongue. But for Bobby Burke and Jeff Howe, I'm Blake Monroe and We'll see you then.
- [75:05]
D
Fuck them hordes.