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My journey to Orangebloods began with an unsolicited email from Ketch on April 16, 2014. He had an opening on his staff for a football writer and wanted to gauge my interest in covering the University of Texas.
Initially, I did not have any interest. I worked hard to establish myself as an NFL writer. There were numerous years spent working on my craft as a Tampa Bay Buccaneers reporter. I covered Tony Dungy, Jon Gruden, and Raheem Morris, and each coach had a unique personality. Dungy is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Gruden could be fun on some days, but confrontational with media members at times. Morris was the first coach I considered to be a friend, but Tampa Bay never gave him the athletes to succeed.
I eventually left Tampa and covered the Detroit Lions and former coach Jim Schwartz. On my first day in Detroit, I had a one-on-one meeting with Schwartz after his media availability. I requested the meeting to introduce myself to Schwartz as a new beat writer. Yeah, it turned into Schwartz lecturing me on how much he dislikes the media, he will never read anything I write, never ask him for information, the repercussions of ticking him off, and a bunch of other things similar to a father threatening the teenage boy who is about to take his daughter to prom. However, I eventually became a Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee member in Detroit, which is one of the highest honors an NFL writer can receive. That gig eventually opened to door to covering the NFL at Yahoo.
So, I politely told Ketch “Thanks, but no thanks” and intended to remain an NFL writer. If you know anything about Ketch, that man will not back down if he feels strongly about a topic. He understood my concerns about leaving the NFL but pitched an opportunity to reinvent myself in Austin. After an honest career reflection, it occurred to me that I hit my ceiling as an NFL writer. ESPN had Adam Schefter. The NFL Network had Ian Rapoport. Both guys were young. Working at Yahoo would probably be as good as it gets. At worst, I could work at Orangebloods for a few years, add college sports to my résumé, and see if any other opportunities arose.
Here we are seven years later.
June 1 marked my seventh year of covering the Texas Longhorns for Orangebloods. I spent this past week thinking a lot about my time in Austin. In addition, I reflected on my seven years of covering this program.
If I had to write a book, it would be titled “The Eyes of Texas: Close Them For Your Safety.”
I decided to reflect on the highs and lows of covering this program for the past seven years. Clearly, there were a lot of lows. There were a few highs, but nothing worth filming a documentary, unless you want to depress Longhorn fans.
This reflection also shows the tough task Steve Sarkisian faces at Texas. When you see the list I have compiled, the majority of you will give a shoulder shrug and skip down to the funny videos. Sarkisian has to overcome a decade of mediocrity to win recruits and turn the Longhorns into a championship program. If you compare your best memories to what I have witnessed since arriving in Austin, you clearly understand the obstacles Sarkisian must overcome.
Best Quarterback: Sam Ehlinger
The quarterbacks I have covered since 2014 are David Ash (one game), Tyrone Swoopes, Jerrod Heard, Shane Buechele, and Ehlinger. One guy was a four-year starter and everyone else struggled.
Best Running Back: D’Onta Foreman
It is still hard to believe that it took an injury to Chris Warren III for Foreman to emerge into the lead running back. The other running backs since 2014 have been Johnathan Gray, Malcolm Brown, Kyle Porter, Kirk Johnson, Daniel Young, Toneil Carter, Keaontay Ingram, Roschohn Johnson, and Bijan Robinson.
Best Receiver: Devin Duvernay
He had 106 receptions for 1,386 yards and nine touchdowns in 2019. The second-best receiver is a coin toss between Lil’ Jordan Humphrey (1,176 yards and nine touchdowns in 2018) and John Harris (1,051 yards and seven touchdowns in 2014).
Best Tight End: Andrew Beck
Outside of Beck, Geoff Swain has been the other memorable tight end. Heck, Cade Brewer is in the top three.
Best Offensive Lineman: Connor Williams
He gets the nod for two years as a starter. Williams missed most of his junior season due to a knee injury. The other notable offensive linemen have been Sam Cosmi, Zach Shackelford, Kent Perkins, and Calvin Anderson.
Best Defensive Lineman: Malcom Brown
There have been a few good players at this position. Outside of Brown, Charles Omenihu flashed, Poona Ford is thriving in the NFL, Hassan Ridgeway emerged into an NFL prospect, and Ta’Quon Graham was solid.
Best Linebacker: Jordan Hicks
The other linebackers who shined over the past seven years were Malik Jefferson and Joseph Ossai. I gave Hicks the nod because he played well throughout multiple seasons. DeMarvion Overshown is on pace to be in the conversation with another good season, which says a lot about this position throughout the years.
Best Cornerback: Quandre Diggs
Is Kris Boyd the second-best cornerback? Davante Davis? Jalen Green? D’Shawn Jamison? After Diggs, it is a tough conversation.
Best Safety: DeShon Elliott
The other guys in contention were Caden Sterns, P.J. Locke, Mykkele Thompson, and Dylan Haines. Elliott recorded 63 tackles (50 solo), 15 pass breakouts, six interceptions, and three forced fumbles during his junior season. He had the biggest impact.
Best Game Covered: Texas 48, Oklahoma 45 in 2018
Some Longhorn fans will prefer the victory against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. It was the biggest victory for Texas since the 2009 season. However, Sam Ehlinger versus Kyler Murray is a dual I will never forget.
Worst Game Covered: Kansas 24, Texas 21 in 2016
It is still hard to believe that game happened.
Whataburger versus In-N-Out-Burger: This is not a competition. Whataburger is the best.
Dallas versus Houston: I am leaning toward Houston, but the flooding and hurricanes are not appealing.
Most Satisfying Moment: I spent an entire Sunday trying to get in contact with Bryce Byers (Hornsfan65) and his family after he faked his suicide on Orangebloods in 2018. I made countless calls to track him down and hopefully save his life. Byers did seek help and seemingly won his fight against depression before committing suicide in 2019. No matter what, I am happy his family had a few more months with Byers.
https://texas.forums.rivals.com/thr...update-about-hornsfan65.374259/#post-10845568
Worst Moment: After boarding a plane to Los Angeles to cover Texas versus USC in 2017, I received a call and was informed Sean Adams had died. I cried a lot during that flight. Adams was a good friend and we booked rooms at the same hotel to hang out in Los Angeles. I still miss him.
Best Player I’ve Covered: Sam Ehlinger
He is not Colt McCoy or Vince Young. However, Ehlinger is the best player I have covered since 2014.
Craziest Moment: “And it ain’t even close”
In hindsight, will anyone stand on the table and say they do not believe Charlie Strong was about to make a bad decision? Strong wanted Tyrone Swoopes to start at quarterback before the 2016 season, and I reported it. At the time, everything I wrote was 100 percent accurate. Every website in this market eventually confirmed that report. Before the season, former offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert told Strong he did not want to start Swoopes and preferred Buechele. Strong eventually caved and went with Buechele. Of course, every website acted like it never reported Swoopes was in the lead, which was hilarious.
Texas finished 5-7, lost to Kansas, and Strong was fired, and the story is just a bad footnote.
Most Frustrating Part About Working at OB: We are held to a higher standard than any other website in this market. It means we have to bat 1.000. If another website breaks a story, it is like the Giants beating New England in the Super Bowl. If OB breaks a story, we get a golf clap. Hey, life is not fair, and we are always up for the challenge.
Most Rewarding Part About Working at OB: We have the best family. Period. We may fight and want to shank each other at times, but the Orangebloods family takes care of each other. We raise money for those in need. Provide employment for people who need a job. Give advice on a variety of topics. There have been lifetime friendships formed through Orangebloods. Your life is better because of Orangebloods. My life is better because of you.
Here we are seven years later.
Seven years from now, I hope we can reflect on better football memories.
Funniest Things You Will See This Week
We have all felt this way at least once
I guess we need to step up our graduation celebration as parents
You will be hard-pressed to find something more accurate on the internet than this
Sports On A Dime
1. The bet is simple. If Texas linebacker Ray Thornton finishes with at least five sacks, Ketch will wear a clown nose and hair during a future broadcast and apologize for doubting the LSU transfer. I am usually indifferent about the success of Longhorn players. However, I am officially the president of the Ray Thornton Fan Club.
2. I love this humblebrag by Troy Omeire.
3. After witnessing a former Longhorn recruiting writer trademark #LetsRide, Texas officials were smart to secure the rights to “All Gas No Brakes.”
4. Great lede by Dustin in his baseball story:
"Longhorn fans were ready for this. They didn’t simply wait a few more hours than expected because of lightning delays that impacted the loser bracket’s game earlier. No, the 6,981 in attendance, easily the biggest crowd in a long time, and probably a thousand more tailgating just outside the stadium waited years for this. They were ready. They were into every single pitch. They created one of the best and loudest UFCU Disch-Falk atmospheres ever, and they made a noticeable impact.
“They were going crazy. I think they made a difference in the game for sure,” said Zach Zubia about the home crowd. “It was awesome to see. It was awesome to be a part of. I think they were a big help. And I hope to see even more tomorrow.”
"No offense to them, but they didn’t matter as much as the guy taking the hill for No. 2 overall seed Texas (44-15). They might have rattled ASU starter Justin Fall and the defense behind him, but they couldn’t throw any pitches or swing any bat. Fortunately for all those fans, Ty Madden was ready too. He set the tone, and Zach Zubia delivered the big blow with a fourth-inning swing. The Longhorns beat Arizona State 10-3 and those fans tonight could see their team punch a Super Regional ticket tomorrow."
5. ProFootballFocus.com ranked every college football program and Texas was 17th. That is not surprising. The amazing number is PFF gives Texas an 11 percent chance of winning the Big 12 title. Oklahoma is ranked No. 5 (60 percent chance of winning the conference title), Oklahoma State is 20th (nine percent) and Iowa State is 21st (11 percent).
17. TEXAS LONGHORNS
National Championship Win Probability: 1.0%
Conference Championship Win Probability: 11.0%
Highest-Graded Returning Player: DI Keondre Coburn (75.8)
Texas will finally have a new look under center with Sam Ehlinger finishing off a productive but sometimes underwhelming college career. Texas never won the Big
12 title game and now opens the 2021 season with its longest odds since 2016. Quarterback Casey Thompson has only 34 career dropbacks but showed a propensity to target
receivers downfield on the shortest of sample sizes. He offers more dual-threat ability than Ehlinger and forms one of the most dynamic backfields in the
country alongside Bijan Robinson.
6. Here is a nugget about Louisiana’s football team that appeared on TheAdvocate.com:
“The primary method in achieving that end [leadership] is a summer-long competition in which the roster is split up into nine teams with 18 captains by a draft.
“Teams can gain or lose points throughout each week’s activities.
“The freshman newcomers are observed for six days and then a supplement draft takes place.
“It creates leadership opportunities for the players,” [coach Billy] Napier said. “Each week, we start over. So they compete for a week and then they go back to zero, and then they compete for a week and then they go back to zero.
“Each week, they can change their strategy. They can correct the things that are out of place and encourage the positive things that create opportunities for each team to score more points.”
7. The only questionable aspect of this Johnny Manziel story via Yahoo is did the former Texas A&M quarterback wait until his college football career was over to collect his money?
“Former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel claimed on Thursday that he made about $33,000 selling autographs while at Texas A&M, what he described as making “somewhat of a decent living.”
“Manziel, however, insisted that he didn’t take any money until after he won college football’s top award in 2012.
“Manziel told Barstool Sports that one day he was approached by a man who offered him a chance to make $3,000 — which he jumped on.
“We're doing it all sneaky, we don't want to get caught, we're trying to learn from everybody else who's got caught," Manziel said. "And I may or may not have gone back to this guy's condo and signed probably 10,000 pieces. He gave me three grand."
“That specific deal isn’t that great, and equates to about 30 cents per autograph."
"Someone there realized that, Manziel claimed, and connected him to another guy who offered him $30,000 instead."
"So this guy is like, 'All right, go to this room at the Fontainebleau. All this stuff will be in there laid out, and when you're done, just send me a picture of all of it, I'll give you the code to the safe, the money will be in there,'" Manziel said.
8. It is hard enough for college football programs to compete for high school players considering SEC schools. The SEC just made it more difficult to obtain their players who enter the transfer portal.
9. I thought F1 drivers needed precision to race in Monaco, but the Azerbaijan Grand Prix humbled several participants on Sunday. That was the wildest race I have witnessed as a newbie to the sport.
Can somebody explain the soft, medium, and hard tires to me? It seems as if the importance of each tire changes in every race.
10. If you pay to watch Floyd Mayweather versus Logan Paul, at least order a Dave Ramsey book and learn how to stop wasting money. Someone on OB will send you a link to watch the fight for free. You can thank me later.
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