Don Talbert was a great offensive lineman on the '63 national championship team. Diron was a bit of an outlaw who was a better than average defensive lineman, who later developed into a star in the NFL.
Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend (When Herman is 100-percent humanized...)
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Don Talbert was a great offensive lineman on the '63 national championship team. Diron was a bit of an outlaw who was a better than average defensive lineman, who later developed into a star in the NFL.
That 95 game was special. Westbrook bitch slapped Corey Pullig a couple of times IIRC.
CDC proved he doesn’t care about winning as it pertains to Shaka well before this year.
Westbrook's play that day is still my gold standard for a single game performance by a DB. FWIW, of all of his big plays that game, this one gets sorely overlooked:
About 3 min left and us holding onto to a 10-point lead, he runs down McElroy who many thought was headed for the house. 2 plays later, Pullig is picked by Thomas to seal the win.
Here's another overlooked huge play, this one by Brackens on aggy possession prior to the one in the first video.
Aggy was first and 10 in the red zone and on the move.
1990 was my freshman year at Jester, and the unexpected conference-winning team made for quite a fun ride. We would see the players often of course since they lived in Jester too. The stories about Dronett were crazy. One of my friends said he was walking down a hallway where Shane was shooting arrows at a target down the hall.
Someone probably already pointed out that this is incorrect.
Chip Brees, Drew's father is married to Amy, Hightower's daughter.
But Drew came from a prior marriage.
Drew's mother Myna left Chip for Judge Harley Clark, who started the Hook'em sign as a UT cheerleader in the '50's. After that marriage ended and Drew got famous, Myna changed her name back to Brees. Didn't sit too well with Chip, I don't think.
Here's a story on McMichael. About a week after reporting for our freshman year, four of us were leaving the athletic dining hall walking to the athletic elevator at Jester. Steve was a junior, was walking about 20 feet ahead. His reputation as a major badass was well known by all of us. All four of us freshmen were bigger than Steve physically. He got to the elevator and walked on and turned around and said "ain't none of you guys are getting on". We stood there looking at each other, but no one moved. The elevator closed and he laughed loud and yelled out bunch of pussies. The reality is he was really a nice guy, little crazy, and we laughed about it the next day with him. He could get a look on his face though, that if you saw, you knew not to jack with him. I have seen him sporadically over the last 40 years or so, and have always had a good time talking with him.
There's something about Texas head coach Tom Herman that I don't know that I've ever fully considered until this weekend.
What's that, you ask?
Well, let's start at the beginning, which for me was reading Statesman writer Brian Davis's story on Herman from this weekend, which mostly featured a look at Herman's life inside the mostly quarantined world of the Coronavirus.
There was the juggling act of raising three kids in three different schools (one in kindergarten, another in the sixth grade and the oldest is a sophomore in high school) in a world where no one is supposed to go outdoors. His 16-year old daughter gets to see her boyfriend because ... well ... she's 16 and sometimes you're just trying to keep your head above water as a parent. A couple of dogs were roaming around the Herman Zoo as well. Oh, and they are working their way through Tiger King on Nexflix.
It was all ... sooooooooo .... relatable.
That could be just about anyone of us on Orangebloods right now.
Before the article was concluded, I was reminded that Herman's life story includes his father losing his life at the age of 52 while living in a homeless shelter. Herman went on the record about seeing his mom in an abusive relationship.
These important details really brought his charitable actions from earlier in the week, when he gave money to the Central Texas Food Bank, Front Steps of Austin, The Boys and Girls Clubs, and Meals on Wheels, into a much sharper picture.
It was all ... sooooooooo ... likable.
As someone that has given Herman mostly rave remarks for the way he's handled the media since arriving at Texas, it occurred to me how little Herman has let us inside his human bubble for most of the time he's been in Austin. While he'll often enjoy the back-and-forth, give-and-take from the media that covers him, there's often a bit of a frigid disconnect between him and seemingly anyone that isn't inside that locker room with him on a daily basis.
For instance, I didn't realize his oldest kid was in high school. Truthfully, it's none of my business, but it's such a reminder of the life Herman lives that exists beyond the 40 Acres and how much of it weren't mostly clueless over. This is a dude that is not only trying to figure out how to manage a football program from remote, but he's got to deal with having a teenage daughter ... that is dating a boy ... during a pandemic!
As the father of a six-year old girl, let me just say for him the thing that he couldn't say out loud to anyone other than his wife, "NO! NO GOD PLEASE NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
For a guy that constantly gets associated with MENSA and weirdly not always in the most positive of ways, Davis’s story did more to turn him into a human being that we could all connect with than every press conference he's ever done since taking the job added together
Also, can we also take a moment to appreciate the awesomeness around the fact that Davis sometimes appears to be a trigger for Herman during occasional press conferences and yet he somehow got some of the most revealing and humanizing details of Herman's life with his family that we've ever seen.
Some of that credit has to go to Davis. Some of it has to go to the Coronavirus for creating these odd set of circumstances that has Herman setting teleconferencing meetings in an effort to talk to his coaches. Some if it simply has to come down to Herman putting the forcefield down and letting us into his life, if even just a smidge.
Of course, Herman came to Texas to coach football. He is under no obligation to offer up so much as a smidge of his personal life if he doesn’t want to. Not every head coach in any sport is going to be Steve Kerr. Most are going to be something closer to Bill Parcells.
Believe me, I get it.
All I'm trying to say is that while it's not within our rights to ask him to give that piece of his soul to us in any way with any sort of regularity, I have to point out how much I think it helps his Q-rating on those times when he does.
It's when he's most real.
There's a complex, fascinating personal side of Herman that exists, but the reality is that he's probably a lot more like the rest of us than the alternative. An occasional reminder of this truth will rarely be a bad idea when it almost always reveals validation for him having some really positive components that have nothing to do with football.
Being likable can carry a ton of value or a variety of reasons.
Too often, a coach like Herman can only be viewed by some through the prism of the salary he makes, or the number of wins he has in a season or whether he's won or lost against Oklahoma. Yet, he cuts. He bleeds. He's got a life that's every bit as upside down as the rest of us at the moment.
A big part of Herman's job is messaging. If he's ever able to harness the occasional vulnerable side of himself into the big picture messaging of the program that he's responsible for, it will elevate him as a recruiter and as someone that speaks to the moms of recruits and season ticket holders every time he's in front of a microphone, it has a chance to elevate his entire brand.
Maybe we'd get sick of seeing such a side of him every day. Maybe we'd punish him for it after a bad loss because people are jerks way too often. Too much of anything can lead to bad things, right?
But, just an occasional open book to remind of us of how relatable he is, especially when he is so good at it when he lets the moment go there?
Deep down, you get the sense from Herman that while he'll never be a perfect egg, he's still a good egg, and in a world where we don't see enough good eggs, showing us that side of himself will never be wrong.
In fact, I'd go so far to say that letting the burnt orange world into his heart a little was just the thing the burnt orange world needed because a feel-good story about the head football coach was just what the doctor ordered.
No. 2 - Just one more thing about Sam's rib injury ...
No, I'm not going to dive back into that subject matter head first because I don't want to give it the dead mule treatment, however ....
I do want you to look at two sets of numbers.
Here's a look at the game efficiency ratings for Ehlinger through the first four weeks of the season heading into the team's bye week:
vs. La Tech: 169.4
vs. LSU: 165.7
vs. Rice: 208.6
vs. Oklahoma State: 195.7
Those aren't Joe Burrow numbers, but they aren't far off, either. What's important to know about the timeline with Ehlinger's rib injury is that when he first injured it, it wasn't treated as a serious injury by anyone in the program. It wasn't until the next game until Ehlinger was injured enough that the injury evolved into a situation that needed to be managed. By the time Texas got to the bye week and Ehlinger was able to rest the injury without the luxury of not having to play a game that week, it had turned into a problem.
Now, let's take a look at the next four games following the bye week:
at West Virginia: 122.2
vs. Oklahoma: 114.8
vs. Kansas: 172.1
at TCU: 99.1
It wasn't until the final two games of the season against Texas Tech and Utah that Ehlinger posted a single game rating that was as high as any that he had posted in the first four game of the season outside of the Kansas game in week seven. Every other performance in weeks No. 5-11 fell below the marks established in games No. 1-4.
I'm not telling you that this all points to the ribs as much as I'm reminding you that there were some clear marker lines on the Texas schedule a year ago when Ehlinger's performance started to slow and it coincides right after Ehlinger was bothered enough by the injury to miss practice, if even just a little.
No. 3 - Hudson Card's lost advantage ...
You might have seen this discussed in Anwar's Sunday Pulpit, but I wanted to discuss the nuance associated with the battle that will take place between freshman quarterbacks Hudson Card and Ja'Quinden Jackson.
As the president of the Card Fan Club here in Austin, I've been quite vocal in the last nine months or so that the combination of the following advantages would play in his favor in a battle that could end up deciding who starts in 2021 or 2022, depending on numerous factors:
* As an early enrollee, Card would have the advantage of taking a huge amount of reps, including some with the second-team offense on days when Sam Ehllinger might be resting. For a guy that already has significantly more passing game reps than Jackson upon his arrival in college, having an entire spring head-start just felt like a massive leg up.
* Jackson's own injury questions coming off the knee surgery that ended his high school career.
Depending on just how much Card could take the baton and run with it in the spring, the battle between Card and Jackson could have been over before it ever truly had a chance to begin.
Yet, with the loss of spring practice for perhaps forever, Card's one-semester lead on Jackson has been significantly marginalized. A month ago, Jackson stood to enter workouts in the fall a clear fourth on the pecking order, if for no other reason than his starting line, but he'll be much closer to a co-No. 3 than a clear No. 4 when football likely picks up again ... whenever it picks up again.
Get your popcorn ready because this will be one hell of a battle once the participants begin to fully engage.
No. 4 - About Shaka ...
Here's a hypothetical for you.
Let's say Shaka Smart finishes second in the Big 12 in 2020-21 and UT concludes the season with its first Sweet Sixteen appearance since a Texan was in the White House.
With two years and more than seven million left on his deal, what would you do? Extend him? Hold tight end let him play out another year on the deal, while potentially risking him while his Q-rating rises again nationally?
I'm guessing most of you would scream bloody murder at the notion of extending him right at the point the years on his deal would reach a level that could make it easier to dismiss him, but what would it take for you to feel comfortable with an extension of Smart?
I don't know that I have a good answer.
No. 5 - Story-time with Uncle Ketch ...
Earlier this week, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees announced that his family was giving away $5,000,000 in an effort to help feed seniors and children on a daily basis during the Coronavirus pandemic.
I couldn't help but be reminded of the time I was interviewing Brees outside of the Westlake High gymnasium in a hallway during January of 1997.
During our conversation, Brees started talking about his decision to back away from fully exploring his upside in baseball in the name of pursuing the optimal levels possible in football. Yet, after winning a state title in 1996 he was left with nothing but offers from Kentucky and Purdue.
He was so broken up about it. Tears filled his eyes. He suggested that if he had played baseball instead of football, he'd have better college options on the baseball side of things. As much as he'd allow himself to be angry, he was pretty angry about it all, although I didn't get the sense that he was sharing a lot of it with others.
All these years later, it's almost impossible to imagine Brees being marginalized as a football player. Most will probably never know how close he was to mentally wanting to move on.
About a week later, he visited Purdue and his entire outlook about his options seemed to change and the Brees that would eventually become a two-time Heisman finalist, a Super Bowl MVP and a future Hall of Famer found liftoff.
Twenty-three years later, I'm still writing about him.
No. 6 – BUY or SELL …
(Buy) I just believe there's too much money to be lost if there isn't. All of college athletics would be turned upside down if a college football season is missed. I'm not sure that any of us can fully grasp the collateral damage of such an event.
(Buy) At this point, I think there's a better chance that we do see games without crowds perhaps than we see games with crowds. It's less than ideal, but it's the safest way to deliver the television product, which is critical.
(Buy) Everyone will eventually get this stuff right, even if it takes some time.
(Sell) That feels a little unfair. Let's see how he handles the women's basketball job.
(Sell) I feel like such a heathen.
(Sell) Personally, I'd swap out the 2011 game against A&M and replace it with the 1995 game against the Aggies, as that game ended an era of dominance by the Aggies, while the other merely ended the rivalry. I might also rank the 1996 game against the Aggies and the 2005 game against Ohio State over the 2011 game.
My list might look like this:
1. 2005 vs. USC
2. 2004 vs. Michigan
3. 1996 vs. Nebraska
4. 2008 vs. Oklahoma
5. 2005 at. Ohio State
6. 1995 at Texas A&M
7. 1996 vs. Texas A&M
8. 1998 at Nebraska
9. 2018 vs. Georgia
10. 2011 vs. Teas A&M
(Sell) I think Texas will/would have a top-10 class in 2021, with or without the Rona.
(Sell) I'm still taking Card. I think Yurcich is going to love him.
(Sell) As the person who first rated Ehlinger as a high-level prospect, I have to admit that I have Card rated higher as an incoming prospect, mostly because I believe he has a special arm talent.
(Buy) Yup. And high-stepped from the 10-yard line on her way into the end zone.
(Buy) I believe the season will be finished for the same reasons why I believe the college football season will be played ... TV revenue. As it relates to Liverpool, we're talking about a team that has played 29 matches this season and won 27 of them, while losing only once. It's an all-time great team that I'm not expecting to be all-time great whenever the season does pick back up, which will impact the way we ultimately remember this team on historical levels.
No. 7 - Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind ...
... I find myself very thankful that the NFL has no soul and wouldn't cancel it's off-season if the world ended. I've continued to appreciate the content it’s given all of us to digest. This is all a little like being a drug addict and being asked to quit cold turkey. The NFL off-season is our slow withdraw out of what we're used to doing.
... Never thought I'd get the feelings over a place-kicker addition, but I like the signing of Greg Zuerlein by the Cowboys. The bleeding needed to stop at kicker. I also dig the signing of Dontari Poe.
... How many fights would Pete Rose be involved in if the 1970 version of himself played in 2020?
... Whatever happened to DePaul basketball?
... Jon Jones just can't stop being Jon Jones.
No. 8 - Three Things I did in Quarantine this week ...
a. Yes, I watched Tiger King and as I said on Twitter on Saturday afternoon, it's like someone hooked me up to a 4+ hour IV drip of a Jerry Springer Show Mixed Tape. I can't say I feel good at all about myself for finishing the series. I just feel really icky.
b. Watched a bunch more of ER (moved into season two), including the episode that is remembered for launching George Clooney into the realm of movie stars. I have to admit, upon the first review in at least a decade, Clooney's performance is out of this world good.
c. In a continuation of my Kenny Rogers kick, I went down the rabbit-hole of reaction videos of people reacting to Rogers performing "Lady" for the first time (here, here, here and here). Most of them weren't even great, but I just kept watching them.
No. 9 - The List: Top 10 All-Time Texas Bad Asses ...
Motivated by a Buy or Sell question from last week that pitted ex-Texas players in boxing matches against other ex-Texas players, I thought I would come up with my list of the top 10 absolute bad-ass sonofaguns that ever walked the 40 Acres. I'm talking about first guys off the bus type of stuff. Dark Alley type stuff. Kicking ass on spring break type of stuff.
A lot of this is based on legend as much as anything else. I also included one basketball player because it felt like listing his name was warranted, considering he probably scared anyone on the 40 Acres as much as any football players during the last 20 years.
10. P.J. Tucker
9. Britt Hager
8. Shaun Rogers
7. Tony Brackens
6. Steve McMichael
5. Casey Hampton
4. Don Talbert
3. Diron Talbert
2. Quentin Jammer
1. Shane Dronett
No.10 - And finally...
Dogs are the best.
I don’t think Drew Brees and his mother had a very good relationship as she tried to capitalize on his name.
Great piece.
One thing I'm wondering about right now is how things will change having players interact with the playbook as much as they have. I'm wondering if some players may transform their game from the film room out in this period.
One thing I'm wondering about right now is how things will change having players interact with the playbook as much as they have. I'm wondering if some players may transform their game from the film room out in this period.
It seems like Sams QB rating runs, good and bad, also aligned reasonably closely with the availability of CJ.
I watched that old Texas v. OSU basketball game highlight and went back and watched a quick highlight package of the '95 last SWC football game v. A&M after reading the column.
My overwhelming thought was about the pride I had/have for the UT athletes that were key contributors to those teams being "winners". And just how little of that pride I have had for players in recent years in either sport. It is not necessarily fair to individual players of the past few years, but just a reality of having a long span of mediocrity in both sports.
My overwhelming thought was about the pride I had/have for the UT athletes that were key contributors to those teams being "winners". And just how little of that pride I have had for players in recent years in either sport. It is not necessarily fair to individual players of the past few years, but just a reality of having a long span of mediocrity in both sports.
I wasn't sure of the different tiers for the brothers. I just knew that all looked for the trouble.
Of all the games I've ever enjoyed watching from the sidelines, this one is my favorite. By a mile.
Kind of. He played in the first two games, missed two games and then played in the next four games.
So, in that four-game stretch where Sam really struggled, he had his top two guys available to him at all times.
I am sure we are talking about the same fight...........it was literally a full scale riot! I always got there in time to watch the freshman game and would grab a low seat around mid-court. As soon as the final horn sounded I streaked down the middle of the court toward the only entrance/exit of Gregory gym only to find the exit blocked by a large group of core guys just standing there. After a few seconds they all turned around and just started swinging. I started swinging just to protect myself. It was the wildest thing i've ever been in.......ladies, coeds and kids right in the middle of it. If you ever hit the ground you were not getting back up as people were stumbling over you. I was not even sure who I was fighting or why so I worked my way back to the lower stands for a safer view. Saw many a person pinned to the floor and could not get back up.
After I got back into the stands Bully Gilstrap, a retired football coach who I had for PE, grabbed me by the arm and told me to come watch. In the corner of the gym Diron had a least 5 aggys pinned and was pummeling them. They could not escape the corner and were taking a beating.
I would always go to Gregory gym on Saturday mornings for pick up basketball games. We typically played a group of the football players. Diron was usually playing. He made camp immediately under the goal for both offense and defense. No one drove the baseline or down the lane for a lay up because Diron would send you flying to the ground.
During high school I met the Talbert's Dad in a rice field while hunting geese. We had to stop hunting and talk football (we had beaten Texas City the night before) for about an hour. He was really a nice man!
One of Card or JQJ or Thompson will transfer by the time its all said in done in the next few years?
I just talked with a good friend who played in the early 60’s. He witnessed first hand incidents involving players then. The names he gave were Tommy Lucas, Johnny Treadwell and George Brucks.
