Content about American football
Everyone remembers the player that breaks the color barrier.
But what of the coach? The most famous African-American to defy a color barrier in the world of sports is the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson. For the Texas football program, it’s Julius Whittier, a lineman who became the first black Longhorns football player in 1970.
Although it took a little while and some patience, three Longhorns were selected in the NFL Draft on Saturday — the final day of the draft.
Keenan Robinson, a linebacker, was the first to hear his name called. Robinson was picked by Washington in the fourth round, 119th overall.
1. Indianapolis Colts — Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Do something, anything other than watch the first 20 minutes of the NFL Draft.
The Colts have removed the large banner featuring Peyton Manning outside of Lucas Oil Stadium. Andrew Luck is coming to town.
1. Indianapolis Colts, Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, The Indianapolis Colts have informed Stanford QB Andrew Luck that they will be selecting him with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. This ends a few months of speculation that the Colts might go in another direction with the pick, in drafting Baylor QB Robert Griffin III as their future successor.
Compared to the tumultuous child sex scandal at Penn State, Bobby Petrino’s wrongdoings seem relatively minor.
But there is no doubt that these wrongdoings are cause for his termination.
UT is an athletic powerhouse. Its teams are consistently ranked on the national level; as a result, the personnel coaching them is some of the best-paid in the country. But with budget cuts left and right and higher education receiving the brunt of the impact, one must wonder: Are these salaries truly justified? After all, Mack Brown, the highest paid coach in college sports, brings in almost $5.2 million annually before bonuses and incentives.
Texas hasn’t had a tight end catch more than 16 passes or rack up 200 receiving yards in any of the past four seasons. Meanwhile, the Longhorns men’s swimming and diving squad — under the tutelage of the legendary Eddie Reese — has won 33 consecutive conference championships, 10 NCAA titles and 26 top-three finishes, including a second place finish this year.
Like 8 percent of the American public, Vince Young now knows what its like to be unemployed.
Young was the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and is a two-time Pro Bowler.
But now this Texas legend is looking for a job as an unrestricted free agent. His stock has seemed to gradually drop since his 2008 season with the Titans.
Earlier this month, four Texas players had the opportunity to show NFL teams their potential at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. But now they, along with more Longhorn NFL hopefuls, will be able to show their athletic potential at Texas’ annual pro timing day.
Conference play is the start of a new season, and for Texas it was a much needed fresh start.
The Longhorns (10-8, 3-0 Big 12) began Big 12 play with a three game sweep over No. 21 Oklahoma (11-9, 0-3 Big 12).
Coming into the series the Longhorns were under .500, and struggling at the plate. But it seems that all it took was a three-game set against the rival Sooners to get going.
The key to the turnaround seemed to be the confidence gained from Friday’s extra inning nail-biter, in which Texas pulled out a 7-6 victory in 12 innings.
The Tennessee Titans have tagged safety Michael Griffin as their franchise player.
The Titans announced the move Monday a couple hours before the NFL deadline to use the tag.
The move to tag Griffin still allows the Titans to work on a long-term contract before July 16 with the safety who was their first-round draft pick in 2007 out of Texas. Griffin was due to become an unrestricted free agent on March 13.
Co-offensive coordinator Major Applewhite works with the running backs at spring practice.
The Longhorns lost another player this spring, this time in the form of sophomore fullback Chet Moss.
Moss played in four games during his 2011 freshman campaign. Texas head coach Mack Brown officially stated that Moss, a Cedar Park graduate, will take off from spring drills to direct his attention towards school.
Keenan Robinson is an aggressive linebacker who can hit hard. He finished this season with 96 tackles, eight of them for a loss, two interceptions and two sacks. A three-year starter at inside linebacker, Robinson redshirted his freshman year and played in 51 games for the Longhorns while making 39 starts.
Ever since Kyle Hicks was young, he has been a fan of the Texas Longhorns. Now, he has made the decision to become one.
Hicks, a junior running back from Arlington Martin High School committed to Texas Feb. 18 after visiting campus on the first junior day held by the Longhorns the previous weekend. He became Texas’ fifth commit.
Just a day after the TCU basketball program recorded a stunning overtime win over No. 11 UNLV, the school was rocked by the news of a campus-wide drug bust.
It's only fitting that the Longhorns face one of their oldest rivals during a time when the their tournament chances are up in the air.
The Longhorns are a better team in the second half.
Texas rallied to beat Oklahoma, 69-58, on Tuesday night in Norman, Okla. to extend its winning streak to four games. UT (17-9) overcame a five-point halftime deficit to win only its third away game of the season and its second in a row.
The Longhorns have outscored their opponent in the second half in eight straight games and trailed going into the break in each of their last three wins. UT has won the second half 22 times in 26 tries this season.
Mack Brown and his staff are known for nabbing commitments early in the recruiting process. Sunday was Texas’ first junior day of 2013.
The day ended with no commitments.
Although scholarships were offered to 10 of the 12 prospects, none accepted — yet. Jake Raulerson remains Texas’ only commitment. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound tackle also reported offers from Alabama, Auburn and Oklahoma.
Should Texas be concerned?
The Super Bowl capped off this Sunday and the New York Giants are world champions. Now football fans everywhere are panicking and wondering, what am I supposed to watch until football starts up again in August?
Well calm down NFL fanatics, here is a list of great sporting events, month by month, you can check out to hold you over until opening kickoff 2012.
February
Feb. 6-12 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
Texas legend and 1998 Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams has decided to retire after 11 seasons in the NFL. Williams, 34, played with the New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins and spent his final year with the Baltimore Ravens.
He ends his career as one of just 26 players in NFL history to rush for more than 10,000 yards. He passed Earl Campbell in rushing, becoming Texas’ most productive rusher in the NFL.
Ricky Williams was Texas’ best football player of the last two decades, and arguably one of the best in school history. He ran for 7,206 yards and 72 touchdowns, won a Heisman Trophy and earned back-to-back NCAA rushing and scoring titles. He played 11 seasons in the NFL, a rarity these days, and is currently 26th on the all-time rush leaders list with more than 10,000 yards behind him. However, Ricky Williams’ biggest accomplishment as a football player was that he humanized the sport.
