Texas has never been known for the tight ends, producing better pass catchers at wide receiver. However, there are a couple guys who have played important roles in the offense the past 20 years.
For both Vince Young and Colt McCoy, the tight end was always a safety valve. The two had big-name receivers to throw to such as Billy Pittman, Limas Sweed, Jordan Shipley, and Quan Cosby. Not being the main focus in the passing game, these two tight ends always came through when called upon.
Here are the tight ends of the century for the Longhorns:
Starting tight end: David Thomas
- 98 receptions
- 1,367 receiving yards
- 15 receiving touchdowns
- 51 games played
An intricate part of the 2005 National Championship winning team, David Thomas gets the starting spot for tight ends. Over his four seasons with Texas, his numbers grew better, having 50 receptions for 613 yards and five touchdowns his senior year.
Thomas’ best performance of his career came in the 2006 Rose Bowl against USC. On that night, he had 10 receptions for 88 yards. Thomas was the safe and reliable option for Vince Young the entire night. He was the leading receiver for the Longhorns, winning the program’s fourth national championship.
Backup tight end: Jermichael Finley
- 76 receptions
- 947 receiving yards
- Five receiving touchdowns
- 26 games played
Only playing for two seasons, Jermichael Finley was productive during his short stint in Austin. During his redshirt freshman season, Finley’s 31 receptions were the most a tight end had ever caught for Texas during their freshman season.
The next season in 2007, Finley showed out in the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma. His 149 receiving yards were the most by a tight end ever for the Longhorns. A career-high, he did so on just four catches and had one touchdown.
Forgoing his redshirt junior and senior seasons, Finley was drafted in the third round by the Green Bay Packers. Despite only being in Austin for two years, Finley’s production for Colt McCoy was outstanding.
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