Tag: team

Texas Longhorns team of the decade: Defensive line

Shifting to defense in the team of the decade, we begin on the LOS. Throughout the 2010s, Texas has produced some monsters on the d-line.

Shifting from offense to defense in the Texas team of the decade, we begin on the line of scrimmage. Throughout the 2010s, the Longhorns have produced some monsters on the defensive line. Producing a few guys good enough to make it into the NFL, all four of these players were recruited by former coaches Mack Brown and Charlie Strong.

The first two players are Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat, who shared the field for three years. Between the two of them, they have a combined 49 sacks. Jeffcoat’s 26 career sacks are good enough for eighth in Longhorn history. The two players benefitted off each other, with 36 of their 49 sacks coming when the two played together.

Poona Ford played defensive tackle for Texas and did not rack up the kind of sacks the other three players got. At 6 foot, 300 pounds, Ford was an aminal for the Longhorns. Taking up space on the defensive line, he was able to make physical plays at the line of scrimmage to stop runners getting behind him.

The most recent of the players is Charles Omenihu, who graduated in 2018. Playing in 48 career games, Omenihu was in the backfield a lot. His best season came in his 2018 senior year when he recorded 9.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. Currently playing for the Houston Texans, Omenihu was selected in the fifth round. Playing all four years, Omenihu is one of the best defensive players Texas has produced in recent years.

Here are the Longhorn defensive lineman of the decade:

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Texas Longhorns of The Decade: Tight Ends

The TE position has not been a strength of the Longhorns throughout the 2010s. The best TE for Texas this decade has been Andrew Beck.

The tight end position has not been a strength of the Longhorns throughout the decade, only producing one NFL talent in Geoff Swaim. While Swaim has had a solid career, his numbers as a Longhorn are less than impressive. The best tight end to play for the Longhorns in the past few years has been Andrew Beck.

Switching to the position after playing linebacker in high school, Beck became a fan favorite for the Longhorns. Also lining up as a full back, he was an excellent blocker for both quarterback Sam Ehlinger and running backs.

As a pass-catcher, his best season came in his senior year in 2018. After missing 2017 with an injury and redshirting, he was able to haul in 28 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns. He had at least one catch in all 14 games, with his career-high of four catches coming against Kansas State.

Here is the tight end of the decade, Andrew Beck:

Years played: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018

Receiving stats: 39 receptions, 435 receiving yards, 11.2 yards per reception, four touchdowns

Best game: vs Oklahoma State in 2018. Three receptions, 51 yards, 17 yards per reception, one touchdown

STILLWATER, OK – OCTOBER 27: Tight end Andrew Beck #47 of the Texas Longhorns pulls in a catch for a touchdown against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the fourth quarter on October 27, 2018 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma State won 38-35. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

Best moment: Go ahead touchdown vs Oklahoma State in 2016

Accomplishments: First-team All-Big 12 (2018)

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Texas’ offensive lineman of the decade

Texas’ OL has been impressive in the second half of the decade. The Longhorns have turned around their offensive line play in recent history

Being the most important unit in all of football, the offensive line for Texas has been impressive in the second half of the decade. Currently with three guys playing in the NFL, the Longhorns have turned around their offensive line play recently.

Connor Williams, Trey Hopkins, and Calvin Anderson are the three guys in the NFL, with Williams and Hopkins declaring after their junior year. The two started in a majority of the games the played, being consistent performers for the Longhorns. They also both helped Texas have some monster games on the ground, each having a 400-yard rushing game during their time at Texas.

Anderson was a graduate transfer from Rice who only spent one year with the Longhorns. He was a big get for Texas in 2018 and made an instant impact the minute he started to play. Starting in all 14 games he played in, Anderson was the left tackle for quarterback Sam Ehlinger. Protecting the blindside, he was a reliable blocker for the team.

Two players who are not in the NFL just quite yet are Zach Shackelford and Samuel Cosmi. The two have been the best players on the offensive line for Texas in 2019. Shackelford is a four-year player with 39 career starts, mainly at center. Cosmi redshirted in 2017 but has been a breakout performer for the Longhorns in his two years on the line.

Here is the Texas offensive line of the decade for the 2010s:

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Bobby Wagner: Seahawks’ success fueled by locker room chemistry

The Seattle Seahawks’ success in 2019 has been fueled by the culture and chemistry in the team’s locker room according to LB Bobby Wagner.

The Seattle Seahawks are 10-3 and in second place in the NFC West coming off a brutal loss Sunday night against the Los Angeles Rams. However, they are still hot on the heels of the 49ers for the division lead with three games left to play, culminating in a showdown with San Francisco in Week 17.

Almost nobody expected the Seahawks to start 10-3 in 2019. There are multiple factors that have contributed significantly to the team’s success this season, including the culture in the locker room.

“I just think it shows how close of a group we are,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said last week. “When we go on the road, everybody’s connected, everybody’s together, and I think that’s what makes us a really good road team – the connection, the chemistry, especially on the defensive side because when the offense is up it’s so quiet. We’re able to communicate a lot better, we’re able to talk to one another a lot better. You can only talk to other people if you have a chemistry with them.”

Wagner said he and the other veterans got the younger players involved and mixed the position groups together to make them feel more connected – including while riding on the team bus.

“The one bus thing was just for everybody to be more connected,” Wagner explained. “Instead of separating the groups, having everybody come together, everybody preparing together, everybody coming out together, I feel like it speaks to that closeness. When you’re around the guys so much it makes you learn who you’re playing with and builds that comradery.”

Following their gut-wrenching primetime loss to the Rams, the Seahawks will seek to recover together against the Panthers in their final road game of the season.

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