Latest news with #BarrySwitzer
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Darrell Royal's Longhorns featured in Wishbone documentary on SEC Network
In 1990s it was the 'Run and Shoot.' In the early 2000s it was the 'Read Option.' But in the late 1960s and '70s, no offense dominated college football like the 'Wishbone.' Now that two of the primary innovators of the offense are in the conference, the SEC Network is airing a documentary about its history. A form of the Wishbone had been banging around Texas high schools in the late 1950s and 60s as a modified 'T' formation when it was seen by future Texas Longhorns assistant Emory Bellard. About the time Texas head coach Darrell Royal hired Bellard, the triple option was showing signs of success in college football. Royal asked Bellard to come up with a new formation and he combined elements of the modified 'T' with a 'Slot-I' formation and after some initial growing pains, the Wishbone took off. Texas went onto win two national titles running the offense. Oklahoma under Barry Switzer and Alabama under Bear Bryant also adopted a form of the Wishbone and the next seven out of ten national champs ran the offense. Switzer is credited with perfecting the formation and ran it successfully all the way into the '90s. But by then the 'Run and Shoot' was taking over. The SEC Network's documentary "SEC Storied: Wishbone" will air Thursday night, July 17 at 6 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN+ and re-airings on SEC Network. This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: SEC Network Wishbone documentary features Darrell Royal and Longhorns
USA Today
06-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
3 draft prospects for Cowboys to \
3 draft prospects for Cowboys to "reach" for before their perceived pick range Being ahead of evaluations on prospects is how good teams turn great. Here are 3 prospects who Dallas should snag before their consensus slots. There's always a debate about whether or not a head coach and his staff are the most important part of an NFL team. Surely, ridiculously bad coaches are a detriment to any roster, but outside of that, just how much impact can a coach have? It's almost impossible to separate leadership and direction from roster talent. Fans in Dallas know that Barry Switzer was able to take Jimmy Johnson's roster and parlay that into a championship, just as fans in New England know the legendary Bill Belichick wasn't able to find success once Tom Brady left for Tampa and won a Lombardi trophy in Florida. The ability of a front office to identify talent, and manage the roster as draft picks turn into veterans is probably more fundamental of a role in a team's success than the day-to-day coaching aspect. Which is why the Cowboys' money man Stephen Jones is the ire of so many corners of the Dallas fanbase. Will McClay seems to do an applaudable job of identifying talent when he doesn't need to bend to the whims of a coaching staff's insistence, but Jones' failure to win a negotiation or bring in outside talent seems to doom those efforts. Nonetheless, the needs refresh every year and the best tool in an personnel director's bag is an ability to identify star players who are projected lower than where they should be. Finding gold where others see a reach is the fundamental gift that separates top evaluators from the rest. This draft class has a definite, beauty-is-in-the-beholder's-eye feel to it. Seen as a lackluster class, franchises are going to move in and out of their draft slots and select players the draft boards think should be much lower. At the end of the day, it won't matter whether the Daniel Jeremiahs, Mel Kipers and their ilk feel about a pick. The GM that finds the DaRon Blands, Puka Nacuas and the like are the ones who will be revered when it's all said and done. Reaching for players is one thing. Reaching for players and hitting? That's where front office legends are made. Looking at the consensus draft boards, here are three picks, seen as being outside the range of the Cowboys' first, second and third-round selections, we feel would shock the public but earn their adoration when it's all said and done. Favorite Outside Top 20 pick for No. 12. Safety Malaki Starks, Georgia Starks has Pro Bowl potential and has the ability to be a slot defender as well as a single-high or split safety; he's that talented. If Dallas doesn't resolve their nickel corner role with a high-pedigree player in post-draft free agency, Starks can start there as a rookie, no problem. If they have a NCB, he can replace Donovan Wilson or Malik Hooker, neither of which is a perfect fit in a split-safety system. He's a highly intelligent defensive back who is strong in both coverage, range and tackling. Scouting Report Favorite Outside Top 50 pick for No. 44 - CB Darien Porter, Iowa State By the time the Cowboys are back on the clock at No. 44, several players whom they likely assumed would be selected will still be available. That's simply the nature of the second round and this year that may be a bigger group than normal. No matter, Porter would be a tremendous pick for them on Day 2. The sixth-year prospect will enter the league with a much more mature body than most of his counterparts, which may mean he doesn't have as long a career as others, but he may not hit the dreaded rookie wall like a 22-year old. Porter played wideout until his fourth year, and his ball-hawking skills are transparent, just as his track speed is. Adding him to the mix gives the Cowboys plenty of configuration options and fail safes depending on how things go with Trevon Diggs' knee and Bland's contract negotiations. Scouting Report Darien Porter is a CB prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.99 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 5 out of 2752 CB from 1987 to — Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 3, 2025 Favorite Outside Top 100 pick for No. 76 - Edge David Walker, Central Arkansas There are going to be a ton of people who discount Walker, not just for playing at a lower-level school in Central Arkansas, but also for his build. Walker barely clears 6-feet tall, but his smaller height and compact build seem to work to his advantage on the field. He's been insanely productive across his career, and stepping up in competition at the Senior Bowl cemented that he can have that level of success against players who will be in the league. Scouting Report David Walker is a DE prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 8.62 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 279 out of 2012 DE from 1987 to — Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 31, 2025 Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
