Texas Longhorns play in the NFL.
Just an undisputed fact.
Until last season, they led the league with 51 members on NFL rosters. After this past weekend’s NFL Draft, they moved to No. 3 with 48, trailing only USC and LSU. And probably soon to be Alabama. But I digress.
You can argue Mack Brown’s choice of offensive coordinators (cough cough Greg Davis). His early and recent record versus Oklahoma. Or the mediocrity that has permeated the program the last three years.
But you can’t deny his success at helping pass the pupils on to their biggest dreams.
And don’t get it twisted, the Texas football program has been sending prospects to the NFL since the inception of the draft in 1938. 2013 marked the 76th consecutive year that the Longhorns had a player drafted. An all-time record.
This year, Texas saw four more student-athletes join the ranks of the National Football League. And a few more may be added to camps in the upcoming weeks. Let’s go over each.
Kenny Vaccaro, safety – 1st Round; 18th overall, New Orleans Saints
He was responsible for the kidnapping of Texas A&M wideout, Ryan Swope in 2011. He hurdled a running back to sack a California QB. A guy known for his intense play and bone-crushing hits, Vaccaro became the sixth defensive back to be picked in the first round since 2001. He also becomes the 14th member of the UT secondary to currently play in the league (tops in the NFL), and No. 13 picked in the last 12 drafts. He was a 2012 All-American by Pro Football Weekly, and two-time All-Big12 first team defender. He’ll start from day one for Sean Payton and make an immediate impact for a porous Saints’ defense.
“Â You finally have a safety that can play with [New Orleans Saints S] Malcolm Jenkins, as far as an athlete. This is a young man that this year at Texas, dropped down over the slot and covered slots man-to-man. I went back to his tape a year ago because I wanted to see him come off the hatch and play deep stuff, and he is very good at that. He fits perfectly what they do.” – Mike Mayock, NFL Network analystÂ
Marquis Goodwin, wide reciever – 3rd Round; 78th overall, Buffalo Bills
Goodwin; best known for his Olympic travels for team USA in London in 2012, big-play ability at Texas, and his God-given speed, landed in Buffalo Friday. He also won numerous Indoor & Outdoor Track and Field national titles. He finishes No. 11 on UT’s all-time receptions list, and compiled  over 2700 all-purpose yards in four years. He joins a team who ranked close to last in the NFL offense in 2012 (26th) and joins fellow picks, EJ Manuel (Florida State), and Robert Woods (USC), in an obvious push towards a more explosive dynamic scoring attack. Texas-exes, Aaron Williams and David Snow will be Goodwin’s teammates in Northern New York state. He leaves UT with great memories, from his touchdown catch in the Red River Shootout in 2009, to his critical and well-timed, fourth quarter kickoff return for a score in College Station in 2010’s march to the BCS National Championship game. A few neat tidbits about Goodwin: he came to Austin from Rowlett HS as a walk-on. He was originally on a Track and Field scholarship. Also, Texas Men’s Track and Field coach, Bubba Thornton played for the Buffalo Bills from 1969-1970.
“Â They had talked to me and told me they loved my speed and loved what I could do on the field. I just needed an opportunity to show what I could do. And the Bills gave me the opportunity. They drafted me, and I’m really excited and looking forward to it.” – Marquis Goodwin
Alex Okafor, defensive end – 4th Round; 103rd overall, Arizona Cardinals
Okafor was the consument team player. He arrived on the Forty Acres from Pflugerville HS in 2009 as one of the top defensive lineman in the state. He played sparingly his freshman year at DE, then was moved top tackle his sophomore campaign and was told to weight. After a yearly stint on the interior, he was moved back to end his final two years. Never complained, always produced. He was a 2011 ACFA All-American, two-time All-Big12 first teamer, and 2012 Big-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Â He never became the ultra-pass rusher every program craves, but he was as steady as they come, and registered solid ’12 and ’13 seasons, finishing his career in style. He sacked Oregon State quarterbacks 4 .5 times in the Longhorns come-from-behind Alamo Bowl win. He joins current Horns’ Lyle Sendlein and Sam Acho in Arizona, and should be in the rotation at DE in the forseeable future. Neat fact: Okafor makes eight straight years that a Texas DL as has been drafted.
“ Alex was so unselfish. He played anywhere we asked him to, when we were short on the defensive line two years ago, at 260 pounds he played all year and never griped one bit. He became a great team leader. ” Texas coach Mack BrownÂ
Brandon Moore, defensive tackle – UDFA (undrafted free agent), San Diego Chargers
Moore is an anomoly of sorts. He’s 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, and can move quick and effortless. The problem is the effort. He bounced from program to program, even facing Texas as a freshman on the Alabama defensive line in the 2010 Rose Bowl. Moore underachieved in a major way, and saw the writing on the wall on the Longhorn’s depth chart. UT is loaded at defensive tackle for ’13-’14 and Moore knew it. He has the talent to play every down for the Chargers, but I doubt he makes it out of camp.
Former Longhorn and Arizona All-Pac12 wide receiver, Dan Buckner was picked up by the Arizona Cardinals as an UDFA on Sunday. He made a strong showing for UT in 2009, even catching a pivotal 2-point conversion in the ’09 title game. He was part of a group of wide receivers from ’08-’09 (including  Brandon Collins and Montre Webber) with tremendous ability and upside, but couldn’t stay out of trouble.
I can see multipurpose, gadget-back DJ Monroe catching on with a team in the next few months, as well as running back, Jeremy Hills. And that’ll wrap up this class of 2013 NFL hopefuls.
****Note****** DJ Monroe signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday. The gadget-back holds the all-time yards-per-carry average in UT history – 7.6 – and is know for a social media movement entitled “Free DJ, and Get DJ Touches”. He joins teammate Roy Miller and is the No. 49 current member from Texas on an NFL roster.
With recruiting rankings taking off in the last decade, it’s always interesting to look back at high school prospects, seeing their evaluations from year to year. The success of the defensive back’s carries big weight with potential future stars. That’s why Texas has contacted a couple of early risers in the high school ranks out of Louisiana. And they’re only freshman. 2016 to be exact.
University Lab HS in Baton Rouge, LA has a very intriguing pair of cornerbacks in Tre Jackson and Malik Antoine. Jackson told HornSports.com he’s been contacted by UT coaches, as well as Baylor. Antoine told us Texas and TCU have kept in touch early on. Both have serious skills to play at the next level. Both have a serious interest in UT. And both could be a package deal. Stay tuned to these two studs…
@justinwells2424 @hornsports Yes Sir, at CB! also Baylor, LSU, and Florida
— Tre Jackson (@illest_hooper) April 29, 2013
It just goes to show, if the ultimate goal as a future college football prospect in playing on Sunday’s, Texas is as good as it gets.
The baseball team has had their fair share of Major League participants, as many as any program over the last 35 years. But the 2013 squad has a lot to be desired. They’re loaded with a strong pitching staff, and a record-setting closer.
But the bats. Ohhhh the hitting. Or should I say the lack of.
With an NCAA tournament ticket dwindling in the balance, the Horns were swept by Baylor this weekend. Not much to say other than Texas baseball is on the verge of not winning a Big-12 series in 2013. That’s never happened.
Quote of the Week: “ My time at Texas, it seems like it started yesterday. It went by so fast. It really taught me patience and how to persevere through thick-and-thin. Really to keep my head up and continue to grind no matter what. No matter how many statistics you have or anything. I went off the board before guys that had a lot more catches and yards than I did. But I’ve got a wonderful opportunity in front of me, and I’m just going to make the most of it.” – Marquis GoodwinÂ
Tweet of the Week:
I want everybody that’s sleeping on us to keep sleeping… Hook em !!!
— Money Magic Davis jr (@MikeDavis_1) April 29, 2013
