Red Raider Sports Magazine - August/September 2021 by Red Raider Club

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RedRaiderSports.com is a publication of TRI Productions Volume 27 Issue 1 Managing Editor Aaron Dickens

Cover Photo Michaela Schumacher

Photographers Elise Bressler

Brandon Brieger Elizabeth Hertel

Norvelle Kennedy Artie Limmer

Michaela Schumacher Michael Strong

Writers Ben Golan

Katie Moseley Brandon Soliz

Terry Greenberg Al Pickett

Red Raider Sports (USPS 0013-768) is published bimonthly in February, April, June, August, October and December. Annual Red Raider Club membership dues of $500 or higher include a one-year subscription to Red Raider Sports Magazine. Red Raider Sports is a publication of TRI Productions, P.O. Box 53604, Lubbock, TX 79453. Periodicals postage is paid in Lubbock, Texas. Address all editorial-related correspondence to Red Raider Sports, P.O. Box 53604, Lubbock, TX 79453. Red Raider Sports is not an official publication of Texas Tech University. Postmaster: Send address changes to Red Raider Sports, P.O. Box 53604, Lubbock, TX 79453. For subscription inquiries contact the Red Raider Club at 806.742.1196. Give old and new addresses and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. ©2021 TRI Productions. All Rights Reserved.

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Red Raider Nation, Dating back to when I was a student in Sherman, Texas, I’ve always loved the month of September. It signals the start of football season, and for those that know me, that’s always held a special place for me and my family. We are a football family, and we are blessed to live in a community like West Texas that supports this game better than anywhere else in the country. That’s why this September is different. After the difficulties of last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I know my family and all of Red Raider Nation are ready for a sense of normalcy. We’re ready to be back in Jones AT&T Stadium, watching the Masked Rider lead the team on the field and supporting the Red Raiders. No, COVID is not behind us, but we are comfortable as an athletic department in saying that, at this time, we will be at full capacity come Sept. 11 against Stephen F. Austin. But we need you. Never in the history of this great university has there possibly been a more important football season. No, I’m not talking about just wins and losses, although I firmly believe this football program is on the correct path to return to a bowl game and enhance our great football tradition. While important, I’m instead referring to your support each and every Saturday through season tickets. Now more than ever, it is imperative we show the country what Red Raider Nation is all about. With the recent discussions regarding conference realignment, we need a capacity crowd inside Jones AT&T Stadium each and every Saturday as Texas Tech’s national reputation is built largely on our attendance numbers and television audience. Over the past decade, we have made United Supermarkets Arena the premier home-court advantage in college basketball and Rip Griffin Park the leastdesired postseason location in college baseball. Now, we need to return that same energy to Jones AT&T Stadium. It’s personal now. As Coach Wells recently said, the recent decisions by two of our conference peers have made it personal. I am confident, however, that Texas Tech will continue to be at the forefront in discussions regarding conference realignment and our place in the power-five. Please know we are working daily to position Texas Tech for success for generations to come. When others ask about Texas Tech, I tell them about a loyal and passionate fan base that spans not only West Texas but the entire state of Texas and beyond. I speak about our success in competition with four recent trips to the College World Series, a runner-up finish in the 2019 NCAA National Championship game and 38 all-time bowl appearances, which ranks among the top-25 programs in college football history. In academics, Texas Tech is also one of 16 universities designated as a Carnegie Research Activity Institution and a Hispanic-Serving Institution. This is an important time in college athletics. We understand the importance Texas Tech Football plays not only in Lubbock but throughout West Texas. Our football program annually generates roughly 75 percent of our athletics department budget through our Big 12 Conference television revenue and ticket sales. Texas Tech Football also supports our local economy with millions of dollars each year through the thousands of visitors who travel to our great city to utilize our hotels and restaurants. That’s why we need you now more than ever. Please consider supporting our football program and our future through the purchasing of season tickets. We have a dedicated ticket staff who would be happy to help you by calling 806-742-TECH or by visiting their location on the east side of Jones AT&T Stadium. You can also visit TexasTech.com to purchase tickets directly from any computer or cellular device. Like I said earlier, September is always an exciting time. We can’t wait to see you back in Jones AT&T Stadium for a great football season. Wreck ‘Em!

Kirby

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Mental Health of Athletes by TERRY GREENBERG

Grant Stovall

Dr. Tyler Bradstreet

Dr. Dayna Charbonneau

Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student Health & Wellness

Associate Athletic Director for Psychological Health and Performance

Director of Clinical & Sports Psychology

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When Grant Stovall came to Texas Tech nine years ago, a professor in the university’s Department of Psychological Sciences knocked on his door and introduced herself as the mental health professional for sports medicine. “I didn’t know we had one,” said Stovall. Not compared to today. Dr. Sheila Garos and Ph.D. students only worked with student athletes who failed drug tests, giving them counseling and education. But other student athletes wanted to know if they had to fail a drug test to get counseling. “The demand grew as student athletes wanted to talk to someone in a confidential space,” said Stovall, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student Athlete Health and Wellness. Nine years later – during a summer when elite athletes and mental health are making headlines via gymnast Simone Biles and tennis star Naomi Osaka – Texas Tech Athletics keeps expanding mental health and mental performance services for its 400-plus student athletes. “We’re able to be on the cutting edge providing these and other services for our student athletes because of the generosity of our donors and supporters,” said Andrea Tirey, Senior Associate Athletics Director/Development. “You’re making a difference in their lives.” The Stakes Are Higher Student athletes have the same mental health issues as other students – family problems, relationships, depression, anxiety, past trauma and their own student athlete issues, said Dr. Tyler Bradstreet, Associate Athletics Director for Psychological Health and Performance. “The stakes are higher. A regular student may be able to get away with being 10 percent below his or her best. But it could be the difference between playing and being on the bench for a student athlete,” said Bradstreet. Bradstreet worked with Red Raiders when he was a Ph.D. student, then left Lubbock after getting his doctorate. The need for mental health services kept rising and Stovall went looking for the school’s first full-time sports psychologist. “Our first objective was mental health and sports performance was the icing on the cake. We wanted someone who could do both. We quickly found out we were not the only one in the country looking for a person like that and not many people can do both,” said Stovall. “We struggled for a few years trying to find somebody. I talked to Tyler quite a bit and begged him to come back,” Stovall added. Since coming back to Lubbock in that fulltime staff position, Bradstreet wanted to do more with coaches, teams and the entire Athletics department – but was busy enough just

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helping student athletes. “I would have coaches ask me, ‘who’s this Tyler guy people are talking to?’” said Stovall. “I told them I’ll try and introduce you when he steps out to go to the bathroom.” Earlier this summer, Dr. Dayna Charbonneau became Tech’s Director of Clinical and Sports Psychology after doing similar work at the University of West Virginia. “She wanted to come here because of Tyler’s reputation in the Big 12 Conference,” said Stovall. Now there’s a sports psychology department – where Ph.D. students still help – under Stovall, along with sports medicine, nutrition, strength and conditioning. Having it all under one umbrella is important, said Stovall. “It’s integrated health care like in hospital systems, not all universities are doing it this way,” he said. Around 85 percent of Red Raiders utilize mental health services, said Stovall – which is a higher rate from what they hear from colleagues at other schools. The sports psychology team’s goal going forward is to continue evolving from a place where students plug in to services when needed to an Athletics Department that’s hard wired with positive mental health practices helping student athletes avoid crises. “We’ve been building the plane while we’ve been flying it,” said Bradstreet. Changing Attitudes “Competitive golf is played mainly on a fiveand-a-half-inch course ... the space between your ears.” – famed golfer Bobby Jones. The acceptance of sports psychologists to help performance has long been accepted. Addressing mental health has lagged behind, much like the changes in having athletes play through injuries. In the past few years, we’ve seen massive changes in how concussions are handled, for example. Athletes have felt they wouldn’t make a team or not get playing time if coaches felt they were physically or mentally weak. Stovall, Bradstreet and Charbonneau all point out having a mental health issue affecting performance is no different than a physical injury. The stigma around mental health is getting better, but still lingers. Working with Student Athletes One of the biggest challenges is getting student athletes to address issues before they become an emergency, said Stovall. “We’re trying to shift the narrative. How much more beneficial would it be for them to work on it prior to whatever their issue is before becoming a crisis? A lot of times student ath-

letes wait until they’re in a crisis mode. They’re spiraling academically. Something happened in their world that’s caused them to just kind of fall off a cliff. That’s when they seek out services and they realize how much it can help them. We’re trying to get them to realize life happens to everybody,” he said. “You can’t wait until you’re standing on the free-throw line in a pressure game and find out you don’t have the mental capacity to do that. You’ve got to work on it ahead of time,” he said. Bradstreet added it’s like seeing engine light come on in your car and ignoring it. “There’s all these things you learn from sports ... like discipline and hard work. There’s this assumption that the good things from sports protects you from mental health issues,” said Bradstreet. But there’s another side. “There’s just as many risk factors from playing sports – the time commitment, the pressures, the win-loss-evaluative nature of sports. And so, when you look at it, athletes on the whole experience mental health issues at the same rate as the general population. It’s probably been like that forever, but we’re just now actually identifying it and giving them a place to do something about it,” he said. Charbonneau said the high-profile examples like Simone Biles helps. “They’ve been able to say ‘yeah – I experienced that too.’ It’s helped folks feel more comfortable bringing up concerns,” she said. Student athletes have many other challenges that can lead them to ask for counseling. There are adjustments and transitions, said Charbonneau. “When someone’s coming in as a freshman, they’re on a different stage than in high school. You might have been the top dog and now you’re riding the bench for a while,” she said. What was like a hobby can become a job, said Bradstreet. “You’re doing so many more hours, there’s so much more evaluation – the margin for error is much smaller. It’s easy to get burnt out,” he said. Family dreams for a student athlete to be financially successful adds to the pressure, said Stovall. “You have a lot of first-generation student athletes. There’s not only the pressure of the sport but some of their family may be looking at them as a meal plan. There’s pressure to make it big,” he said. When an injury puts those hopes at risk, student athletes need to stay mentally healthy, said Charbonneau. “Is it career ending? Is it one where I only have like a couple of months rehab. Is it a chronic one that keeps coming back?” she said. Athletic trainers help plug injured athletes

into counseling when they see a need, said Bradstreet, and their offices are in the same place where athletes get physical treatment and rehab. “Of course, we want you to come in and do exercises to strengthen that knee, but what are they doing to take care of their mind to persist during a long rehab? That’s super important,” he said. Even though addressing mental health is becoming better, there’s still a stigma, especially for a student athlete with a long-term injury who hasn’t sought out counseling before, said Stovall. “We have some student athletes who don’t want to be seen walking into that office. So we’ve found creative ways to connect, whether it’s Zoom or different locations,” said Stovall. As much as possible, the sports psychology team wants to give student athletes preventive support, said Bradstreet. “Do you have the tools in your toolbox to perform in a pressure situation? Are you getting enough sleep, especially during the grind of a season when you’re bouncing from hotel room to hotel room and still trying to care of classes? Sleep is the greatest legal performance-enhancing drug but it’s the first thing we throw to the wayside when we’re busy,” said Bradstreet. “Do they know how to manage their relationships, not just when there’s an issue, but from a mental wellness standpoint?” he added. The 21st Century student athlete has new challenges, such as social media, social justice issues they deal with, said Bradstreet. Then they’re other adjustments at the end of their college years, said Charbonneau. “How do I transition to life after sports, especially if I’m not moving on?” she said. Working with Teams & Coaches Student athletes get one-to-one help, but what if there’s an issue at the team level? “Who are they interacting with? That’s why we want to create a culture of health and wellness from the top down – where coaches feel they have the right tools in their toolbox to be able to promote a mentally healthy culture,” he said. Having Charbonneau join the team gives her and Bradstreet more time to meet with coaches and talk about building that culture. Many coaches have included mental aspects into their teams for years, but Bradstreet wants them to know the latest developments and how the expanded team can help. Part of that process is getting coaches to not only refer their athletes when they’re in crisis, but lean on the sports psychology team to help teaching coping strategies to avoid crises. The confidential nature of counseling is another challenge for some coaches.

“Coaches want their athletes to be supported mentally. But because of confidentiality laws, we can’t always share things in the same way you could talk about an ankle sprain. They may struggle with that because they want to know so they can help them,” said Bradstreet. The team’s goal in building mental wellness through all of Athletics is aligning it with traditional parts of the student athlete experience, said Charbonneau. “We know what it looks like when you’re working with your coach on new plays. But we haven’t always done that from the mental space. So how do you mentally prepare for how you want to execute in a game?” she said. Player Development & Selection This, as Stovall said, is the icing on the cake. Bradstreet pointed out how much time is spent measuring 40-yard-dash times or how high an athlete can jump or lift. “We’re also trying to make sure all our teams have a mental measurable system – to measure their confidence, grit, resiliency,” he said. Texas Tech uses the Troutwine Athletic Profile and other psychological surveys. Troutwine – called the TAP – is one of the reasons the New England Patriots drafted quarterback Tom Brady, part of why the Indianapolis Colts selected Peyton Manning over Ryan Leaf, said Bradstreet. “Our coaches may really like an athlete who is really gritty, or has high confidence or is coachable,” said Bradstreet. Student athletes’ mental performance is measured when they first come to campus and plans are developed to help them grow mentally – not just physically, he said. “There are 15 mental intangibles we think are super important and you need to be good at them. So we give them the tools to be able to grow those,” said Bradstreet. If a student athlete has great physical skills, but scores low on mental abilities, it’s a red flag to the sports psychology team to see if they can help the student athlete achieve their full potential. “From the day they walk in the door we know where we need to support them. And if one of the issues is foundational and we address that, others may then improve,” said Bradstreet. For example, Bradstreet said if a student athlete strug-

gles with confidence, they can help him or her and other issues that seemed serious may also improve. These tools can be used if a student athlete is struggling to gauge where they’re at compared to previous surveys. They also take aggregate data from a team. One team they worked with scored low on decisiveness. “Obviously, we need to be decisive as athletes,” he said. “Mental training can help them improve decisiveness in competition.” That team also scored low on leadership – part of the reason they were having a hard time identifying captains and developing playerdriven leadership, he said. “At the end of the day, whether we’re talking about mental health or mental performance, our goal is to win championships. A coach is going to give them excellent technical and tactical instruction ... our job is to enhance things like leadership team building, mental wellness whether it’s optimizing your sleep, gaining confidence and making sure they have the tools,” said Bradstreet. Also, all student athletes have Headspace – a mindfulness meditation app – on their iPads, which are also full of sports-related and academics apps. “Mindfulness is the next frontier of sports performance. It’s important for mental wellness and mental preparation. We use it from a team standpoint to help them train their brain to manage their thoughts – like that anxious arousal that might pop up before competition,” said Bradstreet.

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On Thursday, August 25th, the Red Raider Club hosted the 2021 Football Kick-Off Event at the indoor field at the Sports Performance Center. Featuring Head Football Coach Matt Wells, Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt and musical guest Jack Ingram. United States Senator Ted Cruz was also in attendance.

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When fall camp came to a close, Coach Wells had some important news to deliver to four walk-on members of the football team. He chose a member of his staff who was once one of Texas Tech’s most notable walk-ons, Sonny Cumbie, to deliver the news. The four players who earned full scholarships are Henry Teeter (tight end), Troy Te’o (defensive lineman), Bryce Ramirez (linebacker), and Aaron Castro (offensive lineman). [pictured left to right] 16

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b y K AT I E M O S E L EY

Having your head in the clouds is usually considered a bad thing. For Texas Tech volleyball outside hitter and wind energy major, Caitlin Dugan, it is the exact opposite. “I think clouds are the coolest thing ever, it’s so nerdy, but I love them,” Dugan exclaimed excitedly. The rising junior is studying to be a meteorologist, something she has known she wanted to be since she was in the third grade. “It started as a school project we had to do,” Dugan recalled. “We had to make a bunch of cute little pictures about what the weather would be for the week, and I thought, ‘wow, I really like this.’” Every morning before she left for school, Dugan would watch the weather with her mom. She became fascinated by it all. “That is something that is prominent from my childhood. I eventually want to work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which is like the NASA of weather.” The wind energy program is one of the main reasons the Arizona native chose to come to Texas Tech. That and volleyball, of course. In her freshman season, Dugan tallied 269 kills and 302.5 points, the second most on the squad. She saw action in all 30 matches, making 15 starts as a rookie. Even if she might not have expected to get much playing time during her first season in Lubbock, she didn’t let it stop her from trying to earn a spot in the lineup. “Our team is great,” Dugan said. “They are really uplifting, even if you are trying to take their spot. I remember a senior on the team took me under her wing and told me ‘I just want you to know I support you, 100 percent, and if 18

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that means you beat me out in practice that is fine because you earned it.’” Dugan, like many other students and student-athletes at the university, was unsure what the 2020-21 academic year would look like after the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. She had to quickly adjust to online learning and working out alone at her home in Arizona in preparation for the volleyball season. It was the support from Tech that helped her work through the adversity. “I would do my online classes, which I didn’t really mind, I don’t have a hard time learning online and then I would work out at home,” Dugan said. “Katie Munger, our strength and conditioning coach, reached out to the whole team and found a way to put together boxes for everyone on the team. She sent us ladders, medicine balls, resistance bands, all of that so we could train at home. It was really helpful.” The training paid off. Dugan just finished a successful sophomore season in which she led the team in blocks (52) and was second in kills (197), kills per set (3.14), points (229.5) and total attacks (513). She was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and the Academic All-Big 12 First Team, posting a perfect 4.00 GPA in the classroom. “Your freshman year you are going into it blindly. You know how to play volleyball but learning the systems, learning the team, meeting everybody, figuring out how you fit in takes the entire year. Sophomore year I felt prepared, I knew everyone, I knew what to do so I could focus on more intricate details of my game. I could work on different shots I could use when I am hitting or improving my defense. I felt like I had a good year and talking to the coaches

they prepared me that I could be on the All-Big 12 Team, but you never know because it is a tough conference.” Again, she attributes much of her athletic and academic success to the resources provided by the university and athletic department. Those resources would not be available without the generous support of all Red Raider Club members. “It is pretty much impossible to fail here,” said Dugan. “They will not let you fail, not that I ever want to be in that position. The amount of support staff at the Talkington Leadership Academy and even in the volleyball program, there are so many people that are there to help you. They are there for volleyball, but they are also there to develop you as a human being and if you are struggling that is the first thing on their mind. It’s crazy the amount of people here who will lift you up no matter what.” Heading into her junior season, Dugan is as focused as ever. She believes the team is poised to climb the rankings in the Big 12 this year. Her play and leadership on the court will be a major part of the team’s success. “Our team this season is extremely talented. There is really no reason why we won’t be climbing that Big 12 Conference ladder this year. I think ending at seventh last year was a little disappointing. COVID was tough for us, there was a lot of adversity we had to go through. There were only like three matches where we had the entire team, maybe not even that. I think I would expect us to be ranked much higher than that this season.” One thing is for sure, no matter what this season might throw at Dugan, she is ready to weather the storm.

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THAT'S LIFE by TERRY GREENBERG

Maury Buford wasn’t happy flying to Chicago in 1985.

“How in the hell am I going to stay warm on the sidelines?” was one of the native Texan’s first thoughts.

He’d lost his punting job with the San Diego Chargers and was traded to Chicago’s Bears.

Buford looked over a Bears media guide as the plane headed to the Midwest. He started to get excited

as it sunk in he was joining a team that got to the NFC Championship game the previous season.

A few months later, Buford was a Super Bowl champ after his powerful Bears squad demolished the

“What I thought was the worst thing that could have happened to me in my career turned out to be the

Buford became a target of NFL teams while punting for the Red Raiders about 40 years ago. He played

New England Patriots 46-10.

best thing,” he said about the trade.

nine seasons in the NFL. He’s even more grateful to his alma mater because he found his wife Dana in

a Texas Tech political science class.

He now runs his own successful roofing/construction company in Grapevine. RedRaiderSports.com

Born to be an Aggie Buford grew up in Mt. Pleasant, about two hours east of Dallas. His dad and many family members went to Texas A&M. The Aggies were recruiting him during his junior year of high school, along with Texas Tech, Rice, SMU and Arkansas. Al Tanara was recruiting Buford for the Red Raiders as part of his East Texas territory. “I told him he was wasting his time recruiting me,” said Buford, adding he’d go to College Station even if he wasn’t offered a scholarship and the Aggies were only interested in him walking on. “Then he told me – and I’ll never forget this and I’ve used it many times in my life. He said ‘Buford, there’s only one constant in life, son, and that’s change. You could be the one to change the tradition in your family from becoming Aggies to Red Raiders,’” he said. Buford told Tanara he didn’t think he’d to do that, but he’d keep it in mind. Then Buford broke his arm the first game of his senior year playing defensive back and was out for the year. Texas A&M stopped recruiting him. Tanara didn’t. He told Buford Texas Tech would honor his scholarship offer. Buford still had little intention of going to Texas Tech until he visited Lubbock. “I’d never been west of Fort Worth in my life. I was out there a day and a half and I knew I wanted to go to school there. I told my parents I was going to go to school there,” he said. Buford’s dad said he needed to visit other schools where he promised coaches he would visit, said Buford.

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And if he did go to Tech, at least Maury Buford’s son wasn’t going to Austin. “My dad said he would have disowned me had I gone to UT,” he said. After Buford’s final game as a Red Raider, he was having dinner with his family at a Lubbock restaurant. “My dad goes ‘Maury, I’m going to have to go back and start rooting for the Aggies now. I’ve been a Red Raider for four years, but you’re no longer playing for them, so I’ve got to go back and follow my Aggies,’” Buford said. His dad kept talking. “’I did learn one thing about you going to Texas Tech. Now I realize there are two universities in this country,’” Buford recalled his dad saying. One of Buford’s favorite games as a Red Raider was his freshman year when Texas Tech knocked off 5th-ranked Houston 22-21 when James Hadnot scored on a late two-point conversion. Another was beating the Aggies his sophomore year. Tech lost in College Station the previous year, but freshman Buford bombed a 70-yard punt – saying he probably had a little motivation after the Aggies stopped recruiting him. Two games against USC also stand out for Buford. Tanara used the game at USC as a recruiting tool, asking if going to L.A. and beating the Trojans would be a good way to start his college career, Buford said. The Red Raiders lost both home-and-home games against USC but were competitive – leading 9-0 at halftime in Southern California. Going Pro Buford had little thought of pro football

when he came to Lubbock. But he led the nation in punting his freshman year with a 44.1 yardsper-punt average. By his junior year, scouts were gauging his interest in playing beyond college. His numbers were even better his senior year and Buford was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the 8th round of the NFL Draft. “I had to get my Rand McNally Atlas out to find exactly where San Diego was,” said Buford, who enjoyed the city’s weather, but was surprised how cold the Pacific Ocean was compared to the Gulf of Mexico he knew from back home. His third season with San Diego, Buford had to beat a punter named Dave Finzer in training camp to keep his job. But the next year, the Chargers drafted a left-footed kicker from Michigan State named Ralf Mojsiejenko. The Chargers decided to keep Mojsiejenko and traded Buford to the Bears. “Ralf was good, he was a good kid. I think our special teams coach thought having a leftfooted kicker would give us an advantage because there would be a different rotation on the ball and harder for the punt returner to catch the ball,” said Buford. The Bears won the Super Bowl. The Chargers finished with an 8-8 record. Chicago’s Super Season After flying to Chicago, Buford had to compete for the punting job in training camp against – Dave Finzer – who got on with the Bears the previous year after he didn’t get the job in San Diego. Finzer was one of the first players he saw in the locker room. “He said ‘what the hell are you doing here?’” Buford recalled. “I said I was traded here. It was kind of uncomfortable, but I got the job and he was released again. I felt bad about it, but that’s life.” Finzer ended up in Seattle that season, his last in the NFL. Buford loved playing for Bears head coach Mike Ditka – a member of both the College and Pro Football halls of fame. “You always knew where you stood with him. You never had to wonder what he was thinking because he was certainly going to tell you,” he said. There were two ways to get on the coach’s bad side, talking back to him or making the same mental mistakes, said Buford. “He understood physical mistakes – he’d still get mad and you didn’t want to make very many of them. But you really got in his doghouse if you talked back to him or kept making the same mental mistakes,” he said.

Some players couldn’t handle Ditka’s criticism. “He was abrasive and I didn’t agree with his motivating tactics. But my father was a World War II vet and I was more scared of my dad that I ever was of Mike. He was hard-nosed, but fair and he never expected you to do anything he wouldn’t do,” said Buford. The season went fast for Buford as the Bears rode a dominant defense to the title. They shut out the Giants and Rams in the playoffs at home to reach the Super Bowl. Those games were Buford’s favorites that season along with one regular season game – a 44-0 win against the Dallas Cowboys. “It was the worst home defeat they’d ever had,” said Buford. The contest was still scoreless when Buford dropped a punt that went out on the Dallas 1-yard line. A couple of plays later, Dan Hampton tipped a pass, Richard Dent intercepted it and ran it in for a touchdown. “That started the scoring spree,” said Buford. More Cowbell After the Super Bowl, a bunch of Bears did a philanthropic music video called “The Super Bowl Shuffle.”

Different stars – quarterback Jim McMahon, running back Walter Payton, linebacker Mike Singletary – all had verses to sing. Buford played cowbell. “And I played it quite well, too,” Buford said, smiling. “Willie Gault got it going and got the people. He said, ‘we’re doing this video Tuesday morning and it’s called the Super Bowl Shuffle and any money that’s made is going to go to the needy in Chicago. We’d like you to be a part of it,’” said Buford. “I didn’t have any idea of what it was, but he’s a good guy and I trusted him and I told him I’d ‘do whatever you need to help,’” he said.

Buford said his cowbell performance was inspired by his high school band in Mt. Pleasant. “We had a drum cadence the band would play as they were marching and it was the most awesome drum cadence I’ve ever heard in my life,” he said. “If I could get a copy of it again I would.” And yes, he’s a fan of the “Saturday Night Live” cowbell skit with Christopher Walken and Will Ferrell. Final NFL Years Decades later, Buford’s still in touch with many of his former Bears teammates – McMahon, kicker Kevin Butler, offensive linemen Keith Van Horne and Jay Hilgenberger and receiver Keith Ortego. Buford punted for the Bears the year after winning the Super Bowl but struggled in training camp in 1987. “I got into a slump and couldn’t get out of it,” he said. Ditka brought him into his office. “He said ‘we start the regular season next week and I can’t go into the season with you punting the ball the way you’re punting the ball. We gotta let you go. You’ve lost your confidence,” Buford recalled Ditka telling him. Ditka told him to go figure it out, adding if the Bears needed a punter in the future and Buford got back his form, he’d never hesitate about bringing him back, Buford said he was told. He was out of the game for a year until the New York Giants punter was injured and Buford was called in for a tryout by head coach Bill Parcells. Parcells was an assistant coach at Tech a few years before Buford was a Red Raider. “He knew I was available,” said Buford, who got the job. A year later, the Bears were struggling with their punting and Buford ended up back in Chicago. “It’s really strange for a coach to bring a player back after they’ve been released. You don’t see it happen very often,” said Buford. “I was always very appreciative he gave me an opportunity to come back.” He punted for the Bears for three more seasons before retiring. Life After Football Buford graduated with a degree in marketing and knew no matter how long his pro football career lasted, at some point he’d have to do something other than football to support his family. “We weren’t making anywhere near the money these kids are making today,” he said. The inspiration to start his business came after he left a job in an industry that wasn’t a good fit.

“A friend of mine knew a guy who owned a small roofing company. He asked me if I knew anything about the roofing business and I said no – except everybody has a roof and everybody needs a roof that’s not leaking,” said Buford. He worked for the man for three years before starting his own company in 2005. The company does roofing, gutters, skylights and, as Buford says “anything that can get damaged in a hailstorm.” They also do general contractor work like bathroom and kitchen renovations, backyard entertainment centers. “We do a lot of different things,” said Buford. His years in football help open doors for his business – which has been good. “Everybody remembers the ’85 Bears,” he said. “It’s enabled me to start conversations with people and get a foot in the door. We’ve been blessed.” Meeting wife Dana, who he saw the first day of a political science class his sophomore year, is the best thing Buford said happened during his time at Texas Tech. Buford was sitting with Terry Baer, who played linebacker for the Red Raiders one year and is still Buford’s best friend. “I told Terry ‘I’m going to marry that girl.’ I was dating another girl at the time and I broke up with her that afternoon and started chasing Dana. It took me about six months to even get the nerve to ask her out on a date. Now we’ve been married 34 years,” he said. The couple has four children. Their oldest son went to Texas Tech. His son was at Jones AT&T Stadium when the Red Raiders stunned then-No. 1 Texas in 2008 as Graham Harrell connected with Michael Crabtree for a last-second score. Buford was watching it on TV. “I talked to my son prior to the game and asked him what the atmosphere was like and he said, ‘we’re going to win the ballgame. I don’t know how, but we’re going to win.’ I do wish I had been there, but I have it taped and every now and then I’ll get it out and watch it,” said Buford. Buford remembers watching Harrell in high school and was excited when he committed to Texas Tech. They eventually met. “He’s not only a great quarterback, but he’s a great kid, too,” said Buford. The former punter has Texas Tech season tickets and tries to get to as many games as he can from the Metroplex. “I love Texas Tech. The people of West Texas are incredible and I love getting out there as often as I can,” he said.

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Taking

The Keys by AL PICKETT

Sonny Cumbie is back home, and he has been given the keys to the Texas Tech offense. Cumbie, considered one of the most innovative offensive minds in college football, returned to Lubbock when he was named the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach by head coach Matt Wells in December. “It has been good,” Cumbie, a West Texas native who grew up in Snyder, said of his return to the Texas Tech campus where he was one of the top quarterbacks in school history and previously served as an assistant coach for the Red Raiders. “This place is comfortable to me. I love being in West Texas. There is a lot of excitement this year, but the biggest reason for that excitement is the players we have returning.” There is also plenty of excitement, however, for what Cumbie brings to the Red Raiders. After serving an inside receivers coach for three years and co-offensive coordinator and outside receivers coach for one season at Texas Tech from 2010-13, Cumbie departed for TCU following the 2013 season. He coached the Horned Frogs’ quarterbacks and was the sole offensive playcaller each of the last four seasons. The Horned Frogs boasted the Big 12’s second-best conference record (38-25) and the third-best overall mark (58-30) over his seven seasons at TCU, which coincided with six bowl appearances. Obviously, Cumbie’s assignment is to resurrect the Red Raiders’ offense. Texas Tech’s passing offense fell from top-10 nationally to No. 33 in the nation a year ago. So will Cumbie’s hire mean a return to the Air Raid offense of the Mike Leach era? Not necessarily. “When people watch us, I want them to see a disciplined team that is well-coached and physical, no matter what plays we run,” Cumbie said. “I want us to be explosive, whether we are throwing it downfield, play-action or drop-back. Hopefully,

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we will score a lot of points and play an exciting brand of football like we have in the past.” Another reason for the excitement is the arrival of Oregon transfer quarterback Tyler Shough, who Red Raider fans hope will bring consistency to a position that has experienced four years of inconsistency. Shough, considered a top NFL draft prospect, threw for 1,559 yards and 13 touchdowns last fall during an abbreviated Pac 12 championship-winning season. “Coach Wells and I had no relationship with Tyler,” Cumbie explained. “But once we saw his name in the (transfer) portal, we went after him full force.” How does recruiting a player who is transferring compare to recruiting a high school player? “It is different,” Cumbie admitted. “They have already been through the recruiting process. So they want to know how you will make them a better player, how you can develop them as a player and how we can win.” It is a blessing to acquire a transfer quarterback who brings in that kind of experience, according to Cumbie. “That is something I can’t coach – experience and game reps,” he stated. Cumbie also played a role in recruiting a fellow West Texan, freshman quarterback Behren Morton from Eastland. Morton was a national top-150 prospect last year because of his big arm and accuracy. “I kid him that he showed up last spring in long sleeves and now he is wearing shirts with cut-off sleeves,” Cumbie laughed. “He has gained a lot of muscle. I told him the reason he came in last spring was to learn and compete and get a better hold on the offense.” Will Morton probably redshirt this fall? “You never know,” Cumbie replied. “It depends on how he practices. Talent-wise, he has it.”

Shough, or whoever wins the quarterback job, will throw to a tall and talented receiving corps that includes 6-foot-4 Trey Cleveland, 6-foot-4 J.J. Sparkman, 6-foot-3 Erik Ezukanma, 6-foot-4 Lolic Fouonji, 6-foot-4 Trey Wolff and 6-foot-5 tight ends Travis Koontz and John Holcomb. “We look like a basketball team on the perimeter,” Cumbie marveled. If the Red Raider offensive players want some inspiration, they don’t have to look any farther than their new offensive coordinator. Cumbie first came to Texas Tech as a walkon. He patiently waited for his turn to lead the Red Raiders’ prolific offense. In his only season as the starting quarterback, he threw for 4,742 yards as a senior in 2004, the sixth-highest total in school history and one of the top-25 marks in NCAA history. He twice led the Red Raiders to two 70-point games that season en route to earning honorable mention all-Big 12 recognition as well as Academic All-Big 12 first-team honors. Of course, Cumbie is best remembered for his 520 passing yards in Texas Tech’s 2004 Holiday Bowl victory over Aaron Rodgers and No. 4-ranked California, capping off an 8-4 season. Cumbie was named the Holiday Bowl MVP for his performance, and he still owns the Holiday Bowl and Texas Tech bowl records for most passing yards. Now, Cumbie hopes to bring that same magic to the Red Raiders as the team’s new offensive coordinator and play-caller. “Our goal is the same every year,” he said. “At the end of the season, we want to win enough to be eligible for a bowl game and compete for a conference championship. If you look at teams that do that, they have a lot of chemistry and cohesiveness. The bottom line is we have to go out and win games.”

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GOALS •

•

• •

by AL PICKETT

Patrick Mahomes. Kliff Kingsbury. Graham Harrell. Sonny Cumbie. Taylor Potts. And even Baker Mayfield. Texas Tech has developed quite a reputation in the last two decades for developing outstanding quarterbacks. Can Tyler Shough (pronounced “shuck”) be the next great Red Raider signal-caller? That may be too much pressure to put on the junior quarterback, but there is no doubt that Shough comes into the season with more expectations and experience than any of the aforementioned quarterbacks before they took their first snap. “That is a great to see on the wall all they accomplished,” he said, “but that wasn’t the reason why I came to Texas Tech.” Shough transferred to Tech last spring after spending three years at the University of Oregon. With the NCAA granting players an extra year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he still has three years of eligibility remaining if he chooses to stay that long. The 6-foot-5, 221-pound junior from Chandler, Ariz., redshirted his freshman season at Oregon in 2018. The next year, Shough served as the primary backup to eventual NFL firstround selection Justin Herbert, who enjoyed an outstanding rookie season a year ago with the Los Angeles Chargers. “I still keep in touch with Justin,” Shough said. “I learned a lot from him, how he prepared in the film room.” He saw action in five games, throwing for 144 yards and three touchdowns only 12 of 15 attempts in 2019. Last season, Shough started every game in leading the Ducks to a Pac-12 championship and an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl. He completed 63.4 percent of his passes (106 for 167) for 1,559 yards and 13 touchdowns with only six interceptions during the abbreviated 26

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Pac-12 season. He also rushed for 271 yards and two scores. So when the starting quarterback of the Pac-12 champion entered the NCAA’s transfer portal, Shough obviously attracted a lot of attention. “Once I entered my name in the transfer portal, there were probably 20-30 schools that contacted me,” he recalled. “Coach (Matt) Wells was one of the first to call and we had a great conversation. Ultimately, what it came down to was finding a place that I felt like would be the best fit for me and the program where I could come in and compete for the starting job.” Shough also listed the support of the coaches and the relationship with his teammates as well as the culture of the team as important factors in choosing Texas Tech. “Texas Tech, even from the outside, and obviously talking with some of the guys on the team, it sounded like the place to be,” he said last spring when he first arrived in Lubbock. “They work hard. They want to win. They want to win badly. They are not just in it to be on the team and have fun. I know players at a lot of other schools are just kind of happy to be there, but Texas Tech definitely has a winning culture. I feel like all the coaches and players are in it to win it, and they are going to work their butts off to do that. I wanted to be a part of it, so I just wanted to come in and get out to West Texas and start throwing the ball around, start slinging it around a bit more.” He said he has quickly developed a bond with new Red Raider offensive coordinator and former Tech quarterback Sonny Cumbie. “He is awesome,” Shough stated. “He is one of the favorite coaches I have ever had. I love his passion, and his offense is pretty sweet. It is explosive, not only throwing the ball down the field but also with a good run game

and RPOs (run-pass option plays).” Shough has been impressed with the Red Raiders’ wide receiver corps, too. “I was impressed with how talented the wide receiver room is,” he added. “Everyone is fast and tall, and there is a lot of depth. It is a complete change compared to the Pac-12. They obviously feed the receivers differently in Texas.” Shough said the recruiting process as a transfer compared to coming out of high school is much different. “It is a completely different mindset,” he explained. “You don’t buy into all the B.S. You just want to play football and have the opportunity to go to the NFL.” Shough was the No.1 prospect in Arizona coming out of high school. He chose Oregon at the time over scholarship offers from Alabama, Arizona State, California, Colorado State, Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon State, South Carolina and Washington State. One other impressive thing about Shough is that he earned two bachelor’s degrees in political science and criminal justice in just twoand-a-half years from Oregon. He is now working on his master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Texas Tech. Nothing, of course, is guaranteed. Shough will be competing with senior Henry Colombi, who threw for 1,065 yards and eight touchdowns last year, and highly touted freshman Behren Morton from Eastland for the starting job this fall. After five-straight losing seasons that featured inconsistent play at quarterback, Tech fans hope Shough is the answer is reviving the Red Raiders’ offense. “My goal is to earn the starting job and improve every day,” he said. “And then take what I learn on to the field in the games.”

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by TERRY GREENBERG

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Texas Tech cheerleaders have made money on their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) for years. One Red Raider cheerleader has more than a quarter-million Instagram followers and makes up to $5,000 per post representing businesses, according to a story on frontofficesports.com. Texas Tech student athletes can now do the same under (NIL) rules that began July 1. Cheerleaders have been able to do this because they’re not governed by the NCAA. Student athletes may after Texas passed legislation. The NCAA was having conversations about NIL and were supposed to vote on it in January, but it didn’t happen, said Amy Heard, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Engagement, who’s overseeing Beyond Verified, Texas Tech’s program to help student athletes navigate NIL. “Texas was really progressive,” about setting this up, said Heard. So is Texas Tech, she said. “Texas Tech is leading the way — supporting our student athletes with this evolution of name, image and likeness,” she said. “It's new to college athletics, but also for our coaches, student athletes and our staff.” Athletic Director, Kirby Hocutt has made the commitment Texas Tech Athletics will support the NIL process, she said, so student athletes can build and maximize their brand and receive dedicated NIL education while Red Raiders. A little less than 100 student athletes started the NIL process the first month it’s been available and some are already doing many different things permissible under NIL rules, said Heard. “Some of our other students are watching to see how it’ll play out, watching to see how much time it will take to do and learning about it in general,” said Heard. Under the new rules, student athletes can now be paid for: • entrepreneurial ventures, self employment or business ownership; • endorsement appearances in TV, radio, print or social media advertising; • creating content; • providing lessons and/or camps and • autograph sales and/or personal appearances

Now student athletes have the same op-

portunities other Texas Tech students have had. For example, a student in the College of Media and Communication has been able to be paid for creating content. Football, basketball and baseball players have a higher profile and that may give them an advantage in the Lubbock/South Plains market, but student athletes in Olympic sports may do well in their hometowns, where they’re well known. NIL will not augment the athletic department budget. It is a great opportunity for student athletes but it doesn’t change Texas Tech’s financial needs, said Andrea Tirey, Senior Associate Athletics Director/Development. “NIL money goes directly from the business to the student athlete. It has nothing to do with providing the best student athlete experience from scholarships, academic resources, nutrition, strength and conditioning and more to help them be successful. We still need support from our fans through season tickets and attendance at games as well as our donors to keep Texas Tech Athletics on its upward arc we’ve seen in recent years,” she said. It is not pay-for-play, an ongoing debate in college athletics, said Heard. “There’s an action the student has to do as part of building their brand,” she said, separate from what they do on the field or court. “It cannot be something for nothing.” Promises of NIL deals cannot be used as an inducement, said Heard. “This cannot be used in the recruiting space. It cannot be an inducement to come to a school,” she said. Students cannot: (1) Enter contracts that create conflicts with student athlete rules or Texas Tech institutional contracts, such as Under Armour or Coca-Cola. (2) Have conflicts with official team activities and classwork. (3) Use the Double T or any other Texas Tech logos. (4) Endorse alcohol, tobacco, ecigarettes, anabolic steroids, sports betting, casino gambling, a firearm the student athlete cannot legally purchase or a sexually oriented business. (5) International students cannot participate for now because federal student visas only allow them to work on campus, said Heard, who added the government may be working on changing this, but it hasn’t happened yet. Some student athletes – golf for example – could threaten their amateur status if they take part in NIL. The United States Golf Association oversees many elite amateur tournaments, such as the recent U.S. Amateur Champion-

ship, which Red Raider golfer Ludvig Aberg competed. “We’re still learning in these areas. Just because it changed in college athletics doesn’t mean it’s changed amateur rules,” said Heard, adding groups governing amateur sports are also looking at the NIL issue. Texas Tech educates students about building their brand, how to run their business and makes sure students are playing by the rules. The Texas law mandates first- and third-year student athletes go through training, said Heard. Athletics brought in outside organizations to help student athletes learn more about building their brand along with sources on campus, such as student legal services, the Rawls College of Business and the College of Media and Communications. “There will be things about financial literacy, contracts and taxes,” Heard said. When asked for examples of what athletes are doing, Heard pointed out Texas Tech is not going to release that information. “It’s really their business, it’s their interaction with the company,” she said, adding she thinks that’s what other schools will do. There have been numerous examples over the years in college sports of “boosters” offering student athletes money for nothing and athletic departments ending up in trouble – sometimes serious trouble – with the NCAA. But now fans can partner with a student athlete through NIL if the student does work. “There’s a long history of keeping our student athletes and boosters separate and that has changed because of NIL,” said Heard. “Now there’s opportunity to engage with the student athlete around NIL – have them endorse your business, sign autographs at a grand opening. It’s important NIL deals are outlined in advance and the key is the work has to be performed by the student-athlete.” Part of the educational process, said Heard, is teaching how to handle this new opportunity atop everything else. “We’ve also tried in our education to make sure everyone realizes that being a student and an athlete is difficult to begin with and so adding this other piece is one more layer. We want them to be successful student athletes. NIL can be a nice complement to that. Ultimately the goal remains making Texas Tech’s student-athlete experience exceptional – NIL is simply a new opportunity for Red Raiders.” she said. RedRaiderSports.com

RECRUITING

NOTEBOOK 2022 Class Kicked Off With the COVID-19 pandemic surging in the United States, the NCAA instituted a “dead period” in 2020 that ended up lasting nearly 15 months. During this time, college coaches were not allowed to have any in-person contact with recruits or host them in any way on visits. Starting at the beginning of June, the recruited calendar shifted to a “quiet period,” which meant recruits were free to take official and unofficial visits to campuses again. The Red Raiders entered the month of June with zero commitments toward their 2022 class, but over the course of the following six weeks the coaches picked up seven pledges.

Hut Graham

The commitment party started with Gunter quarterback-turned-safety Hut Graham. In high school Graham stars at quarterback, where as a junior he finished with 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns passing along with 654 yards and 14 touchdowns rushing, earning the District 8-3A-II Overall MVP Award. The Tech coaches offered the athletic prospect as a safety following a camp performance, and it didn’t take long for the 6-foot-1, 185-pounder to hop on board. “I felt like the coaches were showing genuine interest, and knowing coach (Keith) Patterson made it an even easier decision. The official visit made Texas Tech feel like home and I’m excited to become a Red Raider. I’m 100-percent committed, and I’m done with recruiting now.” The second commitment of the class happened just two days later, when Eaglecrest

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(Colo.) offensive lineman Kaden Weatherby (below) decided to make Texas Tech his new home.

by BEN GOLAN

“I talked with coach (DeAndre) Smith and he was the first person I let know. From there, I talked with coach Wells, and they were both fired up about my commitment. They welcomed me to the program.” Later that same day it was Alief Taylor wide receiver Tyler King’s turn to become a Red Raider. Along with his football talents King is also a track star and is one of the fastest players in the state. He chose Tech over Houston and Memphis among others.

Kaden Weatherby

The 6-foot-6, 280-pound prospect chose the Red Raiders over offers from Arizona State, Colorado, Michigan, Kansas State and others. Weatherby says it was his relationship with the Tech coaches which ended up being the difference maker. “Coach (Steve) Farmer, how can you not love him? He texts me almost daily just to see how I’m doing. It’s not always about football, sometimes he calls for 60 seconds or two minutes just to see how the day was and what everyone is up to, and I think that’s really special that he does that. I have a very strong relationship with him as well as with coach (Matt) Wells.” Commitments No. 3 and 4 happened on the same day, both from explosive offensive playmakers. First it was Tyler Legacy running back Bryson Donnell, who chose Tech over offers from Arkansas, Colorado, Houston, Kansas, Purdue and others. Donnell was the program’s top target at running back and he rewarded the coaches’ efforts with his pledge.

Tyler King

“I talked to all of them, coach Luke Wells, coach Joel Filani, but I’m closest with (offensive grad assistant) B.J. Johnson. I talk to him almost every day. I like the coaches, I like the players, I got a chance to chill with Myles Price and some other players on my visit. I really like the environment down there.” The second offensive lineman of the class was Argyle’s Sheridan Wilson. Wilson was a long-time target for the coaches, initially picking up his offer back in February 2020.

Sheridan Wilson Bryson Donnell

The 6-foot-4, 275-pound Wilson was high school teammates with current Red Raiders Jack

Tucker, Cole Kirkpatrick and Blake Spence last season, and he chose Texas Tech over Arizona State, TCU, Colorado, Washington State and others. “We went and watched some film with coach Farmer and his staff. I got to look through some of the drills they do and how they run practices. It was good to watch and helps me prepare mentally for the next level, plus it was interesting to see how college players practice. “Coach Farmer sees me playing right tackle at the college level and said I had good enough feet to play the position. We also talked about coming in and working at center, and I’m open to playing the guard position as well.” The final two high school prospects to commit over the summer are both athletes from Oklahoma. Broken Arrow’s Maurion Horn is a consensus four-star prospect who committed to Texas Tech over Arkansas, Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Texas and USC among others.

Maurion Horn

Horn can play running back, wide receiver or defensive back, and the Tech coaches will be glad to see him compete at all of those positions. “The Texas Tech coaches are giving me the opportunity to play on both sides of the ball, corner back and wide receiver or running back. I have always wanted to try and play both sides of the ball in college, so that was also appealing to me. I play corner, running back and receiver in high school now for Broken Arrow. “I have joined offensive and defensive Zooms with the coaching staff over the past year, and overall every coach at Texas Tech believes that I can make a big impact for them on either side of the ball. I even met with both sets of coaches during my official visit, we have had a lot of com-

munication about the opportunity to compete.” Finally, Bethany’s Jocelyn Malaska committed to Tech. Malaska is listed at 6-foot-1, 170 pounds and will be coming in to play defensive back.

Jocelyn Malaska

Malaska initially camped with Tech in early June before returning for an official visit later that month. After taking almost double-digit visits this summer, he says he is glad to be done with the recruiting process. “It really is unbelievable to me. At the same time, I’m 100-percent committed to Texas Tech and cannot be more happy about my decision.” All’s Well That Ends Well It’s not often you get a second chance in college football, but with the transfer portal in full swing that may start happening more often. When Matt Wells took over as Texas Tech head coach in November 2018, he didn’t have much time to put together a recruiting class with the early signing period just weeks away. One of the top targets in Wells’ initial class was Plano running back Kyron Cumby. Cumby took an official visit to Lubbock, and even though he’s the son of former Tech football player Keith Cumby, he decided to sign with Illinois.

Kyron Cumby

Robert Wooten

After amassing 58 total yards in two seasons, Cumby decided to transfer back to his home state and become a Red Raider. Another former top Texas Tech target, defensive lineman Robert Wooten, decided to transfer and become a Red Raider this summer. The Stafford standout signed with Virginia Tech out of high school, but after one season in Blacksburg decided to transfer closer to home. He played in 11 games as a true freshman and arrives with all four years of eligibility intact. Adams Rounds Out Hoops Roster Ask any Texas Tech fan and they’ll tell you one of the basketball team’s biggest weaknesses in recent years was a lack of size. There was little margin for error when it came to rebounding and protecting the rim. Mark Adams made it a priority to get bigger in the offseason. He succeeded, bringing in high caliber bigs in K.J. Allen, Daniel Batcho and Bryson Williams along with a plethora of longer guards and wings, to add to a roster which already included Marcus Santos-Silva. Adams might have saved his best recruiting win for last. Oral Roberts post Kevin Obanor entered the portal in early July and immediately became one of the best available players in the country. After all, the 6-foot-8, 225-pounder just came off an NCAA tournament run where he averaged over 23 points and 11 rebounds a game, helping his 15-seeded Golden Eagles team to two upset wins over No. 2 seed Ohio State and No. 7 seed Florida. Overall on the season Obanor averaged 18.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists a night. What makes him so intriguing though is the shooting. Obanor shot 46.3 percent from deep on the season, on a significant number of attempts (121). For his college career Obanor is a 42.5 percent shooter from three, which is still an incredible number. That shooting translates to the line, where he is a career 83.5 percent free throw shooter. Simply stated, Obanor is the total offensive package and a guy who can get you a bucket late in games when teams muck things up and the ball sticks. Look for the versatile Obanor to play primarily the power forward and center positions.

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