The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Little Brother
09.17.2003 | Football
When someone stands 6-foot-5 and weighs in at 315 pounds, it's hard to call him your 'little' brother.
But that's exactly how senior defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs sees his sophomore counterpart on the line in Rod Wright.
"The best thing about Marcus is that I know I can always count on him," Wright said. "From day one he's made sure to help me out with everything he could and he's made everything easier for me from getting settled in Austin to feeling comfortable on the field."
While Texas head coach Mack Brown and his staff have a Big Brother program, which allows the freshmen to have an older player on the team to talk to and lean on, Tubbs has always taken that concept a step further.
Tubbs, a native of DeSoto, Texas, who stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs in at 310 pounds himself, knows first hand the difficulties in adjusting from a star on the high school gridiron to a freshman amongst players who are being groomed for the NFL.
"I was so lost when I first got to college," Tubbs said. "My freshman year was the longest year because I was in a new place and I didn't know anyone that well. I still know how that feels."
Not only was Tubbs homesick when he first arrived in Austin, but also he was also switching positions from tight end to defensive tackle. However, playing everyday in practice alongside people such as Casey Hampton and Cedric Woodard made the biggest difference in the world.
Hampton and Woodard, who are playing in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks, respectively, immediately took Tubbs under their wing. When the freshman didn't have a car, they gave Tubbs a ride. When they went to eat, Tubbs was tagging along. Before two-a-days started, Tubbs even lived at Hampton's apartment for several weeks before he was able to move into his dorm.
By Tubbs sophomore year, he started in 12 contests at defensive tackle and last year he was a seasoned veteran, totally capable of leading the younger lineman that were coming in behind him.
While Tubbs looked after all the defensive tackles last year from Wright and Larry Dibbles to Marco Martin and Tully Janzen, it was a necessity that Tubbs and Wright formed an immediate chemistry.
Due to injuries and Wright's obvious talent, he was thrust into a key role as he started nine games and appeared in all 13 contests as a freshman. His 65 tackles and 4.5 sacks led to Wright being selected a Freshman All-American by The Sporting News, as well as the Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year, which was selected by the league's coaches.
Despite what seemed like a seamless transition for Wright, it wasn't as easy as it appeared. Like most freshmen, Wright missed home, as well as being 'lovesick' according to Tubbs, as his girlfriend was still in Houston.
When he first arrived on campus he was nervous like any 18-year-old kid would be who is suddenly surrounded by 22-year-old men like Cory Redding, a future third-round pick by the Detroit Lions in the NFL Draft.
Tubbs and his commanding presence also intimidated Wright at the beginning. That only lasted until Tubbs spoke to the freshman.
"Marcus is just real goofy," Wright said. "When I first got here he came and talked to me and let me know I could come to him for anything, which was a big help. Marcus likes to have a good time and joke around and he makes everything easier for the younger guys."
To return the favor, Wright took the lessons taught to him by Tubbs and started applying them to the younger players on the team this past summer. Before freshman reported, he struck up a friendship with freshman defensive end Tim Crowder and called him continuously over the summer to ease his transition into the college game.
Apparently Wright's words have made a difference. Crowder played in Texas' season-opening victory over New Mexico State and is currently slated as a second-string defensive end behind senior Kalen Thornton and sophomore Bryan Pickryl.
"It's always been a process on our team where the older guys have helped out the younger guys," defensive coordinator Carl Reese said. "Marcus is exceptional at it, and I think he really enjoys being one of the older guys on the team. The younger guys really look up to him. If they learn from him and treat the players that come in behind them the same way Tubbs treated them, then the defensive line will always be in great shape."
