The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Longhorn Middle Men
04.22.2004 | Football
When University of Texas defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs' name is called during the NFL Draft April 24-25 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, don't be surprised to hear it early on the first day. Tubbs, a native of DeSoto, Texas (DeSoto HS), has been projected as a potential first-round draft pick and is expected to join former Horns Casey Hampton (2001/1st round/19th pick/Pittsburgh Steelers) and Shaun Rogers (2001/2nd Round/Detroit Lions) as Longhorns defensive linemen picked on the first day of the NFL Draft over the last four years.
The 2004 NFL Draft is set to begin at 11 a.m. (Central) on Saturday, April 24 and will be carried live on ESPN. The first three rounds will take place on Saturday and rounds four through seven will be held on Sunday, April 25 beginning at 10 a.m. (Central).
Tubbs capped his final season in Austin by posting 77 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and 26 QB pressures en route to first-team All-Big 12 honors. In 46 career games (35 starts), Tubbs tallied 207 tackles, 41 TFLs (tied for 11th on the UT all-time list), 15.5 sacks and 65 QB pressures. His four career blocked kicks, including one that sealed a 17-14 Longhorn victory at Kansas State in 2002, matched the UT record.
"It's so great when you think about going into DeSoto High School six years ago and looking at a guy like Marcus, who was a basketball player and a two year player at tight end and to see his development at the college level," said seventh-year UT Head Coach Mack Brown. "He moved to defensive end and then tackle and now has a chance to achieve his dream of playing in the NFL.
"That makes you feel good about how hard Marcus worked and your recruiting process in general. It also makes you feel good that your coaches not only put him in the right place, but coached him well from an offensive player to a defensive player at the highest level."
Hampton and Rogers became the first defensive tackle duo at Texas since Ray Dowdy and Greg Ploetz in 1971 to earn first-team all-conference honors. They went on to establish themselves as the first former Longhorn defensive tackle duo ever to earn a spot on the NFL's Pro Bowl roster in 2004.
The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2000, Hampton is entering his fourth year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was a two-time first-team All-American, including consensus honors in 2000. A four-year starter, he became the first defensive tackle in UT history to lead the Horns in tackles in back-to-back seasons (1999-2000). His 54 career tackles for loss rank second on the UT all-time chart.
A four-year starter who ranks fourth on the UT all-time TFLs list with 53, Rogers is entering his fourth year with the Detroit Lions. Although an ankle injury limited him during his senior year, Rogers earned first-team All-Big 12 honors after posting 27 TFLs (second-best season total in UT history) in 1999.
In addition to Hampton, Rogers and Tubbs, Cedric Woodard, who played both tackle and end at UT, makes it four Longhorn defensive tackles drafted in the last five years. Woodard was selected in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens and will be best remembered for keeping alive the Horns NFL-leading streak of consecutive years with a player drafted. That streak now stands at 66 straight years. A three-year starter, Woodard posted 40 career TFLs (No. 12 on the UT all-time list) and led the team with 19 TFLs in 1998.
One of the constants on the 40 acres during the Longhorns defensive tackle success on recent NFL draft days is assistant coach Mike Tolleson, who has honed the skills of all three standout tackles during his tenure. In his seventh year at Texas and 32nd year of coaching, the defensive tackle coach/special teams coordinator who answers to "Tolley" is an enthusiastic and energetic coach who has worked at both the collegiate and professional levels.
The talent that Tolleson has coached doesn't stop there. Just a few years before Texas, while at LSU, Tolleson coached ends Kenny Mixon and Chuck Wiley who were drafted in the second and third-round, respectively in 1998. Mixon was drafted by the Miami Dolphins and now is a starter for the Minnesota Vikings entering his seventh year in the league. Wiley was drafted by the Carolina Panthers and now is a teammate of Mixon's with the Vikings and also is entering his seventh NFL season. Gabe Northern, another one of Tolleson's ends, was selected in the second-round of the 1996 draft by the Buffalo Bills.
He also coached end Bobby Hamilton as the defensive line coach at Southern Miss from 1993-94. Hamilton, who signed with the New York Jets as a free agent in 1996, was a starter for the Patriots Super Bowl Championship teams in 2001 and 2003. He has played eight seasons in the NFL.
"Coach Tolley is a guy that has been around great programs and coaches, he's been a defensive coordinator and has worked with a lot of different positions, so he's got a great feel for the game of football," said Brown. "As much pressure as there is on players and coaches in modern day football, he is still the ultimate players coach. They love to play for him, he makes it fun and he has the ability to while making it fun really push the guys. In watching his players, they really play hard for Coach Tolley."
His former Longhorn standouts concur with Brown. "Coach Tolley has so much experience and knowledge of the game and he has worked with a lot of great players, so you know if you listen to him he'll help you become a better player," Hampton said.
Hampton, one of the NFLs best tackles, was obviously paying close attention. He earned a spot in the 2003 Pro Bowl after posting a career-high 51 tackles (39 solo) and has started 42 of 48 career NFL games. After being selected in the first-round in 2001, Hampton quickly emerged as a force on the NFL's top-ranked defense that year and has steadily built on that. He received votes for the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year that season.
Tolleson's standout players are quick to point out his coaching expertise, but they are just as excited to discuss the importance of the Anniston, Ala. natives personal touch.
"His demeanor and attitude are a big reason why he's such a great coach," said Rogers. "Coach Tolley is a guy that really cares about you as much, if not more, as a person than as a player and that goes a long way with the guys. He's a coach that you really want to work hard for."
Rogers hard work has helped him develop into one of the NFLs top lineman. Selected as an alternate for the Pro Bowl in 2003 after posting 59 tackles and 3.5 sacks, he was a consensus NFL All-Rookie selection in 2001. Rogers, who has started 28 of 30 NFL games, led all NFL defensive linemen with 97 tackles that year.
Hampton agrees with Rogers. "Coach Tolley genuinely cares about you as a player and a person. You feel like his son out there so you don't want to let him down. I know I played as hard as I could so that I could get my job done and make plays."
And one thing his players know is that if they are struggling, or a little down on game day, in practice, during workouts or at any point, Tolley can help give them a lift.
"Coach Tolley is passionate about the game of football," Tubbs said. "I think he instills that in his players to have that same passion and drive out on the field. Just by that, it's helped a lot of us in life with things that we deal with. Coach Tolley is just an awesome person and there aren't many people like him."
"He's always upbeat and in a good mood," Hampton said. "No matter how your day is going, Tolley brings such a great, positive attitude that it's hard for you to have a bad day."
"He coaches with a lot of emotion and helps put his players in position to make plays, to make things happen," Rogers added. "He works hard to help you get fundamentally prepared and to make better adjustments and then he lets you be you on the field. He doesn't take away the unique things each of his guys can do. He works with you to add new elements to your game."
It was his focus on fundamentals, teaching, and development that helped Tubbs go from a 250-pound tight end as a freshman to one of the most coveted defensive lineman this draft day.
"Coach Tolley is an awesome coach," said Tubbs. "When I first got there, I honestly didn't know anything about defensive tackle. I felt he just took me under his wing and made it a point to teach me and help me get better every day. If I'm one of the best tackles in the nation now, I think all the credit goes to Coach Tolley, because he's the one who welcomed me and he never gave up. Some days, even when I felt like the sorriest player on the team, he still stuck with me."
Hampton remembers Tolley challenging the tackles to make plays no matter what obstacles they faced. "Tolley really challenged us to make plays. When we watched game or practice tape, he would challenge us to beat our guy on every down. I think the most important thing I learned from Tolley is playing hard on every play. He really emphasizes how important it is to never let up. If you beat two blockers and are crawling on your hands and knees, he convinced us that we could still make the play. I think that definitely helped me a lot as a player."
It also has helped prepare the players he's coached in chasing their dreams of playing professionally.
"Coming from Texas and working with the staff there and Coach Tolley made the transition to the pros much easier," Rogers said. "All of those guys could be great pro coaches. In the pros, a lot of times the coaches give you the playbook and work on schemes. They expect you to have the fundamentals and techniques down and to just go play. At Texas, they give you a good foundation to start with and put you in great shape as you transition to the league."
Hampton and Rogers passed the torch to Tubbs to lead the Longhorns defensive line the past two years and Texas remained as one of the nation's premier defenses. They have high hopes for their fellow tackle as he prepares to join them at the professional level.
"Marcus is a big guy who can really move, get up the field and make plays," Rogers said. "The NFL is always looking for guys like that. If he keeps working, he has all the tools to be a great DT in the NFL."
"He's still young at the position and learning every day, but he's working hard and has a lot of ability," Hampton added. "I'm anxious to see him in the league."
This weekend, most likely on Saturday, Tubbs will find out where he is headed to in the NFL. And, just as he has on many draft days in his more than three decades as a coach, Tolley will be beaming again, happy that he had the chance to coach him.
"I'm really excited for Marucs, just like I was for the others," Tolleson said. "Those guys deserve all the credit. They did all of the work and earned everything they got. I'm just happy that I was fortunate enough to have a chance to work with them."
