Texas defensive back Jahday Barron had a national coming-out party in his final season at the Forty Acres, becoming a finalist for the Thorpe Award.
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If you didn’t know, his teammates will be happy to remind you – they even made shirts that read ‘Jade for Thorpe’. It’s a simple message, but an effective one. The best slogans are often the same. Andrew Mukuba was seen wearing the shirt after the Kentucky game, and Michael Taaffe also wore the same shirt during warmups before Texas’ win over the Wildcats.
How does Baron feel about the overwhelming support of his teammates?
“This means a lot,” Barron said Monday. “As much hard work as I’ve put in, (Taaffe) has put in as much effort. He’s pushed me to a standard that he thinks I can reach. He’s pushed me to do better. He pushes me to strive to be better and I’m going to continue to push him. He’s a great teammate and a brother to me off the field.”
An answer that describes Baron’s personality.
Thorpe’s finalist teammates and friends are the ones who are campaigning the hardest for him to win this award. When asked about it, Barron said little about himself. Instead, he praised the hard work of others. That’s the Barons, and more importantly, that’s the Texas led by Steve Sarkisian.
Taaffe and Mukuba, stars of Texas’ elite secondary, may have been jealous of the mainstream attention and acclaim their teammates received. But that’s not the case. Instead, they celebrate their brothers’ successes and focus on team results rather than individual trophies.
This mentality is reflected in people like Vince Young, who prioritized winning even after not being selected for the Heisman, and Colt McCoy, who talked only about God, his team, and Texas after getting injured at the 2010 BCS National Championship. Reminiscent of the Texas greats. Program — put yourself last.
Sarkisian noticed this trend.
“You see Michael Taaffe wearing a ‘Jade for Soaps’ T-shirt, you see Mukuba talking about Jade, and you see Jade wearing a Quinn Ewers T-shirt,” Sarkisian said. said. “I think that really speaks to our team, our culture and the love they have for each other.”
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These are prime examples of the championship culture Sarkisian brought back to Austin. The selfless nature of the team is a key factor in its success.
Sarkisian is now the third coach in Texas history to win 10 games in consecutive seasons, joining Darrell Royal and Mack Brown, who won a championship at Forty Acres because of the kind of culture Texas currently has. It became.
