Herman shows shift of culture at Spring Game

Texas fans saw something new before Saturday’s Orange-White Spring Game at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium. And it wasn’t just the appearance of new head coach Tom Herman on the sideline.

Ten minutes before the game started, Herman gathered his players and staff into a tight circle on the southwest corner of the field –– defense dressed in burnt orange and offense in all white.

One by one, an offensive player stepped into the center of the circle and waited to be paired with a defensive counterpart to compete in the “bull in the ring” drill.

“That’s just to get everybody’s blood flowing,” defensive back P.J. Locke said. “If you didn’t get any sleep last night, that’ll wake you up really quick.”

As the matchups ensued, players pumped their fists and jumped around as the crowd howled with excitement. The action even intrigued members of the media sitting in the press box above.

“We use that everyday to open practice,” said offensive tackle Connor Williams said, who took the ring in a matchup against defensive tackle Jordan Elliott. “It gets the team ready for what to expect. It’s one-on-one and there’s no hiding anything.”

There was no hiding the Longhorns’ will to compete. Defensive tackle Poona Ford said the drill “got the juices going” and got the team “hyped up” to show what they’ve been working on all spring.

Herman made it clear when he arrived on the 40 Acres in November that accountability would be key to the program’s success moving forward. And what better way to hold a player accountable for performing well in his position than to put him under the spotlight in a fun way?

"It was really good to see guys flying around," Herman said.

Herman has also preached the importance of fluidity and alignment within the program — in practice and in overall mentality.

“How we start practice is kind of equivalent to how we start a game,” Locke said. “If we start practice intense, it’s just building that mentality to start the game intense.”

The results from the ring carried over into the game itself when Herman awarded the orange team, comprising his defense, three points to the initial 0-0 score ­­­— rewarding the unit for winning a majority of the head-to-head matchups in the drill.

Shane Buechele, who will be a sophomore in the fall, and newcomer Sam Ehlinger both got to show their skills at the quarterback position, but even 369 yards in the air and two passing touchdowns from Buechele wasn’t enough for Herman to comfortably name him as the team’s starter.

“As far as Shane being the starter, no way,” Herman said. “I think a healthy fear of losing your job is just that –– healthy. To say that he’s won the job in 12 padded practices when he doesn’t even get hit, that would be a bit premature.”

The spring game was merely a technicality stacked up against the opportunity Herman had to display the new-and-improved brand of Texas football he’s trying to sell, which includes a shift toward more modern culture and rekindling the program’s relationships with past players and Texas high school coaches.

Texas alumni, including legendary quarterback Colt McCoy and former All-American safety Michael Huff, were involved in the festivities. Herman was dancing on the field and greeting recruits and other special guests with his storied hugs.

“It’s not for show,” Herman said. “We build relationships with them because I firmly believe that if I’m a current football player at the University of Texas and I see those players walking around — they’re successful husbands and fathers and players and businessmen and entrepreneurs — and I have that role model each and every day, then how does not motivate you?”

In Herman’s eyes, winning on the field only comes when all the other pieces of the puzzle are in place. He’s on the right track. And everyone in his circle seems to be buying in.

This commentary piece was an assignment for J326F – Reporting Sports at the University of Texas.