Big 12: All-decade teams
Despite its isolated location, Texas Tech became one of the prime stories in college football during the last decade.
Tech was an underrated program on the field, qualifying for a bowl game in every season under Mike Leach.
In building his program, Leach was known for his love of pirates and Sherlock Holmes and many other things that had little to do with football. He was a breath of fresh air in the coaching fraternity.
When he was fired after the 2009 regular season, it was a national story because of its abrupt nature.
The Red Raiders claimed 85 victories during the decade, trailing only Oklahoma and Texas. All but one of those wins was earned by Leach, who was fired shortly before Tech’s Valero Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan State.
The Red Raiders certainly were the Big 12's most entertaining program with a high-powered offense and the quirky Leach in charge. And when they were at their very best, the Red Raiders had an underrated defense directed by Ruffin McNeill that accentuated the team’s offensive firepower.
Here’s a look at my selections for the top moments and players for Tech from the last decade.
OFFENSE
QB: Graham Harrell
RB: Taurean Henderson
RB: Baron Batch
WR: Michael Crabtree
WR: Joel Filani
WR: Wes Welker
OL: Brandon Carter
OL: Rylan Reed
OL: Luis Vasquez
OL: Daniel Loper
C: Dylan Gandy
DEFENSE
DL: Aaron Hunt
DL: Adell Duckett
DL Brandon Sharpe
DL: Brandon Williams
LB: Lawrence Flugence
LB: Mike Smith
LB: Marlon Williams
DB: Dwayne Slay
DB: Kevin Curtis
DB: Darcel McBath
DB: Jamar Wall
P: Alex Reyes
K: Alex Trlica
Ret: Wes Welker
Offensive player of the decade: WR Michael Crabtree. Despite playing only two seasons, he became the most productive receiver in Tech’s history. He was a two-time winner of the Biletnikoff Award with 231 receptions and 41 TD grabs setting an NCAA record for two seasons of production.
Defensive player of the decade: S Kevin Curtis. A fiery, hard-hitting safety, Curtis was the most decorated and one of the most versatile defensive player of the decade for the Red Raiders. Curtis earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 1999 and 2000 and second-team all-conference honors in 2001. He was a second-team All-American in 2000 while playing strong safety and a second-team All-America choice in 2001 after moving to free safety.
Coach of the decade: Mike Leach. He perhaps was the most influential coaching figure in Big 12 history as he helped push the conference from a stodgy run-based attack to one where cutting-edge passing attacks predominated. He also became a national figure because of his personality and his guest appearances on television shows as diverse as “Sixty Minutes” and “Friday Night Lights.”
Moment of the decade: Michael Crabtree’s late touchdown grab beats Texas in 2008. Graham Harrell’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Crabtree was one second left helped push Tech to an area it had never been before. It not only boosted them to a 39-33 triumph over Texas but also served as a national coming-out party for Leach, Crabtree and the rest of the Tech program. In the process, the Red Raiders earned an unprecedented share of the Big 12 South title that season.
Tech was an underrated program on the field, qualifying for a bowl game in every season under Mike Leach.
In building his program, Leach was known for his love of pirates and Sherlock Holmes and many other things that had little to do with football. He was a breath of fresh air in the coaching fraternity.
When he was fired after the 2009 regular season, it was a national story because of its abrupt nature.
The Red Raiders claimed 85 victories during the decade, trailing only Oklahoma and Texas. All but one of those wins was earned by Leach, who was fired shortly before Tech’s Valero Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan State.
The Red Raiders certainly were the Big 12's most entertaining program with a high-powered offense and the quirky Leach in charge. And when they were at their very best, the Red Raiders had an underrated defense directed by Ruffin McNeill that accentuated the team’s offensive firepower.
Here’s a look at my selections for the top moments and players for Tech from the last decade.
OFFENSE
QB: Graham Harrell
RB: Taurean Henderson
RB: Baron Batch
WR: Michael Crabtree
WR: Joel Filani
WR: Wes Welker
OL: Brandon Carter
OL: Rylan Reed
OL: Luis Vasquez
OL: Daniel Loper
C: Dylan Gandy
DEFENSE
DL: Aaron Hunt
DL: Adell Duckett
DL Brandon Sharpe
DL: Brandon Williams
LB: Lawrence Flugence
LB: Mike Smith
LB: Marlon Williams
DB: Dwayne Slay
DB: Kevin Curtis
DB: Darcel McBath
DB: Jamar Wall
P: Alex Reyes
K: Alex Trlica
Ret: Wes Welker
Offensive player of the decade: WR Michael Crabtree. Despite playing only two seasons, he became the most productive receiver in Tech’s history. He was a two-time winner of the Biletnikoff Award with 231 receptions and 41 TD grabs setting an NCAA record for two seasons of production.
Defensive player of the decade: S Kevin Curtis. A fiery, hard-hitting safety, Curtis was the most decorated and one of the most versatile defensive player of the decade for the Red Raiders. Curtis earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 1999 and 2000 and second-team all-conference honors in 2001. He was a second-team All-American in 2000 while playing strong safety and a second-team All-America choice in 2001 after moving to free safety.
Coach of the decade: Mike Leach. He perhaps was the most influential coaching figure in Big 12 history as he helped push the conference from a stodgy run-based attack to one where cutting-edge passing attacks predominated. He also became a national figure because of his personality and his guest appearances on television shows as diverse as “Sixty Minutes” and “Friday Night Lights.”
Moment of the decade: Michael Crabtree’s late touchdown grab beats Texas in 2008. Graham Harrell’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Crabtree was one second left helped push Tech to an area it had never been before. It not only boosted them to a 39-33 triumph over Texas but also served as a national coming-out party for Leach, Crabtree and the rest of the Tech program. In the process, the Red Raiders earned an unprecedented share of the Big 12 South title that season.
Mack Brown revived the glory at Texas in the last decade, claiming at least 10 victories in each of the last nine seasons, including a 25-2 record in the last two seasons. The Longhorns have finished in the top 10 in five of the last six seasons.
Darrell K. Royal/Texas Memorial Stadium now has more than 100,00 seats. The Longhorns have a designated successor for Brown in place with rising star Will Muschamp. And that pesky problem with Bob Stoops has been alleviated recently with four victories in the last five seasons over the Sooners.
Times are good for Brown.
Here's a look at the Longhorns’ all-decade team during that time.
OFFENSE
QB: Vince Young
RB: Jamaal Charles
RB: Cedric Benson
WR: Jordan Shipley
WR: Roy Williams
TE: David Thomas
OL: Justin Blalock
OL: Jonathan Scott
OL: Derrick Dockery
OL: Leonard Davis
C: Lyle Sendlein
DEFENSE
DL: Brian Orakpo
DL: Cory Redding
DL: Shaun Rogers
DL: Casey Hampton
LB: Sergio Kindle
LB: Derrick Johnson
LB: Roddrick Muckelroy
DB: Earl Thomas
DB: Michael Huff
DB: Nathan Vasher
DB: Aaron Ross
P: Richmond McGee
K: Hunter Lawrence
KR: Quan Cosby
Offensive player of the decade: QB Vince Young. The most electrifying player of the decade capped his career by scoring the game-winning touchdown to lead his team to the national championship in his final drive. Brown finished with a 30-2 record, 6.040 passing yards and 3,127 rushing yards.
Defensive player of the decade: LB Derrick Johnson. He wasn’t around when the Longhorns won the national championship, but was perhaps the best player at his position at the school since Tommy Nobis. He capped his career with the Nagurski and Butkus Awards after earning All-America honors in each of his last two seasons.
Coach of the decade: Mack Brown. Remember when people used to joke about his inability to win big games or how he coddled his players. That all changed as the decade progressed. Brown got tougher and made some astute moves at defensive coordinator to help his program take the next step with the addition of coaches like Gene Chizik and Will Muschamp.
Moment of the decade: Vince Young’s run leads comeback victory to the 2005 national championship. Young’s game-winning 8-yard TD run with 19 seconds left boosted the Longhorns to a 41-38 victory over USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl, providing the margin of victory in one of the greatest college football games in history. Michael Huff’s fourth-down stop of LenDale White on the preceding drive set up Young’s heroics to snap the Trojans’ 34-game winning streak.
Darrell K. Royal/Texas Memorial Stadium now has more than 100,00 seats. The Longhorns have a designated successor for Brown in place with rising star Will Muschamp. And that pesky problem with Bob Stoops has been alleviated recently with four victories in the last five seasons over the Sooners.
Times are good for Brown.
Here's a look at the Longhorns’ all-decade team during that time.
OFFENSE
QB: Vince Young
RB: Jamaal Charles
RB: Cedric Benson
WR: Jordan Shipley
WR: Roy Williams
TE: David Thomas
OL: Justin Blalock
OL: Jonathan Scott
OL: Derrick Dockery
OL: Leonard Davis
C: Lyle Sendlein
DEFENSE
DL: Brian Orakpo
DL: Cory Redding
DL: Shaun Rogers
DL: Casey Hampton
LB: Sergio Kindle
LB: Derrick Johnson
LB: Roddrick Muckelroy
DB: Earl Thomas
DB: Michael Huff
DB: Nathan Vasher
DB: Aaron Ross
P: Richmond McGee
K: Hunter Lawrence
KR: Quan Cosby
Offensive player of the decade: QB Vince Young. The most electrifying player of the decade capped his career by scoring the game-winning touchdown to lead his team to the national championship in his final drive. Brown finished with a 30-2 record, 6.040 passing yards and 3,127 rushing yards.
Defensive player of the decade: LB Derrick Johnson. He wasn’t around when the Longhorns won the national championship, but was perhaps the best player at his position at the school since Tommy Nobis. He capped his career with the Nagurski and Butkus Awards after earning All-America honors in each of his last two seasons.
Coach of the decade: Mack Brown. Remember when people used to joke about his inability to win big games or how he coddled his players. That all changed as the decade progressed. Brown got tougher and made some astute moves at defensive coordinator to help his program take the next step with the addition of coaches like Gene Chizik and Will Muschamp.
Moment of the decade: Vince Young’s run leads comeback victory to the 2005 national championship. Young’s game-winning 8-yard TD run with 19 seconds left boosted the Longhorns to a 41-38 victory over USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl, providing the margin of victory in one of the greatest college football games in history. Michael Huff’s fourth-down stop of LenDale White on the preceding drive set up Young’s heroics to snap the Trojans’ 34-game winning streak.
Oklahoma State has emerged as a consistent power under Les Miles and Mike Gundy with bowl trips in seven of the last eight seasons.
The Cowboys have done it with a star-studded array of top players who have dotted their rosters over the last few years, most notably at wide receiver and running back. I was left with a tough choice between Adarius Bowman or Dez Bryant as the second wide receiver behind Rashaun Woods. And at running back, I went over and over as I tried to decide between Kendall Hunter, Keith Toston or Vernand Morency to go along with Tatum Bell.
After some careful deliberation, here are my choices for the Cowboys' top players of the last decade.
OFFENSE
QB: Zac Robinson
RB: Kendall Hunter
RB: Tatum Bell
WR: Rashaun Woods
WR: Dez Bryant
TE: Brandon Pettigrew
OL: Russell Okung
OL: Corey Hilliard
OL: Sam Mayes
OL: Charlie Johnson
C: David Washington
DEFENSE
DL: Kevin Williams
DL: LaWaylon Brown
DL: Juqua Thomas
DL: Greg Richmond
LB: Terrence Robinson
LB: Dwayne Levels
LB: Patrick Lavine
DB: Perrish Cox
DB: Vernon Grant
DB: Elbert Craig
DB: Darrent Williams
K: Luke Phillips
P: Matt Fodge
Ret: Perrish Cox
Offensive player of the decade: WR Rashaun Woods. His emergence in the early part of the decade foreshadowed the Big 12’s development into the most pass-happy conference in the nation. Despite facing constant double-coverage, he produced 293 catches and was the first receiver in Big 12 history to reach 4,000 career receiving yards.
Defensive player of the decade: DT Kevin Williams. Excelled as a mainstay in the Cowboys’ defensive front, making 42 starts in his career. He helped transform the Cowboys’ defense into a tough run-stuffing unit, making 160 tackles and 18.5 sacks over his career.
Coach of the decade: Mike Gundy. His coaching career is no longer dominated by sound bites of eruptions at press conferences. Gundy has directed the Cowboys to four straight bowl trips and back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time in 21 seasons.
Moment of the decade: Josh Fields directs 2001 comeback victory at Oklahoma. Fields came off the bench to rifle a 14-yard touchdown pass to Rashaun Woods with 1:36 left, and the Cowboys held on for a 16-13 victory. The Oklahoma State defense notched three interceptions and seven sacks of Nate Hybl and gave Bob Stoops his first home loss.
The Cowboys have done it with a star-studded array of top players who have dotted their rosters over the last few years, most notably at wide receiver and running back. I was left with a tough choice between Adarius Bowman or Dez Bryant as the second wide receiver behind Rashaun Woods. And at running back, I went over and over as I tried to decide between Kendall Hunter, Keith Toston or Vernand Morency to go along with Tatum Bell.
After some careful deliberation, here are my choices for the Cowboys' top players of the last decade.
OFFENSE
QB: Zac Robinson
RB: Kendall Hunter
RB: Tatum Bell
WR: Rashaun Woods
WR: Dez Bryant
TE: Brandon Pettigrew
OL: Russell Okung
OL: Corey Hilliard
OL: Sam Mayes
OL: Charlie Johnson
C: David Washington
DEFENSE
DL: Kevin Williams
DL: LaWaylon Brown
DL: Juqua Thomas
DL: Greg Richmond
LB: Terrence Robinson
LB: Dwayne Levels
LB: Patrick Lavine
DB: Perrish Cox
DB: Vernon Grant
DB: Elbert Craig
DB: Darrent Williams
K: Luke Phillips
P: Matt Fodge
Ret: Perrish Cox
Offensive player of the decade: WR Rashaun Woods. His emergence in the early part of the decade foreshadowed the Big 12’s development into the most pass-happy conference in the nation. Despite facing constant double-coverage, he produced 293 catches and was the first receiver in Big 12 history to reach 4,000 career receiving yards.
Defensive player of the decade: DT Kevin Williams. Excelled as a mainstay in the Cowboys’ defensive front, making 42 starts in his career. He helped transform the Cowboys’ defense into a tough run-stuffing unit, making 160 tackles and 18.5 sacks over his career.
Coach of the decade: Mike Gundy. His coaching career is no longer dominated by sound bites of eruptions at press conferences. Gundy has directed the Cowboys to four straight bowl trips and back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time in 21 seasons.
Moment of the decade: Josh Fields directs 2001 comeback victory at Oklahoma. Fields came off the bench to rifle a 14-yard touchdown pass to Rashaun Woods with 1:36 left, and the Cowboys held on for a 16-13 victory. The Oklahoma State defense notched three interceptions and seven sacks of Nate Hybl and gave Bob Stoops his first home loss.
It was an eventful decade at Nebraska where two abrupt coaching changes took place after having only one – and no firings of head coaches – in the previous 38 seasons.
All of the Cornhuskers’ coaches experienced success in their own way over the decade. With Bill Callahan and Bo Pelini, Nebraska was the only Big 12 school to make championship game appearances in the 2000’s with different coaches. And Frank Solich, the Cornhuskers’ first coach of the decade, took them to a national championship game in 2001.
In 2001 Eric Crouch claimed the first of the Big 12’s three Heisman trophies in the decade. And Ndamukong Suh had a great case for one in 2009.
Pelini has the Cornhuskers pointed in the right direction after only two seasons. But here are my choices for the Cornhuskers' best players and brightest moments.
OFFENSE
QB: Eric Crouch
RB: Correll Buckhalter
RB: Cory Ross
WR: Nate Swift
WR: Maurice Purify
TE: Tracey Wistrom
OL: Russ Hochstein
OL: Toniu Fonoti
OL: Richie Incognito
OL: Matt Slauson
C: Dominic Raiola
DEFENSE
DL: Adam Carriker
DL: Ndamukong Suh
DL: Jared Crick
DL: Kyle Vanden Bosch
LB: Carlos Polk
LB: Demorrio Williams
LB: Barrett Ruud
DB: Keyuo Craver
DB: Josh Bullocks
DB: Prince Amukamara
DB: Daniel Bullocks
P: Kyle Larson
K: Alex Henery
Ret: DeJuan Groce
Offensive player of the decade: QB Eric Crouch. Received playing time early in his career as a receiver, but eventually became the most athletic quarterback to win the Heisman this decade. He finished as Nebraska’s career leader in total offense and total offense touchdowns.
Defensive player of the decade: DT Ndamukong Suh. His unique blend of athleticism gave him a skill set unlike those for many defensive tackles. Before his career was finished, Suh left with a legitimate claim as the greatest Blackshirt in history.
Coach of the decade: Bo Pelini. All three Nebraska coaches experienced success in different ways. Pelini gets the nod for his 20-8 record as a head coach and three bowl victories, including one as interim coach in 2003.
Moment of the decade: Eric Crouch’s throwback pass reception in 2001. Not only did Mike Stuntz’ 63-yard touchdown pass to Crouch wrap up a huge 20-10 victory over No. 2 Oklahoma, but it also provided a highlight that helped catapult Crouch to the Heisman Trophy.
All of the Cornhuskers’ coaches experienced success in their own way over the decade. With Bill Callahan and Bo Pelini, Nebraska was the only Big 12 school to make championship game appearances in the 2000’s with different coaches. And Frank Solich, the Cornhuskers’ first coach of the decade, took them to a national championship game in 2001.
In 2001 Eric Crouch claimed the first of the Big 12’s three Heisman trophies in the decade. And Ndamukong Suh had a great case for one in 2009.
Pelini has the Cornhuskers pointed in the right direction after only two seasons. But here are my choices for the Cornhuskers' best players and brightest moments.
OFFENSE
QB: Eric Crouch
RB: Correll Buckhalter
RB: Cory Ross
WR: Nate Swift
WR: Maurice Purify
TE: Tracey Wistrom
OL: Russ Hochstein
OL: Toniu Fonoti
OL: Richie Incognito
OL: Matt Slauson
C: Dominic Raiola
DEFENSE
DL: Adam Carriker
DL: Ndamukong Suh
DL: Jared Crick
DL: Kyle Vanden Bosch
LB: Carlos Polk
LB: Demorrio Williams
LB: Barrett Ruud
DB: Keyuo Craver
DB: Josh Bullocks
DB: Prince Amukamara
DB: Daniel Bullocks
P: Kyle Larson
K: Alex Henery
Ret: DeJuan Groce
Offensive player of the decade: QB Eric Crouch. Received playing time early in his career as a receiver, but eventually became the most athletic quarterback to win the Heisman this decade. He finished as Nebraska’s career leader in total offense and total offense touchdowns.
Defensive player of the decade: DT Ndamukong Suh. His unique blend of athleticism gave him a skill set unlike those for many defensive tackles. Before his career was finished, Suh left with a legitimate claim as the greatest Blackshirt in history.
Coach of the decade: Bo Pelini. All three Nebraska coaches experienced success in different ways. Pelini gets the nod for his 20-8 record as a head coach and three bowl victories, including one as interim coach in 2003.
Moment of the decade: Eric Crouch’s throwback pass reception in 2001. Not only did Mike Stuntz’ 63-yard touchdown pass to Crouch wrap up a huge 20-10 victory over No. 2 Oklahoma, but it also provided a highlight that helped catapult Crouch to the Heisman Trophy.
After sputtering in the early part of the decade, the Tigers became consistent winners in the latter part of the decade, soaring as high as No. 1 nationally in the week before the 2007 Big 12 title game.
The Tigers are still looking for their first Big 12 title, but they've had many memorable players dot their rosters over the decade.
Here's a look at the best of them. The toughest decision was to leave Justin Gage off the team at wide receiver, although I opted to go with an alignment much like offensive coordinator David Yost preferred, with one running back, two wide receivers and two tight ends. My team is reflected with that strategy.
OFFENSE
QB: Chase Daniel
RB: Zack Abron
WR: Jeremy Maclin
WR: Danario Alexander
TE: Chase Coffman
TE: Martin Rucker
OL: Joel Clinger
OL: Tony Palmer
OL: Kurtis Gregory
OL: Rob Droege
C: Adam Spieker
DEFENSE
DL: Justin Smith
DL: Atiyyah Ellison
DL: Lorenzo Williams
DL: Ziggy Hood
LB: Sean Weatherspoon
LB: Marcus Bacon
LB: Brock Christopher
DB: William Moore
DB: Pig Brown
DB: David Overstreet
DB: Shirdonya Mitchell
K: Jeff Wolfert
P: Jake Harry
KR: Jeremy Maclin
Offensive player of the decade: QB Chase Daniel. Orchestrated the Tigers’ back-to-back North Division championship teams in 2007-08, finishing fourth in the Heisman race in 2007 and setting the school’s career total offense and passing records as a senior.
Defensive player of the decade: LB Sean Weatherspoon. Lightly recruited player who emerged to become the dominant defensive player for the Tigers during his three-season career as a starter, leading the team in tackles each season.
Coach of the decade: Gary Pinkel. After struggling in his first two seasons, has taken the Tigers to a bowl game in every season except one, including two Big 12 title games and a No. 4 finish in the 2007 season.
Memory of the decade: Missouri’s 36-28 victory over Kansas in a 2007 showdown for the Big 12 North title pushed the Tigers to their first Big 12 championship game appearance. Daniel completed 40 of 49 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns, but the game wasn’t settled until Lorenzo Williams sacked Todd Reesing for a safety to ice the victory.
The Tigers are still looking for their first Big 12 title, but they've had many memorable players dot their rosters over the decade.
Here's a look at the best of them. The toughest decision was to leave Justin Gage off the team at wide receiver, although I opted to go with an alignment much like offensive coordinator David Yost preferred, with one running back, two wide receivers and two tight ends. My team is reflected with that strategy.
OFFENSE
QB: Chase Daniel
RB: Zack Abron
WR: Jeremy Maclin
WR: Danario Alexander
TE: Chase Coffman
TE: Martin Rucker
OL: Joel Clinger
OL: Tony Palmer
OL: Kurtis Gregory
OL: Rob Droege
C: Adam Spieker
DEFENSE
DL: Justin Smith
DL: Atiyyah Ellison
DL: Lorenzo Williams
DL: Ziggy Hood
LB: Sean Weatherspoon
LB: Marcus Bacon
LB: Brock Christopher
DB: William Moore
DB: Pig Brown
DB: David Overstreet
DB: Shirdonya Mitchell
K: Jeff Wolfert
P: Jake Harry
KR: Jeremy Maclin
Offensive player of the decade: QB Chase Daniel. Orchestrated the Tigers’ back-to-back North Division championship teams in 2007-08, finishing fourth in the Heisman race in 2007 and setting the school’s career total offense and passing records as a senior.
Defensive player of the decade: LB Sean Weatherspoon. Lightly recruited player who emerged to become the dominant defensive player for the Tigers during his three-season career as a starter, leading the team in tackles each season.
Coach of the decade: Gary Pinkel. After struggling in his first two seasons, has taken the Tigers to a bowl game in every season except one, including two Big 12 title games and a No. 4 finish in the 2007 season.
Memory of the decade: Missouri’s 36-28 victory over Kansas in a 2007 showdown for the Big 12 North title pushed the Tigers to their first Big 12 championship game appearance. Daniel completed 40 of 49 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns, but the game wasn’t settled until Lorenzo Williams sacked Todd Reesing for a safety to ice the victory.
Kansas State was a dominant North division power early in the decade, earning title-game berths in 2000 and 2003. The Wildcats had three teams that finished among the top 15 teams nationally in the first four seasons of the decade.
That success vanished later in the decade, but Bill Snyder returned to help turn around the program in 2009.
Here are my choices for the top Kansas State players of the last decade.
OFFENSE
QB: Ell Roberson
RB: Darren Sproles
RB: Daniel Thomas
WR: Quincy Morgan
WR: Jordy Nelson
TE: Jeron Mastrud
OL: Ryan Lilja
OL: Nick Stringer
OL: Jeromey Clary
OL: Andy Eby
C: Randall Cummings
DEFENSE
DL: Tank Reese
DL: Ian Campbell
DL: Monty Beisel
DL: Mario Fatafehi
LB: Ben Leber
LB: Terry Pierce
LB: Josh Buhl
DB: Jerametrius Butler
DB: Terence Newman
DB: Jon McGraw
DB: Dyshod Carter
P Tim Reyer
K Jamie Rheem
KR Brandon Banks
Offensive player of the decade: RB Darren Sproles. The key player on the Wildcats’ 2003 Big 12 title team rushed for a school-record 4,979 yards during his career, scoring 45 rushing touchdowns and notching three 1,000-yard seasons. He finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting in 2003 after rushing for a school-record 1,986 yards to spark the Wildcats' championship season.
Defensive player of the decade: CB Terence Newman. Finished as the most decorated defensive player in Kansas State history, earning All-America honors and the Big 12’s defensive player of the year in 2002. In that season, Newman won the Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back and was a finalist for the Nagurski Award.
Coach of the decade: Bill Snyder. Even a three-season sabbatical couldn’t diminish Snyder’s accomplishments for Kansas State. His 2003 team earned the school’s only Big 12 football championship, punctuating a run of four-straight bowl appearances to start the decade. After returning, he nearly took the team to another bowl game in his first season back in 2009, pushing the Wildcats into the Big 12 North title hunt until its final game of the season.
Moment of the decade: Kansas State notched a 35-7 victory over Oklahoma to earn the 2003 Big 12 title. The Wildcats overcame an early-season three-game losing streak to finish with a seven-game winning streak capped by the title-game upset over the No. 1 Sooners. Darren Sproles rushed for 235 yards and Ell Roberson threw four touchdowns in the wild upset -- the last time a North team has won the Big 12 championship game.
That success vanished later in the decade, but Bill Snyder returned to help turn around the program in 2009.
Here are my choices for the top Kansas State players of the last decade.
OFFENSE
QB: Ell Roberson
RB: Darren Sproles
RB: Daniel Thomas
WR: Quincy Morgan
WR: Jordy Nelson
TE: Jeron Mastrud
OL: Ryan Lilja
OL: Nick Stringer
OL: Jeromey Clary
OL: Andy Eby
C: Randall Cummings
DEFENSE
DL: Tank Reese
DL: Ian Campbell
DL: Monty Beisel
DL: Mario Fatafehi
LB: Ben Leber
LB: Terry Pierce
LB: Josh Buhl
DB: Jerametrius Butler
DB: Terence Newman
DB: Jon McGraw
DB: Dyshod Carter
P Tim Reyer
K Jamie Rheem
KR Brandon Banks
Offensive player of the decade: RB Darren Sproles. The key player on the Wildcats’ 2003 Big 12 title team rushed for a school-record 4,979 yards during his career, scoring 45 rushing touchdowns and notching three 1,000-yard seasons. He finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting in 2003 after rushing for a school-record 1,986 yards to spark the Wildcats' championship season.
Defensive player of the decade: CB Terence Newman. Finished as the most decorated defensive player in Kansas State history, earning All-America honors and the Big 12’s defensive player of the year in 2002. In that season, Newman won the Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back and was a finalist for the Nagurski Award.
Coach of the decade: Bill Snyder. Even a three-season sabbatical couldn’t diminish Snyder’s accomplishments for Kansas State. His 2003 team earned the school’s only Big 12 football championship, punctuating a run of four-straight bowl appearances to start the decade. After returning, he nearly took the team to another bowl game in his first season back in 2009, pushing the Wildcats into the Big 12 North title hunt until its final game of the season.
Moment of the decade: Kansas State notched a 35-7 victory over Oklahoma to earn the 2003 Big 12 title. The Wildcats overcame an early-season three-game losing streak to finish with a seven-game winning streak capped by the title-game upset over the No. 1 Sooners. Darren Sproles rushed for 235 yards and Ell Roberson threw four touchdowns in the wild upset -- the last time a North team has won the Big 12 championship game.
It was an eventful decade for Kansas, which celebrated its first BCS bowl and first back-to-back bowl appearances in school history.
The demise of Mark Mangino's coaching tenure can't take away from what he accomplished earlier in his career as he made the Kansas program relevant for the first time in the school's Big 12 history.
Here's a look at the players who shaped Kansas' football history during the past decade.
OFFENSE
QB: Todd Reesing
RB: Brandon McAnderson
RB: Jon Cornish
WR: Dezmon Briscoe
WR: Kerry Meier
WR: Mark Simmons
OL: Anthony Collins
OL: Justin Hartwig
OL: Joe Vaughn
OL : Ryan Cantrell
C: Joe Vaughn
DEFENSE
DL: James McClinton
DL: Nate Dwyer
DL: David McMillan
DL: Charlton Keith
LB: Nick Reid
LB: Joe Mortensen
LB: James Holt
DB: Aqib Talib
DB: Charles Gordon
DB: Darrell Stuckey
DB: Carl Nesmith
P: Kyle Tucker
K: Scott Webb
KR: Marcus Hereford
Offensive player of the decade: QB Todd Reesing. He wasn't the most imposing physically, but Reesing was ideally suited to direct the Jayhawks as a starter for three seasons as the most statistically proficient quarterback in school history.
Defensive player of the decade: DB Aqib Talib. While dabbling as a two-way player, Talib's biggest talents came as a lockdown cornerback. He earned All-American honors as a junior after leading the nation in passes broken up as a sophomore and claiming All-Big 12 honors in both seasons.
Coach of the decade: Mark Mangino. Despite the controversy when he left the Kansas program, Mangino made the Jayhawks a challenger for the Big 12 North title and took them to a BCS bowl game for the first time. In the process he directed Kansas to three straight bowl victories and earned national coach of the year honors in 2007.
Moment of the decade: An opportunistic defense forced three turnovers to pace the Jayhawks to a 24-21 triumph over Virginia Tech in the 2008 Orange Bowl. Aqib Talib's 60-yard interception return for a touchdown started the scoring and earned him game Most Valuable Player honors. It capped a 12-1 season where the Jayhawks notched a school record for victories.
The demise of Mark Mangino's coaching tenure can't take away from what he accomplished earlier in his career as he made the Kansas program relevant for the first time in the school's Big 12 history.
Here's a look at the players who shaped Kansas' football history during the past decade.
OFFENSE
QB: Todd Reesing
RB: Brandon McAnderson
RB: Jon Cornish
WR: Dezmon Briscoe
WR: Kerry Meier
WR: Mark Simmons
OL: Anthony Collins
OL: Justin Hartwig
OL: Joe Vaughn
OL : Ryan Cantrell
C: Joe Vaughn
DEFENSE
DL: James McClinton
DL: Nate Dwyer
DL: David McMillan
DL: Charlton Keith
LB: Nick Reid
LB: Joe Mortensen
LB: James Holt
DB: Aqib Talib
DB: Charles Gordon
DB: Darrell Stuckey
DB: Carl Nesmith
P: Kyle Tucker
K: Scott Webb
KR: Marcus Hereford
Offensive player of the decade: QB Todd Reesing. He wasn't the most imposing physically, but Reesing was ideally suited to direct the Jayhawks as a starter for three seasons as the most statistically proficient quarterback in school history.
Defensive player of the decade: DB Aqib Talib. While dabbling as a two-way player, Talib's biggest talents came as a lockdown cornerback. He earned All-American honors as a junior after leading the nation in passes broken up as a sophomore and claiming All-Big 12 honors in both seasons.
Coach of the decade: Mark Mangino. Despite the controversy when he left the Kansas program, Mangino made the Jayhawks a challenger for the Big 12 North title and took them to a BCS bowl game for the first time. In the process he directed Kansas to three straight bowl victories and earned national coach of the year honors in 2007.
Moment of the decade: An opportunistic defense forced three turnovers to pace the Jayhawks to a 24-21 triumph over Virginia Tech in the 2008 Orange Bowl. Aqib Talib's 60-yard interception return for a touchdown started the scoring and earned him game Most Valuable Player honors. It capped a 12-1 season where the Jayhawks notched a school record for victories.
Colorado started the decade as one of the North Division's dominant teams, earning bowl berths in five of the first six seasons of the decade.
The Buffaloes have fallen on hard times recently, but they still have provided many outstanding players during the decade.
Here are my choices for Colorado's all-decade team.
OFFENSE
QB: Joel Klatt
RB: Chris Brown
RB: Bobby Purify
WR: Scotty McKnight
WR: Derek McCoy
TE: Daniel Graham
OL: Brian Daniels
OL: Andre Gurode
OL: Victor Rogers
OL: Justin Bates
C: Wayne Lucier
DEFENSE
DL: Abraham Wright
DL: Tyler Brayton
DL: George Hypolite
DL: Justin Bannan
LB: Jordon Dizon
LB: Sean Tufts
LB: Jeff Smart
DB: Michael Lewis
DB: Terrence Wheatley
DB: Jimmy Smith
DB: Donald Strickland
P: Mark Mariscal
K: Mason Crosby
KR: Jeremy Bloom
Offensive player of the decade: Chris Brown. He was the key player on Colorado’s Big 12 championship team in 2001 and was even better the following season before injuries derailed his Heisman hopes.
Defensive player of the decade: Jordon Dizon. Colorado’s only consensus All-American defensive player of the decade also was the Big 12’s defensive player of the year in 2007 after a four-year career as a starter for the Buffaloes.
Coach of the decade: Gary Barnett. Even with his unseemly departure, Barnett still coached Colorado to its only Big 12 championship and took the Buffaloes to four Big 12 title games in a five-season period. They haven't been back since.
Moment of the decade: Colorado stuns Texas for 2001 Big 12 title. The Buffaloes’ 39-37 victory was sparked by 182 yards rushing and three touchdowns by Brown, pushing them to their only Big 12 football championship and lone BCS bowl appearance of this decade.
The Buffaloes have fallen on hard times recently, but they still have provided many outstanding players during the decade.
Here are my choices for Colorado's all-decade team.
OFFENSE
QB: Joel Klatt
RB: Chris Brown
RB: Bobby Purify
WR: Scotty McKnight
WR: Derek McCoy
TE: Daniel Graham
OL: Brian Daniels
OL: Andre Gurode
OL: Victor Rogers
OL: Justin Bates
C: Wayne Lucier
DEFENSE
DL: Abraham Wright
DL: Tyler Brayton
DL: George Hypolite
DL: Justin Bannan
LB: Jordon Dizon
LB: Sean Tufts
LB: Jeff Smart
DB: Michael Lewis
DB: Terrence Wheatley
DB: Jimmy Smith
DB: Donald Strickland
P: Mark Mariscal
K: Mason Crosby
KR: Jeremy Bloom
Offensive player of the decade: Chris Brown. He was the key player on Colorado’s Big 12 championship team in 2001 and was even better the following season before injuries derailed his Heisman hopes.
Defensive player of the decade: Jordon Dizon. Colorado’s only consensus All-American defensive player of the decade also was the Big 12’s defensive player of the year in 2007 after a four-year career as a starter for the Buffaloes.
Coach of the decade: Gary Barnett. Even with his unseemly departure, Barnett still coached Colorado to its only Big 12 championship and took the Buffaloes to four Big 12 title games in a five-season period. They haven't been back since.
Moment of the decade: Colorado stuns Texas for 2001 Big 12 title. The Buffaloes’ 39-37 victory was sparked by 182 yards rushing and three touchdowns by Brown, pushing them to their only Big 12 football championship and lone BCS bowl appearance of this decade.
BACK TO TOP
Page: 1
ABOUT THIS BLOG
David Ubben
Ubben joined ESPN.com in March 2010 after covering Big 12 football for two seasons at the Columbia Missourian and The Oklahoman. Ubben, a native of Springdale, Ark., lives in Dallas.
BIG 12 TEAM COVERAGE
RECRUITING NATION
Texas: HornsNation
Follow everything Texas at HornsNation: Texas Longhorns football, basketball, news, recruiting and more.
• HornsNation | Blog | RecruitingNation
RECRUITING NATION
Oklahoma: SoonerNation
Follow everything Oklahoma at SoonerNation: Oklahoma Sooners football, basketball, news, recruiting and more.
• SoonerNation | Blog | RecruitingNation
