Maddog’s list of Toughest Longhorn Players On & Off the Field 1998-2014
Jeff Madden -Strength and Condition Coach under Mack Brown
Todd Wright Says, “The Will To Win Means Nothing Without The Will To Train.” Maddog trained some of the greatest football players in the history of Longhorn sports.
The name Maddog Madden was earned, not given to Jeff Madden. After meeting him, I felt the only way this 73-year-old could earn his respect was by dropping and crunching 25 push-ups and setups. I did so virtually. He wasn’t impressed. Quite frankly, I don’t think Jeff would need assistance in a dark alley in a bad neighborhood, but he was still kind enough to share the names of some great, mean, tough Longhorns that he would welcome on his alley walk.
Over the last three months, TLSN has reached out to one manager and one strength coach with the question, what players would you want by your side if you had to walk down a dark alley in a bad neighborhood?
Juan Conde answered that question for the DKR years at the link below.
https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/juans-dkr-meanandtough
Dana LeDuc did so for the Aker’s years at the attached link.
https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/leducs-mean-and-bad-boy-list
MadDog shares his list from coach Brown’s years.
Casey Hampton 2000 Galveston (Ball Tornadoes) All-America at Texas where he led the team in tackling twice. First-round pick for Pittsburgh, and was a standout for a dozen seasons with the Steelers. Earned two Super Bowl titles and five Pro Bowl trips. One of UT's all-time defensive greats in the pro ranks.
Shaun Rogers 2000 La Porte Bulldogs Went together with Hampton like peanut butter and jelly at Texas...the best one-two line punch at UT since Steve McMichael and Bill Acker in the late '70s. Rogers was a three-time Pro Bowl choice with Detroit and Cleveland.
Leonard Davis 2000 Wortham Bulldogs The 6-6, 355-pound behemoth helped pave the way for Ricky Williams to win the Heisman. A nimble giant, Davis led Wortham High to a state title in basketball. Was the second overall pick in the NFL draft (Arizona Cardinals) and later went to the Pro Bowl three straight years ('07-'09)for the Cowboys.
Aaron Humphrey 1999 Lubbock (Monterey Plainsmen) Humphrey contributed all four seasons greatly at Texas, first at LB, then as a wrecking ball of a run-stuffing, pass-rushing DE. A fiery player and fan favorite.
Corey Redding 2002 Galena Park (North Shore Mustangs) Lived up to the recruiting hype and was a two-time All-America pick for the Longhorns before spending a dozen years in the NFL with five teams. Huge presence in early Mack Brown era.
Kasey Studdard 2006 Highlands Ranch, CO (HRHS Falcons) The son of a Longhorn O-lineman (David Studdard '77), Kasey re-defined "nasty" as a rough, tough offensive line anchor for Texas teams that won two Rose Bowls and the national title. Underrated as a sixth-round draft pick, Studdard played six years for the Houston Texans.
Brian Orakpo 2008 Houston (Lamar Redskins) Orakpo was the Big XII Defensive Player of the Year as a senior for UT's 12-1 Fiesta Bowl champs that schooled A&M 49-9 to close out the regular season. Washington's first-round pick, Orakpo, was a Pro Bowl stud even as a Redskin rookie. He played ten years for the 'Skins and Titans.
Tim Crowder 2006 Tyler (John Tyler Lions) A force all four years at Texas, Crowder excelled at pressuring and sacking QBs. In hindsight, list Crowder among the most underappreciated defenders in UT logbooks. He played professionally for the Broncos and Bucs.Make it stand out
Lamarr Houston 2009 Colorado Springs, CO (Doherty Spartans) Played in 50 games as a versatile defensive lineman at Texas. Houston closed out his career with a team-leading ten tackles against Bama in the national title game, then became an All-NFL Rookie Team choice for the Raiders. Played eight NFL seasons.
Sergio Kindle 2009 Dallas (Wilson Wildcats) Came out of Dallas as the most highly-regarded LB prospect in America. Kindle played linebacker, defensive end and on special teams at UT. As a senior for the '09 title team, Sergio was the first collegian to become a finalist for both the Butkus and Ted Hendricks awards. His pro career was limited by injuries.
Brian Robison 2006 Splendora Wildcats A talented all-around athlete, Robison stood out as a linebacker-turned-defensive end who started his last three seasons and helped win three bowl games including the national title.
His speed and athleticism enabled him to excel at blocking kicks. The honor roll student earned All-America honors as a shot putter and discus thrower for Texas. B-Rob was a mainstay for eleven seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and is now a commentator/analyst for the Longhorn Network.
