Lubbock, Texas – The sound of football returned to the air Tuesday afternoon as Texas Tech kicked off its first 15 spring practices with a nearly two-hour workout inside the football practice facility.
This will be the second set of spring practices for the Red Raiders. Joey McGuireAn experienced group that returns 10 starters on offense along with six defensive tackles and two key specialists. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone that McGuire looked so good after the first practice, especially given the experience he’s gained and the Red Raiders returning to go along with several new additions during the semester.
“I’m excited for day one. We’re ahead of where we were (last year). I’ve commented that the guys on the bowling team are going to be mad at me, but I think this team is going to win now. The bowling team by 14 points. The amount of guys we have going back and then the competition. I was very impressed with Lance (Barrilow) and his crew.
Texas Tech currently has 19 freshmen on its spring roster; 12 are freshmen enrolled in the semester. McGuire and his staff signed seven transfers during the playoffs, several of which were appreciated by the outside linebackers. Steve Linton (Syracuse) and Terrell Tillmon (Oregon)
The Red Raiders will primarily use a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday practice schedule this spring.
Four down with Darrion Taylor-Dimmerson
Q: One of the first things many noticed when the revised roster came out on Tuesday was your move to the No. 1 jersey. What went into this decision?
“Going from 25 to 1 is part of my personal goal. It’s my last season. It’s my last ride. It’s a reminder to myself every day that I see No. 1 that you have one more shot at this. You have one. It’s something you have to do more of, and that’s my goal after this in the NFL.” You can’t take any breaks because it’s playing.
Q: What do you like to do when you leave the facility at the end of the day?
“I really enjoy watching my daughter, she’s walking now, so I’m always chasing her and seeing her mom and grandma, grandma playing with her. It brightens my day. Besides, I really enjoy meeting my teammates. “I’m a professional Madden player, so anyone can play with me. Bring my account if he wants.
Q: You played a lot of games here at Texas Tech. What is one of your favorite memories so far?
“My freshman year at Oklahoma State. It was a big game. It was the first time I played with my cousin (Jason Taylor II) and my teammate (RT Sherman). Jones was really loud, and I got concussions. I wore No. 25 for a long time because as a senior “Because I want to be my cousin[who wore No. 25 at Oklahoma State]and now he’s gone to the league. I’m on my own journey now.”
Q: If you’re the oldest guy on your team, who is a young teammate who you think could have a good spring?
“Nate Floyd. It was probably one of the hardest trips I’ve had here. He was checked in for security and then taken to a receiver. Now, he’s back on the defensive again, so it’s been back and forth. I feel this is a great opportunity for him. You learn the game on both sides, so once he gets older and plays a lot of snaps like us big guys, he’ll learn the game more easily because he knows what offense to run and how to run it. Defenses try to limit the success of the offense. He’s getting a few No. 1 reps because we’ve had a few guys come out, so I feel like this is a good opportunity for him to establish himself and show the coaches what he can do.