The countdown to Longhorns football continues and we are down to 92 days. On Fridays until the season, we will take a look back at select Longhorn legends. There are many to choose from but this series will have a common thread: all the players will be from the 2005 National Championship team. That’s the team Steve Sarkisian and company are trying to emulate this season and join among the elite in Texas history.
To start, I wanted to highlight a player that is a shining example of the toughness needed to win a title, offensive lineman Justin Blalock. The 2005 team is defined so much by Vince Young but the group in front of him was special. The Texas Hall of Famer held down the right tackle spot, where we’ll see Melvin Siani this season. If Siani can match Blalock’s play, the Longhorns could be on their way to another title.
Blalock was not only a major piece of the title team, he also racked up individual awards. He earned a third-team All-American nod in 2005 before becoming a Consensus All-American the next year. He was a first-team All-Big 12 selection three straight years(2004-2006), including earning Big 12 OL of the Year in 2006. He went on to be a 2nd round pick to the Atlanta Falcons, where he spent his entire eight year career. However, his greatest achievement as a Longhorn is clearing the way for Vince Young’s famous run.
The 2005 National Championship team is often defined by the special abilities of Vince Young and the high-flying secondary, but the OL was as big a piece as any. We will get to some of Blalock’s counterparts in future editions of Flashback Friday, but if the Longhorns are going to lift a championship trophy for the first time since 2005, it’ll be up to Goosby and Siani to match the legendary play of someone like Blalock.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Texas Flashback Friday – OL Justin Blalock
Reporting by Tommy Bresee, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tommy Bresee, Longhorns Wire | USA TODAY Network
