Sept. 4, 2008
Longhorns junior offensive tackle Adam Ulatoski is taking on two new roles in 2008. With last year's starter Tony Hills in the NFL, he's now the team's starting left tackle and responsible for protecting quarterback Colt McCoy's blind side. He's also accepted the challenge of serving as the Longhorns insider, giving his insights throughout the 2008 season.
Thanks everyone for coming out to watch us on Saturday. It was such an exhilarating experience. The team and I had such a great time, but we have moved past that and are focusing on UTEP. They run some crazy defenses so our offensive line will have to be buttoned up on everything. Coach McWhorter has really pushed us hard this week to keep us progressing as an offensive line. We are working well together but we will have a long way to go.
Our team has a great feel to it this year. We appreciated our win on Saturday, but the first thing our players said after the game was, "Let's get back to work tomorrow." We have a blue-collar attitude that will bring us a long way, but attitude can only take us so far. We must work every day and focus on one game at a time.
I would like to introduce some of the offensive linemen throughout the year. I feel there are so many great guys that comprise our OL it would be a shame if people didn't know a little something about them. There's only one place to start and that is our lone senior Cedric Dockery. Cedric is such a great guy and you can really witness that when he is around his high school sweetheart, Earlina. He treats her with the utmost respect and the two together exemplify his character. If there is anything that he loves more than her, it is cell phones. I have never seen a guy so obsessed with what cell phone someone has, let alone what cell phone he has - for the week. It is a running joke in the locker room to see if anyone has his number because he changes it so often. On the football field, he really provides us with a role model that the younger guys can look up to. This is his offensive line and we are all excited to get to play with him.
This game will be especially meaningful for me because my brother, Brad, will get to watch me play in person. He doesn't get that chance often because he is a Lieutenant in the Army and is usually busy during football season. My brother is a part of the 1st Combined Arms Battalion and gets to do what he loves, and that is test new items the army might use. Fortunately, he is stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, so he and some of his friends from the base will be able to come and watch. I have so much esteem for my brother. He has wanted to be in the Army since high school, but first he got his criminal justice degree from North Texas, and then he did a lot of his training at Fort Benning in Georgia. Whenever I start to feel football is tough, I think of him and realize I could be in an entirely different situation. We play a game, while military personnel are putting their lives on the line.
I would like to thank everyone serving our country in the military. I realize that some people look up to Texas Football players as heroes, but these men and women are the real heroes. Without all these brave people, we would not be living the same lives we are today. Without all these brave people, we would have a lot more to worry about than what blitzes UTEP will be running. Certainly, without all of these brave people, we would not be able to play this game we love so much.
Don't forget to Come Early, Be Loud, Stay Late, and Wear (the right color) Orange.
Hook `em,
Adam Ulatoski
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