Steve Sarkisian evaluates veteran D'Shawn Jamison's impact despite injury issue

Super-senior defensive back D’Shawn Jamison is making the most of his extra time at Texas. The veteran cornerback started his season off with a bang, returning a 70-yard pick-six in the opening game against Louisiana-Monroe. Then, he had a solid game against Alabama to start but left that one with an ankle injury and missed the whole second half. But he returned against UTSA last weekend and needed a few plays to get back to himself.

According to Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, Jamison’s lingering ankle discomfort affected his play vs. UTSA to start. But Sark made sure the senior DB got back on the right track despite the injury.

“Yeah, you know, I think one of the first plays he went in, they beat him on a double move and I think there was a penalty in the game, and we kind of pulled him out for a couple plays. And I just talked to him,” Sarkisian shared. Then revealed that he told Jamison: “Hey bud, the ankle might not be 100%, but you got to get your mental focus and your mental intensity right and where it needs to be.”

That was all D’Shawn Jamison needed. After that mini-powwow with the head coach, he buckled in and stepped up in the face of some physical pain.

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“And I thought from from that moment, you know, he really had some nice breakups in the end zone on third down. He played like a senior after that moment. You know, he kind of had to get over the hump of his own personal adversity of where he was at.”

Steve Sarkisian says that’s life in college football though. It’s a violent sport. After a few weeks knocking heads with other division one football players, every Longhorn is dealing with aches and pain.

“Hey, it’s Week 3 in the season. I’d be shocked if he went in the locker room and every guy said he felt 100%. Everybody’s got something. We were coming off a very physical game last week. We had another physical one tonight. So we’ve got to continue to try to get ourselves healthy. He’s no different. But I thought he showed a lot of maturity in the way he played after that that — one of his first plays — and settled down and had some big pass breakups.”

So a shaky start but a strong finish to the UTSA game for Jamison, and for the entire Texas team, really. Though that ankle may be something to monitor for him going forward.