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Jahdae Barron's teammate-driven Thorpe Award campaign is a testament to Steve Sarkisian's culture

by:James Hayden•11/27/24
Jahdae Barron
Jahdae Barron (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron has had a national coming-out party in his final season on the Forty Acres and is a finalist for the Thorpe Award.

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If you weren’t aware, his teammates will gladly remind you — they even made shirts that read “Jahdae for Thorpe.” It’s a simple message, but an effective one; the best slogans often are. Andrew Mukuba was seen wearing one after the Kentucky game, and Michael Taaffe donned the same shirt during warmups ahead of Texas’ win over the Wildcats.

How does Barron feel about his teammates overwhelming support?

“It means a lot,” Barron said Monday. “The amount of hard work I put in, (Taaffe) put in a lot too, and he pushes me to a standard that he thinks I can reach. He’s pushing me to strive to be better, and I’m going to keep pushing him. He’s a great teammate and a brother off the field. I appreciate him.”

An answer indicative of Barron’s character.

The Thorpe finalist’s teammates and friends are the ones campaigning hardest for him to win this award. When asked about it, Barron hardly mentions himself. Instead, he praised the hard work of others. That’s Barron, and more importantly, that’s Texas under Steve Sarkisian.

Fellow stars in the elite Texas secondary, Taaffe and Mukuba, could’ve been envious of their teammate receiving all the mainstream attention and accolades. But they’re not. Instead, they celebrate their brother’s success and are more focused on the team’s outcome than any individual trophy.

This mentality is reminiscent of Texas greats like Vince Young, who prioritized winning a championship after he was snubbed for the Heisman, or Colt McCoy, who after getting injured in the 2010 BCS National Championship, talked only about God, the team, and the Texas program — putting himself last.

Sarkisian has noticed this trend.

“I see Michael Taaffe wearing a ‘Jahdae for Thorpe’ T-shirt, Mukuba talking about Jahdae, and then Jahdae wearing a Quinn Ewers T-shirt,” Sarkisian said. “I think that just speaks to the team we have, the culture we have, and the love these guys have for one another.”

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These are prime examples of the championship culture Sarkisian has brought back to Austin. The selfless nature of the team is a key factor in its success.

Sarkisian is now the third coach in Texas history to win 10 games in back-to-back seasons, joining Darrell Royal and Mack Brown, both of whom won championships on the Forty Acres thanks to cultures like the one Texas has right now.

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