By Robert Fulton

Pflag Correspondent

 

Last year, the University of Texas football team narrowly missed the BCS championships game, finishing third in the rankings at the end of the regular season.

Getting so close and not making it stuck with the Longhorns all season. Tonight, No. 2 Texas faces off against No. 1 Alabama in the BCS championships game in Pasadena.

This year, Texas has a pair of former Pflugerville High athletes on the squad playing key roles in the team’s success – Antwan Cobb and Alex Okafor.

“We made a vow to push to this championship game,” said Cobb, a junior. “We’re excited. The energy is high. You only get one shot a year.”

Cobb is listed as a running back, but he makes his impact primarily on special teams, where he’s second on the team in tackles.

“I give off energy and help out wherever the team needs me,” Cobb said. “Put me wherever you want me, I’ll play to the very best of my abilities. I don’t pay attention to stats. I help the team any way I can.”

Last season, Cobb missed most of the year with a knee injury, playing in only one game, before bouncing back healthy this year.

“It’s 100 percent,” he said. “No complaints. It’s something behind me, don’t look back.”

Against Alabama, Cobb believes that the difference will come down to intangibles, many of which he can bring to the field.

“We just have to come out with an edge, a high level of energy,” he said.

While the Longhorn offense – led by Heisman Trophy finalist Colt McCoy – gets plenty of accolades, the defense is one of the best in the nation, ranked third.

“I think our D gets its recognition,” said Okafor, a freshman. “We have to get both sides of the ball to play well at the same time.”

Despite being in his first year, Okafor has held his own as a defensive end, appearing in 13 games. In his first year out of high school, the contrasts between the two levels could not be more obvious.

“It’s definitely the speed of game, the tempo” he said, adding his role off the bench is “to come in. I come in and hopefully there’s no drop off.”

Cobb and Okafor did not play together at Pflugerville High, but Cobb showed the younger Longhorn around when he got to campus.

“He was one of my big brothers,” Okafor said. “He showed me the ropes.”

Okafor also added that choosing Texas to play college ball was an easy decision.

“I’m a hometown kid,” he said. “There’s not a better situation for me.”

Okafor knows that battling Alabama and their Heisman Trophy winning running back Mark Ingram will be a challenge.

“We feel that we’re the underdog in the game,” said Okafor. “We have to play our game.

“It’s definitely going to be a great match-up.”

The BCS Championship Game kicks off from the Rose Bowl at 7 p.m. Thursday.