| Michael Huff |
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Safety/Cornerback
6-1· 205
Irving, Texas (Nimitz)
#7
Versatile, athletic and speedy five-year defensive back who became the first player in UT history to win the Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back ... earned Rose Bowl Defensive MVP honors after recording 12 tackles, a TFL and a fumble recovery ... was named first-team All-America by the American Football Coaches Association, The Associated Press, the Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation ... played in 51 career games and started 50, including 13 starts in 2005 ... recorded 318 tackles, 26 TFL, 44 PBU, seven INTs, six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in his career ... four of his seven INTs have been returned for touchdowns, giving him the UT record for INT returns for a TD ... averaged 23.1 yards per INT return ... also had one fumble recovery for a TD, giving him the UT record for defensive scores with five ... blocked three kicks (one punt/one PAT/one FG) ... recorded 109 tackles, 10 TFL, 14 PBU, one INT, two sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one of which went for a TD, and a blocked FG in 2005 ... also competed for the UT track team during the 2005 indoor and outdoor seasons ... tabbed honorable mention All-America by Pro Football Weekly in 2004 ... also a consensus first-team All-Big 12 selection ... named to the Thorpe Award watch list in 2004 ... posted 73 tackles, 14 PBU, two INTs and a forced fumble in 2004 ... started 12 of 13 games in 2003 ... registered 66 tackles, four TFL, two interceptions, six PBU and a blocked kick in 2003 ... matched his own UT season record with two interception returns for TDs ... won the starting strong safety job in the preseason and started all 13 games as a redshirt freshman in 2002 ... started at both safety and cornerback in his first season ... started 10 games at strong safety and three at cornerback, filling in for injured starter Nathan Vasher ... tabbed a third-team Freshman All-American by The Sporting News ... posted 70 tackles and led the secondary with 10 TFL (T-No. 5 on UT's freshman list) on the year ... also had 10 PBU (T-No. 2 on UT's frosh chart) and returned his two interceptions for TDs that season ... worked primarily at corner during his redshirt season in 2001 ... also is a solid student who is on pace to graduate in December ... a former prep track sprinter who has the ability to play any of the defensive backfield positions.
SENIOR (2005)
Named UT's first Thorpe Award winner as the nation's top defensive back ... was named first-team All-America by The Associated Press, the Football Writers Association of America, the Walter Camp Football Foundation and the American Football Coaches Association ... started all 13 games ... led a secondary that ranked eighth in the nation in pass defense (172.0 ypg) and fourth in pass efficiency (96.7 rating) ... recorded 109 tackles, 10 TFL, 14 PBU, one INT, two sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a TD, and a blocked FG ... opened with one PBU in limited playing time due to the score against La.-Lafayette ... notched seven tackles at No. 4 Ohio State and primarily matched up with Buckeyes star Ted Ginn, Jr. ... held Ginn to just nine yards on two receptions ... led the team with 12 tackles, one TFL, one PBU and a 21-yard fumble return for a TD, marking his fifth career defensive TD, versus Rice ... had nine tackles, his first career sack and a forced fumble that set up a Vince Young 33-yard TD run on the next play at Missouri ... registered seven tackles and three PBU versus Oklahoma ... reached 12 tackles against No. 24 Colorado in addition to two PBU ... had his second straight week with a season high in tackles with 13, including a TFL and added three PBU versus No. 10 Texas Tech ... posted 11 tackles, one TFL, one PBU, a forced fumble and a blocked FG at Oklahoma State ... recorded his first INT of the season and five tackles at Baylor ... had five tackles against Kansas ... set a career high with five TFL as part of a nine tackle performance, including a sack, a PBU and a forced fumble at Texas A&M ... registered six tackles and a forced fumble that stopped Colorado's opening drive in the Big 12 Championship ... earned Rose Bowl Defensive MVP honors after recording 12 tackles, a TFL and recovered a fumble in Texas' 41- 38 victory over USC for the National Championship.
JUNIOR (2004)
Started all 12 games at strong safety ... tabbed honorable mention All-America by Pro Football Weekly ... earned first-team All-Big 12 honors from the Austin American-Statesman, the Big 12 coaches and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram ... tabbed second-team All-Big 12 by the Associated Press ... named to the Thorpe Award watch list ... posted 73 tackles, 14 PBUs, two INTs and a forced fumble ... a leader on a defense that allowed just 320.1 yards per game (23rd NCAA) and 17.9 points per game (18th NCAA) ... recorded four tackles and four PBUs against North Texas ... had eight tackles, two PBUs and a forced fumble at Arkansas ... the forced fumble came in UT territory with the Longhorns leading 16-7 ... registered seven tackles versus Rice ... notched three tackles, two PBUs and a forced fumble against Baylor ... tallied a career-high 15 tackles, two PBUs and an INT versus No. 2 Oklahoma ... it marked the first of his then-five career INTs that he did not return for a TD ... matched up with Oklahoma All-America receiver Mark Clayton for much of the game and held the 2003 Biletnikoff Award finalist (22 catches for 320 yards on the season and OU records of 177 receptions for 2,685 yards in his career entering the game) to just three catches for 19 yards ... posted eight tackles and a PBU against Missouri ... had two tackles and a PBU at Texas Tech ... recorded one tackle and a PBU at Colorado ... added nine tackles and a TFL versus No. 19 Oklahoma State ... made six tackles and intercepted his second pass of the season at Kansas ... registered two tackles and a TFL against No. 22 Texas A&M ... posted eight tackles versus No. 13 Michigan in the Rose Bowl.
JUNIOR (TRACK, 2004)
In outdoor, ran a 10.59 in the Michael Johnson Invitational's 100-meter prelims ... notched a regional qualifier in the 100m prelims at the Big 12 Championships of 10.48w ... ran the first leg of the 4x100m relay at six events ... helped Texas' 4x100m relay place sixth in the invitational division at the Texas Relays in a regional-qualifying 39.80 ... opened the 4x100m relay at the Penn Relays to lead UT to a fifth-place finish (40.23) ... led the 4x100 to a second-place finish at the Big 12 Championships to earn his first track and field All-Big 12 honor ... earned All-Big 12 in both football and track and field ... helped Texas finish third at the NCAA Midwest Regional with two consecutive season bests (39.67p and 39.44) ... in indoor, earned the bronze medal and set a personal best of 6.82 in the 60 meters at the Houston Indoor Classic ... competed in the prelims at the Big 12 Championships (6.83), the Tyson Invitational (6.83), and the New Balance Invitational (6.85).
SOPHOMORE (2003)
Played in all 13 games and started 12, with the only exception being the season opener versus New Mexico State ... registered 66 tackles, four TFLs, two interceptions, six PBUs and a blocked extra point ... matched the UT season record with two interception returns for TDs ... a key member of a pass defense that ranked ninth in the nation (177.3 ypg) ... posted seven tackles, a PBU and a 55-yard interception return for a TD versus New Mexico State ... recorded a season-high nine tackles, including seven solo, a PBU and forced a fumble against Arkansas ... had seven tackles and blocked a punt versus No. 16 Kansas State that Tony Jeffery recovered for a TD ... was named UT's Frank Denius Special Teams Player of the Week for his effort against Kansas State ... tallied eight tackles at Baylor and matched his season high of seven solo stops ... notched five tackles, including a career-high three TFLs, versus No. 12 Nebraska ... intercepted his fourth career pass and returned it 27 yards against Oklahoma State for his fourth TD return, giving him the UT career record for interceptions returned for TDs ... posted six tackles versus Texas Tech and eight at Texas A&M ... made two tackles and blocked an extra point versus No. 15 Washington State in the Holiday Bowl.
REDSHIRT FRESHMAN (2002)
Started all 13 games ... made 10 starts at SS and three at CB ... earned third-team Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News ... shared UT's Most Improved Defensive Player Award ... posted 70 tackles (43 solo), including 10 TFLs (T-No. 5 on UT's freshman list), three QB pressures and a fumble recovery ... also recorded 10 PBUs and two interceptions (both returned for TDs), which are tied for second and fourth, respectively, on the Longhorns' freshman charts ... his two interception returns for TDs rank in a tie for first on the UT all-time single-season list ... key member of a Longhorns defense that led the Big 12 and ranked eighth in the NCAA in pass defense (165.2 ypg), second in the conference and seventh in the nation in pass efficiency defense (96.1 rtg), eighth in the country in scoring defense (16.3 ppg.) and 16th nationally in total defense (307.7 ypg) ... posted a season-high 11 tackles, including a TFL, and a 28-yard interception return for a score against Texas A&M ... tallied 10 stops, one TFL and a PBU at Texas Tech ... registered nine solo tackles, including a career-high three TFLs, at Nebraska ... tallied eight tackles, including one TFL, two QB pressures and a PBU in the Cotton Bowl victory against LSU ... racked up five tackles and returned his first career interception 27 yards for a score against Houston ... registered two solo tackles and recovered a fumble as UT limited Baylor to 127 total yards of offense ... added four tackles, a pair of TFLs and a PBU against No. 17 Iowa State ... recorded five tackles against No. 2 Oklahoma and four stops at No. 17 Kansas State ... posted six tackles against North Texas (first career start) ... redshirted in 2001.
HIGH SCHOOL
Coached by Mike Farda at Nimitz High ... a three-year letterman who played safety, cornerback and wide receiver ... posted 238 tackles and returned three of his nine interceptions for scores during his final two seasons ... had 127 tackles and five interceptions (two returned for TDs) as a senior ... registered a career-high 18 tackles and an interception against South Grand Prairie ... also scored on a 69-yard run and a 40-yard catch in that contest ... had 111 tackles and four interceptions (one returned for a TD) as a junior ... had 12 receptions for 220 yards as a sophomore receiver ... also a four-year letterman in track & field ... finished seventh in the 100 meters (10.46) at the 2000 USATF Junior Nationals.
PERSONAL
Born 3/6/83 in Irving, Texas ... full name is Michael Wayne Huff, II ... a youth and community studies major ... earned a spot on UT's Athletics Director's Academic Honor Roll in spring and fall 2003 ... named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in fall 2003 ... active in UT's community service program ... step-brother, Marcus King, played safety at Missouri ... another step-brother, Terrence Holmes, played at Texas Southern ... tabbed the Toyota Scholar Athlete of the Week in December 2000 ... enjoys watching Bruce Lee movies ... lists reading among his hobbies.
CAREER STATISTICS
Defense
Year G/GS TT (Solo) Sacks TFL INT (Yds-TD) PBU BLK FC FR High
2005 13/13 109 (53) 2 (-18) 10 (-37) 1 (11-0) 14 1 4 2 13/TT
2004 12/12 73 (50) 0 (0) 2 (-3) 2 (14-0) 14 0 1 0 15/OU
2003 13/12 66 (45) 0 (0) 4 (-17) 2 (82-2) 6 2 1 0 9/ARK
2002 13/13 70 (43) 0 (0) 10 (-18) 2 (55-2) 10 0 0 1 11/A&M
2001 Redshirt
Career 51/50 318 (191) 2 (-18) 26 (-75) 7 (162-4) 44 3 6 3 15/OU
High Games
Tackles: 15 vs. Oklahoma (Jr.)
TFL: 5 at Texas A&M (Sr.)
Interceptions: 1, seven times
Long interception return: 55 yards (TD) vs. New Mexico State (So.)
PBU: 3 vs. Oklahoma (Sr.); vs. Texas Tech (Sr.)
