Longhorn Player Profiles: How Sweed It Is
This is the third in our Longhorn player profile series, leading up to the season-opening game on Sept. 1.
It's difficult for Texas wide receiver Limas Sweed to avoid comparisons to former Longhorn star Roy Williams. Both are big, fast, athletic receivers who wore #4. Williams is now a star in the NFL with the Detroit Lions, while Sweed is returning for his senior year as a pre-season All-American and one of Scout.com's top 10 prospects for the NFL draft.
The natural comparisons don't seem to faze Sweed, who will once again be the prime target for quarterback Colt McCoy. In fact, Sweed has spent much of the pre-season directing praise to the incoming freshman class of receivers (Brandon Collins, James Kirkendoll, and Malcolm Williams).
"There’s a lot of young talent out there," Sweed said. "These guys are extremely raw talented and they are real fast and catching onto the system really quickly. They are learning the blitzes and being in the right place at the right time, so they are advancing really quickly in my opinion."
With those youngsters and the returning players, Texas offensive coordinator calls the current group of Longhorn receivers the best group he's had in the past 10 years. That's high praise for fans who remember the group that included Williams, B.J. Johnson, and Sloan Thomas, but a closer look shows that Davis may be correct.
In addition to Sweed, the Longhorns will field 24-year-old junior Quan Cosby (60 career receptions for 795 yards and four TDs), seniors Billy Pittman (69 career catches for 1,206 yards nine TDs) and Nate Jones (29 career receptions for 293 yards and four TDs), and talented sophomore tight end Jermichael Finley (31 catches for 372 yards and three TDs as a freshman).
But even the best group of receivers won't do you any good if they don't stay on the field. Both Sweed and Pittman have been injured in pre-season workouts -- Sweed with a sprained left wrist and Pittman with a left shoulder injury. Initial reports had Sweed out at least three weeks and missing the first game of the season, but now it appears possible that he'll be back on the practice field sooner than that. Texas trainer Kenny Boyd said Pittman is out indefinitely, but he hopes he'll also be available for the season opener.
Sweed hopes his injury doesn't force him to miss a start for the first time since his freshman year. He's started 33 consecutive games dating back to his freshman year.
"I’m doing everything I can to get back," Sweed said. "I’m working with the trainers and with (strength) coach (Jeff) Madden’s staff. God willing, I will put time in with them, and we’ll leave it up to Him and see what happens."
Sweed led the team last year with 46 catches for 801 yards, and his team-leading 12 touchdowns tied Williams for the single-season record. He uses his 6-5 height to his advantage against smaller defenders - a point that Texas coach Mack Brown hopes to take even more advantage of this season combined with McCoy's accurate passing.
"Limas has just progressed so much," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "He's usually a big mismatch on most cornerbacks because of his height, and he has really improved each year at catching the ball at the high point. His 6-5 height gets even taller over short cornerbacks, and Colt is just so accurate that definitely when people are pressing us or going man-coverage, those two could be really dynamic in our passing game."
LIMAS SWEED SAYS:
Nickname: Big Sweed
My ESPN SportsCenter highlight: Making a one-handed catch in the back of the end zone to win the game
The record I dream of breaking: UT's receiving records
Favorite movies: Brown Sugar, Bad Boys, Gone in 60 Seconds
Favorite actor: Will Smith
Favorite actress: Eva Longoria
Nobody knows how much I like to: Sit in my room and listen to music
Favorite TV shows: Bernie Mac, SportsCenter
Favorite music artist: Rihanna
I'd like to star in a music video with: Jennifer Lopez
Favorite car: Lamborghini
The biggest influence on my football career: All the great receivers who came before me
If I were to play another sport, it would be: Track and basketball
Photo of Limas Sweed reprinted under fair use guidelines from Scout.com. "Limas Sweed Says" info and quotes from the UT Team Media Guide and press releases.
