Texas Longhorns

Demoted but not out, Swoopes finds way to contribute

Published Oct. 1, 2015 11:38 p.m. ET

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There is life for Tyrone Swoopes. 

Lost in the mayhem of Texas' second consecutive gut-wrenching loss last weekend was the return of Swoopes, the demoted quarterback, who many fans likely figured had seen his last action on the field for the Longhorns.

But to great surprise, new play-caller Jay Norvell and the coaching staff found a way to make use of the 6-foot-4, 244-pounder as a short-yardage specialist. And it worked to perfection.

As SB Nation's Wes Crochet points out, if the package for Swoopes looks familiar, it's because Norvell, the former wide receivers coach at Oklahoma, coached it with then-quarterback Blake Bell, a big, battering ram of a QB who eventually switched to tight end and was selected in the 2015 NFL draft.

That's not to say Swoopes is going to end up playing in the NFL, but it is a sign that Strong plans to get something out of a player who has something to offer, if that something wasn't being able to lead the team as its quarterback.

Lining up in the shotgun, Swoopes bulldozed his way to 35 yards and a touchdown on three carries. He's big, strong and tough to bring down when defenses aren't necessarily prepared to see him taking the snap. 

He's a natural option in short-yardage situations, and credit Strong and Norvell for recognizing it.

(h/t SB Nation)

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