Walking wounded
Texas Tech might catch a break this week with TCU defensive end Stansly Maponga on the Horned Frogs’ injury list. Maponga, a 6-foot-2, 265-pound junior from Lewisville Hebron, is the team’s active career leader in sacks with 121/2 and tackles for loss with 19.
Maponga suffered a foot injury in last week’s victory at Baylor and did not play in the second half. According to a Dallas Morning News report, TCU coach Gary Patterson said Maponga will be a game-time decision each week the rest of the year and probably will need surgery after the season.
Maponga was first-team all-Mountain West Conference last year as a sophomore, when he made nine sacks, and was preseason all-Big 12 this year.
Maponga is listed at left end, making him a matchup for Tech right tackle Terry McDaniel. Tech left tackle LaAdrian Waddle would tangle with Horned Frogs freshman sensation Devonte Fields, one of the nation’s top 10 in both sacks and tackles for loss.
Quarterback fraternity
Before Texas Tech’s open date Sept. 22, quarterback Seth Doege said he looked forward to watching the Kansas State-Oklahoma game that night. That was partly because he knew both quarterbacks — OU’s Landry Jones and KSU’s Collin Klein. They all attended the Manning Passing Academy this summer in Louisiana.
Doege said he’s known Casey Pachall from further back and wishes the best for him. Pachall, who had an outstanding season in 2011, withdrew from TCU earlier this month in the wake of a drunken-driving arrest. He reportedly sought treatment at an inpatient drug and alcohol rehab center.
Pachall, a 6-foot-5, 226-pound junior is from Brownwood.
“My grandparents lived in Lake Brownwood,” Doege said this week, “so I’d always go visit them, and we were always at the same camps because we were kind of getting recruited at the same time and by the same people. He had a big-time arm. He’s very athletic for a big guy.
“I hate to see what happened to him, but hopefully he’ll get back on track and get back to playing football.”
Dolphins honor Thomas
The Miami Dolphins on Sunday inducted former Texas Tech linebacker Zach Thomas into their Ring of Honor with a halftime ceremony at Sun Life Stadium. Thomas, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, is the Dolphins’ all-time leader in tackles.
“Thank you for being the greatest fans in the NFL in good times in bad,” Thomas told the crowd, according to the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel. “You always had our backs. It touches my heart every time I looked in the stands and saw my jersey. Now to look up and see my name, it’s surreal.”
Thomas was inducted along with his brother-in-law, former Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, the franchise’s career sack leader with 131.
Thomas was the Dolphins’ fifth-round draft pick in 1996, Taylor a third-round selection in 1997. They played 11 seasons together in Miami, then both went to other teams in 2008.
“To go out the same time and be honored the same time makes it way more special,” Thomas said.
Compiled by Don Williams
