Texas DL Byron Murphy Says He ‘Ate Himself’ Out of Playing Running Back
While defensive lineman aren’t always known for being the most athletic position on the defensive side of the ball, Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy is breaking that mold.
Murphy spoke to members of the media on Thursday and mentioned that he still has the heart of a running back despite “eating himself out of the position,” and switching positions in high school to become a member of the defensive line.
The Texas native asked about which member of the Texas D-line unit is the best athlete which Murphy prompted Murphy to say, “I’d probably say either me or Sweat. Sweat is a strong guy, yeah. I played running back — the crazy thing, I played running back from since I was five all the way until ninth grade. That’s when I stopped playing running back…I ate myself out of the position. Yeah, that’s where my heart’s at.”
Murphy heads into his junior season in Austin with 39 total tackles and three career sacks, and while his heart may be elsewhere on the football field, he and T’Vondre Sweat make up one of the best defensive lines in the Big 12 Conference.
Byron Murphy and the Longhorns kick off their season on September 2nd against Rice, and after being picked to finish atop the Big 12 in their final season with the conference, the Longhorns expectations couldn’t be any higher.
