Don’t mess with Texas.
This slogan does not apply to the football programs of Army and Navy. When it comes to recruiting, their coaches are deep in the heart of the Lone Star State.
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When the teams meet for the 112th time Saturday at FedEx Field, there will be more players from Texas than any other state. While Navy has 20 Texans on its roster, Army boasts 17. No state has delivered more players to either program this year.
| Navy players from Texas |
| Seniors: FB-Alexander Teich (Conroe), S-Gary Myers (San Antonio), LB-Max Blue (Carrollton). Juniors: WR-Tyler Lynch (Irving), OT-Dallas Butts (Dallas), WR-Jonathan Gazaille (Grand Prairie), SB-Bo Snelson (Pasadena). Sophomores: DE-Drew Kinsella (Kingwood), LB-Colten Southworth (Redwater), NG-Alex Doolittle (Houston), LB-Zach Duncavage (League City), LB-Colin Renton (The Woodlands), SB-Darius Staten (Carrollton), CB-Jonathan Wev (LaMarque). Freshmen: NG-Bruce Musgrove (Dallas), DE-Aaron Davis (Pearland), S-Al Pouncy (Houston), P-Pablo Beltran (Humble), OT-Nathaniel Otto (Houston), FB-Noah Copeland (San Antonio). |
| Army players from Texas |
| Seniors: DB-Antuan Aaron (Dallas), LB-Steven Erzinger (Houston), QB-Max Jenkins (Houston), LB-Josh Jones (Bayton), LB-Chad Littlejohn (Houston), OG-Jordan Pleasants (Dallas). Juniors: DB-Steven Whittington (El Paso), OG-Matt Villanti (Katy). Sophomores: DB-Lyle Beloney (Katy), LB-Zachary Williams (Melinda), DL-Holt Zalneraitis (Round Rock). Freshmen: RB-Trenton Turrentine (Keller), WR- Zach Williams (New Braunfels), DB-Akintunde Akinniyi (Carrollton), LB-Jay Joliffe (El Paso), OL-Richard Rainey (Cedar Park), DL-Richard Glover (Katy). |
High school football is like religion in Texas. Many college-ready players are buried on rosters, overshadowed by more talented teammates bound for top-shelf college programs.
Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo dedicates three assistants to recruiting the state. Slot back coach Danny O’Rourke concentrates on Houston, wide receiver coach Mick Yokitis recruits the Dallas area and outside linebackers coach Tony Grantham handles San Antonio.
“All the service academies hit Texas pretty hard,” O’Rourke said. “We’ve had some success down there. That breeds more [success]. We’ve got a name down there and people like us.”
By playing games each year against Rice and SMU, Navy has established a presence in both talent-rich Houston and Dallas. Whether it’s name recognition or the politics of the conservative state, players in Texas are more receptive to what the academy has to offer, according to O’Rourke.
“A lot of patriotic people down there,” O’Rourke said. “They love football. They love the military. Kids do good in school. They get it.”
Of Army’s three captains, two are from Houston — quarterback Max Jenkins and linebacker Steven Erzinger. One of Navy’s two captains, fullback Alexander Teich, is from Conroe, 40 miles north.
“I know a lot of guys in Texas who were very open to the idea,” Erzinger said. “It’s not like, ‘Oh, I have to serve,’ nothing like that. It’s more like, ‘That would be exciting. That would be fun.’?”
Erzinger, who has a twin brother who pitches for the baseball team at Texas Tech, had plenty of options coming out of high school. He was recruited by Baylor and SMU.
“West Point offered something that they didn’t — the opportunity to serve,” Erzinger said. “It also gave me an excellent opportunity to play young. It gave me a lot of room to grow, time to develop.”
Erzinger has started since the opening game of his sophomore year. Teich made an early impact for Navy as well. No Midshipman plays the Texas-tough-as-nails role better than the 6-foot, 217-pound senior.
“I think in Texas, it’s the way you’re raised a little bit. It’s a little like the military,” Teich said. “Football is huge down there. It’s a way of life. When the academies come calling — so many guys get overlooked by so many schools down there — when you get this opportunity, you don’t pass it up.”
