New Arizona coach Kevin Sumlin has a track record of producing NFL talent, as evidenced by his seven first-round draft picks during his six years at Texas A&M.
Former Scottsdale Saguaro standout Christian Kirk became one of 20 draft picks Sumlin has coached when the former Texas A&M star was taken in the second round yesterday by the Arizona Cardinals. Former Aggies safety Armani Watts was also selected, in the fourth round by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sumlin has coached offenses and called plays for teams that featured three Heisman Trophy winners — Oklahoma quarterbacks Jason White and Sam Bradford and Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel.
The list of talent he has worked with also ranges from quarterback Drew Bledsoe with Washington State when he started in 1989 to Kirk, an All-SEC first-team all-purpose and return specialist selection last season with Texas A&M.
Sumlin has been indirectly and directly involved with the coaching of these players:
— Bledsoe at Washington State was the No. 1 pick overall in the 1993 NFL draft. Sumlin was a graduate assistant coaching receivers when Bledsoe became a starter in 1990.
— WR Ryan Yarborough of Wyoming became a second-round pick in 1994. Sumlin coached the Cowboys’ receivers and Yarborough in 1991 and 1992.
— QB Drew Brees of Purdue was a second-round pick in 2001. Sumlin coached the Boildermakers’ receivers from 1998 to 2000, all with Brees as the starting quarterback.
— White was the 2003 Heisman winner and Bradford won it in 2008. Sumlin was on the Sooners’ staff from 2003 to 2007 as first the tight ends and special teams coach from 2003 to 2005. He then called offensive plays as the co-offensive coordinator in 2006 and 2007. He directly coached All-American return specialist Antonio Perkins with the Sooners in 2003. Also during his time with Oklahoma, WR Mark Clayton was a two-time All-American in 2003 and 2004 and RB Adrian Peterson emerged as a 2007 first-round draft pick.
— QB Case Keenum was a two-time All-Conference USA first team selection in 2009 and 2011, after Sumlin became Houston’s head coach in 2008.
— Manziel became a Heisman winner in Sumlin’s first season at Texas A&M in 2012. Sumlin also coached 10 different All-Americans and the six first-round picks with the Aggies. The most notable standouts include DE Myles Garrett (the No. 1 pick overall in last year’s draft), OL Luke Joeckel (All-American and 2013 first-round pick), OL Jake Matthews (All-American and 2014 first-round pick), DE Damontre Moore (All-American), WR Mike Evans (All-American and 2014 first-round pick), OL Cedric Ogbuehi (All-American and 2015 first-round pick) and OL Germain Ifedi (2016 first-round pick).
Here is a list of the top talent Sumlin has coached in his 29-year career:
AllSportsTucson.com research:
[table sort=”desc”]
Year,Coaching Title,School,Player,Accolade(s)
1989,Grad Asst (LB),Wash St.,Dan Grayson,All-Pac-10 first team
1990,Grad Asst (WR),Wash St.,Phillip Bobo,All-Pac-10 honorable mention
1991,WR,Wyoming,Robert Rivers,All-WAC second team
,,,Ryan Yarborough,All-WAC second team
1992,WR,Wyoming,Ryan Yarborough,All-WAC first team
,,,,FWAA All-American first team
1993,WR,Minnesota,Omar Douglas,All-Big Ten second team
1994,WR,Minnesota,,
1995,WR,Minnesota,,
1996,WR,Minnesota,Ryan Thelwell,All-Big Ten second team
1997,QB,Minnesota,,
1998,WR,Purdue,,
1999,WR,Purdue,Chris Daniels,All-Big Ten first team
2000,WR,Purdue,Vinny Sutherland,All-Big Ten first team
2001,Asst HC/WR,Texas A&M,,
2002,Asst HC/OC/WR,Texas A&M,TE Greg Porter,All-Big 12 second team
,,,OL Taylor Whitney,All-Big 12 second team
,,,WR Bethel Johnson,All-Big 12 third team
2003,TE/ST,Oklahoma,KR Antonio Perkins,Consensus All-American
,,,,All-Big 12 first team
,,,PK Trey DiCarlo,All-Big 12 first team
2004,TE/ST,Oklahoma,,
2005,TE/ST,Oklahoma,,
2006,Co-OC/WR,Oklahoma,OT Chris Messner,All-Big 12 first team
,,,RB Adrian Peterson,All-Big 12 first team
,,,,NFL first round pick
,,,WR Malcolm Kelly,All-Big 12 second team
[/table]
[table sort=”desc”]
Year,Coaching Title,School,Player,Accolade(s)
2007,Co-OC/WR,Oklahoma,FB Brody Eldridge,All-Big 12 first team
,,,OL Duke Robinson,All-Big 12 first team
,,,,Consensus All-American
,,,WR Malcolm Kelly,All-Big 12 second team
,,,OL Phil Loadholt,All-Big 12 second team
,,,OL Brandon Walker,All-Big 12 second team
2008,Head Coach,Houston,DE Phillip Hunt,All-Conf USA first team
,,,OT Sebastian Vollmer,All-Conf USA first team
,,,WR Tyron Carrier,All-Conf USA second team
,,,S Kenneth Fontenette,All-Conf USA second team
,,,TE Mark Hafner,All-Conf USA second team
,,,QB Case Keenum,All-Conf USA second team
2009,Head Coach,Houston,QB Case Keenum,All-Conf USA first team
,,,,College Football News All-American
,,,WR James Cleveland,All-Conf USA first team
,,,KR Tyron Carrier,All-Conf USA first team
,,,OL Jarve Dean,All-Conf USA second team
,,,WR Patrick Edwards,All-Conf USA second team
,,,DL Tyrell Graham,All-Conf USA second team
,,,LB Marcus McGraw,All-Conf USA second team
,,,DB Brandon Brinkley,All-Conf USA second team
2010,Head Coach,Houston,RB Bryce Beall,All-Conf USA first team
,,,WR Patrick Edwards,All-Conf USA first team
,,,OL Chris Thompson,All-Conf USA first team
,,,PR Patrick Edwards,All-Conf USA second team
,,,LB Marcus McGraw,All-Conf USA second team
,,,OL Isaiah Thompson,All-Conf USA second team
2011,Head Coach,Houston,QB Case Keenum,All-Conf USA first team
,,,RB Charles Sims,All-Conf USA first team
,,,OL Chris Thompson,All-Conf USA first team
,,,TE Justin Johnson,All-Conf USA first team
,,,WR Patrick Edwards,All-Conf USA first team
,,,LB Sammy Brown,All-Conf USA first team
,,,OL Jacolby Ashworth,All-Conf USA second team
,,,WR/KR Tyron Carrier,All-Conf USA second team
,,,LB Marcus McGraw,All-Conf USA second team
,,,CB D.J. Hayden,All-Conf USA second team
,,,PR Patrick Edwards,All-Conf USA second team
2012,Head Coach,Texas A&M,OL Luke Joeckel,All-SEC first team
,,,,Unanimous All-American
,,,,NFL first round pick
,,,QB Johnny Manziel,All-SEC first team
,,,,Heisman winner
,,,,Consensus All-American
,,,OL Jake Matthews,All-SEC first team
,,,,Consensus All-American
,,,DE Damontre Moore,All-SEC first team
,,,,Consensus All-American
,,,,NFL third round pick
,,,WR Ryan Swope,All-SEC second team
,,,,NFL sixth round pick
,,,RB Christine Michael,NFL second round pick
,,,LB Sean Porter,NFL fourth round pick
[/table]
[table sort=”desc”]
Year,Coaching Title,School,Player,Accolade(s)
2013,Head Coach,Texas A&M,WR Mike Evans,All-SEC first team
,,,,Consensus All-American
,,,,NFL first round pick
,,,P Drew Kaser,All-SEC first team
,,,,Sporting News & SI All-American
,,,QB Johnny Manziel,All-SEC first team
,,,,NFL first round pick
,,,OL Jake Matthews,All-SEC first team
,,,,Unanimous All-American
,,,,NFL first round pick
2014,Head Coach,Texas A&M,OL Cedric Ogbuehi,All-SEC first team
,,,,Walter Camp & Scout All-American
,,,,NFL first round pick
,,,DE Myles Garrett,All-SEC second team
,,,WR Josh Reynolds,All-SEC second team
,,,PK Josh Lambo,All-SEC second team
,,,G Jarvis Harrison,NFL fifth round pick
[/table]
[table sort=”desc”]
Year,Coaching Title,School,Player,Accolade(s)
2015,Head Coach,Texas A&M,DE Myles Garrett,All-SEC first team
,,,,Walter Camp & Football Writers All-American
,,,P Drew Kaser,All-SEC first team
,,,,CBS All-American
,,,OT Germain Ifedi,NFL first round pick
,,,WR/RS Christian Kirk,All-SEC second team
,,,,Athlon All-American
,,,PK Taylor Bertolet,All-SEC second team
,,,CB Brandon Williams,NFL third round pick
2016,Head Coach,Texas A&M,DE Myles Garrett,All-SEC first team
,,,,Consensus All-American
,,,,No. 1 overall NFL pick
,,,G Avery Gennesy,All-SEC first team
,,,WR/RS Christian Kirk,All-SEC first team
,,,S Justin Evans,All-SEC second team
,,,,NFL second round pick
,,,DE Daeshon Hall,NFL third round pick
,,,WR Josh Reynolds,NFL fourth round pick
,,,G Jermaine Eluemunor,NFL fifth round pick
2017,Head Coach,Texas A&M,AP/RS Christian Kirk,All-SEC first team
,,,,NFL second round pick
,,,DB Armani Watts,All-SEC first team
,,,,NFL fourth round pick
[/table]
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon.
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