Eight days to go until the umpire hands TCU place kicker Jaden Oberkrom the ball to start the game and says, “Now, son, don’t kick it ‘til I tell ya tew, ya
undahstand?” And since we’re 8 days away, a tip of the cap to our favorite No. 8 Davey O’Brien.

Now this gets my motor running. Let’s talk kicking!The return game and key terms: hang time, get-off times, spinning the laces and hitting spirals. There’s a ton of detail in the kicking game. It’s part art and part execution.

Luckily, the Frogs have two of the biggest legs in the country in Oberkrom and punter Ethan Perry.While Oberkrom has struggled a little in fall camp, I think he’ll be alright as the games approach. The one thing I like about Jaden is the way he goes after it, attacking and driving the ball. That’s the way to kick it.

Meanwhile, Perry has been great in fall camp with more tight spirals than I’ve ever seen him kick. Tight spirals mean hang time and distance, both of which are critical elements to a punter and the 10 guys running down the field to cover it.Speaking of coverage teams, just sit back and watch as these speed-laden waves of purple seek out
kick returner prey. They’re fast! The biggest thing about these two specialists is that they can dictate and control the opponent’s starting field position with each kickoff or punt, making them a key part of the defense.

On the bounceback side (the return game), you may see quarterback Trevone Boykin in special situations, but not a lot as a punt returner. He’ll return some kickoffs. I look for wide receiver Cameron Echols-Luper to continue to improve in the punt return game.Remember, the Frogs also have wide receiver Deante Gray, who took a punt to the house on his first collegiate touch two years ago against Grambling.

Kickoff return should be a lot of fun, too, as running back Kyle Hicks will join running back B.J. Catalon as the primary kickoff return men. Catalon has the ability to go all the way every time he touches one. Remember I told you so!

Tomorrow, it’s No. 7

Kick ‘Em High!

Ten reasons you’re going to love these Frogs 
Aug. 20: No. 10 – The schedule
Aug. 21: No. 9 – The defensive line

While a lot of attention and talk has been about who’s not here to play on the defensive line, I want to give props to this group that I’ve enjoyed watching during fall camp at TCU.

Coach Dick Bumpas has been around a long time, and he knows D-Line play. He has his gritty group playing fast and a little angry.

I think you’re going to like what this group brings to the line of scrimmage when they dig in for real next week against Samford.

Chucky Hunter (above) is the leader, and I think he’s primed for a season in which he’ll finally be recognized on a national basis for the dominant player he is.

Next door defensive tackle Davion Pierson is lighter and faster at a svelte 305. Mike Tuaua never stops at defensive end. Josh Carraway at the other end knows his way around a block – he’s quick.

The guys who’ll make news this year include defensive tackle Tevin Lawson and defensive end Terrell Lathan. But keep an ear open for the names Bryson Henderson and inside guys L.J. Collier and Chris Bradley – both true freshmen who add depth.

They’ll all get a good test in the first two games as both Samford and Minnesota are power teams who like to feature physical running attacks.

We’re nine days away!Tomorrow…..#8

Kick ‘Em High!

Ten reasons you’re going to love these Frogs 
Aug. 20: No. 10 – The schedule

No. 10
THE SCHEDULE – I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s just well-arranged.

The Frogs play seven home games this year and don’t leave the state of Texas until Nov. 1, when they travel to West Virginia.

The Frogs host both Oklahoma schools, K-State, Texas Tech, non-conference foes Samford and Minnesota and finish up with Iowa State.

Oh, and there are two open dates sprinkled in early on Sept. 6 and 20 to help the Frogs tune up some more for the Big 12 run which starts Oct. 4 when the Sooners come to visit.

Tomorrow, No. 9.

Kick ‘Em High!

Dr. Hilary Frey Miller ’92 jumped 13,100 feet over Ft. Knox with the Golden Knights this June 13, 2014.  Hilary was selectedfor the jump for her work in the area of veterans’ higher educational policy.  She was meet on the ground by her husband Lt. Col. Joel Miller.  Her brother, Marine Capt Chris Frey ’02 is currently serving overseas.

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The “It’s a Small World Game – Horned Frog Edition” had two winners this week. Two TCU graduates who are in Poland in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve met again for the first time in almost 10 years.

Army chaplain Cpt. Luke Sprinkle ’06 (right) of the 1st Squadron, 91st Calvary Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, based out of Grafenwoehr, Germany, met Sgt. 1st Class Adam Stone ’04, 807th Medical Command, United States Army Reserve, just outside of Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland.

Sprinkle is the 1-91 Cavalry chaplain and Stone is on an army public affairs team assigned to cover the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Operation Atlantic Resolve involves approximately 600 paratroopers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Frog Fans, like you, I’ve been thinking about Omaha a lot lately. This weekend at Lupton Stadium is already historic and could be an epic one for Coach Schloss and his crew.

Go get ‘Em!

But take a moment with me on this June 6th. And remember.

D-Day.

I woke up early this morning, went out in the front yard and took down my TCU flag that flies there most every day and put up the American flag to honor all those Allied soldiers who landed on the coast of France 70 years ago this morning. Their efforts, sacrifice and the surprise attack were the beginning of the end of World War II.

Operation Overlord was the official name of the largest amphibious invasion to ever take place. The target was a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast that was well-protected by Hitler’s Atlantic Wall.

It began in the early morning with landings on five beaches named Juno, Gold, Utah, Sword …and Omaha. And onto the beaches they went, into a man-made hell with German gun emplacements above the beaches.

Along the shore, mines, wooden stakes, metal tripods, barbed wire all had to be dodged while bullets rained down from above. Many were mowed down before they ever made it to the beach.

And they kept coming.

By afternoon, the Allies owned the beachheads and the invasion was in high gear.

It was no doubt the big play of World War II, and it’s my father’s generation that made it happen. Tech Sergeant Joe D. Denton of the U.S. Army Air Corps was based California on D-Day, working on the XP-59 fighter project – the first American jet fighter.

He is now 89.

I’m going to see him today in Dallas and tell him thanks.

Stats show that World War II vets are dying at the rate of about 1,000 a day. Find one that you know today and thank them. They saved the world.

Omaha.

On this day it has two meanings.

Kick ‘Em High!

Marissa Torres’11 (M.Ed. ’14) shared these photos from commencement this past weekend. With Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in the midst of a major overhaul, TCU graduation exercises returned to Amon G. Carter Stadium for the first time since 1961. More than 1,600 graduates walked the stage arranged in the south end zone to get their diplomas, including Torres who received her masters of education in professional counseling. Weather cooperated as the temperature was only 70 degrees when the ceremony started.

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Major Ryan D. Cox ’02 of the U.S. Air Force visited the Japanese island of Iwo Jima earlier this year, and he brought a TCU flag with him.

But it was no ordinary spot for a flag photo.

“We hiked up to the top of Mount Suribachi, which is the location of the famous raising of the U.S. flag at the battle of Iwo Jima during World War II,” Cox wrote to us. “I
was at the actual spot where the flag was raised.”

Behind him, is the beach on which U.S. Marines landed and bravely fought to take the island.

“The opportunity to go to Iwo Jima is rare since no civilians of any kind are even allowed to visit the island,” Cox shared. “Truly a great experience!”

Cox, who is a former member of TCU Cheer, is stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.

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Bryan Lucas ’96, chief technology officer at TCU, met with former Mexican president Vicente Fox yesterday to discuss technology at his Centro Fox library and potential learning opportunities for Horned Frog students.Fox, who guided Mexico to a stronger democracy from 2000 to 2006, was the keynote speaker at the 51st annual Honors Convocation and shared his perspectives about the global economy, leadership on the world stage, immigration and challenges in the 21st century.

Joining them were Fox’s special assistant Dr. Juan Hernandez ’78 MA ’81 PhD (far left) and Dr. Beata Jones of the Neeley School of Business.

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Haroon Said Wardak ’13 graduated from TCU’s Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences less than a year ago, but he’s showing his Horned Frog pride with passion on the other side of the globe.

Wardak, who describes himself as an Afghan-American “with purple blood in my veins,” is a medical interpreter/translator for U.S. military forces in Afghanistan. He also works in a NATO hospital there.

When he was deployed, he took along several TCU t-shirts. But he wanted something to show off his Horned Frog ties every day. So he bought a TCU ID tag holder from Amazon.

In the photo above, Wardak is proudly donning the TCU ID tag during formal Change of Command Ceremony at Multinational Medical Unit-NATO Hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

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