August 14, 2025 • 9 mins
Today, we have a “Legends of the Locker Room” segment with Lifetime Longhorn defensive back Lance Gunn as he explains what he loves about this Texas Longhorn football team. He emphasizes how important it is for players to buy into the coaching staff and the team’s culture. He shares his feelings on the secondary, and Michael Taaffe represents the #16. He also gives his opinion of Arch Manning and his expectations with Coach Sarkisian opening up the playbook. You can hear it all here on “The Morning Kickoff Show!”
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Let's let's just set the locker pay.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Let's just let just go live when we take a
new put, justin, let you set the lock let's just shut.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
I'm on again, and you know that people, let the
locker pay.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Let's just shut the pay, just going live, and we
take a new put, just gain, let's.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Just sing locker pay, let's just shuts.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I'm on again, and you know the gain, the true.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
We're back, baby, sixteen days away. And what better way
to enjoy sixteen days away from Texas and Ohio State
then bring it on our own number sixteen. He's a
Hall of Honor member and he's a lifetime Longhorn. He
is Lance Gun and you see him right.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
There, big Sin. What's up, baby, man?
Speaker 2 (01:02):
What's going on?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
How you doing? Man? What's going on with you? My friend?
You good? Yeah, I'm good. There got you, yeah, we
got you now. We got you now.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
So I want to get right into it. Sixteen days
away from Texas and Ohio State. At the shoe, you
had played in some big ball games, but I guarantee
you you hadn't played in one as big as game
number one. When you're taking a trip to Columbus, Ohio
to start the season. What are some of your fondest
(01:35):
memories of your time on the forty acres, But more importantly,
what you've seen from this football team over the last
couple of seasons for sure.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
So from that standpoint, getting four against OU's always nice, right,
can't keep that say it with your chim always comes
in handy, for sure. We had a couple of big games.
Game versus you of age in nineteen ninety was nice
as well, right, So we had some decent wins for sure.
So from this team standpoint, right, this coach has done
(02:05):
a fantastic job.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Right.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
You got twenty five draft picks the last two years,
some Outland trophies, some thorpele. Right, So just across the board,
you look at this team now a little deceptive. I
think they got nine starters returning, but there's four or
five six guys like Colin Simmons isn't listed as a starter,
Burke isn't listed as a returning starter, arch isn't listened
as a return and started it. We know those guys
(02:28):
can play, are gonna make a lot of plays for
the Longhorns this year. So we are going to the shoe.
We will be there with our burn orch on. We're
leaving out of here that Thursday night, get there Friday,
and we'll be there at big noon. I like that
in the shoe, I like.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
That we're talking to Lance Gun and Lance.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
You know.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
I sit here today and think about the times when
you guys were here on the forty acres, and then
you fast forward. Your team finished number three in the
country one year. In football team you go from eight
to five, and then you progress and you can I
mean five and seven, then the eight and five, and
then you continue to progress. And one of the things
(03:09):
that stands out to me is the leadership in that
locker room and the buy in that a team has.
When you start to listen to how they talk, they
sound like coach Sark in a lot of those instances.
Is that something that you've noticed as a former player
and being in those locker rooms.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Absolutely, you can certainly see that Sark spent a lot
of time with saving the way you build a program,
the way you recruit, and obviously getting the right guys
in the locker room that not only have talent and
athletic ability to make plays, but also can help you
build your culture right. And that deal so I think
he's got something that's sustainable for sure. Right, And they've
(03:49):
been close. Right, you're a player too here there, and
they're certainly playing for a national title and winning an
SEC conference game or a conference championship. So they're doing
all the right things us as long hom fans, I'm
sure them is a program. It's like, hey, you know,
they'd like to get an set championship this year and
get a national title list at all possible. Right, that's
(04:09):
kind of the next big step for the program.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Lance, I've always been a big fan your Your style
of play was every like very smart, cerebral, but would
come up and tackle. What do you see in this
secondary that Texas has right now that is reminiscent of
your play for sure?
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Right? There is a high level to your point of
savvy across Dean Tibert. Right, So they don't give up
any big plays they get be here or there. They're
rarely out of position, right, you don't see a lot
of blown coverages. And obviously they've got talent and athletic ability.
A THROP Award winner last year, a couple of guys
with Gway on the watch list going into this year.
(04:52):
So I appreciate you saying that, right you are. I'm
a big fan of yours as well, and I know
that means a lot coming from you. So I think
for the kind words, I really appreciate it. DBU is back.
Let there be no mistake about it, and it is
in full effect.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
We also were talking about this too, because we're going
to stay with the secondary a little bit. Obviously, Michael
Taff wearing the number sixteen and representing it to the fullest.
You also have the quarterback mister Manning that everybody is
talking about across the nation. When you think of both
of those guys. Obviously we can wait on what we
(05:30):
expect from Arch because he's got to get hisself out there.
But Michael Taff playing that position, that safety position, making
big plays, being the leader in that back end, it's
got to be refreshing to see that, especially with a
guy that's wearing your number.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
For sure.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Certainly I thought that was one of the biggest guys
that decided to come back this year, right to kind
of bring that whole deal together. You always want to
be solid up the middle, and like I said, he
kind of directs that deal and makes a lot of
plays on his own. I just asked it when they
retire our number, that they give me a little love, right,
they get a little mention for you. Boy, Oh, you
don't get it. You don't get that love.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
If you don't get it by them, you're gonna get.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
It by me.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
At heart.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
That deal up. But I just want him to mention
because it's in passing, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
No doubt, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah, I'm hard to I We're gonna be the We're
gonna be the lands Gun Bandwagon.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
We're gonna pull up.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
We're gonna have about sixteen jerseys on say, don't forget,
I got it, says a gun with two ends on
the back. Gotta love it, gotta love it.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
So let me and then obvious the arts, right, I
mean that's I think the ability to make plays off
script is gonna be the biggest difference, right, I mean
that's you know, I think he'll run the offense, do
you think? But there's gonna be some times when the
play doesn't materialize as it's designed, And I think he's
gonna be to make a few plays along the way.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Yeah, you and I have had conversations about this as well,
then that he is a lot more mobile and to
run as opposed to what we saw from Quinn. But
when you look at him as the Manning family, the
heir to the throne, as you would say, you start
to understand that coach sharks offense. Now we may see
(07:16):
a full gamut of his offense because of the ability
to hit that deep ball and the ability to want
to throw that deep ball.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
For sure, I think you're saying it absolutely right. It
makes play calling a little easier, right, It doesn't have
to be perfect, and again when it goes off script,
he can make some plays and certainly appears to open
up a little bit more of the playbook in that piece.
And then obviously the pressure. There's a lot of talk,
But I think you know that he's felt that his
whole life, right the minute he decided to play quarterback,
(07:47):
the minute he decided to play quarterback in the SEC.
It just came with the territory. So I don't think
that is as big a deal to him as it
may be the ny US, just because I think he's
lived with that his whole life.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Liz, if you're ars Manning and being a guy that
played in the secondary for so many years and at
a high level. What is the most dangerous thing to you?
The tight end coming across are running the seam? Are
you having to play cover too and worry about a
guy that can burn you to the pyelone?
Speaker 3 (08:21):
The cover two piece, right? You know that covering that
there's a hole in the middle of the field and
to your point, that post corner piece. You know that stuff,
and he can put the ball on the line and
put air in it right, whatever he needs to do.
So I think that piece right there is gonna be
the toughness I think will be again. Another difference in
the way the offense this looks this year. The ability
(08:44):
to throw the ball a little bit more in the
middle of the field. I think you'll definitely see a
lot of that. I think I know the answer. But
what's your prediction for Texas this season? I think they
win a national time. I don't know that they go undefeated,
but I think they went an sec tamampionship in a
national title, right, I mean, I think this is the
last two years in particular, has been working towards this.
(09:07):
I think Ohio State showed us something last year. You
don't have to win a conference title to win a
national championship, right, that is no longer a barrier. Matter
of fact, I believe they finished fourth in the big
team if I'm not mistaken, not second or third. So
but I think they get a national championship done for sure.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
I love it, love it.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
There he is our guy, Lance gun We will be
pointing to number sixteen, but it's gonna have Gun on
the back of it because he always represents. I appreciate
you taking the time, my brother, and we'll have you
on again. So once the season get rolling. Absolutely, thanks
guys for the horns. There is Lance Gunn, former Texas
(09:47):
Longhorn and a Hall of Honor member as well.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Sure
Let's let's just set the locker pay.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Let's just let just go live when we take a
new put, justin, let you set the lock let's just shut.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
I'm on again, and you know that people, let the
locker pay.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Let's just shut the pay, just going live, and we
take a new put, just gain, let's.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Just sing locker pay, let's just shuts.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I'm on again, and you know the gain, the true.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
We're back, baby, sixteen days away. And what better way
to enjoy sixteen days away from Texas and Ohio State
then bring it on our own number sixteen. He's a
Hall of Honor member and he's a lifetime Longhorn. He
is Lance Gun and you see him right.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
There, big Sin. What's up, baby, man?
Speaker 2 (01:02):
What's going on?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
How you doing? Man? What's going on with you? My friend?
You good? Yeah, I'm good. There got you, yeah, we
got you now. We got you now.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
So I want to get right into it. Sixteen days
away from Texas and Ohio State. At the shoe, you
had played in some big ball games, but I guarantee
you you hadn't played in one as big as game
number one. When you're taking a trip to Columbus, Ohio
to start the season. What are some of your fondest
(01:35):
memories of your time on the forty acres, But more importantly,
what you've seen from this football team over the last
couple of seasons for sure.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
So from that standpoint, getting four against OU's always nice, right,
can't keep that say it with your chim always comes
in handy, for sure. We had a couple of big games.
Game versus you of age in nineteen ninety was nice
as well, right, So we had some decent wins for sure.
So from this team standpoint, right, this coach has done
(02:05):
a fantastic job.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Right.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
You got twenty five draft picks the last two years,
some Outland trophies, some thorpele. Right, So just across the board,
you look at this team now a little deceptive. I
think they got nine starters returning, but there's four or
five six guys like Colin Simmons isn't listed as a starter,
Burke isn't listed as a returning starter, arch isn't listened
as a return and started it. We know those guys
(02:28):
can play, are gonna make a lot of plays for
the Longhorns this year. So we are going to the shoe.
We will be there with our burn orch on. We're
leaving out of here that Thursday night, get there Friday,
and we'll be there at big noon. I like that
in the shoe, I like.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
That we're talking to Lance Gun and Lance.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
You know.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
I sit here today and think about the times when
you guys were here on the forty acres, and then
you fast forward. Your team finished number three in the
country one year. In football team you go from eight
to five, and then you progress and you can I
mean five and seven, then the eight and five, and
then you continue to progress. And one of the things
(03:09):
that stands out to me is the leadership in that
locker room and the buy in that a team has.
When you start to listen to how they talk, they
sound like coach Sark in a lot of those instances.
Is that something that you've noticed as a former player
and being in those locker rooms.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Absolutely, you can certainly see that Sark spent a lot
of time with saving the way you build a program,
the way you recruit, and obviously getting the right guys
in the locker room that not only have talent and
athletic ability to make plays, but also can help you
build your culture right. And that deal so I think
he's got something that's sustainable for sure. Right, And they've
(03:49):
been close. Right, you're a player too here there, and
they're certainly playing for a national title and winning an
SEC conference game or a conference championship. So they're doing
all the right things us as long hom fans, I'm
sure them is a program. It's like, hey, you know,
they'd like to get an set championship this year and
get a national title list at all possible. Right, that's
(04:09):
kind of the next big step for the program.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Lance, I've always been a big fan your Your style
of play was every like very smart, cerebral, but would
come up and tackle. What do you see in this
secondary that Texas has right now that is reminiscent of
your play for sure?
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Right? There is a high level to your point of
savvy across Dean Tibert. Right, So they don't give up
any big plays they get be here or there. They're
rarely out of position, right, you don't see a lot
of blown coverages. And obviously they've got talent and athletic ability.
A THROP Award winner last year, a couple of guys
with Gway on the watch list going into this year.
(04:52):
So I appreciate you saying that, right you are. I'm
a big fan of yours as well, and I know
that means a lot coming from you. So I think
for the kind words, I really appreciate it. DBU is back.
Let there be no mistake about it, and it is
in full effect.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
We also were talking about this too, because we're going
to stay with the secondary a little bit. Obviously, Michael
Taff wearing the number sixteen and representing it to the fullest.
You also have the quarterback mister Manning that everybody is
talking about across the nation. When you think of both
of those guys. Obviously we can wait on what we
(05:30):
expect from Arch because he's got to get hisself out there.
But Michael Taff playing that position, that safety position, making
big plays, being the leader in that back end, it's
got to be refreshing to see that, especially with a
guy that's wearing your number.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
For sure.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Certainly I thought that was one of the biggest guys
that decided to come back this year, right to kind
of bring that whole deal together. You always want to
be solid up the middle, and like I said, he
kind of directs that deal and makes a lot of
plays on his own. I just asked it when they
retire our number, that they give me a little love, right,
they get a little mention for you. Boy, Oh, you
don't get it. You don't get that love.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
If you don't get it by them, you're gonna get.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
It by me.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
At heart.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
That deal up. But I just want him to mention
because it's in passing, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
No doubt, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah, I'm hard to I We're gonna be the We're
gonna be the lands Gun Bandwagon.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
We're gonna pull up.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
We're gonna have about sixteen jerseys on say, don't forget,
I got it, says a gun with two ends on
the back. Gotta love it, gotta love it.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
So let me and then obvious the arts, right, I
mean that's I think the ability to make plays off
script is gonna be the biggest difference, right, I mean
that's you know, I think he'll run the offense, do
you think? But there's gonna be some times when the
play doesn't materialize as it's designed, And I think he's
gonna be to make a few plays along the way.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Yeah, you and I have had conversations about this as well,
then that he is a lot more mobile and to
run as opposed to what we saw from Quinn. But
when you look at him as the Manning family, the
heir to the throne, as you would say, you start
to understand that coach sharks offense. Now we may see
(07:16):
a full gamut of his offense because of the ability
to hit that deep ball and the ability to want
to throw that deep ball.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
For sure, I think you're saying it absolutely right. It
makes play calling a little easier, right, It doesn't have
to be perfect, and again when it goes off script,
he can make some plays and certainly appears to open
up a little bit more of the playbook in that piece.
And then obviously the pressure. There's a lot of talk,
But I think you know that he's felt that his
whole life, right the minute he decided to play quarterback,
(07:47):
the minute he decided to play quarterback in the SEC.
It just came with the territory. So I don't think
that is as big a deal to him as it
may be the ny US, just because I think he's
lived with that his whole life.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Liz, if you're ars Manning and being a guy that
played in the secondary for so many years and at
a high level. What is the most dangerous thing to you?
The tight end coming across are running the seam? Are
you having to play cover too and worry about a
guy that can burn you to the pyelone?
Speaker 3 (08:21):
The cover two piece, right? You know that covering that
there's a hole in the middle of the field and
to your point, that post corner piece. You know that stuff,
and he can put the ball on the line and
put air in it right, whatever he needs to do.
So I think that piece right there is gonna be
the toughness I think will be again. Another difference in
the way the offense this looks this year. The ability
(08:44):
to throw the ball a little bit more in the
middle of the field. I think you'll definitely see a
lot of that. I think I know the answer. But
what's your prediction for Texas this season? I think they
win a national time. I don't know that they go undefeated,
but I think they went an sec tamampionship in a
national title, right, I mean, I think this is the
last two years in particular, has been working towards this.
(09:07):
I think Ohio State showed us something last year. You
don't have to win a conference title to win a
national championship, right, that is no longer a barrier. Matter
of fact, I believe they finished fourth in the big
team if I'm not mistaken, not second or third. So
but I think they get a national championship done for sure.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
I love it, love it.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
There he is our guy, Lance gun We will be
pointing to number sixteen, but it's gonna have Gun on
the back of it because he always represents. I appreciate
you taking the time, my brother, and we'll have you
on again. So once the season get rolling. Absolutely, thanks
guys for the horns. There is Lance Gunn, former Texas
(09:47):
Longhorn and a Hall of Honor member as well.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Sure
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