The All-Time Texas Tech NFL Team

The Detroit Lions and Houston Oilers had great success in the Run & Shoot offense a few decades ago.

You can bet the all-time Texas Tech NFL team would feature the Run & Shoot, four-wide receiver set in its offensive playbook.

Danny Amendola and Michael Crabtree combined to catch 1,254 passes for 13,711 yards and 78 touchdowns in their NFL careers. And they’d be the two receivers coming off the bench for the Red Raiders. The first-down starters would be Wes Welker and Dave Parks, who combined for eight Pro Bowls and four NFL receiving titles.

Welker went to five of the Pro Bowls, emerging as Tom Brady’s go-to receiver for the Patriots with five 100-catch seasons. Welker won three receiving titles with New England, catching 112 passes in 2007, 123 passes in 2009 and 122 in 2011. An undrafted free agent, Welker caught 903 passes in a 12-year career for 9,924 yards and 50 touchdowns.

Parks went to the Pro Bowl each of his first three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and led the league in catches, yards and touchdowns in 1965 with his 80 receptions, 1,344 yards and 12 touchdowns. He caught 360 passes for 5,619 yards and 44 touchdowns in his 10-year career.

But the depth and quality of receivers would not be the primary reason for the Run & Shoot to become the offense of choice for the Texas Tech NFL team. The primary reason would be the triggerman of that offense – quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes has been the starter for Kansas City for four years and has taken the Chiefs to the AFC championship game all four of those seasons. In two of the seasons he took Kansas City to the Super Bowl, winning the Lombardi Trophy in 2019. He passed for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns on his way to NFL MVP honors that season.

So it would be “Guns Up” offensively for the all-time Texas Tech NFL team.

And here is that team:  

*-QB—Patrick Mahomes, 4 Pro Bowls, NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP

RB—Donny Anderson, 9 seasons, 4,696 rushing yards, 55 TDs, Super Bowl ring

RB—Timmy Smith, Rushed for 204 yards & 2 TDs in 1988 Super Bowl

WR—Wes Welker, 5 Pro Bowls, 3-time NFL receiving champion (2007-09-11)

WR—Dave Parks, 3 Pro Bowls, led NFL in catches (80), yards (1,344) & TDs (12) in 1965

TE—Andre Tillman, 4 seasons, 66 catches, 6 touchdowns

T—Joe Walter, 12 seasons, 136 starts

*-T—LaRaven Clark, 5 seasons, 51 starts

G—Louis Vasquez, Pro Bowl, 7 seasons, 101 starts

G—Manny Ramirez, 8 seasons, 65 starts

C—E.J. Holub, 5-time Pro Bowl LB, started 1970 Super Bowl at C for Chiefs

*-DE—Kerry Hyder, 6 seasons, 20 sacks

DE—Bob Kilcullen, 9 seasons, 57 starts, 15 sacks

DT—Montae Reagor, 9 seasons, 46 starts, 17 sacks

DT—Bob Herchman, 7 seasons, 59 starts, 54-yard INT for TD in 1957

LB—Dave Lloyd, Pro Bowl, 12 seasons, 113 starts, 23 sacks

MLB—Zach Thomas, 7 Pro Bowls, 2000s NFL all-decade team

OLB—Thomas Howard, 9 seasons, 98 starts, 18 sacks

CB—Ted Watts, 8 seasons, 25 interception, Super Bowl ring

CB—Lemuel Stinson, 5 seasons, 16 interceptions, 2 touchdowns

S—Marcus Coleman, 11 seasons, 25 interceptions, 2 touchdowns

S—Curtis Jordan, 11 seasons, 17 interceptions, Super Bowl ring

K—Mac Percival, 8 seasons, 101 field goals, 466 points

P—Maury Buford, 9 seasons, 577 punts, 41.4-yard average

*-KR—Jakeem Grant, 6 seasons, 226 punt & kickoff returns, 6 TDs

ST—Anthony Lynn, 6 seasons, ST ace for 49ers & Broncos, 2 Super Bowl rings

*-Still active