Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte is not messing around. Just days after their big 20-17 win over then-No. 14 Tennessee, Del Conte laid into his own program over “inappropriate celebrations” from defensive end Colin Simmons and running back Raleek Brown. When the boss who bleeds burnt orange steps up, you know there’s a serious problem brewing in the locker room.
When a Sack Goes South: Simmons’ Costly Antics
We’re talking about a game where Texas pulled off an “incredible performance on the field,” no doubt. But Simmons, a preseason All-American and a potential first-round NFL pick, went absolutely OFF with a single-game school-record 5½ sacks against the Vols. That’s elite stuff, right? Except after his second quarterback takedown, Simmons decided to mime himself urinating on the field. Yeah, you read that right. Teammates tried to stop him, but the damage was done. He got flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. Instead of a third-down sack that would’ve forced a fourth-and-29 and a punt from Tennessee’s 12-yard line, the Vols were gifted a new set of downs. That’s a huge swing in momentum, all for a stunt that Simmons later apologized for, saying, “I was definitely in that mode, feeling myself. But you know, it happens, charge it to the game.” Not exactly a full mea culpa, huh?
“Embarrassing” and a TikTok Dance: The Program’s Black Eye
Simmons wasn’t the only one in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Running back Raleek Brown, after his second touchdown run in the fourth quarter, decided to celebrate by putting his hand between his legs, wafting the air toward his nose, and then dramatically falling backwards like he’d passed out. When asked, Brown just shrugged it off, saying, “I don’t know what it’s called. Some TikTok dance.” Seriously? This isn’t your living room, dude. Del Conte, in his newsletter “Forty Acres Insider,” didn’t mince words. He wrote that each antic “was embarrassing to our proud and widely respected football team, athletics program and university.” He’s “not happy about that,” and he knows fans aren’t either, acknowledging the “very warranted concerns” shared with him. Coach Steve Sarkisian met with both players and is handling it internally, telling reporters, “We have got to do a better job of celebrating with one another. I don’t want to take away our stinger. I don’t want to take away the excitement of the game. But the moment you start to demean an opponent, the flags are going to come out and that’s when you can call it a fine line, but it’s not really a fine line.” Del Conte echoed that, calling them “good people who made poor choices.”
Texas has got a bye week to figure this out, and it’s clear they’ve got some serious cleaning up to do if they want to avoid these “embarrassing” moments moving forward. Coach Sark and Del Conte are laying down the law, and these players better listen.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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