SicEm365 All-Decade Team: Football (Offense)

Related: SicEm365 All-Decade Team: Defense | Former Baylor DC Phil Bennett discusses SicEm365’s All-Decade Defense

Throughout the first half of the decade, no college football program in America had as good of an offense as Baylor.

Whether it was because of Robert Griffin III or Bryce Petty firing the ball to Kendall Wright and Corey Coleman, Shock Linwood bursting through the gaps produced by Cyril Richardson and Spencer Drango—or mastermind coach Art Briles orchestrating it all from the sideline—people were in awe of Baylor.

The Bears weren’t just respected back then.

They were downright feared.

Thus, it comes as no surprise that players from those golden years dominate SicEm365s All-Decade offensive squad. Here are the selections:

FIRST TEAM

Quarterback

Robert Griffin III - 6-3 215; 2008-2010; Copperas Cove
Career: It wouldn’t make much sense to choose anyone other than the guy with his own statue in front of McLane Stadium—a structure that was resurrected largely because of him. If if weren’t for RG3, the 2011 Heisman winner, Baylor may never have escaped the Big 12 basement in which it resided for more than a decade. Make no mistake: Griffin (and Art Briles) changed Baylor football and, in some ways, the city of Waco right along with it. A terror both through the air and on the ground, RG3 sparked Baylor to its first winning campaign and postseason appearance in 15 years in 2010, when the Bears finished 7-6 and appeared in the Texas Bowl. But the true national statement was made the following season, when Griffin led the Bears to a 10-3 record that included a victory over nemesis Oklahoma and a 67-56 triumph over Washington in the Alamo Bowl, marking Baylor’s first postseason win since 1992.

Notables: Griffin III, who beat out Andrew Luck for the 2011 Heisman, left school after his redshirt junior season to enter the NFL Draft, where he was selected No. 2 overall by the Washington Redskins. RGIII won Rookie of the Year honors in 2012, setting an NFL record for the highest passing rating ever for a first-year quarterback. Injuries have plagued Grffin’s career ever since, although he’s still excelling as a backup to Lamar Jackson with the Baltimore Ravens. Griffin’s 10,366 passing yards are the most ever by a Baylor quartback, and it’s not even close. He also ranks first in pass efficiency, completions and touchdown passes (78).

Running Back

Shock Linwood - 5-9 200; 2012-2016; Linden
Career: The best stretch of football in Baylor history was played with Linwood in the backfield. Blending elusiveness and speed with power and force, Linwood set Bears’ career rushing record by tallying 4,213 yards in his four-year career. Linwood helped lead the Bears to their only two Big 12 titles as a freshman and sophomore—when they played in the Fiesta and Cotton Bowls, respectively—before gaining a career-high 1,329 yards as a junior. Briles’ departure in the spring of 2016 ruined what could’ve been an incredible senior year for Linwood, who got crossways with the leftover staff and saw his playing time diminish (751 yards) during a 7-6 season.

Notables: Linwood is the fourth-leading rusher in the history of the Big 12, trailing only Cedric Benson and Ricky Williams of Texas and Darren Sproles of Kansas State. He was a Freshman All-American in 2013, a first-team All-Big 12 selection as a sophomore and a second-team pick as a junior. Linwood didn’t play football after college.

Wide Receivers

Kendall Wright - 5-11 190; 2008-2011; Pittsburg, Texas
Career: A four-year starter, Wright combined with RGIII to form one of the most-feared quarterback-receiver tandems in all of college football. Wright is Baylor’s career leader in receiving yards (4,004) and receptions (302) and ranks second in touchdowns (30). His best season came as a senior in 2011, when he set the program’s single-season mark for receptions with 108. His 1,663 receiving yards that season rank second in school history and helped him earn first-team All-American honors. Wright closed out his final regular season in grand fashion with 125 yards in a win over Texas Tech and 166 in a victory against Texas.

Notables: Wright, whose 302 receptions rank third all-time in the Big 12, has enjoyed more NFL success than any former Baylor receiver excpet Josh Gordon. The 20^th overall pick by Tennessee in the 2012 draft, Wright spent five years with the Titans and one with the Chicago Bears. He tallied 3.858 yards and 19 touchdowns during his six-year career. Wright also spent one season as a reserve guard on the Baylor basketball team.

Corey Coleman‍ - 5-11 195; 2012-2015; Richardson Pearce
Career: One of the fastest players in the country during his college years, Coleman captured the the ultimate individual honor in 2015 when he won the Biletnikoff Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top receiver. Coleman certainly had the stats to warrant it. His school-record 20 touchdowns that season rank third in Big 12 history, and his 1,363 yards are third-most in a single season at Baylor. Coleman played an integral role in Baylor’s 2013 and 2014 Big 12 championship squads, tallying 1,636 yards and 13 touchdowns during the two seaons combined. Coleman was a first-team All-American as a junior.

Notables: The Cleveland Browns selected Coleman with the 15^th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and signed him to a four-year contract for $11.65 million. He combined for 173 receiving yards in his first two games and then suffered a broken hand in practice. Coleman hasn’t been the same since. He broke the same hand again in 2017. Coleman was traded to Buffalo, where he lasted less than a month. Then he went to New England were he was cut in less than a week to make room for Josh Gordon. Coleman finally landed a roster spot with the New York Giants, but then he tore his ACL in July of 2019. He recently signed a one-year deal with the team.

Denzel Mims‍ - 6-3 210; 2016-2019; Daingerfield, Texas
Career: Mims was a key figure to Baylor’s resurgence following the departure of Art Briles. At a time when so many things were in flux, Mims was the Bears’ crutch, one of their few sources of consistency during 18 months of transition. Mims played sparingly as a freshman in 2016 before exploding onto the scene as a sophomore, when he had a career-high 1,087 receiving yards and eight touchdowns—one of the few bright spots for the 1-11 Bears under first-year coach Matt Rhule. Mims took a small step back in 2018, perhaps because he was saving his best for last. Mims had 1,020 yards and a career-high 12 touchdowns to propel Baylor to an 11-3 finish and a berth in the Sugar Bowl as a senior last season. 

Notables: Mims finished his Baylor career with 2,925 yards, a mark that ranks sixth on the school’s all-time list. He’s third in career receiving touchdowns with 28. The first-team All-Big 12 selection was chosen by the New York Jets in the second round (59th overall pick) of the 2020 NFL draft.

Tight End

Jordan Najvar‍; 6-6 260; 2010-2013; Klein Oak/Stanford

Career: Najvar had 35 catches for 311 yards and four touchdowns during his three seasons as a starter, but his stats don’t begin to tell the whole story. Najvar’s biggest contributions were as a blocker, where he helped pave the way for one of the top rushing offenses in the country by sealing defensive ends and linebackers in the secondary level. As a senior, Najvar helped Baylor win its first Big 12 title by clearing space for an offesive attack that led the nation in scoring (52.4 points) and yards per game (618.8).

Notables: Najvar earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors in each of his three seasons in Waco. He signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014 but did not make the team. Najvar is now the tight ends coach at the University of Tulsa, which is coached by former Baylor offensive coordinator Phil Montgomery.

Offensive Line

Spencer Drango: 6-6 320; 2011-2015; Cedar Park
Career: Running backs such as Shock Linwood and Lache Seastrunk owe a lot of their success to Drango, whose blocking made him the unsung hero of a charmed era of Baylor football. Drango was a two-time All-American, a two-time winner of the Big 12’s Offensive Lineman of the Year award and a three-time first-team all-conference selection. He has two Big 12 title rings to show for his efforts.

Notables: As a senior, Drango had the best pass-blocking efficiency numbers in all of college football, which was a big reason why the Cleveland Browns selected Drango in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Drango played in all 16 games as a rookie started in nine of them. He spent two seasons with the Browns and is now with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Cyril Richardson - 6-5 340; 2009-2013; North Crowley
Career: Richardson saw just about everthing during his time at Baylor: a 4-8 season while he wsa redshirting, a 7-6 campaign the following year (Baylor’s first winning season since 1995); Robert Griffin capturing the Heisman in 2011; a Big 12 championship in 2013 and the closing of Floyd Casey Stadium. Richardson played a huge part in all of it as a key space-clearer for Lache Seastrunk, Terrance Ganaway and Glascoe Martin. Plus, it was his job to keep RGIII and Bryce Petty out of harm’s way, and he did an excellent job of that.

Notables: RIchardson was a unanimous All-American as a senior, when he was also named Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year. That season he anchored a unit that racked up 714.4 yards per game. Richardson was chosen by Buffalo in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played in 12 games as a rookie but spent the following seaason on the practice squad. Richardson was playing in the XFL before it folded in April.

Danny Watkins; 6-4 310; 2009-2010; Kelowna,, BC/Butte College
Career: Watkins only played one season at Baylor this decade, but his 2010 campaign was one of the best in green and gold history. His tenacious blocking and fun attitude made him a fan favorite. Robert Griffin was pretty fond of him, too, as Watkins made things easier for the signal caller as he developed confidence the two seasons before his Heisman run. After the season Watkins starred in the Senior Bowl, greatly boosting his draft stock.

Notables: Watkins started all 25 games of his Baylor career and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors as a senior in 2010, when he helped open gaps for a rushing attack that ranked third in the conference. He was 26 years old when the Philadelphia Eagles selected him in the first round (23rd overall pick) of the 2011 draft, but Watkins had trouble adapting to the pro game and lost focus. He played three NFL seasons before leaving football to become a firefighter.

Kyle Fuller; 6-5 315; 2012-2016; Wylie

Career: Fuller arrived from Wylie High School as a tackle, but he quickly moved inside to center. Fuller played in 52 games at Baylor with 39 career starts. He owns two Big 12 title rings and was a key reason the Bears led the Big 12 in rushing in 2015 and 2016. Fuller was Honorable Mention All-Big 12 as a sophomore, second team as a junior, and first team as a senior. He paved the way for the schoo’s second Big 12 Championship in 2014.

Notables: The Houston Texas selected Fuller in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He played in nine games with two starts as a rookie. He is currently a member of the Seattle Seahawks. 

Ivory Wade; 6-3 310; 2009-2012; Dickinson
Career: Landing Wade out of high school was a huge “get” for Baylor’s then-struggling prorgram, as Wade was also considering Texas A&M and Missouri. He played at all three offensive line positions at Baylor and excelled at each. Wade started 46 consecutive games throughout his four-year career and was named second-team All-Big 12 as a senior in 2012.

Notables: As well as performed on the field, Wade also stood out in the weight room. He squatted 600 pounds, benched pressed 425 and once did 35 reps of 225.

SPECIAL TEAMS
First Team

Kicker
Aaron Jones - 6-3 190; 2009-13; Crowley
Career: Jones is the most prolific kicker in Baylor history, as he ranks first all-time in points (451) and field goals made (59). He also made 274 of 278 extra point attempts and at one point connected on 189 straight.

Notables: Jones’ 274 PATs is an NCAA record. He was Baylor’s starting kicker for four consecutive years.

Punt Returner
Levi Norwood - 6-2, 200; 2010-14; Waco Midway
Career: Norward started in this role for four consecutive seasons and ranks eighth on Baylor’s all-time list for career punt return yards with 559. As a junior he set a school record by returning two punts for touchdowns.

Notables: A local product, Norwood also starred at receiver for three yeas and had 1,626 yards and 11 touchdowns on 128 receptions.

Kick Returner
Corey Coleman - 5-11 195; 2012-2015; Richardson Pearce
Career: With a 26.04-yard average, Coleman is Baylor’s all-time leader in kickoff return efficiency. More than half (483 of 651) of his career yards came as a redshirt freshman in 2013, when he returned his first career kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown against Iowa State.

Notables: Coleman had 17 kickoff returns that year but only eight over the next two seasons, as the Bears were trying to protect their star receiver.

SECOND TEAM
Quarterback

Bryce Petty‍ - 6-3 225; 2009-2014; Midlothian
Notables: 530 of 835 passing, 62.7%; 8195 yards, 62 touchdowns, 166.0 passer rating, 192 carries for 338 yards and 21 touchdowns

Running Back

Lache Seastrunk - 5-9 210; 2011-2013; Oregon/Temple
Notables: 289 carries for 2189 yards and 18 touchdowns, 9 receptions for 107 yards and 1 touchdown

Terrance Ganaway - 6-0 230; 2009-2011; Houston/Liberty-Eylau
Notables: 364 carries for 2042 yards and 28 touchdowns, 12 receptions for 133 yards and 1 touchdown

Wide Receiver

Terrance Williams - 6-2 205; 2008-2012; Dallas (W.T. White)
Notables: Unanimous 1^st Team All-American; 232 receptions for 3377 yards, and 20 touchdowns

Tevin Reese - 5-10 175; 2009-2013; Temple
Notables: 187 receptions for 3102 yards and 24 touchdowns, 11 rushes for 136 yards

K.D. Cannon - 6-0 190; 2014-16; Mt. Pleasant
Notables: 187 receptions for 2916 yards and 25 touchdowns, 

Tight End

Jordan Feuerbacher‍ - 6-4 260; 2014-2017; Kingwood Park
Notables: 16 receptions for 192 yards and 3 touchdowns

Offensive Line

Blake Muir - 6-6 315; 2013-2015; Sutherland, NSW/Hawaii
Notables: 1st Team All-Big 12 2015

Philip Blake - 6-3 310; 2009-2011; Champlain Regional Prep, Toronto, Canada
Notables: 1^st Team All-Big 12 2011

Cameron Kaufhold - 6-4 310; 2008-2013; Friendswood
Notables: Honorable Mention All-Big 12 2012

Robert T. Griffin - 6-7 350; 2010-2011; Navarro College/Euless Trinity
Notables: 1^st Team All-Big 12 2011

Connor Galvin‍ - 6-7 305; 2018-present; Katy
Notables:  Stepped in and anchored left tackle as a true freshman

SPECIAL TEAMS
Second Team

Kicker
John Mayers - 5-10 184; 2018-present; Flower Mound Marcus
Notables: Mayers’ clutch field goals agaisnt TCU (51 yards), Iowa State, Texas Tech, West Virginia and others enabled Baylor to win close games and finish the regular season with an 11-1 record. He made 16-of-19 field goal attempts on the year and was 52-of-52 on PATs.

Punt Returner
Grayland Arnold - 5-10 190; 2016-2019; Kountz
Notables: Arnold returned 12 punts for 149 yards and one touchdown in 2019. His 12.4-yard average is the second-best mark in school history.

Kick Returner
Antwan Godley - 5-11 215; 2010-2014; Midland
Notables: Returned 45 kicks for 1,037 yards. Both marks ranks 10^th in school history.