BJ Symons Likes New Texas Tech QB’s Number

I grew up watching Texas Tech football. All through the '90s, I went to games and sat up on the top row of Jones AT&T stadium watching the Red Raiders batter their way down the field methodically in the run game. I enjoyed those games but as I entered my formative years and a new coach entered the fray my mind, and the Red Raiders offense, opened up. Kliff Kingsbury might have been the first Air Raid quarterback, but for my money, BJ Symons was the first true Mike Leach quarterback.

Symons lit the world on fire in his only season as the Red Raider starter after sitting behind Kingsbury for the first four seasons of his Texas Tech career. In his lone season as the starter, Symons threw for 5,833 yards and 52 touchdowns. No Red Raider quarterback has thrown more touchdowns in a single season than Symons did, nor have they thrown for more yards. To be fair, he's also thrown the most interceptions.

That's part of what made Symons my favorite quarterback. He had zero fear and thought he could make every throw on the field. He was a risk-taker and that led to some amazing moments as well as some heartbreaker moments.

Kingsbury threw for 5,000 first, and a couple of quarterbacks have done it since here at Texas Tech, but nobody did it better than number two in my opinion. Symons has three of the most prolific passing games in the history of Texas Tech, tied with Patrick Mahomes with the most in the top 10. That might be some of the reason that nobody has worn number two while playing quarterback at Texas Tech since 2003.

Until now.

With Spring Football getting started, the newcomer numbers were released and along with a couple of offensive linemen, a few pass catchers, and several defenders, brand new quarterback Behren Morton was announced as number two.

BJ Symons likes the choice.

Symons said on Twitter said that Morton didn't need his approval and that the number was a "Great Choice." It would be nice if more than the number rubs off more than just the look of the uniform. I'd give up quite a bit for Morton to have some Symons' mentality and production along with that number two uniform.