Our daily countdown to the return of Texas football continues with yet another reason to love the fall in Austin.
Go ahead. Mock the mullet. Poke fun at the long neck. Snicker at the physique.
Derry don't care.
Moreover, he's pretty damn good. You just don't have to be as athletically gifted as Derrick Johnson to be a strong linebacker, and though no one will ever confuse the two, Derry is a damn solid weakside OLB. He maintains his gaps, takes on blockers when he's supposed to, avoids blockers when he's supposed to, and is a damn sure tackler.
The only real concern with Derry is in pass coverage, where he's a half step or two slow for some of the covering responsibilities. Still, that's the only significant weakness of a guy who's probably one of the more underrated guys on the team.
--PB--