Aug 29 2008
Patel is split wide left …..
At 5′10″, 175-lbs (for the media guide, so subtract an inch and few pounds), the left-handed Shyam Patel is a redshirt freshman wide receiver from Torrance, CA. In effort to see more of the country, he decided to pursue a football scholarship outside his native California. On a friend’s recommendation, he chose to check the scene in Austin, TX and immediately fell in love. With the nations finest teams courting the uber-speedy and agile Patel, he was an instant fan favorite among the Longhorns. Best of all, Patel offered to bring water to the Longhorn junior punter during every practice so that he could wear #14. As we know, 14 is a significant number for Patel.
Look for Patel to make his biggest impact on kick returns and in the back-up slot position. Patel will be on 2nd team and is expected to receive 20-25% of the snaps - quite a remarkable feat for a freshman, even for the talented Patel. Here is Patel during spring practice. Though Patel likes to add an element of theatrics to his catches as shown below, his ability to separate and find the ball is elite.
We look forward to tracking Patel’s progress in the coming weeks. Yes, there will be more to come ….