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No chip off ol' block, La Cocinita own man
AUSTIN, Dec 04, 2009 (Fort Worth Star-Telegram - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Texas tailback Tre Newton, a redshirt freshman from Southlake Carroll, has earned his share of nicknames while emerging as the Longhorns' leading rusher this season.
Teammates call him the "Silent Assassin," said quarterback Colt McCoy, because of his ability to make big plays without drawing attention to himself. Announcers on the team's Spanish-language broadcasts have dubbed him La Cocinita -- the "Little Kitchen" -- because his father, former Dallas Cowboys' offensive lineman Nate Newton, was dubbed the "Kitchen" during his playing days.
Newton understands those references. But he had trouble embracing comments made last week by Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis, who compared Newton to former Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith -- the NFL's career rushing leader -- because both players have proven to be deceptively fast on game day.
Newton, who idolized Smith during his childhood years, laughed when informed of Davis' comparison.
"First of all, I think I'm far from Emmitt Smith," Newton said. "He's the greatest running back of all time. I'm sure coach Davis was just joking around a little bit."
Told that Davis was serious and limited the comparison to the shared trait of deceptive speed, Newton grudgingly accepted the compliment.
"Maybe that," Newton said. "But that would be the only comparison. I'm nowhere near that level yet."
Because the Longhorns build their offense around McCoy, a Heisman Trophy contender, no one in orange expects Newton to post Smith-like numbers when No. 3 Texas (12-0) meets No. 21 Nebraska (9-3) in Saturday's Big 12 Championship Game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.
But that does not mean Newton is merely a bit player in Texas' arsenal. He rushed for a career-high 107 yards and a touchdown in last week's 49-39 victory over Texas A&M, marking the first 100-yard performance of his college career.
In the Longhorns' past three games, Newton has averaged 84.3 yards per game and 6.8 yards per carry, with three touchdowns. He's also caught four passes for 42 yards.
Those numbers have pushed Newton to the top of Texas' season rushing list (477 yards, six touchdowns) and back into the starting lineup for the Nebraska game. But all of that is secondary to his father, whose postgame discussions tend to revolve around other topics, including his son's passion for the game and Tre's 3.2 grade-point average.
"He always asks me if I'm having fun. He tells me to protect the quarterback and protect the ball," Newton said. "And he wants me to stay on top of my academics. That's all he really says."
Nate Newton has been divorced from Tre's mother, Dorothy, since 2000. The elder Newton, a radio personality for ESPN/103.3 FM, said he and his son are "two different personality types" with a shared passion for football.
"Tre is quiet and easy-going, like his mom," Nate said. "I'm more outgoing. He's always had his head screwed on right. He's always been mature beyond his age. His mom did a great job of raising him."
A pivotal stretch began in 2001, when Nate was arrested twice on marijuana trafficking charges -- once in Texas, once in Louisiana -- and eventually spent 32 months in prison. A self-described "mama's boy," Tre leaned on his mother and his Christian faith to help him battle feelings of anger and resentment toward his father. Today, the two talk frequently and Tre (6 feet, 200 pounds) said he appreciates his father's input and insights.
"My dad has messed up in the past. He's turned his life around, though," Tre said. "Right now, he's headed down the right direction. He's just trying to make sure me and my little brother [King] don't make some of the same mistakes that he did. So he's always checking up on us."
When dad touched base after the A&M game, he talked to a player eager to create his first larger-than-life highlight on the overhead video board in Cowboys Stadium. Coaches and teammates are looking forward to unleashing a healthy Newton against the Cornhuskers.
After suffering a concussion on Oct. 10 against Colorado, Newton saw only limited duty until rushing for 80 yards and a touchdown on Nov. 14 against Baylor. Ever since, he's been a significant part of Texas' game plans.
"Tre has great vision," coach Mack Brown said. "He can get from here to there real quick and he moves the pile. He's like a dart. He's got great explosion."
Davis said Newton "is not a guy that's going to wow you with his speed," yet he has the longest touchdown scamper by a Longhorns running back (45 yards against Baylor) and averages more yards per carry (5.7) than any of the four players in Texas' tailback rotation.
Brown and Davis consider Newton equally fast in pads or out of pads, the unique trait that led Davis to compare him to Smith. If there is any similarity, Newton said it did not come from insights shared in the Cowboys' locker room during Smith's playing days.
"I was pretty young," Newton said. "So I didn't really ask him about football or anything like that. I'd just joke around with him and the other players.aEURe... I was so young, I was probably just annoying to them, more than anything."
Now, the son of a Cowboy has a chance to help Texas claim a Big 12 title at the home of the Cowboys. To the elder Newton, that's an appropriate place for the world to start recognizing No. 23 in orange as Tre Newton, Longhorns' tailback, rather than Tre Newton, son of a six-time Pro Bowl selection.
"I love my boy and he loves me," Nate Newton said. "But this is his time to shine. It's all about him. It's not about me. It's his turn to be the man. And I'll support him in that for the rest of my life."
Join our live chat from the Big 12 Championship on Saturday evening at www.star-telegram.com/sports.
Jimmy Burch, 817-390-7760
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