Steve Sarkisian evaluates veteran D'Shawn Jamison's performance on special teams

D’Shawn Jamison had 517 kick and punt return yards last year for Texas after he cemented himself as the Longhorns’ return man. But he played a different role in the season opener this season, blocking a punt against Louisiana-Monroe.

Steve Sarkisian said it’s something new Texas is trying — and Jamison is fitting in well.

Sarkisian said Jamison made a name for himself as a returner, but he’s also proving to be effective in a different area on special teams. Given his success on defense as a cornerback, the Texas headman didn’t sound surprised Jamison would fit in well with the new role.

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“Throughout his career, he’s thought of on special teams as a returner,” Sarkisian said. “And that’s been kind of his role. We’ve been kind of banging the drum with him … about there’s more to his game than just being a returner. He can have an impact on this game, on special teams, in a lot of variety of ways. He, obviously, showed it.

“We’ve never seen him block a punt, rushing a punt, because he’s always been the guy back returning. You saw tonight, the impact that he can have. Obviously, he’s got great ball skills in the secondary, and what he did tonight on the interception for the touchdown, I probably saw three or four times this training camp. He just seems kind of like the guy that’s johnny on the spot.”

Steve Sarkisian: D’Shawn Jamison’s adjustment speaks to the buy-in at Texas

Sarkisian added Jamison made some big plays in practice and showcased his consistency. As he transitioned from returning punts to blocking them, special teams coordinator Jeff Banks told Jamison he’d end up blocking a punt if he did it a certain way.

It happened, and Keilan Robinson turned it into an early touchdown. Sarkisian said that shows how much his team is buying in this season.

“Tips and overthrows, we say it all the time, you’ve got to have those,” Sarkisian said. “And he’s been one of the mainstays of the guys who [had been] making those plays in training camp and it showed up again tonight. I think there’s a great appreciation for DJ that way because our team knows, man, he would love to be the returner, but yet, we’re asking something different of him.

“So for the first punt of the season, for him to be the guy to block it — and Coach Banks told him he was going to block it if this is how they blocked it — and sure enough, he trusted it and went and did it. I think that speaks volumes to the buy-in on our team of guys willing to do more when things are asked of him. And DJ did that.”