With ISU coming to town, a look at Bo Davis driving the motivation bus
After last year’s 30-7 loss to Iowa State in Ames, Iowa, Texas defensive line coach Bo Davis unleashed a tirade on one of the team busses leaving the stadium. It leaked out to the public, and the public echoed much of the profanity-laden speech.
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“This s**t is real! Some of you m***er f***ers need to get in the transfer portal,” Davis yelled. “You want to go? Get in the m***er f***er! This s**t ain’t a game to me! If you think it’s a game, get the f**k off of this bus! I got my ass kicked and you m***er f***ers want to laugh! S**t’s f***ing real! You think this is a G** damn joke? And some of you m****er f***ers do? Transfer out of this m***er f***er! Because I’m tired of this s**t! This s**t is G** damn real! And we want to laugh and joke? F**k that!
It was a turning point in Steve Sarkisian’s first season at Texas. The Longhorns’ head coach downplayed it to the media the following the loss, but it shined a light on the cultural issues that had plagued the program for years.
“I think one thing that jumped out to me was you could hear the passion in Bo’s voice,” Sarkisian said in 2021. “We really believe in the staff we hired and what we came here to do. I think you can feel the passion and the want to get it done. Coach Davis exemplifies that. We’re here to build a culture we want, a culture we’re looking for, to stand out ground on what’s acceptable and what’s not.”
“You’re going to have people that buy-in to what you want to do. We have plenty of young men on our team buying-in and we continue to find guys that buy-in to what we want to get it done. Clearly, we have some that don’t.”
Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy was certainly a fan of the tirade, changing his profile picture to a photo of Davis in the aftermath.
Since then, the Longhorns are 5-4, including a 4-2 start to the 2022 season.
The program’s roster turned over in the ensuing offseason. Over 30 new players joined the Longhorn program, several of them becoming immediate contributors. Those who stuck around also have been a big part of the positive start to 2022.
Plus, Davis’ D-line has played a key role in the 2022 Longhorns’ successes.
With ISU coming to town on Saturday almost a year after Davis’ tirade, it’s worth noting the Longhorns’ progress.
Was Davis’ speech the spur in the rear needed for many? Who knows, but the speech galvanized the program in a way the Texas football program desperately needed.
