Texas Tech Football: All-time Red Raiders roster

Nov 14, 2015; Lubbock, TX, USA; The pregame flyover before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Kansas State Wildcats at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Nose Tackle

Starter: Ecomet Burley

The starting nose tackle on the Texas Tech all-time roster, Ecomet Burley was the first Texas Tech freshman football player to earn a varsity letter after the NCAA began allowing freshman to participate in varsity athletics. In that season, 1972, Burley was named the MVP of the Sun Bowl.

A second-team all-American in 1973, the 241-pound Lufkin, TX native recorded single-season tackle totals of 124 and 102 in his collegiate career. He received all-Southwest Conference recognition in each of his final three seasons at Texas Tech.

Backup: Colby Whitlock

The native of Noble, OK made his first career start as a true freshman just 90 miles from his hometown in Stillwater, OK. He would start 48 consecutive games after that.

Whitlock was a steadying force in the middle of the Texas Tech defensive line during a time that saw Texas Tech go 37-15 overall. The former high school wrestling champion was named a freshman all-American and first-team all-Big 12 as a senior.

But his most memorable moment came during his sophomore year in the biggest game in program history. When No. 7 Texas Tech hosted No. 1 Texas, Whitlock opened the game with a statement on the Red Raiders’ first defensive play from scrimmage.

Whitlock’s signature play set the tone for the biggest win in Texas Tech history and is one of the most memorable defensive plays of the Mike Leach era.

Next: Defensive Tackle - Gabe Rivera