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Texas Tech football: The top Red Raider from each season of the Big 12 era

By Matthew Conner

ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 25: Patrick Mahomes II #5 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders warming up before the game against the Baylor Bears on November 25, 2016 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Baylor 54-35. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 25: Patrick Mahomes II #5 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders warming up before the game against the Baylor Bears on November 25, 2016 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Baylor 54-35. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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Texas Tech’s Masked Rider. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
Texas Tech’s Masked Rider. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

2000: Kevin Curtis

Curtis followed up his fantastic sophomore year with another standout season in 2000.  And though his new head coach, Mike Leach, was known for his offensive genius, Curtis was the team’s best player once again.

After being named a preseason All-American, he validated that hype by registering 121 tackles (15 for loss), two picks, and two fumble recoveries.  That was good enough to earn second-team All-American and first-team all-conference accolades.

That season, he made what was his career-defining play.  After dropping home games to North Texas in 1997 and 1999, Tech was in danger of being upset again by the Mean Green in Lubbock as the Red Raiders were nursing a 13-7 lead with under two minutes to play.

As a UNT ball-carrier was streaking towards the endzone for the potential game-winning score, Curtis chased him down and knocked the ball loose allowing Tech to recover an avoid yet another disastrous upset.

One might assume that sophomore QB Kliff Kingsbury was the best player on the team that year but he completed just a bit over 61% of his passes on the year and the offense mustered just 25.3 points per game.

Rather, it was Curtis who was the only Red Raider to earn All-Big 12 honors.  It was the second-straight season that the dynamic safety proved to be one of the best players in the nation at his position.

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