Thanks to YouTube videos, safety Kahlil Haughton of Waco (Texas) Midway has become familiar with former Arkansas Razorbacks safety Steve Atwater.
Atwater, who was 6-3 and 220 pounds, was a first-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos and the 20th overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft. He went on to become one of the most feared hitters in the NFL, a two-time All-Pro and was selected to eight Pro Bowls.
The Razorbacks' tradition of outstanding safety play includes others like Kenoy Kennedy and Ken Hamlin, but the Razorbacks haven't had a feared safety since Hamlin was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft.
The Razorbacks are hoping Haughton will change that.
Haughton, 6-2, 180 pounds, 4.44 seconds in the 40-yard dash, has scholarship offers from more than 20 schools, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Duke. He visited Fayetteville on Oct. 11 for the Razorbacks' game against Alabama.
"Atwater was a very talented safety and someone that I want to model my game after," Haughton said. "He was a feared safety that made you think twice about coming over the middle of the field, the same type of player I strive to be, so being compared to him is an honor and humbling."
Atwater, who was known as the "Smiling Assassin," cemented his reputation among the NFL's most feared hitters with his hit on Kansas City Chief running back Christian "The Nigerian Nightmare" Okoye in the 1990 season. Okoye, who was 260 pounds, took a handoff up the middle where he was met in the hole by Atwater, who stopped Okoye in his tracks in a vicious head-on collision.
Haughton said he has watched the play numerous times, and that it's still difficult to believe Atwater could stop a 260-pound running back cold.
"It just doesn't seem usual to put a back as big as him on his butt," Haughton said. "That's ridiculous. You just couldn't imagine someone taking that down with ease. Then you watch the play and I'm literally just like "wow." It just doesn't seem believable how a safety his size could do that to a back that big."
IN THE HOUSE
Tight end Austin Cantrell of Roland, Okla., made his official visit to Arkansas last weekend and had a chance to check out Coach Bret Bielema's house Saturday.
Cantrell, who is orally committed to Arkansas, said he and Ty Storey, another Razorbacks commitment from Charleston, shared some time with Bielema.
"He took Ty and I to what he called his man cave and watched TV," Cantrell said. "We sat in there and talked a little bit, not really about football."
Cantrell liked Bielema's man cave, rating it an 8 on a 1-10 scale, but he said it was missing one key appliance.
"I didn't see a fridge in there," Cantrell said.
Cantrell said tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr. gave him a rundown of the offense and told him that the Hogs plan for him to replace senior tight end A.J. Derby .
"He was basically telling me about formations and what they were called," Cantrell said. "He would go over a couple of them and show me a different play in the same formation and have me name them and stuff like that."
Cantrell, 6-3 1/2, 245 pounds, 4.58 seconds in the 40-yard dash, has excellent speed and has recorded an electronic time of 11.2 seconds in the 100 meters. He has 66 caries for 482 yards and 9 touchdowns to go along with 10 receptions for 235 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The Razorbacks have told him they plan to take advantage of his speed.
"They said I can spread the field a little bit," Cantrell said.
Cantrell also plays defensive end and has recorded 54 tackles, including 23 for a loss, 16 sacks, 10 quarterback hurries, 5 forced fumbles, 1 recovered fumble and 3 pass breakups.
E-mail Richard Davenport at
rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports on 10/31/2014