FAYETTEVILLE — For one week, perhaps Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the good folks of Arlington, Texas, might consider calling Cowboys Stadium Love Field.
It has nothing to do with the Dallas airport and everything to do with a native son who will be making a homecoming trip this weekend when the Arkansas Razorbacks take on Texas A&M in the Metroplex.
Arkansas offensive tackle DeMarcus Love, a preseason All-SEC choice, is gathering up as many tickets as possible from teammates to help accommodate family members who would like to inundate Cowboys Stadium on Saturday.
“For me, it’s everything,” said Love, who is from Lancaster, Texas, which is about 10 miles south of downtown Dallas. “I was born and raised in Dallas, lived there my whole life, grew up a Cowboys fan. I’m going to have a lot of family there.”
Love said he’s secured about 12 to 14 tickets for the game.
“I’m trying to get as many as I can, to be honest,” Love said. “I could probably fill up the stadium. I’m going to have to tell some people no. That’s the hurtful part. But they’ve just got to understand everybody can’t make the game.”
The acts of Love have been examined closely by more than just his family members this season.
As Arkansas’ weak-side tackle, he mans an edge of the line with only occasional help from a tight end, meaning he picks up some of college football’s best pass rushers in man-to-man battles.
“DeMarcus is just an outstanding player,” Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett said. “I could talk about him all the time. But if you watch the film, you see how nasty he is.”
Razorbacks offensive line coach Chris Klenakis pointed out that on one of the early snaps of the Alabama game, Love was 17 yards down the field trying to make a cut block on a safety.
“His best traits are his work ethic, he’s got extremely strong hands and he’s got real good balance,” said Klenakis, who is in his first year at Arkansas. “He’s a quiet leader, but what I like about him, he doesn’t talk just to talk. When he has something to say, he says it, and what he says is what he means. And it goes a long way, so that’s good.”
Love admitted he’s mostly quiet at practices.
“I’m vocal on game days,” Love said. “I just try and lead by example. Obviously that’s been good because I’ve been voted team captain two straight seasons.”
Love also has shown that team goals rank above his personal pursuits.
Asked how his season was going, the 6-5, 315-pounder replied “decent.”
“It’s not as good as I wanted it because we’re not undefeated right now,” he said. “That’s just something I’m more concerned about than my own personal success. If the team is winning, that’s all the success I need.”
Love was ranked the No. 1 NFL-ready offensive lineman in college football by The Sporting News in August, a designation he waved away at the time and again last week.
“That’s just someone writing,” Love said. “It’s just somebody’s opinion. Until the draft comes, that’s when it all counts. But right now, that’s just someone writing and that person probably doesn’t have a draft pick.”
This week, Love’s more interested in procuring tickets and holding off Texas A&M pass rushers than what his future holds.
“I’m just ready to come in, get a win and show everybody that the Arkansas Razorbacks are for real,” Love said.
Sports, Pages 21 on 10/06/2010