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More than once during his injury-plagued career, Texas tailback Fozzy Whittaker has wondered if his latest ailment would be the one that buried him on the Longhorns’ bench. Forever.
"At times, I did have those thoughts," Whittaker said. "But I had to push them away quickly because I knew if that’s all I thought about, that’s all I would be."Every time the doubts surfaced, Whittaker sought the counsel of his mother, Gloria, the only parent he has known since his father died of lung cancer when Fozzy was 3. On every occasion, her faith-based advice reassured her youngest son, filling him with "positive thoughts" Whittaker cites as the crux of an inner strength that has lifted him into the lineup for No. 3 Texas (7-0, 4-0 in Big 12) heading into Saturday’s high-stakes showdown against No. 13 Oklahoma State (6-1, 3-0)."She always just told me to have faith, stay in the word and stay prayed up," Whittaker said. "Just know that God has a plan for me ... I do everything in the name of my mother. She’s all I have now."Whittaker has only sketchy memories of being held by his father, Foster, when he was a toddler. But he vividly recalls the long hours his mother worked while raising him and his two older brothers in Pearland, a Houston suburb. He saw her mental and spiritual strength on a daily basis. At a young age, Whittaker learned that life deals out tougher, and more permanent, challenges than overcoming a sprained knee or a pulled hamstring. After every touchdown he scores, he points to the sky in remembrance of his father. But when times are tough and the breaks seem to be going against him, he leans on the work ethic he learned from his mother."Just seeing my mother work as hard as she did to take care of all three of us as a single parent, to see her give up all the things that she did just makes me want to repay her and love her that much more," Whittaker said. "That is part of my [inner] strength."That inner strength has been tested, time and again, during the past three seasons. Redshirted in 2007, the sophomore has played in only 11 of 20 games the past two seasons because of a variety of ailments. The most recent, and most frustrating, setback occurred during fall drills, when Whittaker took a helmet to his left leg during a scrimmage that impacted his hamstring and calf.Although characterized by coaches as a knee ailment, Whittaker said the other parts of his leg were more deeply impacted. He missed Texas’ first three games and fell completely off the depth chart.But the Longhorns’ top two rushers were injured Oct. 10 against Colorado, raising questions about whether Vondrell McGee (shoulder) or Tré Newton (concussion) could play Oct. 17 against Oklahoma.Whittaker emerged as Texas’ starter in the Red River Rivalry, rushing for 71 yards on 18 carries against the Sooners’ stingy defense. He has remained in the lineup thereafter, climbing to third among Texas players in rushing yards (157) and second in rushing touchdowns (three).
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