Snyder_TigerFan
01-12-2005, 09:02 AM
Cumbie poised for NFL possibilities
By Joshua Parrott / Reporter-News Staff Writer
January 12, 2005
Sonny Cumbie isn't sweating his NFL draft prospects.
After all, the Texas Tech senior quarterback has a bigger thought on his mind - he's getting married on Friday.
Cumbie and fiancee Tamra Anderson are tying the knot in a small family ceremony in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The pair grew up together in Snyder and both attended Tech.
''The most uncertainty with me right now is about where I'm going to go in the draft, but me and my fiancee have been dating for five years so I'm not that nervous now,'' said Cumbie, who was born in Abilene and was a three-sport star at Snyder High School. ''I guess I will be come Friday.''
After the wedding, the Cumbies will honeymoon in Hawaii, where on Jan. 22 he'll play for the West team in the Hula Bowl. Cumbie said he and his wife will have a wedding reception in Lubbock after getting back from their honeymoon.
''How perfect is that? It couldn't have turned out any better for them because they've waited for so long,'' said Texas Christian University junior wide receiver Matthew Grimmett, who grew up with Cumbie and Anderson in Snyder but won't be able to attend the wedding. ''I pretty much always knew that they were going to get married. I'm sure anybody would get nervous before their wedding day, but Sonny's so cool about everything. I think he'll be fine.''
Taking a chance
Coming out of Snyder in 2000, Cumbie showed his patience, turning down scholarship offers from Division II schools Abilene Christian and Tarleton State universities.
Instead, Cumbie - who operated the run-oriented Wing-T offense in high school - decided to walk on the football team at Texas Tech.
''He could have gone to either of those schools and played right away, but he really wanted to play at Tech,'' Grimmett said.
In the fall of 2000, Cumbie arrived in Lubbock as a non-scholarship quarterback for the Red Raiders, who had four scholarship quarterbacks at the time.
He was one of three freshmen.
After red-shirting as a freshman, Cumbie was impressive enough in spring practice to earn a scholarship.
Slowly, his opposition at quarterback dwindled.
While two quarterbacks transferred, Cumbie continued working his way up the depth chart in his second year at Tech, serving as the third-string quarterback behind future NFL quarterbacks Kliff Kingsbury and B.J. Symons in 2001 and '02.
Kingsbury started every game from 2000-02, while Symons waited until his senior year in 2003 to start.
Both set numerous Tech, Big 12 and NCAA records.
In August 2004, Tech coach Mike Leach announced Cumbie had beaten out junior Cody Hodges and junior college transfer Robert Johnson for the starting quarterback spot.
Cumbie didn't waste any time showing Leach made the right choice, becoming the first player in school history to throw for at least 300 yards in his first nine games. He ended the season as the nation's leading passer with 4,742 yards and 32 touchdowns.
But Cumbie surely saved his best for last - he threw for a career-high 520 yards and three touchdowns in the Red Raiders' 45-31 win over No. 4-ranked California in the Holiday Bowl. Cumbie's yardage broke Symons' bowl record of 497 set in the 2003 Houston Bowl, while his 60 pass attempts sets both school and Holiday Bowl records.
For his record-setting game, Cumbie was named the offensive most valuable player of the Holiday Bowl. Cumbie also helped the Red Raiders finish 8-4 and ranked in the top 25 of both the ESPN Coaches and Associated Press polls for the first time since 1995.
Cumbie's performance warranted calls from both Kingsbury and Symons.
''It was real exciting to see it come together for Sonny,'' Leach said. ''The thing about it is that it was all a by-product of hard work on Sonny's part. He's had a great career.''
Road to the pros
With his college football experience completed, Cumbie has focused on the future.
Two weeks ago, Cumbie signed with Dallas-based agent Scott Casterline of Team Sports. Casterline also has represented former ACU offensive lineman Britt Lively and former Hardin-Simmons University standout Kirk Rogers.
Cumbie now lives in Addison, which is in suburban Dallas, and trains in Frisco, another Dallas suburb, with former Pro Bowl defensive back Thomas Everett. Cumbie enlisted Everett's help to improve his ''agility.''
''We spend a lot of time in the shotgun at Tech, so some people think I don't have good footwork,'' Cumbie said. ''I have good footwork, but I just have to keep working on it. I also need to get accustomed to throwing different routes.''
Eventually, Cumbie said he could work with former University of Houston quarterback Andre Ware. Ware won the 1989 Heisman Trophy and was a 1990 first-round pick by the Detroit Lions.
Cumbie said he's looking forward to possibly working with Ware, now a CBS college football analyst, because ''he has been where I aspire to be.''
Leach said the 6-foot-4, 222-pound Cumbie has the tools - both tangible and intangible - to make more of an impact in the NFL than Kingsbury and Symons.
In 2003, Kingsbury was a sixth-round choice by the New England Patriots, while Symons was selected in the seventh round last year by the Houston Texans.
''He had only one year like B.J. to produce in college, but I think Sonny will have an NFL career,'' Leach said. ''From an accomplishment standpoint, Sonny's done so much, but even if you're an NFL guy, Sonny is bigger than they are and has a strong arm. He might not get drafted, but he'll get into training camp with a team. I think his upside is tremendous.''
The NFL draft is April 23-24 in New York.
''Right now it's way too early to tell where I'm going to go,'' Cumbie said. ''You don't ever really know. Hopefully, that time will come.''
By Joshua Parrott / Reporter-News Staff Writer
January 12, 2005
Sonny Cumbie isn't sweating his NFL draft prospects.
After all, the Texas Tech senior quarterback has a bigger thought on his mind - he's getting married on Friday.
Cumbie and fiancee Tamra Anderson are tying the knot in a small family ceremony in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The pair grew up together in Snyder and both attended Tech.
''The most uncertainty with me right now is about where I'm going to go in the draft, but me and my fiancee have been dating for five years so I'm not that nervous now,'' said Cumbie, who was born in Abilene and was a three-sport star at Snyder High School. ''I guess I will be come Friday.''
After the wedding, the Cumbies will honeymoon in Hawaii, where on Jan. 22 he'll play for the West team in the Hula Bowl. Cumbie said he and his wife will have a wedding reception in Lubbock after getting back from their honeymoon.
''How perfect is that? It couldn't have turned out any better for them because they've waited for so long,'' said Texas Christian University junior wide receiver Matthew Grimmett, who grew up with Cumbie and Anderson in Snyder but won't be able to attend the wedding. ''I pretty much always knew that they were going to get married. I'm sure anybody would get nervous before their wedding day, but Sonny's so cool about everything. I think he'll be fine.''
Taking a chance
Coming out of Snyder in 2000, Cumbie showed his patience, turning down scholarship offers from Division II schools Abilene Christian and Tarleton State universities.
Instead, Cumbie - who operated the run-oriented Wing-T offense in high school - decided to walk on the football team at Texas Tech.
''He could have gone to either of those schools and played right away, but he really wanted to play at Tech,'' Grimmett said.
In the fall of 2000, Cumbie arrived in Lubbock as a non-scholarship quarterback for the Red Raiders, who had four scholarship quarterbacks at the time.
He was one of three freshmen.
After red-shirting as a freshman, Cumbie was impressive enough in spring practice to earn a scholarship.
Slowly, his opposition at quarterback dwindled.
While two quarterbacks transferred, Cumbie continued working his way up the depth chart in his second year at Tech, serving as the third-string quarterback behind future NFL quarterbacks Kliff Kingsbury and B.J. Symons in 2001 and '02.
Kingsbury started every game from 2000-02, while Symons waited until his senior year in 2003 to start.
Both set numerous Tech, Big 12 and NCAA records.
In August 2004, Tech coach Mike Leach announced Cumbie had beaten out junior Cody Hodges and junior college transfer Robert Johnson for the starting quarterback spot.
Cumbie didn't waste any time showing Leach made the right choice, becoming the first player in school history to throw for at least 300 yards in his first nine games. He ended the season as the nation's leading passer with 4,742 yards and 32 touchdowns.
But Cumbie surely saved his best for last - he threw for a career-high 520 yards and three touchdowns in the Red Raiders' 45-31 win over No. 4-ranked California in the Holiday Bowl. Cumbie's yardage broke Symons' bowl record of 497 set in the 2003 Houston Bowl, while his 60 pass attempts sets both school and Holiday Bowl records.
For his record-setting game, Cumbie was named the offensive most valuable player of the Holiday Bowl. Cumbie also helped the Red Raiders finish 8-4 and ranked in the top 25 of both the ESPN Coaches and Associated Press polls for the first time since 1995.
Cumbie's performance warranted calls from both Kingsbury and Symons.
''It was real exciting to see it come together for Sonny,'' Leach said. ''The thing about it is that it was all a by-product of hard work on Sonny's part. He's had a great career.''
Road to the pros
With his college football experience completed, Cumbie has focused on the future.
Two weeks ago, Cumbie signed with Dallas-based agent Scott Casterline of Team Sports. Casterline also has represented former ACU offensive lineman Britt Lively and former Hardin-Simmons University standout Kirk Rogers.
Cumbie now lives in Addison, which is in suburban Dallas, and trains in Frisco, another Dallas suburb, with former Pro Bowl defensive back Thomas Everett. Cumbie enlisted Everett's help to improve his ''agility.''
''We spend a lot of time in the shotgun at Tech, so some people think I don't have good footwork,'' Cumbie said. ''I have good footwork, but I just have to keep working on it. I also need to get accustomed to throwing different routes.''
Eventually, Cumbie said he could work with former University of Houston quarterback Andre Ware. Ware won the 1989 Heisman Trophy and was a 1990 first-round pick by the Detroit Lions.
Cumbie said he's looking forward to possibly working with Ware, now a CBS college football analyst, because ''he has been where I aspire to be.''
Leach said the 6-foot-4, 222-pound Cumbie has the tools - both tangible and intangible - to make more of an impact in the NFL than Kingsbury and Symons.
In 2003, Kingsbury was a sixth-round choice by the New England Patriots, while Symons was selected in the seventh round last year by the Houston Texans.
''He had only one year like B.J. to produce in college, but I think Sonny will have an NFL career,'' Leach said. ''From an accomplishment standpoint, Sonny's done so much, but even if you're an NFL guy, Sonny is bigger than they are and has a strong arm. He might not get drafted, but he'll get into training camp with a team. I think his upside is tremendous.''
The NFL draft is April 23-24 in New York.
''Right now it's way too early to tell where I'm going to go,'' Cumbie said. ''You don't ever really know. Hopefully, that time will come.''