Texas Football Unveils Bold New ‘Turnover Sword’ Tradition
The Texas defense has been dominant in its first two games, allowing just an average of 99 rushing yards, fewer than 150 passing yards, and a total of 12 points. This season, they have a new incentive for turnovers. After each one, the Longhorns ceremoniously deflate a football by stabbing it with a sword.
The sword, named “Texcalibur,” made its debut in the Longhorns’ season opener, a shutout win against Colorado State on August 31. Senior defensive back Jahdae Barron had the honor of stabbing the first football after intercepting a pass and returning it 30 yards in the second quarter.
While the turnover sword has quickly become a fun team tradition, Barron admitted it’s not without challenges.
“I tried a few times, but it didn’t work… I need a better technique,” Barron said, commenting on the difficulty of deflating the football.
Texcalibur also made an appearance in the Longhorns’ away game against Michigan last weekend, where three turnovers resulted in three footballs being stacked on the sword.
The tradition is generating plenty of buzz, but Texas didn’t create the ritual. Johnny Nansen, Texas’ co-defensive coordinator and linebacker coach, brought the idea from the Arizona Wildcats, where he introduced it in 2022.
Despite some online chatter about Nansen passing the tradition to Texas, Arizona senior defensive back Treydan Stukes confirmed there are no hard feelings.
“Coach Nansen has all the leeway he wants,” Stukes said. “It’s a fun tradition. I’m glad he shared it with us, and I’m happy we can keep using it, too.”
With five turnovers in two games, the Longhorns are proving they’re one of the top defensive units in the nation. As the season progresses, the defense has set a goal for themselves—and for Texcalibur.
“We haven’t filled up the sword yet,” Barron said. “We need to do a better job attacking the ball.”
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