Senior Spotlight: Nate Askew, #9

I was personally really excited to hear that Nate Askew was headed to A&M back in 2010. We haven't had a whole lot of San Antonio guys coming through the pipeline, and Askew was a product of the local high school down the street.

As a freshman and sophomore in 2010, Nate was a key special teams player and played a part in the return game from time to time while appearing as a reserve wideout, totaling a couple hundred all-purpose yards and a 27-yard TD grab against Kansas in 2011.

2012 saw his numbers drop significantly with the coaching change, and in the spring of 2013 was asked by the coaching staff to move to linebacker and readily accepted. This team-first attitude and versatility would pay off.

We saw flashes of greatness as a pass rusher in the 2013 Maroon & White game, and when ESPN talked to a mic'd up Kevin Sumlin on the sidelines, he was visibly impressed with Askew getting after the quarterbacks. After losing Sean Porter to graduation and Damontre Moore to the NFL Draft, an improvement in the pass rush was desperately needed, and at 6'4" and 235 lbs with great athleticism, Nate was able to step up and play a key role in the admittedly patchwork 2013 defense.

In the second game of his first season at linebacker, Nate would pull down a deflected SHSU pass and race 30 yards for a touchdown, becoming one of the very few Aggies to ever score both an offensive and defensive touchdown in their career. He would finish the season with 38 tackles, 4.5 for a loss, 1.5 sacks, 5 passes defended, and 2 QB hurries. He also tied for the team lead in interceptions with three, including the game-clincher against Duke in Atlanta.

All in all, not a bad way to finish. Gig 'em, Nate, and thanks for volunteering to play defense when we needed you.