Capps comes in handy for depleted Arkansas line
FAYETTEVILLE — The big farmer doesn’t make hay about the big accolades his Razorbacks football coaches and teammates pitch upon him.
Austin Capps, a 6-4, 311-pound Arkansas junior from Star City, majoring as a 2-year Southeastern Conference Academic honor roll student in business agriculture, spent two full football seasons plus last spring and the bulk of two weeks this August preseason trying to plow through offensive lines as a defensive tackle.
Now, with Arkansas’ season officially starting Sept. 1, Capps is asked to plow paths through defensive lines as an offensive guard. He scrimmaged at second team left guard on Aug. 11 after just one light practice there the day before.
Arkansas coach Chad Morris, who asked Capps to move this late in the game to help an offensive line thinned by injuries, lauds Capps for his unselfishness starting all over after being an established second-team defensive tackle pushing for a starting job.
“When I approached him, his mindset was ‘Coach, I just want to win football games,” Morris said. “That’s what we’re looking for. We can win a lot of games with guys with great attitudes like that. So, I’m very pleased with him.”
Capps was asked twice during a session with various media in a session after Monday’s practice.
“Yeah, that’s about accurate,” Capps replied when a late arrival’s question commenced repeating Morris’ version.
He had amplified about as much as he felt needed the first time.
“Coach Morris talked to me and said, ‘We would really like you to play offensive line and help us out,” Capps said. “So, I just said ‘I’m going for it.’”
Enough said, Capps says, though not so say admiring offensive coordinator Joe Craddock and defensive coordinator John Chavis, as well as admiring teammates on both sides of the ball.
Of all Arkansas’ defensive linemen who could switch to the offensive line, Capps had the best credentials.
The Dumas native, he moved to Star City while in the eighth grade, starred for Star City at defensive tackle with 350 tackles, 60 for loss and 24 sacks in three years, but he also starred three years on the offensive line credited with battering up 113 pancake blocks.
Former Arkansas coach Bret Bielema’s regime recruited Capps for defense, but other major colleges sought him for offense. So did Craddock as Arkansas offensive linemen began falling like dominoes to injuries.
“Selfishly, I’ve been begging for him for a while just because I know what kind of kid he is and I know what he did in high school,” Craddock said. “Our defense, they felt like they were at a point where they could give him to us and we really needed him with the injuries that we’ve had.” Chavis indeed understood. “Obviously, we would like to have Capps on defense, but he is going to help this team more on the other side of the football,” Chavis said. “I’m excited for the opportunity he’s getting. It’s a move that makes our football team better.”
Capps exudes quiet confidence but also a farmer’s caution about not counting chickens until they’re hatched. So, to an optimistically toned question that he’s played offense before, Capps toned down the answer.
“Yeah, it’s not completely foreign,” Capps said. “But college ball is a little different than high school ball for sure. I have a lot to learn.”
How did it go learning on the scrimmage job?
“My head was spinning,” Capps said. “I didn’t really know what I was doing. But I did OK for the first day - I guess.”
Absolutely he did says, Morris, Craddock and senior left guard become center Hjalte Froholdt, Arkansas’ best offensive lineman. Froholdt was also recruited for and lettered on the defensive line back in his freshman year.
“We’re in the kind of situation we were in a couple of years ago when they moved me over,” Froholdt said. “Cappsie, man I think he played really well. He looked pretty smooth out there. He’s not a greenie. He’s played some O-line before.”
Capps’ defensive teammates are pulling for him, too, though fourth-year junior tight end Austin Cantrell bets they’ll be happier to see Capps as a pulling guard against opponents in games than against themselves in practice.
“You don’t want to be over there when he’s pulling, I’ll tell you that” Cantrell said. “He’s been hitting people on that pull. He’s one of the strongest guys if not the strongest guy on the team. And he’s got good feet. Once he gets the playbook down he’ll be up there. “
Regarding attitude, the Hogs know with Capps the hay is in the barn.
“Everybody loves Capps,” Arkansas senior linebacker Dre Greenlaw said. “He’s a guy that doesn’t mind going from one side as a potential starter to the other side on offense because it’s what we need. You’ve got to be able to appreciate people like that.”