Tascosa’s Major Everhart learning and progressing at TCU

The last Texas Christian University player leaving the AT&T Jones Stadium field Thursday night was redshirt freshman Major Everhart.

Everhart was “home” in a way.

He was playing the closest game to his home turf of Tascosa High and Amarillo since joining the Horned Frogs last year.

After standing with his team following the game and listening to the TCU band play the schools fight song, a college student with a yellow “EVENT” shirt asked to take a selfie with Everhart. Then there were friends patiently waiting at the bottom of the stands for a quick chat and photos.

“This was nice except that we lost,” Everhart said as he was walking off the field after Texas Tech had handed TCU a 35-28 loss in game both teams desperately need to keep churning toward bowl-eligible status.

The speedy Everhart’s role in year two at TCU is one of being the deep man returning kickoffs and finding some time in the wide receiver rotation.

Entering the Tech game Everhart had caught 12 passes for 126 yards, rushed five times for 16 yards and returned 20 kickoffs for 467 yards with the longest being an 86-yarder against Colorado.

“It’s going good,” Everhart said. “I’m still learning. I’m much more comfortable this year and I really like returning kicks. I don’t like that I do it after the other team has scored, but it’s been good for me.”

Thursday night Everhart was deep for seven kickoffs, two which he was able to return for 31 yards and an added 15 yards on a facemask penalty against Tech’s Camron Watts.

On each one of the kickoffs Texas Tech junior Joseph Plunk was running down on the Red Raiders kick coverage team.

Plunk and Everhart were teammates at Tascosa and all night long had a give and take going on.

The opening kickoff of the game sailed over Everhart’s head for a touchback and the two slapped hands like the good old days at Tascosa.

“That’s my boy,” Everhart said of Plunk. “We were talking all game. It was good to see him.”

Everhart did see action in the second half as a receiver and showed the speed and moves Tascosa fans loved to watch during a career which featured a senior season of 1,647 yards and 15 touchdown, many overall dazzling runs and a state track appearance in the 100- and 200-meter dashes as a junior.

Against Tech Thursday night Everhart took a handoff for a 7-yard run and caught two passes for 14 yards, making a Tech tackler miss on one of his catches.

“I definitely made the right decision coming to TCU,” Everhart said. “Like I said, I’m learning and just more comfortable with everything going on.”

And yes, he still keeps up with the Rebs.

“They are playing here tonight, right?,” Everhart said of Tascosa’s Thursday night game at Lubbock Coronado. “I learned a lot there and am thankful I had the chance to play at Tascosa.”