More Changes, More Improvement for Summers
9/5/2018 11:20:00 AM | Football
By Jay Hinton, TCU Athletics Communications
FORT WORTH, Texas — For a player who had no experience on the defensive side of the ball when he walked onto campus in 2014, TCU defensive end/linebacker Ty Summers is leaving his mark.
Summers was a prolific dual-threat quarterback at San Antonio Reagan High School, but at TCU, he was asked to play defense. At first, he played linebacker and then this year, he's been asked to play defensive end, and it's a move that's proved to be very successful for the 6-foot-2, 235-pound senior.
"I had to do what I needed to do to help the team," Summers said. "You can't be selfish when you're out here playing for a team and playing for Coach Patterson. If he believes I can be a successful defensive end then I take that as high praise because he knows what he's talking about. I'm going to go out there whether it's linebacker or defensive end because he trusts me to be able to play. I'm going to give him my best."
As a freshman in 2015, he was named honorable mention Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, and he garnered Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week and Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against Baylor.
In the pouring rain against the Bears, he made a career-high 23 stops, including the game-winning tackle on a fourth-and-1 play in the second overtime.
"It gave me the confidence to know that I can do this going forward," Summers said of the key stop in the Horned Frogs' 28-21 double-overtime victory over the Bears.
Heading into Friday's game at SMU, Summers is the team's active leader in tackles with 276; tackles for loss with 19; and third in sacks with 7.5.
Also, he's fourth on the all-time career tackles list (276) in the 18-year tenure of TCU coach Gary Patterson behind former teammate Travin Howard (343), former TCU defensive coach Jason Phillips (315) and Martin Patterson (289).
"It's a great list to be mentioned in and be a part of," said Summers, a 2016 Second Team All-Big 12 selection and two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week in 2016. "To be fourth, I feel extremely blessed to be there."
For his career, Summers has appeared in 42 games with 25 starts. In addition to his tackles, he has two interceptions, nine pass break-ups, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.
"I played quarterback in high school and didn't have any history with defense," Summers said. "Coach Patterson taught me what I needed to learn to become successful. It's been a wild journey, but I have enjoyed every minute of it."
FORT WORTH, Texas — For a player who had no experience on the defensive side of the ball when he walked onto campus in 2014, TCU defensive end/linebacker Ty Summers is leaving his mark.
Summers was a prolific dual-threat quarterback at San Antonio Reagan High School, but at TCU, he was asked to play defense. At first, he played linebacker and then this year, he's been asked to play defensive end, and it's a move that's proved to be very successful for the 6-foot-2, 235-pound senior.
"I had to do what I needed to do to help the team," Summers said. "You can't be selfish when you're out here playing for a team and playing for Coach Patterson. If he believes I can be a successful defensive end then I take that as high praise because he knows what he's talking about. I'm going to go out there whether it's linebacker or defensive end because he trusts me to be able to play. I'm going to give him my best."
As a freshman in 2015, he was named honorable mention Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, and he garnered Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week and Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against Baylor.
In the pouring rain against the Bears, he made a career-high 23 stops, including the game-winning tackle on a fourth-and-1 play in the second overtime.
"It gave me the confidence to know that I can do this going forward," Summers said of the key stop in the Horned Frogs' 28-21 double-overtime victory over the Bears.
Heading into Friday's game at SMU, Summers is the team's active leader in tackles with 276; tackles for loss with 19; and third in sacks with 7.5.
Also, he's fourth on the all-time career tackles list (276) in the 18-year tenure of TCU coach Gary Patterson behind former teammate Travin Howard (343), former TCU defensive coach Jason Phillips (315) and Martin Patterson (289).
"It's a great list to be mentioned in and be a part of," said Summers, a 2016 Second Team All-Big 12 selection and two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week in 2016. "To be fourth, I feel extremely blessed to be there."
For his career, Summers has appeared in 42 games with 25 starts. In addition to his tackles, he has two interceptions, nine pass break-ups, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.
"I played quarterback in high school and didn't have any history with defense," Summers said. "Coach Patterson taught me what I needed to learn to become successful. It's been a wild journey, but I have enjoyed every minute of it."
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