New Buffs OT Hambright Ready To Go To Work
June 20, 2019 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Arlington Hambright chuckles when he recounts his college football journey.
From the dusty plains of Garden City, Kan., to the relative isolation of Stillwater, Okla., to the beauty of Boulder, it has been quite the trip.
The first two stops each had their benefits. At Garden City Community College, he had the opportunity to play for an NJCAA national championship team in 2016. At Oklahoma State, he spent one year as a redshirt, then started five games as a junior before being sidelined with an injury.
Now, Colorado's newest offensive lineman is ready to make his final year of college ball — his "fifth rodeo" he says with a grin — one that will add another building block to his football foundation.
"My mindset is to come in and take it a day at a time, try to get better every day, make sure I'm putting in the extra work and do all the right things," Hambright said Thursday morning after the Buffs wrapped up another strength and conditioning session. "I know what it takes. I want to use what I learned from all my previous years and apply it to this season."
The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Hambright is quick with a smile and a laugh. In a casual setting, he is affable and easygoing (his Twitter handle is "CallMePopss").
But on the field and in the weight room, he is already earning a reputation as a no-nonsense, nose-to-the-grindstone guy.
"I have a pretty good personality, so getting to know the guys just kind of comes natural," Hambright said. "I enjoy life. But I also know you have to do the work when the time comes. Other guys see me work and they know I'm a serious guy when it comes to football."
That approach is what drew CU head coach Mel Tucker and Buffs O-line coach Chris Kapilovic to Hambright when he announced his intention to transfer from OSU. A starter at left tackle, Hambright had the size, speed and attitude that Tucker and Kapilovic were looking for — and he was also someone who could play right away at a position where the Buffs were lacking in experience.
Hambright weighed a variety of offers before settling on CU after a visit to Boulder.
"Coach Tucker and Coach Kap played a big role in my decision," Hambright said. "They recruited me hard and I fell in love with the school. I trust their word. That's important."
Hambright comes at a time when CU has very little experience at the tackle spot. Sophomore William Sherman started the last nine games of 2018 at left tackle, but after that, only one other Buff — Frank Fillip — has a tackle start under his belt (two).
The Buffs finished the spring with Sherman listed No. 1 at left tackle and Fillip No. 1 on the right side. Others who took some significant snaps in the spring included redshirt freshman Kanan Ray and junior Hunter Vaughn, along with senior Jack Shutack, who played guard and tackle. That no doubt leaves the door open for Hambright to step in and compete right away for a starting spot, which is obviously what Tucker and Kapilovic were looking for.
As for whether he would rather play the left or right side, Hambright was noncommittal.
"I played mostly left tackle, but it really doesn't matter," he said. "Whatever it takes to win, wherever they need me. I'm interested in left tackle, but wherever they need me is what matters. That's important — whatever it takes to win."
At OSU, Hambright played in a balanced offense, something Tucker made clear in the spring the Buffs will also pursue. Hambright said he has no preference between run and pass blocking, noting that each offers a challenge.
"I like both, to be honest," he said. "I like a mixture. I like to pass block because you're out there going against the more athletic rushers. I like run blocking because it's more of an attitude."
Hambright has hit the ground running in Boulder. While he admits he felt the effects of altitude early, he has quickly settled into a rhythm and is already establishing a solid standard in the weight room.
That work ethic, he said, was honed in Garden City. Junior college ball is a place where luxuries are non-existent and players unwilling to work seldom survive.
"I have to give a lot of credit to Coach (Jeff) Sims, my junior college coach," Hambright said. "He taught us a lot about working and work ethic and what it takes. When you are there, you don't think about it being a lot of fun because it's tough. There's no luxury there. Two guys to a locker, that kind of thing. But when I look back, it was an amazing learning opportunity. You have to make the most of it."
Then, after a brief pause, Hambright looked around at a sun-splashed Folsom Field, CU's sparkling campus and the Flatirons in the background.
"After that, when you get to a place like this, you appreciate it even more," he said with a grin.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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