BATON ROUGE - Arkansas offensive lineman David Hurd was in his first week of practice as a walk-on in 2009 when he experienced a welcome-to-the-SEC moment.
Hurd was paired against defensive end Tenarius “Tank” Wright in a drill supervised by assistant coach Kirk Botkin.
“Tank knocked me on my butt and Coach Botkin goes, ‘Welcome to the SEC, Hurd!’” Hurd said. “So I literally got the welcome.”
Hurd, a fifth-year senior starter at left tackle, will make his SEC farewell when the Razorbacks play LSU today in Tiger Stadium.
“For most of our guys, this is our bowl game,” said Hurd, who is from West Monroe, La. “But to me, this is my national championship right here. I’m from Louisiana, and LSU didn’t really give me much attention.
“I’m not guaranteed to ever get to play another game, so I’m going to put everything I’ve got into it.”
After Hurd’s senior season at West Monroe High School, the only scholarship offers he received were from NCAA Division II schools Arkansas Tech and Harding University. Arkansas invited him to join as a walk-on.
Hurd said he considered signing with Arkansas Tech or Harding, but with his parents’ support he decided to go to Arkansas.
“I wanted to try to go against the big boys,” he said.
Hurd, 6-6 and 318 pounds, spent his first two seasons on the scout team and kept to himself.
“I want to say that for the first two years he was here, I never heard him say anything,” said center Travis Swanson, a fifth-year senior who will start his 50th consecutive game today. “You’d try to say hi to him, and he’d just give you a head nod.
“It’s been great to see him come out of his shell. He’s gone from a a walk-on who didn’t talk to anyone to being on scholarship and starting.”
Hurd moved into a backup role two years ago and became a starter last season.
“You come here and you’re basically the tackling dummy, just a get in their way kind of a thing,” Hurd said. “I knew I needed to come out and work, and every day I needed to get better.”
Offensive line coach Sam Pittman said he’s glad the previous staff brought Hurd into the program.
“He’s not going to make mistakes,” Pittman said. “You can count on him being in the right place. He’s been very consistent.
“There hasn’t been one day that I’ve thought we were going to move him out of his position. Not one.”
Hurd was awarded a scholarship in the summer of 2012by John L. Smith, the Razorbacks’ interim coach last season.
“It was sort of like, you finally got it,” Hurd said. “You got the recognition, and it wasn’t like I got on scholarship and then I was a second-team guy. I got a scholarship and became a starter the same year. It was a huge jump.”
Defensive end Chris Smith has gone against Hurd in practice for four seasons.
“He’s made tremendous strides in his game,” Smith said. “He’s helped make me a better player, and I made him better. He’s a workaholic and a film junkie. He never stops working.”
Hurd will graduate in December with a biology degree. Graduate school is an option, but he is hoping to get a shot to play in the NFL.
“I’m a million times better than when I first got here,” Hurd said. “My technique has gotten better, I’m seeing and understanding the game better, seeing the blitzes so much better.”
Hurd said he knew he needed extra time to get bigger and stronger, but that he envisioned becoming a starter by his junior season.
“I believed in my ability when I first got here, and I believed that I could earn a scholarship and earn a place on the field,” he said. “I was able to just work hard and get through any adversity that hit me.”
Sports, Pages 27 on 11/29/2013