Jordan Whittington 'Heartbroken' as Longhorns Career Comes to Close

NEW ORLEANS -- Without Jordan Whittingon, the Texas Longhorns would've never had a chance at pulling off one of the most improbable fourth-quarter comebacks in recent memory in Monday's 37-31 loss to the Washington Huskies in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Sugar Bowl.

His 41-yard catch with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter set Texas up at Washington's 28-yard line. The Longhorns were set up in prime position to score, but three straight incompletions ended the game -- and Whittington's college career.

When looking at the bigger picture, you could argue that the Longhorns would've never been conference contenders again, let alone in the CFP, if not for the culture-altering presence that Whittington brought to the Forty Acres for the past five seasons. The running back-turned receiver battled through multiple injuries and a 5-7 season in 2021 before earning a Reese's Senior Bowl invite this season and leading Texas to being a play away from making it to the National Championship.

Still, all that perseverance didn't make the loss any easier on him. Whittington addressed his "heartbroken" emotions after the game and poured out what the university means to him.

"I try to stay positive but my mind is just like heartbroken," Whittington said. "It like physically hurt my chest after we lost. I still trust God with everything but I don't think that's how the game should've went.

" ... I gave the university everything I had, every day, for 365 days a year.”

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Whittington was selected by coach Steve Sarkisian as a team captain prior to the game before finishing with four catches for 70 yards and one rush for two yards.

Regardless of the 13-point deficit Texas faced in the fourth quarter, Whittington's confidence never wavered. He said the team "felt magical," and that there was little doubt they'd give themselves a chance to win when it was all said and done.

"We felt magical, the whole time that we felt like it was already written," Whittington said. "No matter what happened, I didn't know it was going to come down to the last, like, 10 seconds ... but we didn't waver one time."

Whittington will now look to impress scouts at the Senior Bowl before looking toward a potential future in the NFL. If his path to being a pro is anything like how his college career went, Whittington could be in more persevere-filled success.