Sophomore wide receiver Rashad Hawk has left the Texas Tech football program, a staff member said Thursday. Hawk plans to remain at Tech and compete in track as he has for a few meets in the past.
Track coach Wes Kittley said Hawk worked out with the track team Thursday. Last May, Hawk ran in the 100 meters and the 400-meter relay at the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Hawk was unable to crack the two-deep this season and had not caught a pass in the first seven games. He caught five passes for 65 yards last season.
West Texas roots
Among the 17 true freshmen Texas A&M has used this season, one of the most promising is cornerback Justin Harris, who has started every game.
Harris doesn’t need a primer on Texas Tech and Jones AT&T Stadium, the Aggies’ assignment this weekend.  He was born in Hart and lived in Plainview until the third or fourth grade, the Bryan-College Station Eagle reported this week.
Harris told the newspaper he attended five or six Tech games as a youngster.
“It was just an experience you can’t forget,’’ Harris told the Eagle. “I know how their fans are. We can’t worry about that right now. We’ve got to worry about the game itself.’’
The 6-foot, 168-pound Harris played high school ball at Livingston in southeast Texas. In July, he had one of the best individual performances ever in the 75th Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game.
He scored on a 98-yard kickoff return and a 95-yard fumble return — both game records — and had a 63-yard punt-return touchdown called back by penalty. He finished with 307 all-purpose yards, intercepted a pass and was named the defensive player of the game.

Remembering Thomas
When he was asked this week for recollections of games against Tech, Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman took the opportunity to praise former Red Raiders linebacker Zach Thomas.
Sherman was A&M’s offensive line coach in 1995, when Thomas’ last-minute interception return lifted Tech to a 14-7 victory. Sherman said Thomas victimized his team with a similar interception later in the NFL.
“He was such a catalyst for them and was a catalyst for the Miami Dolphins for so many years,’’ Sherman said. “I just can’t tell you how much respect I’ve had for him as a football player. He’s undersized. There’s nothing special about his physical traits other than the fact he’s a great football player and always seemed to rise to the occasion. He just always knew what you were running before you ran it. I’ve never been around a player that had the instincts he had.’’

Main man Miller
While a key for Texas Tech against Nebraska was how well the center and guards protected against the Cornhuskers’ defensive tackles, the spotlight Saturday will be on tackles Marlon Winn and first-time starter LaAdrian Waddle as they wrestle with Texas A&M’s Von Miller. Miller is  a sometime-defensive end, sometime-outside linebacker who leads the nation with 10 sacks.
Miller started the season with three sacks each against New Mexico and Utah State, followed by two against Alabama-Birmingham and one each against Arkansas and Kansas State. Oklahoma State is the only team not to have allowed Miller a sack.
“He’s really good with his hands, really good with his hips and plays really hard,’’ Tech line coach Matt Moore said. “I think his first step is what gets a lot of (offensive linemen) in trouble. He’s good at getting them out of position and being able to beat them from there.’’