Texas Tech players responded quite clearly when the Avalanche-Journal posed the question: Who is the toughest player on the team?

Baron Batch, they said. Baron Batch, by acclamation.

Texas Tech's Baron Batch looks for running room - or someone to hit- during a game this season. Few Tech players are held in higher regard by teammates than Batch. (John A. Bowersmith/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

Safety Brett Dewhurst said Batch is the first player he’d pick for a pickup game. Offensive linemen Joe King and Chris Olson said when they get tired, on the field or in the weight room, the guy picking them up is likely to be the 205-pound junior running back from Midland. Center Justin Keown called him an “all-around tough (expletive).’’

“He’s hungry for the ball and doesn’t mind contact,’’ Keown said. “He likes running over people. He wants to get hit. He loves practicing. When he gets hurt, he’s out there the next day, wanting to be practicing.’’

The A-J randomly selected more than 20 Tech players and asked for the toughest and honorable mentions. Fifteen players — almost three-quarters of those surveyed — named Batch.

Offensive tackle Marlon Winn was next with five votes, guard Brandon Carter and defensive tackle Victor Hunter got four apiece and defensive linemen Colby Whitlock and Daniel Howard each received three votes. Defensive tackle Ra’Jon Henley and cornerback Jamar Wall received two mentions apiece.

The players were polled in August, before Tech coach Mike Leach shut off most media interviews. At the time, one of Batch’s exhibitions of toughness was fresh on their minds: He’d returned much sooner than expected from an elbow injury.

“That dude, busting his elbow, and I mean, the next day he was ready to go,’’ inside receiver Adam James said. “The only thing holding him back were the doctors. I wouldn’t say we have anybody on our team that’s not tough, but I’d say B-Batch kind of sticks out.’’

Who does Batch think is the toughest Red Raider?

“Usually, you’re not supposed to say yourself,’’ he said, “but I’m going to go ahead and do it, say me.’’

Which is an indication of the progress he’s made.

The hard-nosed running back who seems to enjoy running into tacklers more than running away from them? That fellow just sort of materialized in college, to hear Batch tell it.

“My sophomore and junior year in high school, I’d run for my life,’’ he said. “I didn’t really like contact. Even my freshman year up here (at Tech), I kind of liked to use my speed a lot more. Once you get to college, everybody’s fast, and you can’t run away from everybody.’’

So during his second year on campus — in his comeback from a career-threatening seven ankle surgeries — Batch redefined his running style. At the end of the 2007 season, he was named scout team player of the year. To this day, he says it’s the football achievement of which he’s proudest.

“I think it’s easy to play hard and say you love the game when you’re in the spotlight,’’ he said. “The toughest thing to do is when you’re not traveling, when you’re on scout team getting beat, it’s hard to continue to get better and try to be the best player you can be. And that’s what I did that year. It paid off, and I got that award. I think that’s what really made me as a player that year.’’

Since the start of last season, Batch has 1,970 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns — all since his comeback from a broken ankle and staph infection that led to multiple surgeries.

“I don’t even think he thinks about it, which is good,’’ Carter said.
“That’s one of the hardest things, once you come back from an injury. Sometimes people are hesitant, which is kind of a fault to a player, but he’s one of those guys that just kind of puts it in the back of his mind and says, ‘Let’s get past that.’ ’’

Tough Talk

Others whose toughness has earned teammates’ respect.

OT Marlon Winn: “He gives everything he’s got every single play. He pushes through injuries. He’s one of the best team players we’ve got.’’
— OG Brandon Carter

DT Victor Hunter: “Victor’s like a brick wall. It’s hard to hurt him. It’s hard to get him off the field. More than a brick wall, he’s a tough kid.’’
— FB Ryan Hale

DE Daniel Howard: “When we’re watching film, coach (Carlos) Mainord always says, ‘We need to play as hard as this kid right here.’ I’d give it Baron, but Daniel Howard’s right next to him.’’
— S Brett Dewhurst

NT Colby Whitlock: “He plays 1-technique (nose tackle), which is one of the hardest positions to play on our defense — physically, the hardest. He’s never in the training room. He never whines about his nicks and bumps and bruises. Sometimes he has to go against the (former Oklahoma linemen) Duke Robinsons and Phil Loadholts in one play, and he handles himself.’’
— DE Daniel Howard

DT Ra’Jon Henley and CB Jamar Wall: “Ra’Jon got hurt in the middle of the season last year. He made incredible strides bouncing back from that.

“Jamar has mental toughness, just like Ra’Jon does. You can see it from (their) persona on the field, the kind of guys that both of them are from a leadership standpoint.’’
— LB Tyrone Sonier

FB Ryan Hale: “Some of us call him the duct tape of the team. He does a lot of jobs people don’t want to do. He’s a lead blocker. He’s all over special teams. He does a lot of hard hitting. We call him a glorified offensive lineman, because he’s another blocker, just like us.’’
— C Shawn Byrnes