AUSTIN, Texas (U-WIRE) -- During his senior season at Mullen Prep School in Denver, senior tight end Bo Scaife had a monster year.

Scaife was named a Parade All-American, second team All-USA by USA Today and Rocky Mountain News' Colorado Player of the Year. He earned all-state honors twice, scored 27 touchdowns and led his team to a state title. He returned kickoffs. He spent his free time on the baseball team.

Yep, 1998 could truly be described as a monster year.

Yes, that was also six years ago.

And yes, it's been that long since Scaife last strapped on the pads in the thin mountain air. This weekend's trip to Boulder, Colo., marks Scaife's first return to the gridiron in his home state since 1998, magnifying just how long and odd Scaife's journey through Austin has been.

"It'll be fun to play in front of family and friends, but a lot of the guys I grew up playing with in Colorado -- I don't think they are there anymore," said Scaife, who jokes often with the media. "There's just a bunch of younger cats there now who were in Pop Warner when I last played there."

It'd be easy to say Scaife has gotten the full Austin experience -- or at least made the most of his scholarship. He's seen nearly all the ups and downs of the Mack Brown era. He's played under four starting quarterbacks, played in a pure passing attack, adapted to a running attack and now acts as an important cog in quarterback Vince Young's development.

For Scaife to find anything else to experience at Texas, he would have to apply for an unprecedented seventh year of eligibility.

"No man, it's time to get paid," Bo said laughing.

But Scaife has also suffered and rehabbed through two torn ACLs, one in each knee -- the reasons for his extended stay on the 40 Acres. In 2002, he injured his right knee and won UT's Frank Medina Rehabilitation award -- a small consolation but a strong testament nonetheless.

"He is blocking better now," said offensive coordinator Greg Davis, who illustrated Scaife's continual improvement by describing Scaife's play in last weekends' Texas Tech game. "On the last touchdown, he had to reach out and cut the outside linebacker John Salvi and gave Cedric Benson the edge on the last touchdown. That was not an easy block."

In 2000, on the first practice of fall preseason camp in 2000 and after a promising freshman year in 1999, Scaife tore the anterior crucial ligament in his left knee. The injury knocked him out for the entire season -- including Texas' 28-14 win in Boulder.

Texas played Colorado twice in 2001, but both games were in the state of Texas -- including the heartbreaking loss in the Big 12 Championship game -- and Texas hasn't played the Buffs since. Scaife said friends and family have been patiently waiting for his return.

"I'm keeping my phone on silent right now," Scaife said, laughing while speculating on how many tickets he will need. "They're going to have to wait until Thursday."

In last weekend's blowout of Texas Tech, fellow tight end David Thomas -- who grew up just outside of Lubbock, Texas -- scored a key touchdown in front of the home crowd. Scaife said a similar touchdown would be nice and fitting but knows that his primary job comes first on the ground.

"I don't mind," he said. "It's part of the game, sacrificing yourself for your teammates, but as long as you get that 'W' in the end."

WINTER WONDERLAND

Longhorn stud defensive tackle Rod Wright hails from Houston, where it snows about as often as the Oilers play, and Wright plays most of his college football in Austin, where Mount Bonnell would not be described as a snow-capped peak.

But this weekend, Wright and the Longhorns head to the mountains. Monday, Wright seemed slightly concerned.

"If it snows, of course we will still show up," Wright said. "But I don't know about that snow."

As of Tuesday evening, meteorologists expect Boulder game-time temperatures to be in the mid-50s, with clear skies and no chance of snow. But offensive guard Kasey Studdard, who like Scaife played high school football in Denver, is still skeptical.

"Every Halloween I've ever had in Colorado, there's been snow on the ground," Studdard said. "So it will be cold up there."

Wright did admit that while playing in snow would be a new experience, a little bit of frost wouldn't be such a bad thing.

"For some reason I always play well in the cold," Wright said. "When I'm on the sideline I can't breathe, but as soon as I get in I'm fine. So hopefully it will be cold and I'll have a good game."

(C) 2004 Daily Texan via U-WIRE.