FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -TCU standout defensive end Tommy Blake was back on campus Monday for the first day of classes after missing five practices and an intrasquad scrimmage last week for personal reasons.
Coach Gary Patterson said Blake was expected to be on the field when the No. 22 Horned Frogs resume practice Tuesday.
Blake, a two-time All-Mountain West Conference pick and top NFL prospect, left campus for personal reasons last week and went home to Aransas Pass, about 370 miles from Fort Worth on the Texas Gulf Coast. Patterson visited Blake over the weekend.
While it’s still unclear exactly why Blake left, the 22-year-old senior appears to be adjusting to a level of attention and expectations he hasn’t faced before.
“Maybe it was a little bit of the pressure of everything,” Patterson said last week. “A lot of things go through a kid’s mind. We will give him time to do what he needs to do. We know what he can do on the field.”
Patterson has said Blake got rid of his cell phone because of frequent calls and messages from friends and would-be agents since the spring. NFL scouts are constantly at practice watching Blake and other TCU players.
The 6-foot-3, 252-pound Blake led the Mountain West with seven sacks and 16 1/2 tackles for losses last season. He was the defensive MVP in the Poinsettia Bowl, when he had two sacks in the Frogs’ 37-7 victory over Northern Illinois.
The Horned Frogs, who didn’t practice Sunday or Monday, play their season opener Sept. 1 at home against Baylor.
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