The two-year starter has been the anchor of the Longhorns' offensive line, providing steady performances while being surrounded by more heralded teammates Jonathan Scott and Justin Blalock, two former first-team All-Americans.

Sendlein is another in a line of legacies to play for the Longhorns. His father, Robin, was a standout linebacker at the University of Texas (1977-80) before embarking on an eight-year National Football League career (Minnesota, 1981-85; Miami, 1986-87; Houston, 1988). His brother, Austin, was a teammate and a defensive lineman who lettered for the Longhorns from 2002-03. His mother, Carrie, also attended Texas.

Born in Edina, Minnesota, Sendlein also has lived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Elko, Nevada and Las Vegas before moving to Scottsdale, Arizona, where he attended Chaparral High School. He lettered four times in football, starting his final three seasons. He started at defensive tackle and linebacker as a senior, linebacker as a junior and offensive tackle as a sophomore, leading the team to back-to-back Arizona Class 4A State Championships in 1999-2000 and a 28-game winning streak.

Sendlein earned first-team All-State, All-Region and All-City honors as a senior, posting 110 tackles, six sacks, three fumble recoveries (one returned for a touchdown) and a 29-yard interception return for a score that year. His best game saw him register 21 tackles, two sacks and a 29-yard interception return for a touchdown against Saguaro High in 2001.

Sendlein was a second-team All-State and first-team All-Region and All-City selection as a junior. He was also named the Valley's 2000 Defensive Player of the Year, as he racked up 157 tackles, including a 19-tackle performance against Saguaro High. Sendlein added first-team All-Region accolades at offensive tackle as a sophomore.

Sendlein enrolled at Texas in 2002, spending the season performing on the scout team. He saw action in 13 games as a reserve center in 2003 and appeared in that same role during 10 games in 2004.

Before the 2005 season, Sendlein became a "pet project" of UT offensive line coach Mac McWhorter. Sendlein went on to start all 13 games during the Longhorns' national championship season. He earned honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference accolades from the Associated Press, as he was a key part of a line that helped Texas rank first in the nation in scoring offense (50.2 ppg), second in rushing offense (274.9 ypg) and third in total offense (512.1 ypg). He cleared the way for Texas to set school single-season records in both points scored (652) and total yards (6,657).

In 2006, Sendlein started every game at center, but also saw action at right guard when injuries depleted the depth at that position. He was a member of the Rimington Trophy Watch List (nation's top center) and earned consensus first-team All-Big 12 Conference honors. He was voted captain by his teammates and named one of UT's Most Consistent Offensive Players.

Before the 2006 Alamo Bowl, Sendlein graduated with a degree in Liberal Arts. He also earned several academic honors during his time at Texas. He was listed on UT's Athletics Director's Academic Honor Roll in the spring and fall of 2003 and named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in the fall of 2003.

Positives: Has a wide waist, good lower body muscle definition, thick thigh and calf thickness and a frame that can carry at least another 15 pounds of bulk with no loss in quickness … Shows adequate quickness off the snap, doing a nice job of locating stunts and neutralizing pocket pressure thanks to his strong anchor and good base … Makes all the blocking assignment calls and communicates with his guards well in attempts to execute combo blocks … Vocal line leader who is an aggressive drive blocker who shows confidence in his hand punch to shock and jolt … Not sudden off the ball, but comes up hard in the running game to gain advantage and is active with his hands to shock and jolt the defender … Despite a lack of explosion, he has the functional initial step to reach or scoop, but lacks timed speed to play in the second level … When he keeps his pad level down, he aggressively puts his face on the target and drives hard with his legs to maintain the rush lane … Holds his position firmly at the point of attack, but needs to roll his hips and move his feet better to position or seal … Effective zone blocker who shows good leg drive … Sendlein has some issues trying to anchor in pass protection in the past, but in 2006 he demonstrated a stronger base and better hand usage to control … Will get pushed back vs. a strong rush, but when he bends his knees and moves his feet to mirror, he is more effective handling the blitz … Slow at times to replace his hands, but will control and shock defenders with his punch, if he lands it.

Negatives: Best working on the line, as he struggles to change direction or get in front quickly on pulls and traps … Lacks the speed to be effective blocking in space … Lacks ideal hip flexibility and bends more at the waist than with his knees … Plays with good effort, but needs some structure in his training, as he only does what is asked in the training room … Lacks the explosion coming off the snap and when he gets too narrow in his base, he will lose leverage vs. the bull rush … Shows a good hand punch, but needs to use it with more consistency … Shows good urgency working on the defender, but when he tries to lean into his man, he is easily taken off his feet, as the defender can lock on to his exposed chest and jerk him down … Has good leg drive as a run blocker, but needs to be more sudden coming out of his stance … Liability on pulls and traps due to poor timed speed, and hip stiffness that makes him struggle working in space, as his feet tend to die and he will duck his head on contact … Because of his poor change of direction, he fails to take good angles or show the burst needed to get out and neutralize second-level defenders … His feet get too heavy at times in his pass set, preventing him from redirecting.

Compares To: MIKE FLYNN-Baltimore … If Sendlein is allowed to stay on the line rather than move out in space, he is effective clearing the rush lane or handling combo blocks with his guards. He has a strong hand punch, but lacks the foot speed and balance to be used on pulls and traps.

Started his final 26 games for the Longhorns … Is a second-generation player at Texas. His father, Robin, was a standout linebacker at the University of Texas (1977-80) and played in the National Football League for eight seasons (Minnesota, 1981-85; Miami, 1986-87; Houston, 1988) … Lyle's brother, Austin, was a teammate and a defensive lineman who lettered for the Longhorns from 2002-03.

Consensus All-Big 12 Conference first-team selection … Member of the Rimington Trophy watch list (nation's top center) … Voted one of the team's four captains and was named one of UT's Most Consistent Offensive Players … Helped Texas rank sixth in the nation in scoring (35.92 ppg) and 22nd in total offense (391.46 ypg) … Graded 80.6% for blocking consistency, as he posted eight touchdown-resulting blocks … Allowed only three sacks on 854 plays.

North Texas … Started and made a pair of knockdowns before leaving the game in the first quarter with a left ankle sprain.

Ohio State … Made three knockdowns, but the offense struggled, gaining only 326 yards in a 24-7 loss … Was beaten by defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock on a 6-yard sack of QB Colt McCoy … Head to Head Competition-DT#90-Quinn Pitcock-Two tackles (one solo), a 6-yard sack.

Rice … Did not allow any tackles and leveled defensive end Courtney Gordon to give QB Colt McCoy time to fire a 38-yard scoring strike to Jordan Shipley midway through the third quarter, as Texas finished with 330 rushing yards and 493 total yards … Head to Head Competition-NG#92-DeJuan Cooper-No tackles.

Iowa State … For the second-straight game, Lyle held his ground firmly, not allowing any tackles, as he graded 88% with seven knockdowns, taking down linebacker Tyrone McKenzie on Colt McCoy's 10-yard touchdown pass to Jermichael Finley that ended a 4-play, 63-yard drive in the third quarter … Head to Head Competition-NG#25-Nick Frere-No tackles.

Sam Houston State … Produced six knockdowns to give the UT quarterbacks time to register 300 yards passing and 419 total yards … Introduced linebacker Shane Richburg to the ground in the end zone, clearing a path used by tailback Henry Melton for a 1-yard scoring run that finished a 54-yard, 6-play drive with 6:27 left in the first half … Head to Head Competition-DT#74-Brandon Villanueva-Three solo tackles.

Oklahoma … Injuries at offensive guard saw Lyle flanked by inexperienced blockers and miscommunication led to a 15-yard sack of QB Colt McCoy by defensive tackle Steven Coleman in the second quarter, by Sendlein made up for that miscue by taking down Coleman to spring Selvin Young for a 15-yard touchdown run that capped a 62-yard, 9-play drive … Head to Head Competition-DT#90-Steven Coleman-Four tackles (2 solos), a 15-yard sack.

Baylor … Lyle saw action at guard, in addition to starting at center, helping Texas' offense produce 275 yards passing and 162 yards rushing … Graded 86% with five knockdowns, leveling nose guard M.T. Robinson as QB Colt McCoy lobbed a 2-yard scoring pass to Peter Ulman to finish a 10-play, 58-yard drive with 0:28 left in the first half … Head to Head Competition-NG#99-M.T. Robinson-One solo tackle.

Texas Tech … Only made two knockdowns, but guided an offense that gained 227 yards on the ground and 256 passing … Head to Head Competition-NG#93-Chris Hudler-Two tackles (one solo).

Oklahoma State … Lyle helped Texas total 164 yards rushing and 346 yards passing (510 total) … Stopped the blitz when he took down linebacker Jeremy Nethon on Colt McCoy's 13-yard scoring lob to Nate Jones that capped an 88-yard, 11-play second quarter drive … Teamed with left guard Kassey Studdard to open a hole used by Jamaal Charles for a 9-yard touchdown jaunt in the fourth quarter … Head to Head Competition-NG#92-Larry Brown-Four tackles (3 solos).

Kansas State … When Justin Blalock left the game in the first half with a knee sprain, Lyle shifted over to right guard after starting the game at center … Made a key down field block that upended linebacker Zach Diles on Jamaal Charles' 18-yard touchdown run that finished a 4-play, 75-yard drive in the third quarter … Head to Head Competition-NG-Quintin Echols-Two assisted tackles.

Iowa (Alamo Bowl) … Closed out his career with a crunching block on defensive tackle Mitch King that paved the way for Selvin Young's 2-yard touchdown burst that put the final touches on the team's 26-24 decision … Head to Head Competition-NG#47-Mitch King-Two tackles (one solo).

Associated Press All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention … Took over center duties, starting all thirteen games … Registered 52 knockdowns and seven touchdown-resulting blocks … Was a key part of a line that helped Texas rank first in the nation in scoring offense (50.2 ppg), second in rushing offense (274.9 ypg) and third in total offense (512.1 ypg) … Cleared the way for Texas to set school season-records in both points scored (652) and total yards (6,657) … Texas' 652 points broke the 22-year old NCAA record of 624 points set by Nebraska in 1983 … UT's 50.2 points per game average marked only the fifth time in NCAA history that a team finished the year averaging over 50 points per game … Texas was the first team since Nebraska in 1995 to score 50 points and post 500 yards per game in a season … Helped Texas score at least 40 points in twelve of thirteen games, including a national-leading and school-record eleven-straight games … Texas' 3,574 rushing yards were the fourth-most in school history … UT's six 300-yard games matched its total last season, which was the most since 1977 … Helped Texas produce 600 yards of total offense in a school-record three games.

Louisiana-Lafayette … Opened the season by blocking for 591 total yards, including 418 rushing yards … Shoved defensive tackle Eugene Kwarteng to the ground on Vince Young's 10-yard scoring pass to Nate Jones that finished a 56-yard, 8-play drive in the second quarter.

Ohio State … Posted five knockdowns, upending linebacker A.J. Hawk, as Lyle and left guard Kasey Studdard protected QB Vince Young to give him time to uncork a game-winning 24-yard touchdown pass to Limas Sweed with 2:37 left in a 25-22 decision.

Missouri … Delivered six knockdowns and graded 87%, taking down defensive end Brian Smith on Vince Young's 32-yard scoring toss to Jamaal Charles … Lyle also leveled defensive tackle Jamar Smith to spring Young for a 33-yard touchdown jaunt, helping Texas clear 300-yards rushing for the second consecutive game with 349 on the way to 585 yards of total offense.

Texas Tech … Added five knockdowns while clearing the way for UT to post 444 yards of total offense and 52 points against a Texas Tech defense that is only giving up 328.2 yards and 19.4 points per game … Pummeled defensive tackle Chris Hudler with a vicious hand punch as Selvin Young followed his center into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Played at backup center and guard in ten games … Part of a line that cleared the way for Texas to rank second in the nation in rushing (299.2 ypg), seventh in total offense (464.4 ypg) and 12th in scoring (35.3 ppg) … Texas' 3,590 rushing yards was the third-highest total in school history … UT registered six 300-yard rushing games, the most since 1977.

Played in all thirteen games on offense and special teams … Helped pave the way for the nation's sixth-ranked scoring offense (41.0 ppg) and eighth-ranked rushing offense (232.5 ypg) … UT recorded four 300-yard rushing games and rushed for 3,023 yards in 2003, both were the most since 1977 … UT's 41 rushing touchdowns were the fourth-most nationally … Texas set school records for points (533) and total yards (5,709) on the year.

Redshirted as a freshman.

2006: Left the season opener vs. North Texas (9/02) in the first quarter when he suffered a left ankle sprain.

Campus: 5.3 in the 40-yard dash … Bench presses 225 pounds 27 times … 520-pound squat … 29-inch vertical jump … 32-inch arm length … 10-inch hands.

Attended Chaparral (Scottsdale, Az.) High School, playing football for head coach Ron Esthbrook … Lettered four times in football, starting his final three seasons … Started at defensive tackle and linebacker as a senior, linebacker as a junior and offensive tackle as a sophomore, leading the team to back-to-back Arizona Class 4A State Championships in 1999-2000 and a 28-game winning streak … Earned first-team All-State, All-Region and All-City honors as a senior, posting 110 tackles, six sacks, three fumble recoveries (one returned for a touchdown) and a 29-yard interception return for a score that year … His best game saw him register 21 tackles, two sacks and a 29-yard interception return for a touchdown vs. Saguaro High in 2001 … Second-team All-State and first-team All-Region and All-City selection as a junior … Also named the Valley's 2000 Defensive Player of the Year, as he racked up 157 tackles, including a 19-tackle performance vs. Saguaro High … Added first-team All-Region accolades at offensive tackle as a sophomore … Honor Roll student.

Graduated in December 2006 with a degree in Liberal Arts … Earned a spot on Texas' Athletics Director's Academic Honor Roll in the spring and fall of 2003 … Named to the Big 12 Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll in the fall of 2003 … Father, Robin, was a standout linebacker at the University of Texas (1977-80) before embarking on an eight-year National Football League career (Minnesota, 1981-85; Miami, 1986-87; Houston, 1988) … Brother, Austin, was a teammate and a defensive lineman who lettered for the Longhorns from 2002-03 … Mother, Carrie, also attended Texas … Born Lyle Robert Sendlein on 3/16/84 in Edina, Minnesota … Also has lived in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Elko, Nev. and Las Vegas …

Resides in Scottsdale, Arizona.