Texas Football: Longhorns Learning to Buy into Charlie Strong's Way

Texas head coach Charlie Strong has been labeled as a disciplinarian. Critics have questioned if he's too strong for Texas and if his approach will cause him to lose his locker room.

Those critics were silenced when a locker room video hit social media following the Longhorns' 33-16 win over then-No. 23 West Virginia.

The video showed the Longhorns lifting their head coach in the air and Strong crowd surfing after the upset win over the Mountaineers:

"I just walked in there and they just grabbed me," Strong said of the impromptu celebration.

But what was seen in the video was something more than a team pumped up about a win. It was visible proof that the Longhorns have bought into their leader.

"It was fun to see," senior wide receiver John Harris said. "You don’t really see too many coaches get lifted up by their players. It shows the level of respect we have for him and how much of a player’s coach he is.”

People have to earn the respect of others, and it typically does not happen overnight. It may have taken several months for the Longhorns to embrace Strong's tactics, but his work is gradually paying off.

Strong wants his players to succeed both on and off of the football field. Education is a priority for the coach.

He requires the Longhorns to attend every class and sit in the front two rows. If a player were caught skipping class, punishment from strength and conditioning coach Pat Moorer would follow.

Moorer is one of the more intimidating people in Austin and there's a good possibility that a lot of the team does not want to be on his bad side. However, players have started to recognize the positive benefits that have come from Strong's rule of being attentive in class.

"I feel like Coach Strong has changed my life," senior linebacker Steve Edmond said. "I really never cared much about school, but ever since he got here, my grades have been coming up. He made me feel more like a man rather than a kid. Coach Strong will make you grow up, make you accountable and he's going to make sure you do everything right."

In terms of success on the football field, Strong believes team chemistry is a major component in winning games. For that reason, the team, assistant coaches and Strong moved into the dorms during fall training camp.

"I didn't like it," senior cornerback Quandre Diggs said of the dorm life. "But at the same time, it was something Coach Strong felt was right."

One could assume Diggs was not the only player to feel this way, but the Longhorns are now seeing the rewards that came from being confined in the dorms with their teammates.

“Moving us in the dorms for training camp and having us around each other more helped," senior safety Mykkele Thompson said. "I don’t want to sound cliche, but it’s like a brotherhood. We really care about each other. When you know someone cares about you on the field, it makes you want to play even harder."

Strong's first year has had its ups and downs. The Longhorns have lost a handful of key starters to season-ending injuries, have a lot of inexperience on the offensive side of the ball and are .500 with only two games remaining in the regular season.

But the team has continued to fight through adversity and has shown gradual progress every week.

"The guys have hung in there. We've made our way through some difficult times. I think what happens is you grow together, character begins to grow, you get an attitude and a chemistry amongst the team and everybody's there for each other," quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson said. "You just find ways to win football games and keep working and keep growing. They understand we're in a process. The seniors have been excellent in leading us and the younger players are following."

Strong's short tenure at Texas has been defined by a strict culture change. The first-year head coach is often labeled as a "my way or the highway" type of coach, and the dismissals of nine players for violating his rules only add to that image.

But there is a method to his madness, and the Longhorns are finally rallying around their head coach.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.

Taylor Gaspar is Bleacher Report's featured columnist covering the Texas Longhorns. Follow Taylor on Twitter @Taylor_Gaspar.