Texas Pride [antikvár]

FOREWORDI was watching the national champion Longhorn baseball team play last season when it occurred to me what a special fraternity the Texas Longhorn football program is. Coach DaiTeU Royal was at the baseball game, and everyone in the stands was interested in talking to him, even though he retired in 1976. There's a lot of pride in saying that I played for such a great coach and for a school like Texas, and it's a pride that all Longhorn fans share. That pride has only deepened in watching the exploits of the 2005 Longhorns.AH the athletes who were associated with Coach Royal at the time were living a dream, and it was a great opportunity. It's important diat today's players understand how important it is to be a Longhorn and to make the most of it. Vince Young & Co. have done just that.One of the greatest moves Coach Mack Brown has made was to reunite the members of the football family who have played for the University of Texas. He brought back the tradition, which has always been there but had slid back a Utde bit. That has helped build on the foundation and has made the family stronger. Being a Longhorn is a feeling of pride unlike any other.Some of my greatest memories as a Longhorn include the opportunity to play in the Texas-Arkansas games and against Notre Dame in the 1970 Cotton Bowl. Notre Dame was coming out of retirement, so to speak, to play in the bowl game (the Irish hadn't played in a bowl since 1925) and their name was synonymous with college football back then. They were the only team you could watch on Sundays; the Fighting Irish's games werereplayed on that day. So it was especially meaningful to win that game 21-17 in a thrUKng comeback and complete an unbeaten National Championship season. Today, I'm delighted that the 2005 Longhorns will have similar memories to cherish.I have great memories of my time at Texas, but what's especially amazing to me is how many people remember the things I did while I was a Longhorn. It was just a neat experience. As I have gotten older, I realize just how lucky I was and how everything feU into place for me. I got to meet President Nixon after the Arkansas game in 1969 and President Johnson after the Notre Dame game that year. Later on, I went to Las Vegas and had the fortune to meet Elvis backstage and BiU Medley of the Righteous Brothers. (Elvis said Texas deserved to beat Arkansas, while BUI Medley said he wanted Arkansas to win. I always was an Elvis fan!)There is a lot of pride when you become a Longhorn. When you come to UT, you have access to a network of people for the rest of your life, whether you were a starter or not. When you go out to the business world, being a Longhorn means a lot. People always want to talk about my playing days and what's going on these days. My time at Texas opened several doors for me, and it continues to do so 30 years later.I look back, and it all seems like it was a fairy tale or someone else's life. I'm thankful for the memories and everything UT has done for me. And today, I'm so proud of the 2005 Longhorns for adding a special chapter to the history of Texas football. lames Street