12/19/2024 newsletter, Chris Gilbert, 42 game win streak, walk-ons, Shawn Clynch, DKR Fund ,
https://texaslsn.org?fluentcrm=1&route=email_preview&fc_newsletter=f6ebfe26fe71544e52c2d4f30c0c9a94
The Dale family wishes you and your family a Merry Christmas and a joyful and exciting New Year!!
This is the last TLSN newsletter for 2024
Chris Gilbert will be honored at the Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet in 2025.
Chris Gilbert was a standout running back for the Texas Longhorns from 1966 to 1968. He was the first player in NCAA history to record three 1,000-yard rushing seasons, achieving this milestone with 1,080 yards as a sophomore, 1,019 yards as a junior, and 1,132 yards as a senior. Gilbert was a consensus All-American in 1968, a three-time first-team All-Southwest Conference (SWC) selection, and the SWC Player of the Year in 1968.
He was also co-captain of the 1968 Longhorn team that shared the SWC championship and finished 8th in Heisman Trophy voting that year. Gilbert was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999 and the University of Texas Hall of Honor in 1978.
Top left photo is Coach Royal and Captains Corby Robertson and Chris Gilbert. Corby will be the keynote speaker for Chris at the ceremonies.
A link to the 30 game win streak is at https://texaslsn.org/football-dkr-1968-1970-30game-win-streak/
12.13.2024
By: Doak Walker Award
Story Links
Doak Walker Award
DALLAS (SMU) – The PwC SMU Athletic Forum has selected former University of Texas running back Chris Gilbert as the recipient of the 2024 PwC Doak Walker Legends Award. The award was created in 1998 to honor former running backs that excelled at the collegiate level and went on to distinguish themselves as leaders in their communities.
Gilbert will be honored at the Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet on Friday, January 31, 2025 on the SMU campus in Dallas along with the 2024 Doak Walker Award recipient, Ashton Jeanty, who was named at the Home Depot College Football Award on Thursday, December 12.
Texas Longhorn legend Chris Gilbert cemented himself in college football history by becoming the first player to rush for 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons (1966-68). In his college career, Gilbert received All-Southwest Conference honors three times and was a consensus All-American as a senior in 1968. After college, Gilbert would go on to be drafted in the fifth round of the NFL/AFL Draft by the New York Jets. He would later be inducted into the University of Texas Hall of Honor in 1978, the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 1990 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
After graduating, Chris Gilbert, along with his former Texas Longhorns teammate Corby Robertson, co-founded Camp Olympia in 1968, which has since become one of the most successful summer camps in Texas. The camp has provided generations of children with a positive and enriching experience, playing a significant role in the local community. Following his time in the football world, Gilbert transitioned into a successful career as an investor and business executive in Houston. His business ventures have flourished, demonstrating his strong leadership and entrepreneurial skills. Camp Olympia, a key part of his post-football legacy, remains a testament to his commitment to youth development and the Texas community.
Gilbert was inducted into the Texas Hall of Honor in 1978, the Texas High School Hall of Fame in 1990 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
The Doak Walker Award presented by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum has been awarded to the nation’s top running back since 1990. The Doak Walker Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
DoakWalkerAward.com | Follow X DoakWalkerAward
Garland Kennon has passed away.
I received too late in the day to add the celebration of Garland Kennons life in this newsletter, so I don’t have content or photos, but I will! If you would like to share a tribute or special photos remembering how Garland touched your life then send to BillyDale1@gmail.com , and your thoughts will be posted starting at 8:00 A.M.
God Bless his soul. He was one of DKR first players and he was instrumental in helping turning the losing U.T. football program into a winner. Here is the link https://texaslsn.org/garland-kennon-obituary/
Photo is Bob Lackey and Garland Kennon
The DKR Fund
From Debbie Hanna
Hi Billy, please send this important invitation to your email network to those who are concerned about brain health and AD or cognitive impairment.
Ron is a great speaker and very kind to lecture for us. The invitation is a flipbook allowing for direct registration to attend.
The info also appears on the homepage of www.dkrfund.org
Thank you
Debbie
Debbie Hanna says,
Please join the Alzheimer’s Texas board as our guest on Wednesday, January 22nd, for A Dialogue on Alzheimer’s & Dementia with featured speaker Mayo Clinic researcher and clinician Ron Petersen, MD. PhD. FAAN, the first event in our three-part Leading the Conversation Speaker Series. A nationally recognized researcher and clinician, Ron has treated global heads of state and patients at the Mayo Clinic and lectured at prominent world medical conferences. It is our pleasure and honor to bring his wisdom to you.
This event is free, however space is limited. Please check out our flip book below to RSVP for your tickets and learn more about this event:
Jan. 22, 2025: A Dialogue on Alzheimer’s and Dementia
In gratitude,
Debbie Hanna and the Alzheimer’s Texas Board of Directors Rita Hortenstine, Laura Beuerlein, DK Reynolds, Ava Late Sheri Krause, Julie Crenshaw, Bobby Jenkins, Char Hu Linda Shaunessey, Dr. Munro Culllum, Ed Clements
Playing contact sports remains a key factor in many brain diseases. TLSN has chronicled many stories about Horns who have succumbed to Alzheimer’s, CTE, dementia, and other neurological diseases. Here is TLSN’s link to some of the Horns we have lost https://texaslsn.org/trilogy-part-ii-1940-to-present/
TLSN embodies a compassionate and educational ethos, dedicated to preserving the history of Longhorn Sports and providing financial assistance to those who qualify. To support TLSN, please click the button below.
None of the TLSN board members receive compensation for their services. All donations are directed towards fulfilling our Longhorn related missions.
Donate – Building The Longhorn Brand
Shawn Clynch – Inside the Man’s Cave
Shawn Clynch is a retired sportscasting veteran with a long sports media career. He was a multimedia journalist, sports anchor, and reporter for various stations, including KVUE Austin, KOKH FOX 25 Oklahoma City, and KTRE Lufkin-Nacogdoches. He retired from KVUE in 2019 to pursue new career opportunities. One of his sports history media adventures is
“Stories Inside the Man Cave”.
TLSN is lucky if we can produce 10 Longhorn oral history podcasts a year. Shawn has produced 450 podcasts in four years, an incredible accomplishment that reflects his passion for sharing the stories of collegiate and professional sports teams and sports personalities.
With Shawn’s permission, TLSN has created a website page to archive a significant number of his Longhorn brand builder podcasts. The arrangement between TLSN and “Man Cave” is informal, with no contractual obligations or compensation involved. Our goal is to broaden the horizons of our media formats and add quality content and synergistic value to our respective audiences.
Many/most of Shawn’s Longhorn podcasts are at the TLSN link
https://texaslsn.org/shawn-clynchs-man-cave-shares-longhorn-sports-history/
Enjoy the history of Longhorn sports as told by Shawn Clynch
Below are 4 example story’s with links involved. 
Here are four examples of “Cave” podcast and the link to the Longhorn podcast by Shawn Clynch.
https://youtu.be/vTdG8jZozrU
Swindell and Coach Gustafson left , and Keith Moreland right 
link to Lance Blanks
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-2-with-special-guest-texas-longhorns-mens/id1503953389?i=1000469301182.
Megan Willis
The boys had to clean up their act for a lady in the Man Cave. Legendary Texas Longhorn catcher Megan Willis took a break from painting inside her home to talk about UT softball. Willis also talked about her favorite stories from her playing days, including her battery mate, Cat Osterman.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-5-with-special-guest-legendary-longhorn/id1503953389?i=1000470050865
A special 55th edition in honor of the Buffalo #BillsMafia and Longhorn for Life, Aaron Williams.
The former McNeil High School Maverick and DBU great played six great years for the Buffalo Bills. Multiple injuries forced him into retirement, but Williams remains a loyal Buffalo Bill and member of the Bills Mafia fan base.
Williams is elated that his Bills are playing in the AFC Championship game this weekend. He discussed the rabid fan base that is the Bills Mafia and paid tribute to one of the legendary late fans, Pancho Billa.
The former Longhorn defensive back great also offered his take on new Texas head coach, Steve Sarkisian, and some insight on the program itself.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-55-with-aaron-wiliams-longhorn-for-life/id1503953389?i=1000506339038
Some walk-ons make the team, a select few are now enshrined in school, regional, and National Halls of Honor and Halls of Fame for excelling in their sports, but Most walk-ons don’t make the team.
Thanks to a TLSN Facebook subscriber, Marcy Johnson, Donny Eckhardt Jr.’s story is now chronicled in the walk-on section of TLSN. Donny shares some wonderful memories of the Texas and Texas A&M games. But what intrigued me most was that he was a walk-on at Texas.
My Memories of Texas vs Texas aTm By Donny Eckhardt
My first memory of attending this game was in 1974 when I was eleven. My mom got us tickets in the end zone. The wind chill factor was 20 degrees, and it was intermittently raining. I only had a white Texas windbreaker. Texas went up 14-0 in the first minute of the game and went on to win 32-3. I refused to leave until the last play.
I also remember the 1977 game in College Station, where Earl Campbell cemented his Heisman with 222 yards rushing and four touchdowns, and I was in the lower level in that magical moment when Ricky Williams broke the All-Time NCAA career rushing record in 1998 with 259 rushing yards. A patient gave me tickets to the 1999 game in College Station after the bonfire tragedy, and I sat on the front row behind the Aggie bench; every time Texas made a mistake, the TV camera panned in on me. I think we were all pulling for the Aggies that year; they won.
The most important memory to me was in 1982. I had a decent high school football career at Spring Branch, where I led district 17-5A in rushing my senior year, but I did not have the speed to get heavily recruited; I did turn down the Air Force Academy on signing day. Like many Texas boys, I dreamed of playing for the Longhorns. In March of that year, Coach McWilliams invited me to come up to Austin and have a talk. They asked me to walk on to the football team, and since I was already accepted and planning to study premed, I wholeheartedly accepted the invitation.
August training camp started, and we had four freshman running backs: Anthony Bryarly from Newton, Mike January from Lake Charles, Louisiana, the father of current Longhorn DT, Alex January, Jimmy McDavid from Memphis Boys Academy, and me. My first day was not very good; I tripped over the dummies in the gauntlet drill, I had no idea how to run the ropes, and when practice ended, I told Coach Thompson I wanted to stay after and practice what I did wrong, he asked me, “which part?” I got a little better, and just before the season started, they moved Jimmy and me out of the walk-on locker room and into the varsity locker room.
Texas had a pretty good year in 1982. We finished 13th in the country and went 9-3, with our only SWC loss to Seniors Eric Dickerson and Craig James, and the best team money could buy at SMU. I spent most of my practices on the scout team, trying to imitate those guys.
The 1982 game was played on Thanksgiving Day, one of the few times it was not televised. It was a relatively cold 49 degrees with light rain. Texas was led by 1,000-yard rusher Darryl Clark, who had 16 carries for 137 yards. The designated Touchdown machine, Ervin Davis, scored three touchdowns and added 70 yards rushing. To demonstrate how the game has changed, Texas quarterbacks Todd Dodge and Robert Brewer were a combined 6/10 for 145 yards passing.
At 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter, fellow Spring Branch Bear Mike Luck scored on an 8-yard run and made it 53-10 Texas. I was wisely standing near Coach Fred Akers, and he looked at me and said, “Donny, when we get the ball back, you’re in at fullback.” Wouldn’t you know it, the Aggies, led by Gary Kubiak, went on an 11-play, 56-yard drive that took seven minutes and scored with 47 seconds left in the game, but that still left me 40 seconds to play.
I went in. The Longhorns had Danny Akers at quarterback, Michael (Hound) Brown from Lake Highlands at tailback, and Donny Eckhardt at fullback. The call was 71, a fullback lead over the left guard. Longtime NFL Lineman Adam Schreiber was the left guard; he took his man out of the hole, which left me and my 188 pounds in an Oklahoma drill with an Aggie All-American linebacker. I lost; they tackled Hound for a 1-yard gain. We had time for one more play, and Coach Akers yelled at Danny to run whatever he wanted. I lobbied in the huddle to get the ball, but Danny called a sweep, which also went for no gain. Texas celebrated a 53-16 win against the Aggies in Jackie Sherrill’s first year, and I achieved my dream of playing for Texas.
This game is so important to the people in this state, and I am so glad we get to watch these teams square off tonight. Hook ‘Em Horns!!!
Below are a few Longhorn Walk-ons of the many that TLSN has chronicled through the years. Tell the NCAA not to eliminate Walk-ons from the fabric of collegiate sports. 
Denton Cooley wanted to be a jock, not a doctor in his younger years. Fortunately, the confused younger Cooley at Texas discovered the heart and became one of the most esteemed surgeons in the world.
Denton was a 6-4 walk-on center in 1939 and played an important role in winning the SWC championship and participating in the NCAA basketball tournament.
There were no flights to Madison Square Garden, so the team hopped on a train to play Manhattan College. The Horns won. The next day they played in Temple in Philadelphia and lost.
The Horns started the NCAA playoffs heading by train to San Francisco. Coach Gray noticed that Cooley was in the dining car eating buckwheat pancakes. Gray looked at Denton and said, “No buckwheat for you, Buckwheat!” The name stuck for the rest of his years at Texas.
The U.S. Rowing team names former Longhorn Ruth Stiver to its roster for the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Stiver, a first-time National Team member, was Texas’ first-ever Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) selection. She was a walk on in 2000.
The U.S. Rowing team names former Longhorn Ruth Stiver to its roster for the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Stiver, a first-time National Team member, was Texas’ first-ever Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) selection. She was a walk on in 2000.
From 1967 through 1970, three African Americans walked on at Texas: E.A. Curry, Robinson Parsons, and Talmadge Blewitt. E.A. Curry was a teammate on the 1967 freshman team.
Over the past five decades, I have frequently thought about E.A. Curry. Remorse fills me when I reflect on the numerous challenges this admirable young man and talented athlete faced but could not overcome. I would cherish the opportunity to see him again and extend a handshake of respect for his efforts to join the team in 1967. He is in the top row, third from the left on the freshman team.
There are many more walk-on stories shared on the TLSN website.
To enjoy the stories of other Longhorn walk-ons, follow the link provided below.
https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/general-information-about-walking-on
HOME, AND COOKIN’ !
When The Horns Hooked 42 Straight
by Larry Carlson https://texaslsn.org
It was quite a damn feat, this Texas-sized home winnin’ streak. For those who know history, it stretched from when LBJ resided in the White House through the week in which Jimmy Carter was elected to the oval office. More than eight full years. That’s dog years in football seasons, amigo.
It spanned from Oct. 5, 1968 to Nov. 6, 1976.
Think about it. The remarkable string of Texas W’s included the last four home games of one season, all home games the next seven years, then the first two of another. Forty-two straight victories.
Two national championships. Six straight SWC titles with Cotton Bowls plus two other bowl teams and a shared conference crown.
Texas had been mashing foes by ungodly margins for two years when UCLA came to town in early October 1970 to challenge the top-ranked defending national champs. Twenty-two straight wins now, ten of them at home, sweet Memorial Stadium. Uncharacteristically for early autumn, it was a day game. Major renovations were underway, with an upper deck and new press box under construction. Lights out, in more ways than one.
Highlights at home in ’72 included a three-touchdown butt-kicking of #17 Arkansas in a nighttime downpour and a 38-3 laugher over hapless A&M. It was UT’s fourth straight 5-0 worksheet in Austin. The Horns would go on to beat Bama in the Cotton Bowl and finish third in the national rankings.
The ’73 Horns again went unbeaten in SWC play, chalking up a sixth straight championship. In five home games, Texas outscored oopponents by a 43-7 average.
The ’75 season marked the first time for the Longhorns to host six, not five, home games. The wishbone, operated by third-year QB Marty Akins, was in high gear with soph FB Earl Campbell alternately running over and past opponents. Texas averaged 50 points per game in Austin demolition derby matches with Colorado State, Texas Tech and Utah State. The Horns wrecked Rice, Baylor and TCU in their remaining home games, en route to a shared SWC title and a comeback victory over Colorado in Houston’s Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl.
To read Professor Carlsons full story of the 42 home game win streak click-on https://texaslsn.org/42-home-wins-in-a-row-by-larry-carlson/
AND HORNS UP!!!
And with a little luck in 2025 we will be ➡️
