1947- It was a very good year

1947 is one of the  two best years for sports in Longhorn History.  This year All of the “major” sports teams receive national recognition. 

The Baseball Team In  1947 Has A 19-2 Record

• They Are SWC Champions;

• Set A Attendance Record When 7,000 Fans Attend The Baylor Game To Watch Bobby Layne Hold Baylor To 4 Hits And To Score The Only Run Of The Game;    

• Qualify For The  NCAA Tournament;And

• Finish The Season 4th In The Nation.  

•  

Basketball 1947 – 26-2 record 

One of the best teams in Texas Basketball history !

This team is undefeated in conference play makes the Final 4 and and finishes 3rd at the NCAA tournament.

This team is composed of

• The mighty Mice all under 5’11” – Al Madsen, Slater Martin, and Roy Cox – lead the team.

• John Hargis also plays an important role.

Track 1947

• This track team had great sprint relay teams and Jerry Thompson was named as an All American.

• The Longhorns scored the most points at the national meet in the history of Texas track (at this time in history)

• Jerry Thompson is 1st in the 500 meters

• Charley Parker is 2nd in the 200, and 6th in the 100.

• John Robertson is 3rd in triple jump 4th in long jump

• Frank Gaess is 3rd in the javelin

Football 1947

The football team loses 1 game by one point and beats Alabama in the Sugar bowl to finish 5th in the nation. 

The only loss is to to SMU on a misfired play between Tom Landry ( Cowboy Coach)  and Bobby Layne. On 4th and 1 on the SMU 35 Tom Landry slips and falls and cannot get up.  Tommy Landry said ” I could not get up … was such a helpless feeling…. there went the drive…there went the ball game …”, “and there went the undefeated season”.

The 1947 team is recognized as national champion by some national rating services but not recognized by Texas or the NCAA. 

Texas travels by air for the first time to play Oregon.

Layne becomes Texas first 4 time all SWC player.

Ed Kelly literally loses his pants in the Arkansas game.

SMU Game Doak Walker, Tom Landry, And Bobby Lane- Picture From Dolph Briscoe Center

Most of Bobby Layne’s records have been broken, but he still is second in all time quarterback wins with 28.

Cherry uses a 5-3 defense and changes the offense to a wing-T formation so he can move Bobby Layne from tailback to the under center quarter back.

This is the last year coke bottles are sold at the OU game. According to DKR ( a member of the Sooner squad) after a  poor call against OU ” half the field was covered with coke bottles”.  Royal said ” Idiots were throwing them from up high. .. I went right straight out to the 50.  I was going to make ’em throw their best to get me.”

1947 Golf

SWC champs

12  at the NCAA championship 

Bob Watson is SWC medalist

1947   Coach Penick Tennis

Coach Daniel Penick a distant cousin of Harvey Penick lead the tennis team to 8th at the NCAA tournament.  

Betsy Rawls is a sophomore  at Texas and studies physics. Harvey Penick molds her into one of the greatest golfers of all time. Betsy loved Harvey.  She said “his interest in students for their own sake rather than for the sake of his own reflected glory” won her over. Thru the years Betsy refers many other women golfers to Harvey .

Jane Patterson  is a pioneer in women’s aquatics and is the first Texas female to wear a tank suit. Undefeated from 1947-1955, she held every major state record when she retired. 

Jane is  inducted into the Texas Swimming Hall of Fame for her contributions to the sport as a swimmer, coach, and supporter of swimming in Texas.