Bobby Giles- Longhorn football letterman, entrepreneur, and creative Blue Grass musical artist.
1972 – Bobby Giles played a key role on a successful Longhorn football team.
I initially wanted to share the story of Bobby Giles because AI said he was a walk-on football player at Texas who neither played nor lettered. Garbage in, garbage out with AI, so be careful and don’t believe everything you read. All AI is a compilation of internet data, assimilated and regurgitated in a form that is sometimes NI (no Intelligence). I am guilty of reading NI about Bobby, but it will not happen again.
Bobby Giles is a Longhorn football letterman from the early 1970s who honed his athletic skills and earned his teammates’ respect.
Teammate Jay Arnold says, “Bobby was a prime example of a team player. He gave it his all, no matter where they put him, even on the practice squad. His outgoing personality was a unifier for the team on and off the field.” In the team photo below, Jay is #41, third row, far right.
Teammate Pat Kelly says, “Morning Billy- One piece of trivia that you add is when Bobby joined the popular singing group ‘Up With People’ which included performing the halftime show at Super Bowl XI at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. I always thought it was neat to watch the Super Bowl halftime show and see Bobby on the field singing.
Pat Kelly
Pat is in the second row, second from the left, wearing jersey #16.
Bobby -4th row 5th from the right wearing jersey # 58
Bobby Giles is also a Texas Panhandle-inspired bluegrass singer, songwriter, and storyteller, leading the band Bobby Giles & Texas Gales. Bell Buckle Records released his album *The Music of Life*, featuring themes like Texas landscapes, trains, faith, and Texas culture.
After graduating from Texas, he continued to sharpen his skills to fulfill his lifelong dreams. With a background in competitive athletics that requires structure, passion, and discipline to succeed, he is now blessed with successful lifelong skills in business leadership and the arts. Today, Bobby is a Texas entrepreneur and award-winning bluegrass artist.
He is President of Alive@5 Nutrition LLC, which conceives innovative functional beverage brands and private-label solutions, specializing in product development, retail distribution, and strategic partnerships. One example of his work is in the photo below.
As a musician, he continues to lead Bobby Giles & Texas Gales, a band recognized in Texas bluegrass circles with major competition wins and induction into the Gatesville Country Music Hall of Fame.
On Sunday, May 31, 2026, at the Batch in East Austin, former Longhorn lineman and T Man Bobby Giles and the Texas Gales were the headlining performers at the Central Texas Bluegrass Festival. Several of Bobby’s teammates, Jay Arnold, Bobby Tresch, and Pat Kelly, were there to support and enjoy his music.
