2001 Brad Hermes

From the book One Heart Beat by Mack Brown with Bill Little

“It was the fever that had done it when he was just a year and a half old. But years of reading lips, learning to sign, and adjusting to a hearing aid that brought “environmental sounds” such as a knock at the door or honking a car horn had given him the confidence to believe in himself.”

Enough confidence to walk-on at Texas ultimately led to respect from both the coaches and the team members. Respect is an essential component of the mental makeup of individuals that is hard to quantify. In team sports, players don’t just wake up one day and get respect from a teammate. Respect is earned, not given. There is no “get respect” free card in team sports.

All Longhorn football players’ road to respect starts at the doorsteps of Assistant Athletic Director of Strength and Conditioning Jeff “Mad Dog” Madden. Jeff’s job is to mold the team’s character and its players. It only took Mad Dog a short time to determine that Brad was not the most exceptional talent, but he had the biggest heart. Jeff Madden became an advocate for Brad Hermes.

In some of the most grueling drills, Brad won the event. He may not have heard the respect from his teammates or the coaches, but he could sense he had earned it.

Brad made the kick-off team against New Mexico. For Brad, it was a proud moment, a moment of accomplishment that is no less significant than Notre Dame’s walk-on Rudy’s joy when he entered his first game. It was an important lesson learned for Brad’s teammates that success starts with spirit, drive, and heart, not football stats. HORNS ???? UP!