TLSN has two missions- one creates a path, and the other builds a bridge.
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Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” TLSN has left the established path and is building new Longhorn trails to honor the past, celebrate the present, and empower the future.
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On April 29th, 2017, TLSN made intercollegiate athletic sports history. TLSN is the first private charitable and tax-exempt with the specific mission of offering temporary financial assistance to qualifying former Longhorn student-athletes, coaches, student managers, trainers, and their immediate families. Longhorn athletes who, through no fault of their own, have fallen through societal safety nets. Through the years 24 former Longhorn student-athletes have received a gift from LSG or a grant from TLSN varying from $2000 to $45,000.
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DKR’s great heart and concern for the future of his athletes after graduation is the inspiration behind the TLSN mission. Royal built his life around the poem “The Bridge Builder” by Will Allen Dromgoole. Dromgoole’s poem is an allegory that shares bridges are needed to help youth reach the other “side” safely. TLSN continues Royal’s mission to build bridges to help those who need assistance to the other side. Below is the relevant part of the poem.
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“The builder” (DKR) “lifted his old gray head and said; “Good friend, in the path I have come there followed after me today A youth whose feet must pass this way. This chasm that has been as naught to me to that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be; He, too, must cross in the twilight dim; Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!” Thank you, Coach Royal, for building my bridge in the twilight dim so I could reach the other side safely and continue my chosen path. Billy Dale #22 .
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The TLSN Legends Golf Classic tournament, scheduled for October 19, 2026, aims to raise funds to support former Longhorn student-athletes, staff members, and their immediate families when tragedy strikes .
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The golf tournament helps replenish the TLSN checking account, enabling us to better support those who qualify for assistance. Over the years, 25 Longhorns have received gifts or grants ranging from $2,000 to $45,000. Recent recipients include Tony Jeffery, Coach Rucker, Tyres Dickson, and Terry Collins, who have been awarded grants to help alleviate their circumstances. Here is more information about the tournament.
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Where – Barton Creek Resort – Fazio Foothills Course
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When – Monday, October 19, 2026 (Monday following the UT vs. Florida football weekend)
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The Format of the event is a Five-person Scramble. Each team is captained by a former Longhorn national brand builder or an active Longhorn coach or administrator. As of 8/17/2026- These UT Legends are the Team Captains. Glenn Blackwood, Randy Braband, Ricky Brown, Tom Campbell, Michelle Carter, Coach Jody Conradt, Tony Jeffery, Brooks Kieschnick, Dana LeDuc, Travis Mays, Randy McEachern, Keith Moreland, Coach Pat Patterson, Chris Plonsky, Cory Redding, Jaxon Shipley, Jordan Shipley, Jackie Swaim-DiNardo, and Coach Mike White.
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Rey Moreno (second from the right in the photo below) served as a track and field manager from 1973 to 1976 and later as a Texas Relays official until 1984. In the coming year, he will be sharing the history of Longhorn track and field, with TLSN authorized to publish his research on their website.
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Photo above- 2024 Texas Relay reunion- left to right- Jeff Kirk, Charlottes Bedford Anderson, alex Studstill, Susan Abernathy Murphy, Carol Sheffield Latin, Darlyn Cartwright, Rey Moreno, Dana Le Duc
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Rey says, “I’m working on a Texas Relays project. 100 UT athletes who took part in the relay and 100 coaches and support staff who were important factors in building the Longhorn sports legacy.
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First up on the history of Longhorn track and field are images of some coaches that played an important role in Longhorn Legacy building. Coaches Bill Miller, Cleburne Price jr, James Blackwood , Bubba Thornton, and Tim Hamilton.
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Jack Patterson and Cleburne Price |
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Tim Hamilton when he was running track at Alabama |
Over the last decade Rey has helped TLSN build its Longhorn track and field site, and TLSN will return the favor if he needs collateral material to use in his historical story line. As a side note three years ago, he asked if I would like to join him at the UT tent at The Meyer during the Texas Relays. I accepted and it was a very special day for me to be a part of Longhorn track and field greatness.
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2025 reunion Rey Moreno, Coach James Blackwood and Tim Hamilton |
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Rey Moreno and Billy Dale |
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Rey Moreno and Alvin Friedan |
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Rey is asking for the names of those who you think in track and field helped build the Longhorn brand. I will name three – Dave Morton, Dana LeDuc, and Johnny Lam Jones. I have more but hope you will share your list. If you would like to contact Rey directly email me your address so I can forward to him. I don’t want to share his email on a public site that could be exploited. I am Billydale1@gmail.com.
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1982 Mike Wacker basketball injury |
National championship teams require good recruiting, a competent coaching staff, players with faith in the system, trust and respect from teammates, talent, team chemistry, a strong work ethic, and a little luck. There are many Longhorn teams across most sports that have had all the ingredients to win a national championship except “a little luck.” The most prominent unlucky break are Injuries to key players like the photo of Jim Wacker below that ruined a national championship run.
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There are several women’s basketball teams that were one unlucky break from winning the national championship. Coach Conradt is one of the greatest Longhorn coaches of all time and with a little luck, Coach Conradt’s teams could have challenged Connecticut women’s basketball as the best program in intercollegiate women’s basketball history. Instead, Coach Conradt was faced with bad luck on great teams which included Injuries and quirky plays that derailed some Longhorn national championship runs. For instance, in 1982-1983, the team had a 30-3 record, but 5 knee injuries ruined a National championship run.
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1987 injury to Clarissa Davis Unlucky break: Texas women’s basketball entered the 1987 NCAA Tournament as the defending national champion, undefeated in conference play, and ranked among the top teams in the country. But Clarrissa Davis suffered a key late‑season injury that disrupted their rotation heading into the Final Four.
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Many of you don’t know that TLSN also has a very successful Facebook page that shares the history of Longhorn sports daily. I asked the members of the TLSN Facebook site to list Longhorn teams that had all the ingredients to win the national championship except luck. Below is a list of some of the TLSN subscribers’ unlucky Longhorn teams.
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Can you name the sport, year, and unlucky event that cost a great Texas team a national championship? Recalling may be painful, but your comments will be part of an article with photos that Billy Dale is writing on this subject. If you send me a JPEG image of you, it will be added to your comments. I am Billydale1@gmail.com.
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Larry Smith says the loss to Colorado in the Big 12 championship (2001). Earlier in the day, top-ranked Miami was upset.
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Chris McComb says – 1989 College World Series when the network made it a winner-take-all game in the final vs Wichita State instead of a best-of-three series. No way they beat us twice.
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John Robinson says Colt McCoy’s freak injury early against Alabama cost us a national championship. We were well prepared and the better team that night.
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Burton C. Turner says, “Oh wow, that Cotton Bowl against Georgia, where Texas lost 10-9 because a defensive back touched a punt and gave Georgia the ball and a chance at a touchdown.” Texas was up 9- 3, and that defensive back mistakenly touched a Georgia punt, and that was it. But that Texas team has the defense and was definitely #1. Wish they had won that game for the championship.
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Perry Giles-Colt’s injury against Alabama in the Rose Bowl. I really think we win with Colt in that game. The muffed punt against Georgia in the Cotton Bowl was just a heartbreaker
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John Wooden -Fumble in 1984 Cotton Bowl, missed interception against Texas Tech in Lubbock 2008
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George Gentry III– Mike Wacker’s horrific knee injury led to the demise of UT basketball until Tom Penders was hired. Likely accelerated the departure of Abe Lemons. Kudos to Wacker, who gave it his best shot to come back, but his injury was essentially career-ending.
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Dale Bearden– Fumbled punt against Georgia when Fred Akers was coach. I can’t remember the exact year. Injury to Colt against Alabama. While my memory goes back to the Duke Carlisle days, it’s not vivid enough for me to remember many details of the Royal era.
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Jeffery Smith– Dropped 2 pt. Pass to Hix Green in the final seconds of the 64 Arkansas game. Dropped long pass to wide open Jordan Shipley in 08 Tech game cost us a shot at the conference title game and possibly the title game versus Florida
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Don Shelton – Oct 8, 1977 Losing Mark McBath AND Jon Aune in the first quarter. God bless Randy McEachern, but McBath was qb1 for a damn good reason. That was a great team and a great game. Classic intense defensive slugfest befitting the 2nd Saturday in October. Huge late 4th quarter 4th & 1 stop by Brad Shearer and Johnnie Johnson at our 5. Four plays later, Russell Erxleben would launch a 69-yard punt to completely flip the field and seal the win. Erxleben also kicked FG’s of 58 and 64 yards. Did I mention EC? He ran 23 times for 124 yds and his 25 yd TD is the iconic run of his career (assisted by a block from our TE and only Oklahoman on the team, Steve Hall).
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Cat Osterman Softball 2003 — Unlucky break: Texas had the best pitcher in the country — and arguably the best pitcher in NCAA history — in Cat Osterman. They reached the WCWS but suffered multiple low‑scoring losses where the offense couldn’t capitalize despite Osterman’s dominance.
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In 1961, James Saxton’s injury during the TCU game played a pivotal role in one of the most significant upsets in Longhorn football history. This loss to TCU impacted Texas’s pursuit of a national championship. |
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A day that will live in infamy. Referee points in Georgia’s favor on a recovery of a muffed punt that eventually resulted in the winning touchdown by Georgia in 1983. It cost the Horns a National Championship this team deserved.
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The injury to Colt against Alabama for the national championship happened on this play. |
Men’s swimming 1990: The relay DQ that flipped the entire meet for the men swimmers. Texas entered the 1990 NCAA swimming Championships as the defending national champion and heavy favorite. A controversial relay disqualification early in the meet erased crucial points and forced Texas to chase from behind. They ultimately finished second to Stanford.
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The 25‑inning drain—unlucky break: 2018 Texas won the longest baseball game in NCAA history (25 innings), but the marathon completely exhausted the pitching staff. In the following games, Texas’ arms were depleted, and they couldn’t sustain momentum. This was a championship‑caliber roster derailed by an unprecedented drain on endurance.
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In 2023, on Texas’s deepest run in the basketball playoffs since 2008, Texas fired head coach Chris Beard, which was a destabilizing event. An unlucky set of circumstances forcing Rodney Terry into the interim role. Despite the chaos, Texas reached the Elite Eight but lost to Miami after blowing a second‑half lead.
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Men’s basketball 1943 & 1947 — Early‑era Final Four losses by a combined 5 points
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Texas reached the basketball Final Four twice in the 1940s and lost both times by extremely narrow margins: 1943: Lost 58–54 to Wyoming (eventual champion). 1947: Lost 55–54 to Oklahoma. Holy Cross beat O.U. for the national championship.
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