The inaugural TLSN Legends Golf Tournament on September 15, 2025, was a great success—or at least that's what the TLSN Board believes, judging by the enthusiastic response from the golf team shown below. This team included Longhorn tennis legend Captain Kaysie Smashey (in a blue top), along with Kurt Hundl, April Hundl, Angela Freeze, and Jacque Soptick.

If you would like to skip right to all the photos and comments related to the TLSN Legends golf tournament please click on https://texaslsn.org/september-2025-tlsn-inaugural-golf-tournament-photos/

This site is not complete so revisit the link from time to time as TLSN updates the site with more photos. What is missing but soon to be added are drone movies of the TLSN Legends golfing event.

A special shout-out to Amanda Carsey, the organizer of this event, for a job well done. Golf tournaments are detail-oriented events with many variables to coordinate, and her task was made even more challenging by three A-type personalities on the TLSN Board trying to direct her—despite having no experience in organizing a successful golf tournament from scratch. Hiring Amanda was undoubtedly the best decision the Board made. Below is a photo of Amanda with NBA legend Rudy Tomjanovich.

Attending the Event were Dr. John S. Butler and Ed Clements

This team below led by Legend Captain Glenn Blackwood included Ted Constanzo, Larry Martin, Steve Hall, and John Chronis.

All the legacy participants, sponsors, golf teams, dignataries enjoyed breakfast (left photo below) before the Shotgun start, and a late banquet lunch after the tournament was over (right).

During the banquet, the winners received their earned awards.

The TLSN Legends golf tournament mission was to raise funds for the TLSN 501 (c) (3) mission while fostering a sense of fellowship among fans and former Longhorn athletes.

To date, 19 former student-athletes have received grants ranging from $2,000 to $45,000.

TLSN raises funds and provides grants to support its qualifying base, ensuring that no one eligible for assistance slips through the cracks of societal safety nets during times of tragedy. These grants have eased dire situations for many. Here are two of the 19 individuals TLSN has supported, made possible by the generous donations from the Longhorn Nation.

Yanaq Quispe has been fighting leukemia since 2017. He is the son of Jackie Campbell, a former Texas Longhorns volleyball player, and his journey has profoundly impacted the UT community and beyond. Jackie reduced her work hours to care for Yanaq, juggling financial struggles with his demanding medical needs.

Yanaq has endured countless hospital stays while battling leukemia, with his most recent extended stay being at M.D. Anderson.

Jackie qualified for financial assistance from TLSN, and with the support of the Christian Foundation of Glenn and Beth Blackwood, Yanaq has received significant financial help.

Ken Capps Shares the TLSN Story about Honorary Captain Tyres Dickson Burnt orange Spirit

Thank you Billy Dale for inviting me out to the First Annual Texas Legends Golf Classic - starring Longhorns from every sport, every era, through decades of national championships.
I was there not to play, but to support Texas Legacy Support Network, whose stated mission is to preserve Texas sports history and assist former Longhorn athletes in need.
What a gathering of longtime friends & childhood heroes !
But nobody on the course more inspirational or impressive than Tyres Dickson, a UT football player whose career was ended and life upended by a drunk driver, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down in 1998.
Dickson and two-time national championship QB Donnie Wigginton toured the course by golf cart, and those big smiles could light up DKR in a burnt orange minute !
Congrats to you Billy and your all-star committee - the Best Is Yet To Come !!

Tyres Dickson’s legacy isn’t measured in touchdowns or tackles—it’s in the lives he’s touched and the strength he’s shown. His story reminds us that the Longhorn family extends far beyond the field.

Tyres Dickson’s story is one of the most poignant and powerful in Texas Longhorns football history—a testament to resilience, community, and the enduring spirit of “Texas Fight.”

In 1997, he chose the University of Texas, saying, “I could’ve went anywhere, but my heart was with Texas”. On March 22, 1998, while returning to Austin after spring break, Dickson was in a car struck by a drunk driver. He was asleep in the back seat and woke up weeks later in a hospital, paralyzed from the chest down.

Tyres leaned on faith and the values he learned at UT to rebuild his life. He became a motivational speaker and advocate for perseverance. In 2009, he joined Goodwill Industries of Houston and was later honored as Goodwill International’s Achiever of the Year.

Despite years of medical setbacks—including being bedridden from 2013 to 2018—he continued to inspire others with his story. The Texas Legacy Support Network (TLSN) stepped in to offer financial assistance when Dickson faced mounting medical bills. Their support reflected the deep bonds within the Longhorn community.
Dickson remains a proud member of the T Association, representing the football class of 1997 and embodying the spirit of never giving up.

A Reflection Point Moment told by the founders of the TLSN Board.

The 10-year journey of TLSN to the Legends golf tournament on September 15, 2025, has been tough. Launching something groundbreaking on a shoestring budget brings countless challenges, many of them unforeseen, leading to delays that can stretch on for years.

For example, lawyers Benny Pace and Jim Kay, co-founders of TLSN, started their journey to 2025 in 2014, when NIL didn’t exist, and the NCAA had nearly complete control over college athletics. Choosing the right approach to tackle the complex puzzle of NCAA compliance standards was a key step in securing TLSN’s 501(c)(3) approval, especially when financial factors came into play.

It took us more than a year to convince the NCAA that we weren’t attempting to bypass the NCAA compliance system to fund recruiting efforts for Texas athletes.

Side note- Ironically, with NIL now established, paying athletes is perfectly acceptable. I can’t help but smile when I think about how SMU received the death penalty for something that’s now completely legal.)

Navigating U.T. compliance was far easier than dealing with the NCAA. Interim Athletic Director Mike Perrin and the U.T. compliance department swiftly approved the TLSN mission. With approval from both the NCAA and U.T. in 2017, Benny, Jimmy, and I, armed with IRS approval for a 501(c)(3), developed a long-term plan.

We never knew how long it would take to fulfill our mission, and it’s still ongoing. From 2017 to 2022, progress was slow, but we kept moving forward. In 2023 and 2024, the TLSN website's readership grew exponentially, surpassing a million impressions. Then, on September 15, 2025, TLSN achieved a major milestone, making significant strides in sharing its compassionate mission. Despite this, only about 15% of former Longhorn student-athletes are aware of TLSN's existence, leaving much room for improvement.

Our mission won’t be complete until every former Longhorn student-athlete knows about TLSN. Our goal remains to ensure no former Longhorn student-athlete is left behind when a helping hand is needed.

HORNS UP!!

https://texaslsn.org/?give_forms=givewp-donation-form-2

Implementation of the TLSN mission starts with the Board of Directors. We continue to seek one qualifying board member in any Longhorn sport who was a manager, trainer, or athlete from the years 1995 thorough 2015. Reach-out to Billydale1@gmail.com if interested.

The TLSN Board of Directors from left to right:

David Lowery was named to the All-College World Series team in 1989, a testament to his clutch performance on the national stage.

NIT basketball champion John Carsey,

Chair of the Board and national champion volleyball player Beth Coblentz,

CEO Billy Dale- TLSN co-founder and two-time National Champion in football,

CFO Jim Kay- TLSN co-founder and two-time National Champion manager in football ,

Sherryl Hauglum runner-up for the national championship in basketball, and

All-American Ben Adams (a blocker and a important reason that Ricky Williams won the Heisman trophy.)

TLSN Legends Golf Classic