Coach Parker with Ray Woodard

The funeral mass will be held at St. Williams Catholic Church 620 Round Rock West, Round Rock, TX 78681 at 10am on Friday, August 1, 2025. The recitation of the rosary will precede the mass at 9am. Following the funeral mass there will be a reception at the Parish Hall. The link to Mike Parker's celebration page is https://texaslsn.org/coach-mike-parker-has-passed-away/

There will be a private burial at Fort Sam Houston on another day.

Because of these very fine men, 1976 was a great year for Longhorn Tennis

Recently the 1976 U.T. men's tennis team had a reunion. Kevin Curren made the trip all the way from South Africa with his lovely wife and daughters. Little did these teammates know that after 4 years at Texas 3 teammates would go on to become All Americans and one, Kevin Curren would go on to win the NCAA Singles title in 1979. It didn’t stop there. Kevin went on to win Grand Slam doubles titles at Wimbledon and teamed with fellow teammate Steve Denton to win the US Open Doubles title in 1982. Some of these relationships go back over 60 years.

Hook ‘em Horns !

Left to right : Eddie Blanton, Stewart Keller, Bill Fisher, Steve Denton, Dan Byfield, Kevin Curren and Brad Nabers. Missing are Gary Plock , Graham Whaling and Gonzalo Nunez

Here are a few comments about these champions.

Tom Cornwell
Those were the good old days for sure. Knew most of you guys. Especially Field and Stew Baby. Still see Stew at home football game tailgates each season. Field once in a while. This photo of the 76 team was part of the greatest days in all our lives. Great to see all you fellas

John Kirwan
Wonderful to see teammates reunite, the memories are still alive

Jim Allin
A great team back in the day and I’m sure y’all had a great time recalling so many memories. Don’t wait too long to do it again.

Rick Meyers
Wow! What a great picture. Great memories. I had some battles with Kevin in singles and doubles. And I had at least a match or two against almost all of those guys!

Gary Plock
Sorry to miss a great reunion, looks like you boys had a lot of fun.

Robert Hubbard
Played against several of these guys. Helluva team. Looking good gents!!

for more detailed information about this 1976 tennis team click on https://texaslsn.org/1976-tennis-reunion-remembers-special-moments/

I had coffee with Jay Messer. He's not a Longhorn football player, but he sounds like one since he knows everyone from the 1967 through1970 teams. He was at Bill Catlett's celebration of life event. Jay has lived an interesting life, but so did his father. His dad wanted to be a Longhorn, but financial struggles made it impossible.

Jay shared, "The photo of the Tower during its steel superstructure stage was taken in 1935. My father, Milton Messer, was a 19-year-old welder on this project. Born in Austin in 1916, he was a lifelong Texas Longhorn fan who dearly wanted to attend UT as a student but couldn't afford it after the Great Depression.

Later, he founded the Modern Supply Company, a successful machining and welding business in Austin. He fulfilled his dream by ensuring his four children graduated from college.

Every time he looked at the Tower, he felt immense pride in being part of the University of Texas.

He passed away in 2004, and in his obituary, I mentioned his work on the Tower as a welder. To my surprise, the next day we received two beautiful floral arrangements—one from the President of the University of Texas and another from the Dean of the School of Architecture.

I've never been prouder to be a Texas Longhorn!"

Jay Messer

Teeing Up for a Greater Cause

It has been said that helping one person may not change the world, but it will change the world for one person. With your help, we can continue to honor and support the legacy of those who helped shape ours. Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration. –

Sherryl Hauglum TLSN Board Member

On September 15, 2025 23 former Longhorn brand building athletes will captain their golf 4-some into battle for bragging rights in the first annual Longhorn Legend Golf tournament to raise funds so that no qualifying Longhorn student athlete is left behind when tragedy strikes. 19 have been helped with grants from $2000 to $45,000. The golf tournament will be a

- 5-person Scramble: Each Team Captained by a Legend
- Opening Ceremonies by Radio Legend - Ed Clements
- 50/50 Raffle
- Exciting Tee Prizes
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Silent Auction
- Awards Ceremony with Longhorn Legend - Quan Cosby

Dear Longhorn Community,

As Director of the inaugural TLSN Legends Golf Classic, I want to personally invite you to be part of something that goes far beyond a day of golf. This tournament is a call to the Longhorn community to rally around the people who helped build the Texas Athletics legacy we’re so proud of.

For over ten years, the Texas Legacy Support Network, its founders, and generous donors have quietly stepped in to help former UT student-athletes, coaches, and support staff facing life’s toughest moments—serious illness, injury, and personal crisis. These are the people who wore the burnt orange with pride and gave everything they had on and off the field. Now, when they need support, we want to be there for them.

That’s where you come in.

There are so many ways to be part of this effort:

Sponsor a hole or the tournament and receive a tax write-off (sponsorships range from $ 1000 to $5000.

Play in the tournament—get paired with a Longhorn Legend ($500/player or buy the whole team plus captain for $2,000.

Donate an item for our silent auction

Contribute any amount—every dollar makes a difference

If you’ve ever cheered on a Longhorn win, worn the colors with pride, or felt that you wanted to be a part of something bigger—this is your chance to give back.

Let’s show what it truly means to be a part of this community. Join us.

www.legendsgolfclassic.org

Thank you,

Amanda Carsey

If you have any questions about the logistics of this event please contact Billy Dale @ 972-672-9071 or at Billydale1@gmail.com.

Article in the Houston Chronicle was recently written by Kirk Bohls supporting the TLSN's missions fund raiser to assistant former Longhorn student-athletes who qualify for temporary financial help.

TLSN Chair woman Beth Coblentz, comptroller Jim Kay, co-founder Billy Dale with Kirk Bohls honoring and supporting Tyres Dickson.

Over the last month TLSN has profiled 6 TLSN golf captains , Bill Schoening, Scott Bryant, Jody Conradt, Dusty Renfro, Kaysie Smashey, and Quan Cosby. Below are seven more.

Tom Campbell

Campbell made some legendary plays, including a game-saving interception against Arkansas in the famous "Game of the Century," which secured a 15-14 victory for Texas. He also had a critical interception in the 1970 Cotton Bowl against Notre Dame, which sealed a 21-17 win and the national title for the Longhorns. The link to Tom Campbells interview by TLSN is at

https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/tomcampbell-larrycarlson-flippingtheswitch

David Denny

In 1984, Denny achieved his highest season batting average at .343, in a program record 297 at-bats. The results of the season led Denny to be selected by the Oakland Athletics in the seventh round of the MLB Draft; however, the third baseman decided to come back to the Forty Acres for his senior year.

The return of the senior star led Texas to its fourth consecutive trip to Omaha during his four-year career..

After evaluation players' collegiate statistics and achievements during their college careers for positional suitability, and constructing a batting order that balances high batting averages, speed, and power, David was selected to the Longhorn baseball all-time starting nine.

Captain Chris Plonsky

Chris Plonsky currently is the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director, Chief of Staff / Senior Woman Administrator for the Texas Longhorns

Chris has advanced Women's Sports over the last four decades. In the early 1980s, she helped publicize Texas women's sports programs, leading to increased exposure and financial support. This contributed to national championships in basketball, volleyball, and swimming, as well as the creation of successful softball and rowing programs. Her dedication has shaped Texas Athletics into one of the premier programs in the country.

Chris was recently inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in Waco for her contributions to college athletics, making her only the second woman to be inducted for off-the-field work.

Captain Jay Humphrey

Jay Humphrey, far left in the photo above, was an offensive tackle for the Texas Longhorns football team. He was an Outland Trophy candidate and made some pre-season All-America teams at the University of Texas. Standing at 6'7" and 307 pounds, he was a formidable presence on the field. Humphrey worked hard to improve his strength and flexibility, eventually achieving impressive stats like a 435-pound bench press and a 560-pound squat. He was recognized as an All-American in 1998.

In the photo are Jay Humphrey, TLSN Board Member Ben Adams, Russell Gaskany, Octavious Bishop, and laying down on the job Ricky Williams.

Captain John Danks

TLSN has a "Reflection Point Stories" series written in the first person by former Longhorn student athletes. John shares his story about the NIT championship year at the link https://texaslsn.org/john-danks-reflection-point-basketball/

John Danks was a forward for the Texas Longhorns men's basketball team in the late 1970s. He played a role in the 1977–78 Texas Longhorns squad, which won the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) Championship. That team, coached by Abe Lemons, finished the season 26-5 overall and was ranked No. 17 in the AP Poll. Danks played 93 career games for Texas, averaging 6.9 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, with a 51.9% field goal percentage.

Baseball legends John and Jordan Danks are sons of John.

Captain Cynthia Sampson Shipper

Thanks to Title IX, Wilson Sporting Goods Co. National Account Manager, Cynthia Sampson Shipper, was one of the first women tennis players to receive a full athletic scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin in 1978, and was inducted into the University of Texas at Austin Women’s Athletic Hall of Honor in 2005.

She served as team captain during her junior and senior years and led the 1981 squad to the school's first Southwest Conference title. In 1982, she was named the team MVP. After graduating with honors in journalism, she built a successful career with Wilson Sporting Goods, earning the prestigious Jack Kramer Award in 1987 for excellence in the Racquet Sports Division..

Captain Johnny Moore

Photo is Johnny Moore

Johnny Moore played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns from 1975 to 1979. He was a point guard known for his exceptional passing and leadership on the court. Moore started all 112 games of his college career and finished as the Longhorns' all-time career assists leader with 714 assists. His 8.34 assists per game as a senior remains a UT men's basketball record.

During his time at Texas, Moore helped lead the Longhorns to two Southwest Conference (SWC) co-championships and was a key player in their 1978 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship run. He earned First-Team All-SWC honors in his senior season.

Abe Lemons' policy is to talk to only one team member during one-minute timeouts. He says, “I talk to my quarterback, and he tells the other players, and they take it better coming from him.” Johnny Moore was that man in 1976.

Please click on https://texaslsn.org/ to donate and/or see the list of sponsors. This list will be updated with more sponsors on 7/28/2025. It is $500 to play with a Captain with $405 dollars as a tax write off.

Billydale1@gmail.com

Sponsors for the following are still available.

Driving Range Sponsor.............$2,500

Putting Green Sponsor..............$2,500

Closest to the Pin........................$2,000

Long Drive Sponsor....................$2,000

Team Sponsor..............................$2,000

Hole Sponsor...............................$1,000

tennis, Parker, golf tournament ,