1951-1956 Coach Price

Coach Price chose to move from the T formation to the split T formation which required a running quarterback. His goal was to run more and pass less. For the first 8 games in 1951, Texas averaged 34 yards per game passing.

1951  – 7-3 RECORD  COACH PRICE SWC champions

Coach Price says about this year, “we beat the tough teams but got beat by the weaker ones.”

Dick Peebles, a sports writer says that Price is inheriting “one of the hottest football sports of any coach in the land. Here’s hoping he has asbestos britches.”

Ed Price Is Hired As Head Coach (1951- 1956).  Ed Was  Assistant Head Coach Under Three Texas Head Coaches From 1936-1950

Coach Ed Price as head coach.  In the early 30’s Coach Price won 8 letters with the Longhorns and played on championship teams in football, basketball, and baseball .  The 50’s were tough for head coaches and play calling. Coaches could not shuttle in plays or signal from the sideline. During the game only the quarterback called the plays and no one else. 

 The team went to a split “T.” It was moderately successful.  Gib Dawson and Don Barton had plenty of running room, and the team had many long runs.   Passing was the primary weakness of the team. There were two games that no yards were gained thru the air.  In fact, by mid-season, the Longhorn defense had more interceptions than the offense had completed.   The Defense, composed of Dillon, Davis, Raley, Cunningham, and Menasco, earned the name “anti-aircraft platoon”.  

This Team’s Defense Holds The Longhorn Record For Fewest passing Yards Allowed In A Game (-1).

Dan Page holds the Texas game record for the highest gain per passing attempt (25).

4 players make the All-SWC team- Dawson, Sewell, Dillon, and Williams. Dillon was named to an All-American team.

Horns start the season by beating Bear Bryant’s Kentucky team 7-6. It was considered an upset victory

Right before the team boarded the bus for the OU game, Gib Dawson’s father dies in front of the team. Gib does not play in the OU clash. The game is dedicated to Gib, and Texas wins 9-7.

The Oklahoma Bone Dry Enforcement Association requested that Texas close all liquor stores between the Oklahoma state line and the Cotton Bowl. The association went on to say t“We fear that if the Sooners get the usual rotten brand of officiating, they do in the putrid state of Texas that they will be tempted to get drunk and make a shambles of the whole northern part of your semi-civilized state.”

Texas loses to Arkansas for the first time since 1938.

Peter Gardere Senior – one play and out

Peter was a defensive back at Texas in 1951. He was the son of George Gardere, a 143-pound quarterback who led his team to victories against Alabama and Rice in 1922 before suffering a career-ending jaw injury against Southwestern. Twenty-nine years later, George looked at the injury to his son on an x-ray and fainted.

Peter’s neck was broken in half. Frank Medina was the first one to reach Peter after the injury. After the successful surgery, Coach Price told Gardere’s parents that Peter was given another year’s eligibility. Peter’s mother said to Coach Price, “get out of here!” Peter Gardere’s football career was one play and 8 seconds against Kentucky.

1952 9-2 Coach Price – Ranked #10 nationally

Texas lost to #3 Notre Dame, and #4 Oklahoma but beat Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl.

This was Coach Price’s best team. 7 members of the 1952 team are All-SWC. Tom Stolhandske and Harley Sewell made All-American status and helped the Horn beat Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl.

The professional draft picked eleven members of Ed Price’s 1952 class.

The Horns set an SWC offensive record of 386.5 yards per game that lasted until 1968.

In 1952  the NCAA decided to allow a few games on National T.V.  The thought was that t.v. Would reduce attendance at games.  So there was one National game a week for eight weeks during the season and regional games the other two weeks.

The Longhorns were SWC champions and set new offensive records at UT.

T- Jones leads the way to a great season with only two setbacks to Notre Dame and Oklahoma. The split-T required T-Jones to call most of the plays and blocking assignments at the line of scrimmage. As a result, a majority of the plays were changed right before the snap.

Oklahoma beats Texas 49 to 20, with OU Coach Wilkinson leaving his first team in the game until the 58th minute. This angers a lot of Horns. OU sports writer John Cronley titles an article for the paper

“ The sighs of Texas are upon OU.”

Ochoa rushes for 927 yards and 108 against Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl.

 Final ranking 10th nationally.

Texas plays Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl on January 1, 1953.  All of Texas points were made off of Tennessee errors.  Tennessee had the best defense in the nation going into the Texas game.  Dick Ochoa was the MVP of the Cotton Bowl.  Harley Sewell was declared best lineman.  Texas ran 90 plays to Tennessee’s 41

This team’s defense holds the Longhorn game record for fewest rushing yards allowed (-76).

 When Frank Medina told Ma Griffin to cut back on the amount of food at dinner some of the players complained to Coach Price they were starving to death. Price consulted the health Center and gave the boys the good news that it takes a guy 32 days to starve to death so not to worry.

A ticket sales solicitation from 1952 –  The document is as true in 2018 as it was in 1952. Some problems never change.

October 4, 1952  Pictures of Memorial Stadium during the N.D. and Texas game.   Nationally Notre Dame is number 19 and Texas is #5. Because of the heat in Texas stadium, Notre Dame requests a bench on the West side of Memorial Stadium with the Longhorns. Texas agrees. We lose the game 14-3. OU beats Texas the next week. Pictures of stadium compliments of Harris Argo. 

Top rated single in 1952

A record that will never be broken – All 4 backs made the  SWC team- Ocha, Dawson, and Quinn finish 1-2-3 in SWC rushing. Jones was the most productive passer in the league.

T. Jones is the number 1 passer in the SWC, and Tom Stolhandske is the leading receiver. The defense only allows 80 yards per game during the season.

Texas beats Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl by holding Tennessee to a net 32 yards. It was the first nationally televised New Years’ Day game.

J.T. King Plays Offensive Guard For Dana Bible And Later is Bible’s Assistant Coach. He Also is  Assistant Under Ed Price In The 50’S , and Eventually Takes Over The Texas Tech Program In The 60’S. 

In 1981 King is inducted to the University of Texas Men’s Athletics Hall of Honor. 

Coach J.T. King said, “Harley Sewell has never had a bad day, and what’s more, he never had a bad practice. He is the most consistent lineman I’ve ever seen.”

A fan complains to assistant coach J.T. King that Harley Sewell was dipping snuff the night before the Cotton Bowl game.   King said to the fan, ” If you’ll find out what brand Harley is dipping, I’ll recommend it to the whole damn team.”

Texas beats Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl by holding Tennessee to a net of 32 yards. The Chattanooga Times reporter Buss Walker said, “Tennessee’s proud Bals escaped with their brand new white jerseys and little else.”

1953  7-3 –   COACH PRICE SWC co-champs

By 1956, only 4 of 41 recruits remained from the 1953 freshman class.

The rules committee repealed substitutions. One platoon football returned. This was terrible news for great players on only one side of the ball. Starters had to be good at playing the whole game on offense and defense. A player who is great on offense but lousy on defense will lose his position to a player who is good on offense and good on defense but not great at either.  

Texas plays in their first regular-season nationally televised game.

Final ranking 11th nationally

“Smokey” arrives to celebrate all scores. 

Carlton Massey receives the Most Valuable Player award from the Chicago Tribune, and he was a consensus All-American. Massey was unrecruited and joined the Horns only after the college team he played for (Southwestern) gave up football. Frank Medina said the young man had tremendous determination to succeed. “After the doctor released Massey, he came in and rode the stationary bicycle 40 miles in the morning and 40 miles in the afternoon before he’d even walk out on the practice field.”

Delano Womack’s acceptance speech at the Hall of Honor is below

1954 Record  4-5-1 Coach Price

Played Notre Dame and turned the ball over 8 times. It was Texas’ first shut-out loss in 77 games.

Enrollment at Texas was 15,960 students with 150,000 alumni.

Gib Dawson receives the Most Valuable player award from the Chicago Tribune. 

 The first black athlete to play in Memorial stadium was Washington states Duke Washington.

A record crowd of 76,204 fans attended the Texas-OU game. Even though OU had 5 fumbles Texas still lost. Fans and the local sports media start to criticize Coach Price preparation for games. The sports editor of the Austin American Statesman claimed Texas was out of shape. After losing to Rice one of the owl players said “They just ain’t in shape, that’s all.”

This team allowed the fewest touchdowns by the pass (2).  

Plexiglass wrap around mask debut in college football. 

There were no limits on scholarships .  Some schools brought in as many as a 100 freshman a year to prepare for the injuries that were inevitable. 

NCAA implemented strict rules that required mouth pieces.  There was no option available.

From the book Junction Boys the author  Jim Dent says until the advent of T.V. “many in the general public considered football one step above pro wrestling. It was a time when coaches believed that games were won in the trenches with hard nose blocking, tackling , and a lot of bleeding.”  Jim also states that the Longhorns had 120 varsity players and 150 players trying out for the freshman team.

Only Lansford makes the All-SWC team from Texas.

Texas beats Bear Bryant in his first year as the Aggie coach and Bear says “Texas is the best team we’ve played this season.”

1955-   5-5 RECORD   COACH PRICE

First night game: Texas Tech 20, Texas 14 (9/17/1955) Attendance: 47,000

Bobby Layne joined the Texas coaching staff for the Spring of 1955 to work with the quarterbacks.

Charley Brewer (Robert Brewers dad 1982) quarterbacked the Horns to a 21-6 victory over the Aggies.

Not a good game for the Horns, but notice the bright orange color of the Texas uniforms. Burnt Orange was not reinstated as the official Longhorn Color until the the mid-1960’s under DKR.

Because there is no “National Letter of Intent,” players could change their minds on a college up to the day football practice began.

Oklahoma is put on probation for recruiting violation, but even though OU was charged with illegal recruiting, the Sooners were still allowed by the NCAA to claim a national championship. The same scenario also occurred in 1956.

According to the book Junction Boys, the Aggies are put on probation due to testimony from Yoakum quarterback Bob Manning who signed with Texas, and Tom Sestak, who went to Baylor.  Both players signed affidavits stated they were offered money to play at A & M.  Aggies are put on probation and could not play in a Bowl game for two years.  

Harley Clark (far right in photo) the head Longhorn cheerleader creates the Horn sign. Harley says he was inspired while travelling Italy by a sign the Italians used. He did not know until many years later that the sign translated to “cuckold”. A cuckold is the husband of an adulterous wife.

Most popular song Tutti Frutti

Lights Were Added To The Stadium 

Texas Tech And Texas Play the First Night Game in the SWC At Memorial Stadium.

 Texas beat 8th ranked Texas A & M holding the Aggies to 3 first downs and 30 yards rushing. The loss cost the Aggies the SWC championship.

1956 – 1- 9 RECORD  – COACH PRICE

Part of the blame for such a poor Longhorn performance this year was due to the new higher admission standards at Texas. Higher than Rice but lower than Texas A & M.

This is the worst record in Longhorn football history.  The first Effigy of Price appeared from a window on the Drag after the Arkansas loss. After two more effigies were hung in the campus area Coach Price tendered his resignation letter on October 31, 1956.

No Longhorn made the All-SWC team. Walter Fondren is MVP on the team.

This Team’s Defense Holds The Longhorn Game Record For Fewest Pass Receptions Allowed (0).

For the first time , live T.V. captured the action of a SWC game and Bear Bryant’s Aggies finally beat the Horns.  In the defeat Walter Fondren code name “TNT” by the Aggies because he “sputters” to  the line then explodes with a burst of speed to the open field. 

THE TEXAS FANS IN BOTH BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL ARE CONSIDERED RUDE, RUTHLESS, AND UNFORGIVING. THE SEPTEMBER 1956 EDITION OF  THE RANGER  SAID “ALTHOUGH THE ALUMNI HAVE MANY WAYS OF REACHING A FOOTBALL GAME, THEY USUALLY RIDE THE COACHES.” .

“Then they brought Royal in, and from the first time he walked into the room at a team meeting, you could tell things had changed. He was pretty blunt and plain-spoken, and he had a certain swagger to him that let you know he was definitely in charge.”

T-Jones joined Coach Price staff in 1956, not knowing the deep-rooted anger that plagued the coaching staff. T Jones said, “At that time, I had no idea what I was getting into. The program was in trouble: The staff was split into factions; there was confusion, low morale, disloyalty, and a lot of politics. We went 1-9, and Ed was fired, and there I was one year into the business and out of a Job” until Coach Royal asked him to join his coaching staff. T Jones said, “ From that point on, it was a totally different situation Darrell put together a great staff of young coaches, and we started the rebuilding process with great enthusiasm and camaraderie. We were all on the same page, nobody was after the head coach’s job, and we began bringing in a lot of talented players.”

Ed Price Reflection Point

After winning to SWC championships back to back, Price was responsible for a 4 year plunged in the fortunes of Longhorn football.

Unfortunately, Coach Price was a gentle and nice guy, and during this era of football, nice guys finished last. Coach Price won with Coach Cherry’s great recruits, but by 1954 all of Cherry’s athletes had graduated, and the team records started to plummet. Fans wanted to win, and Coaches like Bear Bryant and Vince Lombardi reflected the future’s coaching style. One fan said about Bear Bryant, “ what Texas needed was a hardass like Bear Bryant- he might get you placed on probation (and Bryant did), but by God, he won.

Player’s started taking advantage of Coach Price’s easy-going discipline and were not in shape to play the 4th quarter. The photo below speaks volumes!

In the book What it Means to be a Longhorn, edited by Bill Little and Jenna McEachern, Tom Stolandske profoundly comments about Coach Price. “People who knew Coach Price said he was a gentleman, a morally good person, and a good coach. He loved his boys, and the boys loved him. He believed people; he did not realize that there were people on his staff who were not loyal.” He goes on to say that the players disciplined themselves. “We were not really supervised.” 

Delano Womack (1953-1955) confirms these sentiments by saying, “my folks really liked Coach Price, and they thought he was a good man. They were right; he was a good man.” In the game against Baylor in 1953, Delano Womack said that a play devised by Coach Price won the game. 

Walter Fondren said, “Coach Price was a delightful person and a wonderful gentleman, but Walter also says How players and coaches looked at the game of football were changing. Under Price, there was little discipline or structure. Unlike the DKR years under Coach Price, we never broke up and looked at the film on that basis. There was also a lot less structure in the teaching part of the game under Price. Fondren says that under Royal, “it was like stepping out of the one-time zone into one that was advanced several years down the road.” Fondren continues stating that under Royal, the coaching philosophy changed.

However, Ed Price blamed his failure on the return of one-platoon football. He commented that the rules committee was made up of older coaches who thought that 11 men with little substitution should determine the best team. Price said he liked the platoon system because more young men got to play football. He said, “ I was very uncomfortable in limited substitution football and wasn’t prepared for it.”

Bobby Gurwitz says, “Royal brought discipline to the program.” The year before I came, the dorm where the players lived was a wild place.” They tore up the Dorm. Anyone who did not comply with the new rules was gone.