Links to articles about Coach Akers are listed below

http://www.hookem.com/story/the-statesman-interview-fred-akers/

http://www.texassports.com/news/2003/8/19/081903aab_984.aspx

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/blogs/keeping-score/2016/01/27/former-texas-quarterback-danny-akers-dies-of-cancer

There were three contenders to replace Royal- Longhorn defensive coordinator Mike Campbell, Maryland head coach Jerry Claiborne, and Wyoming coach Fred Akers. Akers gets the job over the favorite Mike Campbell because he understands the culture of U.T. football as an assistant coach at Texas for nine years. Still, he also has head coaching experience and built a winning program at Wyoming. 

Coach Akers Said About Tradition: “whatever makes you feel bigger than you are and faster than you are.” 

• Coach Aker’s is one of nine children and is raised without owning a t.v. or car.

• Akers is recruited by Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, and Arkansas.

• At 22- he is the youngest high school head coach in Texas.

The coach said, “what you say and what you think are gonna determine how you perform.” Akers said, “Now, I don’t have to tell someone to act like a winner. We just have to act like ourselves-we are winners.” “There is a big difference between wanting to win and expecting to win.” “Not all our athletes are super-talented football players- BUT they all believe in themselves.

So, Akers hires a Hypnotherapist to help team members learn relaxation and visualization techniques. Some of the athletes thought the relaxation techniques were boring and others laughed at the process. Raul Allegre said young “People hated it, but I’ve gone to a sports psychologist since, and it helped me a great deal.”

Abe Lemmon’s asked one of the football players if you are visualizing making a touchdown what happens with the guy on the other teams has an image of tackling your ass.”

Jeff Leiding refused to participate in the whole process. “ I didn’t pay attention to all that relax your eyeballs, and your hamstrings and all that other garbage.”

During Akers’s years, he has some of the most significant physical players in the history of Longhorn football, but speed, strength, and size mean nothing if the player’s mind is not right before a game. 

Jeff Ward’s Comments In The Book Long Live The Longhorns Captures The Essence Of Fred Akers Coaching Style. Jeff Says That Akers Use To Say “It Is OK To Think You’re Better Than The Rest Because You Are. You’re Going To Play Well Because You’re A Texas Longhorn.” Akers Believes In Self-Motivation And Individual Responsibility. Before an O.U. game Akers says to the players, “Only when you are relaxed completely can you make strong commitments that last.” Akers went on to discuss the kind of commitments he had in mind and to express what each of his players should be thinking: “My heart will nearly burn with the pride I have been here today. When I take the field, I intend to make a headgear rattle. I will be electric. Nothing can happen that I can’t handle. I intend to win at any cost. My poise and concentration cannot waver.” He then led the Longhorns from the hotel to the Cotton Bowl dressing room and wrote on the chalkboard, “Tough times never last but tough people do.”

In author and former Longhorn football player R.E. Peppy Blount book titled Mamas, don’t let your babies grow to play Football Akers says, “I never allow a coach to run and rerun a mistake of a player on film ……” Coach Akers shows the “players the good and great plays that individual players make.” “I want my players to picture, and remember, the good plays they make, not the bad plays.” If the player retains the bad play’s picture, the poor performance, that’s what he’ll do the next time he’s in the same situation”. Good Coaches do not “dwell on weaknesses and mistakes of a player that he wishes to do better, improve, and excel!”

Unfortunately, cheating is rampant in the SWC during Akers’ tenure. 7 of 9 of the SWC teams are slapped with some form of NCAA sanctions.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesman/obituary.aspx?pid=177528672

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/sports/bohls-for-fred-akers-honor-amid-grief/nqHp3/

A condensed bullet point history of Texas Longhorn football during the Akers years follows. Please go to the “mission ” section of this website and click on “credits”  to view books you can purchase from many fine book stores about Texas Longhorn football or please visit the official University of Texas Longhorn site Texassports.com for more current information.   

April 7, 1977- Aggie coach Emory Bellard accused Longhorn Athletic Director of NCAA rules violations.  Bellard said, “Texas has broken as many rules as any university in the United States.”  Royal challenged Bellard to report the violations to the NCAA so UT could respond to the lies by Bellard.  Bellard then backed off his comments stating, “ Texas had committed “technical” violations of NCAA rules “But the University of Texas was not in violation of the spirit of the rules.” 

1977- 11-1- COACH AKERS- Randy McEachern’s dream.

Coach Akers left for Wyoming and returned to a senior class of Horn he recruited for the Freshman class of 1974. He said it was a “below average recruiting class. Even though it produced a Heisman trophy and an Outland trophy winner. Coach Akers had inherited a team that had lost 2 out of 3 to Baylor and Texas Tech and 6 in a row to O.U.

Texas started 10 sophomores in this “rebuilding” year. It was the year that Earl won the Heisman, Brad Shearer won the Outland Trophy, Johnny Lam Jones was a gold medalist, Akers was Coach of the Year, and Erxleben’s toe was accurate. Texas for the first time won 11 regular season game.

While UT does not acknowledge a national championship in 1977, the NCAA and several polls do recognize Texas as National Champion. 

New NCAA rules were enacted. New balls were used on field goals, and missed field goals beyond the 20-yard were returned to the original line of scrimmage. The new kicking rule dampened the “toe” battles between Texas Erxleben, Arkansas’ Steve Little, and A & M’s Franklin. 

Akers is Coach of the Year. Brad Shearer is the Outland Trophy winner. 

1977 the UT Austin stadium is re-dedicated for the third time to include the memory of all veterans in all wars who died fighting for the U.S. 

 Coach Akers’s decision to change the offense to a veer and I-formation converted a 5-5-1 team the year before into an 11-1 team in 1977. This offense deployed two running backs (Campbell and Ham Jones) and two wide receivers (Alfred Jackson and Lam Jones).  

 Texas beats OU for the first time in 5 years, and Randy McEachern lives the dream he shared with his mother and father at the start of the 1977 season.  

Randy McEachern’s Dream 

Randy McEachern’s Dream 

During the previous six years, Texas’s record against OU was 0-5-1. However, in 1977 Texas finally beats the Sooners. 

In the book Oklahoma vs. Texas, the author Robert Heard chronicled the OU and Texas game in 1977. History will show that Randy McEachern was 4th team quarterback, not 3rd team quarterback, when he helped pull off one of the most significant momentum-changing games in UT football. However, before the season quarterback, Ted Constanzo underwent knee surgery for a racquetball injury, so Akers decided to move Randy from defense to 3rd team quarterback.  

“A month before the OU game, Randy told his parents about “his crazy dream.” Randy says, “I dreamt the quarterback got hurt, and we were behind, and I went in and won the game.” Robert Heard continues his story. He says that Randy’s parents were listening to the OU game, and when McBath went down, his mother and father looked at each other. “When Aune went down,” Randy’s father got a sheet of paper and wrote in big letters, “Randy’s dream.” When the Horns won the game, Randy’s father took that piece of paper and completed the sentence, “Randy’s dream comes true.”  

In another game earlier in the season, Jon Aune’s pass to Jackson for 88 yards breaks the record set by Bobby Layne to Canady in the 1946 Cotton Bowl. 

This game helped change the recruiting trajectory of Texas football for many years. OU now had more competition for Texas athletes. The incredible thing about this game is that Texas lost their first two quarterbacks; only crossed the 40 once: only converted 1 of 12 on third downs; and only had nine first downs in the game. Randy’s dream continued the whole year. Randy took the Horns to the Cotton Bowl to play once defeated Notre Dame. The Horns were undefeated and #1 team in the nation. The game was a nightmare of turnovers for the Horns, and without injured middle Linebacker Lance Taylor Notre Dame ran over the Horns, but that is a story to be shared on another occasion.

McBath and Aune were lost for the season.

Final ranking 4th nationally

Earl Campbell and Ham Jones are the top running back duo in Longhorn football history. It is a total injustice that Ham Jones  never receives all-conference recognition. 

Texas has 6 turnovers in the first half against Notre Dame and loses the Cotton Bowl 38-10.

Randy McEachern  holds the season record as quarterback for average gain per attempt (10.2) and  career ( 8.5)

12 Members Of This Team Are All Conference, 18 Play In The NFL, 6 Are All Americans, And 3 Win National Player Of The Year Awards.

Russell Erxleben holds the record for longest field goal (67 yards); most 50 yard plus field goals in a season (11); and highest punting average for a season (46.6).

 Since Barry Switzer and Akers played and coached together, a sportswriter asked if they are friends. Coach Akers says, “We were fairly good friends, but he’s not in my will or anything like that.” Switzer responds, ” That’s o.k. .. I don’t plan on him dying anytime soon.”

Before the 1977 season starts, Fred Akers thinks 1977 will be a rebuilding year. 

Akers implements the new veer offense that has some of the qualities of the I- formation to feature Earl Campbell’s talents. Coach Akers makes all the right decisions. This team produces the Heisman and Outland Trophy winners, Coach of the Year, SWC Championship, and an 11-1 record.

Because Of Earl Campbell A New Stat is Added Called The “YAC” (Yards After Contact). In 1977 Earl Campbell accidentally ran into Bevo in the Houston game knocking Bevo and one photographer to the ground. Earl is the first SWC player to lead the nation in both rushing and scoring.


State of Texas football players represented 45% of the roster of the American Football Conference in 1977.

Three quarterbacks compete for the starting job- Mark McBath, Ted Constanzo, and Jon Aune . All three are great quarterbacks but injuries would impact their playing time at Texas. 

Alfred Jackson breaks a 30 year old record with 1,409 career yards

The 1977 football team also has Johnny “Lam” Jones- an Olympic gold medalist and the temporary moniker as the fastest man in the world. The electronic clock at the 1977 Texas Relays malfunctioned, and his time was disqualified as a world record, He is timed at 9.85 in the 100 meters. A world record. In the next three years, he leads the team in receiving, and he is the first-ever NFL draftee to earn a million-dollar signing bonus. Steve McMichael replaces Erxleben in the TCU game and kicks a field goal and two extra points.

Team Captains were Earl Campbell, George James, and Morgan Copeland.

Earl Campbell says that Rick Ingraham ” is the toughest man I know.”

Earl set the record with 11 100-yard games in 1977 and most consecutive 100-yard games at 11.

In the Texas A&M game, Randy McEachern tied a record with 4 TD passes. Steve McMichael replaces an injured Russell Eerleben and kicks a 48-yard field goal. Texas set a record against Texas A&M by scoring the most points ever in the history of the rivalry. It was also the most points an A & M team had ever surrendered.

History should be very kind to this team. It is one of the most talented teams in the History of UT football. 

Honors- Morgan Copeland received a post-graduate scholarship, and Shearer was runner-up for the Heisman’s Best Defensive Player of the Year and the Outland trophy. Earl Campbell was the Heisman Trophy winner. Russell Erxleben was an All-American and Rick Ingraham, Taylor, Johnnie Johnson, and Tim Campbell made All-SWC.

Unfortunately, 6 turnovers in the Cotton Bowl and key injuries thru throughout the season cost this team a National Championship.  

Russell Erxleben

In 1977, in a game against Rice University, Russell Erxleben set the record for the longest field goal in NCAA history with a 67-yard kick, and he did it the old school way- straight-on. It is ironic that in 2020 when soccer-style kickers rule the land, the record for the longest field goal is still held by a straight-on kicker.

The ball was placed on the 43-yard line, and Coach Akers said, “It was like a gunshot. We couldn’t believe a ball was going that far. It had another eight yards on it.” Erxleben kicked two other field goals over 60 yards that season.

Rule changes in NCAA football since 1977, specifically the prohibition of kicking tees for field goals and changes to the ball’s placement following a failed kick, have discouraged such long attempts, thus attempts to break the record are now rare.

Erxleben is the only three-time All-American punter in NCAA history, being a consensus choice in 1976, 1977, and 1978.

Campbell rushed for a nation-leading 1,744 yards and 18 touchdowns en route to the Heisman Trophy. His running mate that year was Ham Jones, who scored six touchdowns and went for 489 yards.

1978  9-3 Turnovers hurt this great team but still #9 in the nation.

Out of 22 starters at the Texas High School All-Star game, 14 chose Texas. From the 14 recruits, 7 freshmen started. Four years later 12 of the 14 went to the pros. Donnie Little, Lawrence Sampleton, Make Baab, Joe Shearin, Kenneth Sims, Doug Shankle, and Adrian Price were part of the 1978 recruiting class.

Rodney Tate becomes the only Oklahoman to letter at UT since 1893.

After Texas lost to Oklahoma, Coach Lou Holtz Arkansas Razorbacks were up next. Holtz says, “ The only people who think Texas doesn’t have a great football team are the ones who don’t have to play them.” Arkansas lost 28-21.

SWC sold broadcasting rights to the Mutual Network in an effort to help fund the weaker schools. Arkansas was upset with this decision because they already has a lucrative radio network contract broadcasting Arkansas games.

Final ranking 9th nationally

Top Song 1978

Rodney Tate becomes only the 7th Oklahoma high school player to sign with Texas in 87 years.   

“Lam,” “Ham,” And “Jam” Jones Have Over 200 Yards Rushing To Help Beat Maryland 42-0 in the Sun Bowl. As of 2018, Texas has never had another shutout in a bowl game.

Mark McBath is the starter for the Sun Bowl. 

Russell Erxleben sets two school records by kicking four field goals in a game and surpassing Earl Campbell with career points.  

 Lam Jones, Erxleben, Johnson, and McMichael make All SWC and Johnson is a unanimous All-American. 

The largest crowd in history (up to this) attend the Houston game. 

Mark McBath starts against Texas A & M. 

1979– 9-3 The year of the foot

Coach Mike Campbell from the DKR era says “If you gave me the 1961 offense and this years defense,(1979), I’d play anybody. CBS Pat Summerall said “Texas has without a doubt the quickest big defense I’ve ever seen in college football.”

Final ranking 12th nationally

John “Goodfoot” Goodson, a walk-on, has four field goals in two games.

For the 21st time since the Texas and OU tradition began, Texas and Oklahoma are undefeated and untied when they meet in the Cotton Bowl. Texas won 12 of those games, and OU won 8. Longhorns defeat OU, limiting the potent OU offense to 158 total yards. The 1978 Heisman trophy winner, Billy Simms, has 13 consecutive games over 100 yards broken by the Horns. Kirk Bohls says that the OU game is “the biggest 9 point rout in college football history.” Texas wins 16-7. 

Ham Jones ties a school record of 4 touchdowns in a game.

For The First And Only Time In The NFL Draft 3 Horns Are Taken In The First Round- Johnny Jones, Johnnie Johnson, And Derrick Hatchett.

Johnnie Johnson Is All SWC Three Times, All American Twice, First Round Draft Choice Of The LA Rams, And NFL Rookie Of The Year. He also holds The Season Longhorn Record For Punt Returns (41) and the career record for punt returns (114). 

Texas beats 4 of 5 undefeated teams. 

Donnie Little, Rodney Tate, and Ham Jones all suffer serious injuries. 

Texas loses 14-7 to Washington in the Sun Bowl. 

8 horns – Lam Jones, Sampleton, Hubert, McMichael, Johnson, Churchman, Hatchett and Shankel make the All SWC team. Johnson and McMichael are consensus All-Americans.

 1980- 7-5 Coach Akers-

After this season, a bumper sticker emerges that reads: IT’S NOW OR NEVER, FREDDIE. For his part, Akers says “that ever since he arrived in 1977, there have been “rumors that I was going to LSU, to Notre Dame, to the New York Giants, to Florida. After this season, it is said that I was just going.”    

Texas opens the season with Arkansas on Labor Day to accommodate a national audience on ABC. Donnie Little has one of his best games and uses some deception on his teammates to convert a 3rd and 13 into a first down. Little called a sweep left in the huddle but ran a bootleg right fooling both the Razorbacks and Horns. Donnie Little sets a new school record against Rice throwing for 306 yards. Doug Shankle has 16 tackles in the Rice game.   

The Oklahoma victory is costly, with seven starters hurt. 

SMU beats the horns for the first time in 14 years. Texas has 14 turnovers in two games.  

Texas players are “suspected” of selling complimentary tickets.

For the first and only time in the NFL draft, 3 Horns are taken in the first round- Johnny Jones, Johnnie Johnson, and Derrick Hatchett.

Doug Dawson says, “We like to blow people off the ball and outmuscle them.” Known as a WORKAHOLIC, he quietly did his job. “The idea is to dominate your man all afternoon and feel good about yourself.” 

A summary of the Sooner Nation football programs copyrighted in 1980 by Robert Heard is not flattering. The author of OU vs. Texas states, “ If the OU program since WWII teaches anything, it is OU’s formula for success of “cheat, spy, scalp, hire, lie, … screw, and deny” works.  

OU took pride in the number of national championships the Sooners won while on probation. Even Abe Lemons understood there was an upside to probation. He said, “If you get on probation, at least you ought to get a seven-footer out of it.” That is to say-OU even on probation did recruit some illegal symbolic seven-footers to help the Sooners win games.   

Robert Heard says, “ football has given Oklahomans what they asked of it-national recognition and respect. The respect referred to here is not that of admiration, however. It is the respect an outlaw gunfighter commands. Or a mad dog or a rattlesnake. “ Abe Lemons from Oklahoma City University files complaints against OU suggestion NCAA rule infractions. The Sooner nation was upset, but Lemmons said: “was I the only one to report them?” “There is no one thing that triggers an investigation. It’s a series of things over a series of years.” Abe Lemmons and DKR finally got the SWC to use a polygraph test to question coaches concerning recruiting violations.   

1981 10-1-1 Ranked 2nd nationally

From 1978-1981 an outright SWC title eluded the Longhorns.7

In the book Game of my Life by Michael Pearle and Bill Frisbie, the authors share why Donnie moved to wide receiver. Donnie says, “ I was thinking about the next level. There weren’t a lot of black quarterbacks in the NFL. Most likely, my best chance of playing in the NFL would have been a wide receiver.” Coach Akers listened, and Rick McIvor moved to starting quarterback, and Donnie Little moved to receiver. 

Kenneth Sims, the All American and Lombardi award winner, was basketball coach Abe Lemons bodyguard when Texas played A & M. Kenneth Sims was Texas 23rd consensus All American and a first-round draft pick. During the SMU game, Dickerson says, “Sims tossed me around like I was a baby.”

The NCAA punishes SMU with a death penalty infractions in recruiting athletes. Texas beats OU and is promoted to the top of the polls Arkansas is unranked and beats #1 Texas 42-11 McIvor is the starting quarterback, and Donnie Little moves to split end. McIvor has a golden arm who can throw the ball 83 yards.

McIvor gets hurt in the Houston game, but Brewer, a walk-on, continues to lead the Horns to victory. Robert Brewer wins the starting quarterback position and the MVP of the Cotton Bowl beating Alabama 14-12. Texas finishes #2 in the nation

 Final ranking 2nd nationally

While U.T. did not acknowledge a National Championship in 1981, the NCAA and several polls recognized Texas as a National Champion.   

 1982 9-3 The year of the pass

This team is tied with the 1954 team with 27 season-fumble recoveries.  

Texas gets probation without sanctions for buying Marcus Dupree’s new boots, the players selling complimentary tickets, and a ticket-scalping infraction involving wide receiver Johnny “Lam” Jones.      

Bryan Millard labels the Texas-SMU game as a competition “between a couple of jailbirds.” Texas plays SMU without Texas graduates Ham, Jam, or Lam on offense and loses to SMU on a quirky play. 

A ball intended for SMU’s Bobby Leach was thrown right to Jitter Fields. Leach says, “I thought he had the ball and was going the other way.” “Jitter thought the same thing,” but instead, the ball bounces off Jitter’s shoulder pads and right into Leach’s hands, and Bobby Leach makes a touchdown.   

Texas beats Arkansas for the 48th time in 64 seasons.

Final ranking 17th nationally

A conservative offense throws the long passes. Brewer breaks four school records.

Herkie Walls holds the Longhorn season record  for highest average yards per reception (28.1 ) and career (25.8)

First-string Quarterback Robert Brewer breaks his thumb during a passing drill just before Texas meets North Carolina in the Sun Bowl. His replacement is Todd Dodge, who has thrown only 20 times all year. Texas loses to North Carolina in the Sun Bowl. “We couldn’t bust a grape in that game,” says Davis.

1983- 11-1 It is the centennial year for texas football. 

McIvor, Dodge, and Moerschell spend time under center, but Moerschell gets the most playing time.

Texas had the fewest losses to graduation in the SWC losing only 7 starters.

David McWilliams is the defensive coordinator. 

The players wore jerseys that replicated the centennial seal for Texas. 

This team still holds the record with 17 NFL draft picks. Four were All- Americans- Doug Dawson, Jeff Leiding, Moss Cade, and Jerry Gray. Buddy Johnson – Johnnie Johnson’s brother, was on this team, and Derrick Hatchett’s brother Mike a Longhorn.

Texas had gone bowling all six years under Akers, but many fans still gave him the moniker “Not Ready Freddie.”

There was confusion on the bench on the play that cost the national championship against Georgia. Some thought Georgia might fake — so Akers sent out the Fake punt unit, then that team was called back, but not everyone got in. Craig Curry was left in as the up back and tried to catch a bad kick.

Final ranking 5th nationally

The 1983 Defense Produces Impressive Numbers, Giving Up Just 9.5 Points A Game, And 212 Yards Per Contest. Opponents Convert 3rd Downs Just 29% Of The Time. The Texas Defense Has More Pass Interceptions (13) Than Touchdowns Given Up (10).

Jeff Ward holds the seasonal field goal accuracy percentage (.938).

First Team In 40 Years To Have 4 All Americans. 

As the baritone player in the Kerrville band it was a tough decision to move from performing with foot not lips. John Teltscik Holds The record for Single Game Average Yards Per Punt (54.8).   

 Fans love the Longhorn defense and ask the question: Is it that the Texas defense has no stars or are they all-stars. The latter is the answer. The Longhorns allowed fewer yards per game (179.8) than any other team in the nation.

While UT did not acknowledge a national championship in 1983, the NCAA and several polls recognize Texas as a National Champion.

Probably the best defensive team in the History of Texas Football. 

Lou Holtz said, “In all my years of coaching, this is the best defensive team (Texas) I’ve ever seen.”

Jerry Gray was an All SWC, consensus All-American in 1983 and 1984. He warns young men who want to play in the NFL to understand some basics of life first. He says, “Things move fast at the NFL level, and it’s hard to try to adjust to the style while you’re still trying to learn some things about life. Referring to the importance of learning how to handle financial freedom, ` the importance of family, and the need for maturity. “You should already know those things before you get to the NFL because they don’t have time to teach you your job, and that, too.”

That Texas defense takes on Leidings personality – cocky to the point of arrogance, but backing it up with a physical style of play that simply wears opponents into submission. Jeff Leiding ends the season with 93 tackles 74 solo, with a sack, and 10 quarterback hits, earning consensus All-America honors.

Jeff had a free spirit mentality, warped sense of humor, and was a risk taker extraordinaire He slashed open his leg while diving into a river that required 16 stitches to close. Using his truck he jumped a curb and crushed a park bench saying “I meant to jump the curb.” “I didn’t mean to hit the bench.” While a potential Longhorn recruit had his nose up against a window, Leiding tapped the window and the glass shattered. The prospect became a Sooner. He even swallowed a fly as a freshman to prove ??????

Once asked by a reporter what he thought of the Longhorn lack luster offense when the Longhorn defense was the best in the nation “We can’t criticize them because they’ll pout.”

Jeff is in a bar fight in Dallas and Coach Akers refuses to discipline him saying “ They were encouraged to go and have a good time by the bowl people. What happened to him could have happened to anyone.” Jeff is a good player and free spirit. He is a sharp young man and an excellent team player.”

Many factors pointed to an Auburn victory against Texas. Auburn was preseason #1 and for the game. Todd Dodge, left shoulder separation, tight end (Bobby Micho, arthroscopic knee surgery), wide receiver Ronnie Mullins knee surgery, and middle linebacker Jeff Leiding minor surgery after slicing his leg were out for the game.  

 The Auburn wishbone offense with Bo Jackson as an offensive threat never materialized. Bo carried the ball one time in the first half and only seven times for the whole game.  

Rob Moerschell got the start for the game and ran the offense efficiently, but McIvor had an 80-yard scoring pass to Kevin Epps to make the score 17-o. Akers says that after the game, McIvor and Moerschell will continue to share starting duties until Todd Dodge can return.

Guard Doug Dawson is back, and Davis says, “He’s stronger than a garlic milkshake.” James Lott, who high jumped 7’4″, 4.3 4o sprinter Tony Tillman, 6’4″ tailback and speedster Edwin Simmons and tailback Michael Brown add greatness to an already great team. Akers is so proud of his fullbacks he creates a play in which he uses all 3 of them in a pet play—M*A*S*H—that operates with all three fullbacks- Simmons, Davis, and Brown. “I just get ’em together and head ’em north,” he says. 

When an SMU quarterback throws the ball three times in James Lott direction with no completions, Jerry Gray says to the SMU quarterback, “You just threw three balls at last year’s Texas high school high-jump champion.”

Jerry Gray runs a 4.25 40. He is All American two years in a row, and a first-round pick by the LA Rams.

 Rick McIvor and Todd Dodge compete for the starting position

Texas assistant Glen Swenson dies in a car wreck . Horns Up!!

1984- 7-4-1- The Year of Longhorn costly turnovers. 

As of 2023 It Is Hard To Believe that Texas has not been Number 1 in a weekly poll since 1984. Even During The 2005 National Championship Year  USC Was Number 1 All Year Long. 

Lou Holtz resigns at Arkansas, and the Razorbacks offer Fred Akers the job. He declines. 

In 1984 O.U. and the University of Georgia won a suit in the Supreme Court that the NCAA plan on T.V. rights violated the Sherman Antitrust Act. 

Longhorns opened, ranked #4, beat #11 Auburn, # 4 Penn State, tied #3 O.U., and Beat #14 SMU. Horns have a linebacker arrested on 6th street for fighting several police officers. He is not suspended, but momentum changes and the Horns lose 3 out of the last four games. Texas accepts an invitation to the Fiesta Bowl (after players voted not to go) and loses 55-17.

This is not the first time an Akers-led team started at the top and experienced disappointment late in the season- 1977, 1979, 1980, and 1983. The 1980 season and 1983 are almost identical twins in how the season plays out.   

1984 is also unkind to many of the other football powerhouses, including Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Penn State – so the Longhorns have plenty of company in disappointing fans.   

Sports Illustrated says, “Akers has four quarterback candidates: seniors Todd Dodge, who can pass but can’t run; Rob Moerschell, a so-so thrower who lacks the speed to be a threat on the run-pass option; and Danny Akers, the coach’s son, who does most things well but none superbly; and redshirt freshman Bret Stafford, who can run, pass and scramble but lacks experience.”    

Todd Dodge started against #11 Auburn and won the game 35-27. Bo Jackson kept Auburn in the game until he got a season-ending injury. Todd was also the starting quarterback against OU, even though he had a hyper-extended knee.

 From number 1 in the country to losing 4 of 5 games portends the future of Texas football. Mediocrity will be part of Texas football for the next 15 years. The heartbreaking loss to Georgia in the Cotton Bowl was followed by an embarrassing loss to Iowa in the Freedom Bowl. It takes Texas football players three votes to decide if they want to go to the Freedom bowl.  The Horns should have stayed home.  Iowa wins 55-17. Jeff Ward states, “We were finished, I don’t know who made us go (to the Freedom bowl), but it was probably a huge recruiting mistake because it was used against them for several years. ”  

William Harris holds the tight end-season record for receiving yards (637) and longest reception (84 yards).

Tony Degrate Is the 1984 Lombardi Trophy Winner, And He Holds The Longhorn Season Record For Most Solo Tackles (123).

Kiki DeAyala says about Tony Degrate “When he gets mad he really plays, and we call him Degratest,” .

Terry Orr won two Super Bowl rings with the Washington Redskins.

The Mash Offense was introduced against Penn State.  As Todd Dodge said, ”  all-beef on one side of the line,” Gene Chilton, Terry Steelhammer, and Joe Monroe were the key to this offensive set. 

 A Longhorn bar fight in 1984 is used as a recruiting tool against Texas. Five players are part of a fight at an Austin night club, and a longhorn player hits a cop. 

It takes three-team votes, but reluctantly the Texas players finally decide to go to Anaheim, losing to Iowa 55-17.

1985 8-4 Great at Home but poor away

  The team does a commendable job this year, but recruiting is hurt. The recruiting class of 1985 has 26 signees of those five never letter and six only lettered one year. From the 1985 recruiting class, there are only three All SWC players.

Eric Metcalf is a freshman.

Jeff Ward Field Goals Win 13 Of The 32 Games During His 4 Years At Texas. Jeff Ward hits 5 field goals to help defeat # 4 Arkansas 15-13.

Eric Metcalf is a freshman. Starting fullback Ronnie Robinson is lost to an injury before the season starts. Stafford and Dodge compete for the starting quarterback job.

Jeff Ward hits five field goals to help defeat # 4 Arkansas 15-13. Bret Stafford is the losing quarterback against Air Force in the Bluebonnet Bowl. Coach Akers bowl record is 2-6. With four straight losses in bowl appearances and 2 – 6 overall. The fans and the UT administration are restless, so Coach shakes up his staff with five firings. Also, David McWilliams and John Mize resign to take over the Texas Tech football program.

1986- 5-6 Minor NCAA infractions hurt Horn recruiting for the next 15 years. 

Alex Waits holds the longhorn career record for average yards per punt (45.30). 

After an 18-month investigation, UT is accused of violating 19 NCAA rules from 1980 – 1986. Texas was accused of giving players small loans of $10- $50, loaning cars to players, and selling complimentary tickets. Akers said, ” These violations are an accumulation of small things over a long period of time that could happen almost anywhere you have a major program.” Four weeks earlier, SMU received the “death penalty” from the NCAA.

1986 5-6 record Coach Akers pending more information

 Before Vince Young exploits Bret Stafford held the record for single season yards gained and pass completions  25 players lose some or all of their complimentary tickets for selling them to make money.

First losing season since 1956.

21 Starters get hurt including Britt Hager 

     Reflection Point

The early years of Fred Akers produced some of the largest draft classes, with 11 players taken in the 1982 draft following the No. 2 national finish in ’81, and a remarkable 18 (including a supplemental draftee) taken in ’84.

Kirk Bohls says “Unlike Royal, Akers was tasked with winning at a place that had already won big and the pressures that came with the job were magnified when he fully understood that some people in very high places weren’t on board with him replacing Royal.” All coaches must deal with internal politics, influential Alumni, wealthy donors, and fanatical fans. Unfortunately for Coach Akers, there was an unusually large number of the U.T. faithful that never thought Fred Akers deserved to be the head coach at U.T. Royal was perceived as a people person and charismatic, and Akers was not. Royal had a warm personality and was down-home folksy. Akers did not, and his reserved nature was interpreted as cold and arrogant. Akers qualities were not necessarily bad, but he was no Royal. It is just hard to replace a legend. Longhorn sports are full of coaches that struggle to replace a legend.  

• Coach Price replaced Coach Bible, (fired)

• Coach Akers replaced Coach Royal (fired)

• Coach Strong replaced Coach Brown (fired)

• Coach Schubert replace Coach Quick (women’s swimming- quit)

• Coach McCain replaced Coach Moore (women’s tennis- quit)

• Coach Sategna replaced Coach Beverly Kearney (fired), and

• Coach Lovvern replaced Coach Littlefield (men’s track- fired).

Regardless of all the undercurrents during his reign, Coach Akers does a great job the first seven years as head coach. Overall, he has an 86-31-2 record, two SWC titles, three top 5 national rankings, six teams that win nine or more games, and nine bowl appearances (but he only won two of them). He produces three of the best college football teams in the country (1977, 1981, and 1983), and these three teams combine for a 32-3-1 record. Two of these teams play for the national championship, and three teams win nine or more games. At Other Universities, he would have been celebrated for these accomplishments, but not at Texas. 

In 1986 Royal told U.T. President Cunningham that U.T.’s rapport with high school coaches and their recruits had fallen into disrepair. Fred Akers stiff-shirt, y’all -should be-honored-to come-to Texas approach was rejected by the recruits.  

Earl Campbell agreed with Royal, saying, “all the juice was sucked from the program. He said, “I’m surprised Texas didn’t finish at the bottom the last few years. “

   Coach Akers is finally ridden out of town by the amateurs. 

 Akers has some comments to make to all the fans who gave him “advice” and unsolicited feedback. Akers compares a Coach to a Prostitute. He says: 

“that’s what coaching has in common with the world’s oldest profession. It’s not the long hours that get you; it’s the amateur competition.

During Coach Aker’s last years at Texas, he maintains his “character” even though his reputation is hurt. Even after his release, he continues on the high road when he says,

“We did a good job of it (coaching at Texas), and we did it the right way. I don’t have to apologize to anybody. I think a good program was interrupted.” “I think I have earned the Texas job, and if people fail to recognize that, I just won’t send them a Christmas Card.”

The Cactus says the following about Akers as the Longhorn Coach.

In 2015-2016 Coach Akers 29 years after his last day at Texas is finally recognized for his accomplishments. In 2015 He Was Inducted Into The HOH and In Feb. 2016 Coach Akers was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Fred Akers received these honors a week after his son dies at the age of 54 Of Renal Cell Carcinoma. 

Coach Akers struggle to help his son survive cancer is just another affirmation of this great mans character. 

Coach Aker’s  contributions to Longhorn traditions remains a portal to the past that reminds Longhorn fans that heritage shapes the present and empowers the future. 

Jim Deitrick reflects on his memories of the Fred Akers years.

When I first joined the faculty in the summer of 1977, I had no reasonable expectations for that season with a new coach (Akers), a so so season in 1976, and lots of youth. But somehow the Horns go into the OU game undefeated. Then Texas loses its starting and back-QBs for the season in the first half. Enter Randy McEachern, a senior third teamer. Akers kept the team focused ( thanks Earl) for the game and rest of the season. The team clearly respected the coach, they never whined about bad breaks and played in the Cotton Bowl for a National Championship. Regrettably we lost to a strong ND squad.Coach Akers showed me a lot that season that proved to bear fruit in subsequent seasons. He could lead, teach, motivate, win and recruit… evidently much like Coach Royal. In the Cotton Bowl of 1984, an Akers coached team faced Georgia in the Cotton Bowl. Should Texas win, the Horns likely would be National Champs. Texas led late in the 4th quarter on a cold, windy day. Georgia could not sustain a drive against the Horns. But Texas struggled too. Then, Georgia punted and the Dawgs recovered an unfortunate fumble of the kick( ask Kirk Bohls who fumbled, he used to bring his name up frequently). I had no doubt Georgia would not score a touchdown to win. But they did, thanks to a QB run around right end. How could this happen??? Turns out the officials missed a Georgia lineman (Guy McIntyre, I believe) grabbing our defender by the ankles preventing him from protecting the hole. If the holding penalty is called, Fred has his national championship! But he never was critical of the missed call. That showed me a ton of class. I was totally impressed with his character.

Later during his tenure at Texas, I was asked by Joe Eivens , academic advisor)the help with recruiting. ( My first breakfast was with recruit Jeff Ward). Coach Akers was masterful with recruits! Eventually I was asked to be a guest Coach. What an experience! His talk (by position )pregame involved mental imagery. His words were powerful and vivid! All positive.. no negativity against the Aggies, no curse words. Stunning… . And we won! An aside, just before taking the field to start the game on a cold November day, I stopped at a urinal; then Coach Akers was beside me and told me this was a most important part of coaching. Can’t coach with a full bladder. ????His humor was appreciated but unexpected at that moment. I loved it.

During his tenure as head coach, he was consistently classy and strong, despite the issues on his plate not of his making. I hated to see him go… and as far as I know, he still loves UT and his players! He could have been bitter, probably was…but not publicly. All class and strength in my eyes! Hook’Em, Coach.????????

Defensive Coordinator Leon Fuller

Leon Fuller was Alabama’s was the 1960 MVP in the Bluebonnet Bowl played against Texas. Bear Bryant called “him the little man with the big heart.”

Leon finished his career as the defensive coordinator for three different Texas head coaches in three different decades.

William Graham (1979 -1981) says of Coach Fuller he “taught us how to study the game. “ “Coach Fuller knew how to reach us. He could take a player wherever he was and help him understand so that when he walked on the field he had no doubt about what he needed to do or his ability to do it.”

Bum Phillips said “Fuller was the best football player I ever had at any level.” That would include Earl Campbell.

3 times his defenses led the SWC. 21 of his players were drafted in the NFL. In 1981 Fuller’s defense was the nation’s second best. 1982 he was the head coach for Colorado State, but returned to Texas as defensive coordinator in 1989.