To format the TLSN newsletter for cell phones, it is necessary to Click on the white lettered “VIEW IN BROWSER” at the top of this page. Not doing so reduces the quality of photos and the text font.
The following letter, denoted in burnt orange, is informational only, not an endorsement by TLSN, even though necessary for an objective study of brain trauma.
The DKR Research Fund has granted UT Southwestern $500,000 to administer a questionnaire and cognitive test to former student-athletes over 50 who played in any NCAA scholarship sport (men and women) from any university but who did not play professionally.
I am passing the following comments to each of you because our Coach would want me to do so. The questionnaire part of the study was objective and non-threatening, but the reflection in the cognitive test mirror was not kind to me.
The test reminded me I am 73 years old and not so sharp anymore. Some are due to age, but some could be because I was knocked unconscious three times in football games and on other occasions, hit so hard that I zigzagged my way back to the huddle instead of returning in a straight line.
This is information that the study needs, but I did not enjoy the process. So make your own decision.
Blessing to All!
Billy Dale
Proud member of the 1967 Longhorn football recruiting class.
Coach Royal may be gone, but he is still building bridges for athletes through the organization founded in his honor, The Darrell K Royal Research Fund. One of the fund’s primary goals is to increase national awareness of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
The DKR Fund board of directors and president Debbie Hanna recently announced a $500,000grant and multi-year commitment to the highly-respected UT Southwestern Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute to conduct the CollegeLevel Aging Athlete Study (CLEAATS). A study focused on later-life brain wellness in college male and female athletes that have played contact and non-contact sports. Through the DKR Fund, Royal is once again building a bridge “to helpyouth whose feet must pass this way.”
Not just a study of football, if you are at least 50 years of age, male or female and played at least one (1) semester of a NCAA or NAIA sport BUT, most importantly, did not play a professional sport, DKR needs your help! The half-million-dollar grant funds a study that hopefully will uncover and address controllable issues enhancing the lives of present and future athletes as they compete in contact and collision activities.
Participants in this study will complete an online survey and a brief telephone interview about their athletic participation history and their current wellness, mood, and cognition. I have done so, and it took 30 minutes to complete the confidential and anonymous questionnaire. Your name will be converted to a number.
Let us live vicariously through Royal’s bridge-building legacy and band behind CLEAATS in hope that we can positively transform the future of college sports.
IMPORTANT: The contents of this email and any attachments are confidential. They are intended for the named recipient(s) only. If you have received this email by mistake, please notify the sender immediately and do not disclose the contents to anyone or make copies thereof.
Dear Darrell K Royal Fund Members,
Today, we celebrate the 100th birthday of Darrell K Royal, a hardscrabble kid from Hollis, Oklahoma, who rose from poverty and a meager job shining shoes to attain iconic status as one of the best football coaches in history. According to Mack Brown, “he might have been the best coach ever in any sport, not just college football.”
In celebration of Coach’s centennial birthday, the DKR Fund is launching the 100 Years of DKR video series campaign on the organization’s social media platforms. This video series will honor and preserve the legacy of Coach Royal, who achieved a 167-47-5 record, sixteen bowl victories, and eleven Southwest Conference titles at UT.
We will dedicate the next year to celebrating Coach Royal’s legacy through the lens of 100 individuals who knew or have been impacted by him. This effort aims to raise awareness of the DKR Fund and highlight how Darrell K Royal’s legendary status continues to impact lives today. We hope you share our pride in this effort and join us in celebrating Coach’s 100th birthday by sharing a 30 to 60-second video about the impact of his legacy and how it continues to live on each day.
If you are interested in participating in the video series, please contact Lesley Ford at lesley@theprboutique.com. Feel free to share multiple videos with our team to select the best quality to showcase on the DKR Fund social media platforms. Please send all videos to Lesley or contact her directly with questions at 512.363.5160.
Best regards,
The Darrell K Royal Research Fund
TLSN is an independent organization celebrating Longhorn Sports History and assisting qualifying Horns who need temporary financial assistance. The TLSN website and newsletter are free, educational, historical, and insightful, sharing Longhorn sports history through the eyes of those who created it.
TLSN is not associated with the UT Athletics Department or any organization closely aligned with UT.
Life magazine promotes the Longhorn Brand and, by extension, the Southwest Conference. During pre-television days, magazines were the primary source of content and photos depicting American Life, science, politics, and culture with “Life” as the media leader for photojournalism. On November 17, 1941, Life celebrated the University of Texas and 14 Longhorn players. 13.5 million people…
View in Browser 6/7/2024 TLSN Newsletter #12 Volume VIII IMPORTANT: Please click on the black letters shown above, titled “VIEW IN BROWSER,” to enlarge and enhance the photos and text on your cellphone. If you don’t, the text and pictures will be small and difficult to read. Hello Billy, Herb Griffith here. I am sad…
View in Browser Volume V Newsletter #16 TLSN is an independent organization celebrating Longhorn Sports History and assisting qualifying Horns needing temporary financial assistance. TLSN is not associated with the UT Athletics Department or any organization closely aligned with UT. Board members include Benny Pace, Spanky Stephens, Beth Coblentz, Jim Kay, and Billy Dale. The…
View in Browser ALBUM RELEASE Texas Legacy Support Network Presents Records to Remember For the Record TLSN combines 1000’s of photos; the history of every Longhorn NCAA sport from inception until 2014; Seasonal and career individual records; insightful articles ; and player comments into a form that celebrates the greatest brand in the history of…
View in Browser Top of the Queue – Volume VII Newsletter #24 -November 17, 2023 Texas Legacy Support Network Important: Click on the small red letters “VIEW IN BROWSER” above to enlarge and enhance the photos and text on your cellphone. As told by others, Coach Snyder’s celebration of life link is at https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/coachdavesnyder-passing Melvin…
View in Browser April 14, 2023 Volume VIII Newsletter #9 Please know that TLSN is always adding Longhorn sports history to the website by adding photos and comments supplied by those who wish to share their special memories. In the last two weeks, Ken McLeland (Longhorn Tutor and Cheerleader) and Rey Moreno (track) sent TLSN…