Top of the Queue- Volume VII Newsletter #25 – December 1, 2023
TLSN is not associated with the UT Athletic Department or any organization closely aligned with UT.
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Important: Click on the small black letters “VIEW IN BROWSER” to enlarge and enhance the photos and text on your cellphone.
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Gene’s “Longhorn for Life” status began when he was recruited by legendary coach Bibb Falk and offered a full 4-year scholarship to play baseball for the Texas Longhorns. Playing 2nd base, he lettered all four years on a team that made two trips to the College World Series. His “T” Ring, awarded to athletes who lettered in their sport and graduated from the University of Texas, is a treasured possession, and he wore it proudly.
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His was a life of competition, accomplishments, and celebrations.
There were many great golf moments, like following Ben Crenshaw for an entire round at The Masters at iconic Augusta National in 1995.
The link to his celebration of life is at:
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The tradition of the Chancellor’s Spurs was started by John Montford in 1996. Since it may be the last time the Longhorns play Texas Tech and since we won the game, the trophy may remain in Austin, Texas, permanently.
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Please welcome Rodney Page to the TLSN Board of Directors.
In 2018, TLSN asked Rodney to write an article about his years as the first black coach at Texas. Instead, he wrote three revealing and profound historical articles about Longhorns:
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The first women’s Athletic Director- Betty Thomspon,
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Basketball Coach Leon Black and
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Retha Swindell who was one of the first great women’s Longhorn basketball players.
Rodney played a crucial role in building the winning foundation for women’s basketball Coach Jody Conradt’s powerhouse teams. His years at Texas are rich in detail, capturing essential moments in Longhorn’s sports history. He shares his story with TLSN in an oral history format at https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/coach-rodney-page-1973…
Below are links to the three articles Rodney wrote for TLSN.
Tribute to Betty Thompson
Remembering Coach Leon Black
Recruiting Retha Swindell
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Rodney Page was honored at the final 4 basketball tournament in San Antonio, TX.
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Rodney is celebrated as a champion
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In 2017, Rodney Page was recognized as a “Good Legend” at the closing ceremony at City Hall .
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Coach with his 1974 team.
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Giving back $20 at a time from donors supports the worthy causes of TLSN.
All of us associated with the TLSN Board and the advisor committee do so without compensation.
TLSN is a 501 (c)(3) delivering educational, compassionate, and historical Longhorn Sports history as seen through the eyes of those who created it.
Please be one of those open hearts and donate to TLSN. Click on the donate button below.
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Joe Don Looney
A story about Superman and Kryptonite
From Wikipedia – “Looney received four Fs and one D in his first semester at Texas. Jeff Olsen knows the Looney family and told TLSN that “JDL wasn’t a DKR recruit. He had considered running track at Texas and showed up for a practice or two but instead spent the fall rushing Kappa Sigma till the IFC told them to ditch him.”
There are at least two books about Joe Don:
Third Down and Forever by J. Brent Clark chronicles Joe Don’s unique life, and a shorter read by Sports Illustrated titled “The Greatest Player Who Never Was.”
Joe Don left Texas and enrolled at (TCU). Again, he was kicked out of school and transferred to Cameron Junior College, where he set a punting record in 1961 on a team that won the junior college national championship.
O.U. Coach Bud Wilkenson “found” him at Cameron and offered him the first-ever Sooner scholarship to a JUCO athlete. What is unbelievable and somewhat mysterious is that at O.U., he had no academic problems to overcome.
He made All-American at O.U. in 1962, leading them to the Big Eight championship.
After three games in 1963 and a loss to Texas, head coach Bud Wilkinson kicked him off the team.
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Joe Don is #33. Looking at this photo, the Sooners must have lost the game.
Joe Don was not a team player. He was one of the first rebellious athletes of the 1960s who questioned authority, was outspoken, and rejected dress codes.
His self-absorbed decision-making process resulted in a lifetime of harmful self-inflicting behaviors, ending with the ultimate self-infliction – death by motorcycle.
While respected as an athlete, many football fans and players were repulsed by his lack of respect, arrogant attitude, and condescending remarks about the Longhorns. In particular, Longhorn Bobby Gamblin detested Joe Don Looney.
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Before the Texas-O.U. Game started, Longhorn Bobby Gamblin hollered across the field:
“Hey Looney, Get Off The Field, You Creep. You’re Killin,” The Grass.”
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Joe Don Looney, the Superman of football, faced the kryptonite defense of the Longhorn super team, led by Tommy Nobis and Knox Nunnally, and was held to just 4 yards on six carries.
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After Texas exposed Joe Don’s weakness, O.U. released the Superman grass killer.
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Jimmy Blacklock
Former Longhorn All-American pitcher Jim Gideon reminded me that Jimmy Blacklock will be inducted into the Houston ISD Hall of Fame in August 2024.
Jim says, “ I heard him speak at his induction to the UT Hall of Honor. Very impressive!! Great Longhorn!
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As a player, Jimmy told the Austin American Statesman, “I think had I been a player of a different race” (the experience) “would have been beautiful, incredible, but I wasn’t,” Blacklock said. “I loved the ball-playing. I loved the education. Socially, it was a disaster.”
Jimmy Blacklock was one of 289 black and 1283 students with Spanish surnames who attended UT in 1971. Blacklock was the first African-American starter on the Texas men’s basketball team. He was also the first to lead the team in scoring and the first to be named a captain. The recruitment of Jimmy Blacklock by Coach Leon Black was a necessary and critical step eventually leading to the full integration of the University of Texas.
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Jimmy Blacklock is with his coach- Leon Black.
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The Greg Ploetz lithograph will be auctioned off in the 4th quarter of 2024, and some of the proceeds will be deposited into the TLSN 501 (c) (3) account to further the historical and compassionate components of the TLSN missions.
There are around 270 former DKR player’s signatures on the painting. If you were part of DKR’s staff or played football for Royal and have not signed it and would like to, please email Billydale1@gmail, and I will do what I can to get the litho to you. For more about Ploetz’s “A self-portrait of CTE” painting with the names of those who have signed it, visit the links below.
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In the beginning. Doctor Mark Akin signed Greg’s painting.
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Half way through the autograph process, Terrance Tschatschula signed it.
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Nearing completion but still looking for more autographs of DKR players, managers, trainers, and support staff.
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Ploetz’s beautiful family
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Greg shows some of his paintings at a art gallery. After he passed away it was determined he had CTE not Dementia.
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