Volume VII newsletter #12 6/11/2022
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Hans Helland
Hans Helland, a Longhorn football walk-on from 1969 to 1971, has passed away. Hans earned a T-ring and a National Championship ring. Horns ???? up!
Jimmy Nixon, who is responsible for the creation and funding of the Earl Campbell statue and the four busts of the Longhorn national championship quarterbacks, considers Hans as one of his best friends, saying:
“Hans was Born a Horn; He was as honest and loyal as anybody I’ve ever known and was respected by his peers. A generous man who helped many less fortunate than he without expecting anything in return. I’m so lucky to have had him as a friend from age 6 till the end. He died too soon but lived a great life.” Jimmy Nixon
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TOP GUN; NATHAN KASPAR
by Larry Carlson ( lc13@txstate.edu )
There’s certainly no shortage of “Top Gun” mania across the nation this summer. A breath of fresh air for many Americans. At least one former Longhorn football player isn’t shy about the fact that he was inspired as a kid by the 1986 Tom Cruise flick and made it an early goal to become a Navy pilot.
He was tough enough, talented enough, and committed to earning his football spurs as a Mack Brown era walk-on. If it was a daily battle to accomplish all that, talk to Kaspar now, two decades later, and he knows first-hand the vast difference between gridiron “battles” and saving lives while flying missions in the Middle East.
A family man who works and resides in Dripping Springs, Kaspar took time away from a busy business and family schedule to discuss the merits of Mack Brown’s leadership, the camaraderie between teammates and soldiers, and the challenges facing Longhorn football in the era of NIL and collegiate athletes often considered “entitled” by many observers.
Kaspar’s candid thoughts on the forces of social media, modern society, and how motivation can differ so much in two decades will compel readers to pause and take stock of how much has changed in such a short span. One thing hasn’t budged, though, and that is Nathan’s rock-solid belief that walk-on players are the floor that must lift the ceiling of a successful football team.
Meet Nathan Kaspar, a dyed-in-the-wool, burnt orange Top Gun at the link below. Horns ???? Up
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2022 Reunion of the 1971 and 1972 Longhorn Golf National Champions
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1971 NCAA championship Bottom: Ben Crenshaw, George Tucker, Tom Kite
Top: Manager Craig Campbell, Coach Hannon, William Cromwell, and George Machock.
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May 2022 reunion photo left to right William Cromwell, Ben Crenshaw, George Machock, Brent Buckman, Tom Kite and manager Craig Campbell. Unable to attend were George Tucker and Tony Pfaff.
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All 4 of the Longhorn scores that determined the national champion in George’s senior year were all Austinites. That probably will never happen again. Additionally, the fifth player in the NCAA that year, George Tucker, was from San Antonio (all Texans). photo Kite, Machock, Cromwell, Crenshaw
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George Machock (photo above) says about the reunion. “In May of 2022, the 1971 and 1972 men’s national champion golf teams celebrated their Fifty-year reunion. 1971 was the first-ever national champion for UT in Golf. “
George continues, “We had a great session with Radio sportscaster and talk show host Ed Clements with Lotta laughter and stories, great memories from a dream that came true.”
“Thanks to the Hannon Cup Foundation (in honor of our great Coach George Hannon) and the Univ. of Texas Golf Club.
Hook Em!????
George Machock’s place in Longhorn sports history is at:
https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/reflection-point-golf
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The Lead up to the 1971 National Championships
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Texas came close to winning the NCAA championships in 1949 and 1952.
Professional golf writer Barry McDermott said, “unfortunately, Collegiate golf in the early 1970s did not have a large audience. College Golf, penmanship exercises, and reading the Congressional Record ranked high in the boredom league. …. on par with intramural softball.”
Texas golf coach Coach Hannon says recruiting high school talent was a laid-back process with the pitch ‘come o down, son, and we’ll see what we can do for you.”
Houston Cougar coach Dave William exploited that “come on down” laid-back recruiting approach by aggressively pursuing the best high school golfers. Coach William’s aggressive strategy worked. Entering the 1971 season, the Cougars were two-time defending champions and had won 12 of the previous 15 NCAA titles.
In 1970 DKR and Coach Hannon changed Texas recruiting and competitive posture to compete with Houston.
A.D. Darrell Royal decided the SWC format of match play instead of stroke play was the reason the University of Houston dominated NCAA golf. Royal and Coach Hannon “asked” the SWC to switch to stroke play. The other teams in the SWC refused DKR’s “request”, so Texas played no round-robin games with SWC teams in 1970.
One year later, Texas is National Champion, toppling the giant of the collegiate golf world – the University of Houston.
The foundation to defeat Houston started in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
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May of 1967, George Machock, George Tucker, and William Cromwell signed letters of intent to attend Texas on a golf scholarship.
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On May 23, 1968, Coach Hannon signed Tom Kite to a Longhorn letter of intent. Tom was a two-time state high school golf champion.
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On May 9, 1970, Ben Crenshaw signed a letter of intent to play golf for the Longhorns.
For the history of Longhorn Golf from 1964- to 1981, click on the link below.
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1971 National Championship moments
Gentle Ben won the 1971 NCAA individual title with a then-record four-day score of 273. The record stood for 21 years. However, winning still took a team effort, with Kite firing a 289, Cromwell carding a 290, and Tucker and Machock each logging scores of 292.
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1971 -front row Robert Harwell, Johnny Dill, Paul Darwin, Tom Kite, George Machock, William Cromwell, Ben Crenshaw. Brent Buckman second row: David Roberts, Fred Collins, Tony Pfaff, Chuck Munson, Craig Campbell, , George Tucker, Ladd Larson, Coach Hannon
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1972 National Championship moments
In 2022, Texas won the Longhorn’s 4th national championship in golf. Equaling Texas football’s 4 national championships.
Fifty years before, in 1972, the Horn golf team delivered the second national championship to the Longhorn nation.
The 1972 NCAA championship had a dramatic finish to determine the individual medalist for the tournament.
Tom Kite on the 18th green missed a 6-foot putt while Ben Crenshaw made his 25-foot putt resulting in a tie for medalist honors with 279’s
After the 25-foot putt for the tie, Kite said to Ben, “What have you done to me?” “You’ve got to be the world’s greatest putter in the clutch.”
Still, teamwork won the national championship, not just Ben and Tom. George Tucker’s 298, Brent Buckman’s 297, and Tony Pfaff’s 291 were all needed to win the national championship.
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Ladd Larson, Tony Pfaff, Warren Chancellor, Michael Ball, Brent Buckman, George Tucker, Gary Kahn, Joe Anderson, Chuck Munson, David Price
David Narveson, Johnny Dill, Paul Darwin, Tom Kite, Coach George Hannon, John Saunders, Craig Campbell, Ben Crenshaw
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Mean and Tough Longhorn football Hombres during the DKR era.
By Juan Conde.
Billy, I enjoyed reading the latest edition of your newsletter. DKR hired me in 1959, and I remained on his staff until 1976, when he retired. I met the Talbert brothers when I worked in the equipment room as an assistant to Mr. Jim Blaylock. The meanest, toughest of the Talbert brothers, in my opinion, were Don and Diron. Charley Talbert was tough and mean but milder than his two brothers. DKR once said to me, “ if he had to walk through a dark alley in a neighborhood known for its high crime, he would be sure that Don and Diron, Mike Dowdle, Tommy Nobis, and Don Allen would accompany him. DKR said he would be confident he would make it safely from one end of the alley to the other. I believe he would indeed be safe with these tough hombres as his bodyguards. Juan Conde
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Juan shares Coach Royal’s top 5 tough and mean guys.
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Don Allen – looking for a better photo.
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Swimming 2001
The 2001 Longhorn men’s swim team defined team spirit and individual excellence. The Longhorns won 11 of the NCAA meet’s 21 events, claiming four of five relays and accounting for six of the eight American and NCAA records. Ian Crocker, Brendan Hansen, and Nate Dusing were part of this team.
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Ian Crocker
Ian was an Olympian in 2000, 2004, and 2008 He was the 2004 NCAA Swimmer of the Year. Ian won the 100 butterfly all 4 years at the NCAA championship.
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Brendan Hansen
He is the first person in NCAA
history to win the 100 and 200 breaststrokes four years in a row.
In 2006 Hansen was USA Swimming Male Athlete of the Year and an Olympian in 2004, 2008, and 2012.
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NATE DUSING
Nate is the first Longhorn to ever win the NCAA Championship in the 200 individual medley. Winning in an American record time.
He is the 2001 NCAA swimmer of the year and an Olympian in 2000 and 2004.
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Horns UP ???? and eyes ???? up!
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Longhorn Legend Jill Sterkel will be formally inducted on June 24 at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum.
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TLSN is not associated with the UT Athletics Department or any organization closely aligned with UT.
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.
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