Juan Conde has passed away . - Texas Legacy Support Network

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By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ Most athletes dream of one day being a part of a championship team. Juan Conde, Jr. has done that … three times, albeit not as an athlete. Conde, a 1954 graduate of San Benito High School, is one of the very few people who have been privileged enough to share the sideline with the great Darrell Royal; Juan says , “I went to Landrum Elementary and San Benito High School,” “I played sports with Bobby Morrow and all of those guys. We were on the same football, track, and basketball teams.”After graduating from high school, Conde attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he received a Bachelor of Science and Education in 1964 and a Masters in Education in 1976. End of news article

Juan Conde has passed away, but his legacy will remain an important part of the history of Longhorn sports. Juan’s unwavering dedication and loyalty to the Longhorns earned him a special place in Coach Royal’s heart. He was a part of Royal’s inner circle and a friend for life.

TLSN will share Juan’s whole story on the TLSN website. Juan touched so many parts of the Longhorn nation that he competed against Tommy Nobis for written Longhorn sports history on the website. I asked him to name the meanest, toughest players during Royal’s coaching years two years ago. He answered :

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 Also Tough And Mean But A Little 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 and make it safe from one end of the alley to the other end. I Believe He Would Indeed Be Safe With These Tough Hombres As His Bodyguards. Juan Conde