Interview By Larry Carlson 5/26/2021
Unsung heroes in football are frequently members of the offensive line. Texas can boast of an enviable roll call of standout centers, and Alan Champagne is on that list. The native of Lafayette, LA. starred in high school at Houston’s Cypress Creek and signed with Fred Akers a month after only a mishandled Georgia punt separated Texas from a perfect 12-0 record in the centennial year of The University of Texas, 1983.
But times were about to change on the Forty Acres. After redshirting in ’84 when the Steers were ranked number one in early October and slumped to 4-4-1 the rest of the way, Champagne saw highs and lows and a head coaching change in his four varsity years. Champagne was a stalwart on lines that propelled RB Eric Metcalf to three All-SWC seasons.
A Longhorn captain as a senior in ’88, Champagne now flourishes as a businessman in Houston’s vital energy sector. He enjoys life as a husband and dad who can look back on NFL Europe and unrelated travels to global spots untouched by football fever while looking forward to more globe-hopping sojourns.
Champagne took time with TLSN to talk about a variety of topics ranging from walk-off TDs to embarrassing photos and the benefits of a bubbly name.
