Longhorn Hall of Honor inductee Olen Underwood has passed away.

The compilation of Olen Underwood’s life journey celebrated below, is shared by Roy Jones.

Roy was the head student manager when Olen was a player for the Horns.

   Olen Underwood, a member of  the 1963 Longhorn national championship football team who went on to a distinguished judicial career, died peacefully on Feb. 28.
   The retired judge was named to the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 2003.
   A Celebration of Life service will be held on March 16 at 2:00 PM at The Woodlands Bible Church, 995 Pinyon Pine Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77380. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to You Are My Sonshine Ministries at 411 S. Rivershire Conroe, TX 77304, or at https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgofund.me%2F3f854b9b&data=05%7C02%7C%7C9377cdd446a74170dd2808dd5c62d6fc%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638768301762042829%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=xBqyaEiu%2BQrapiCGys3rf1tG%2Bb%2BLhuyWcEuOC53IRiM%3D&reserved=0.
    Judge Underwood dedicated more than 40 years of his life to serving the State of Texas as a judge in Montgomery County. He was the first judge of the 284th District Court, presiding from 1981 to 2005. His wisdom and leadership earned him the trust of three Texas governors, who appointed him as the Presiding Judge of the Second Administrative Region, a role he held from 1996 to 2022.
  A highly respected figure in the legal community, he also served on numerous judicial and nonprofit boards, shaping the justice system with integrity and compassion.
   His passion for justice extended beyond the courtroom. Judge Underwood was a tireless advocate for troubled and vulnerable youth. In 1993, he founded the Student Transition and Recovery (STAR) Program, a groundbreaking mentoring initiative aimed at preventing incarceration for middle school students—a program that has since expanded to multiple states.
  He was instrumental in bringing the CASA (Court Appointed Special
Advocates) program to Montgomery County and served for nearly a decade as the Presiding Juvenile Judge in Conroe, working to change the trajectory of young lives.  His service to the youth of Montgomery County was further recognized with the naming of the Olen Underwood Juvenile Justice Center.

   Olen Ulesus Underwood was the rock of his family, a devoted father to four children and a beloved grandfather to thirteen. His steady presence, unwavering support, and deep care for those around him made him not only a cherished family man but also a loyal friend to many.
Judge Underwood’s legacy is one of unwavering service, steadfast faith, and profound kindness. His impact will be felt for generations to come.
      Retired District Judge David Peeples of San Antonio got to know Olen well as they served as presiding administrative judge for their respective regions for more than 20 years.  He recalled Olen’s quick wit and sense of humor during a legislative hearing in Austin.
       The two had been chosen to represent the state’s nine administrative judges before a subcommittee considering a bill affecting the state judiciary.  “Before the hearing, Olen had mentioned that he knew one of the representatives from high school,”  Peeples said.
   “Oh, yeah. That would have been C.L Hopson. C.L. was a little guy. He
was our team manager”   Charlie Buckalew, a teammate of Olen’s at both
Channelview and UT, recalled when he heard the judge’s story. “He was elected from Jacksonville, but he grew up in Channnelview.”
     As the hearing began, the chairman said, “Judge Underwood, Rep.
Hopson here said he once blocked you flat on your back. Is that true?”
    ‘Yes, sir, that’s exactly what happened,” Olen said to a roar of laughter.
    Noting the muscular judge was twice the size of Hopson, the chairman said, “Judge Underwood, I’ve got to remind you that you are under oath.
Are you sure this honorable representative blocked  you flat on your back?”
     “Yes, sir,”  Olen repeated, then added, “Because I knew that someday I’d be here testifying (as a witness) and he would be up there (in a lawmaking position).”
      “After the laughter subsided, we got down to business,” Peeples said. “Olen could be deceptive. He had a quick mind. He had a good sense of humor to go with an outstanding sense of justice.”
     Buckalew noted that Olen was so well respected in Montgomery County “that nobody ever dared run against him.”  He was reelected to six four-year terms without opposition.
    Buckalew added that the county’s juvenile justice center is named for Olen.  He said  he’d been visiting with Clayton Lacey, another member of  the 1963 championship team, about Olen’s death and discussing what high morals he had.
    “We agreed he kinda’ made us ashamed of ourselves,”  Buckalew added, not completely in jest.
    Olen passed his athletic genes to his four children. Two of his daughters were elite divers. Nancilea won the Big 10 title at the University of Iowa and participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics, while Holly won the Big 10 title at Ohio State. Son Grant followed in his footsteps and graduated from the UT Law School.