Football 08.22.2002

A Reward For Hard Work

ARTICLE IS FROM TEXASSPORTS.COM

AUSTIN, Texas — Michael Ungar’s parents will be in the stands at Darrel K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 31, when the Longhorns host North Texas in the 2002 season opener. They’ll see their son wearing No. 29 and gracing the field as a fan favorite after he has earned a reputation as a special teams standout during the last two seasons. They’ll also still be digesting the fact that their son, who is a senior, will be a full-scholarship player after spending the last three years as a walk-on.

By the time the Longhorns face off against the Mean Green, the news will have sunk in a little more with Ungar since he first heard it at a team meeting on Tuesday night. His parents, however, are on an overseas trip to Ireland and will not talk to him until Wednesday, Aug. 28.

So instead of telling his parents the news, or even his brother for that matter since he usually works until 11 p.m. as a chef in Boston, Ungar headed straight to his best friend’s house upon hearing the news that he was no longer a walk-on, that he no longer had to worry about how to pay for school and that four years of hard work had paid off like he never dreamed possible.

“I had no idea I was going to get a scholarship,” Ungar said. “When Coach Brown announced it in front of the guys, I teared up. All the guys were screaming for me and they all gave me a hug. It was one of the best moments I’ve ever had.”

Brown made sure the occasion wasn’t a small one. It was at one of the final meetings of two-a-days, when the fifth-year head coach took center stage to address the team and told them he was going to talk to them about the importance of unity and how, in order to be successful, they needed to play for each other. However, the speech never happened.

The Longhorns players had proven over the course of the summer that their cohesiveness would be one of their strengths. So instead of giving a talk, Brown immediately started describing how one player has been at every practice the last four years, how integral a part of special teams he had become and how much that meant to the success of the team. He then announced Ungar would be on scholarship for his final season.

However, Brown didn’t stop with Ungar. Not letting hard work go unrewarded, the UT coaching staff also awarded scholarships to senior wide receivers Richard Hightower and Kyle Shanahan.

“Michael, Richard and Kyle are guys that are always working hard and doing everything they can to help the team win,” Brown said. “Michael and Richard really do a lot for our special teams with their attitude, while Kyle is a guy that we think will be a factor at receiver this year. We had three scholarships to give and those three guys have done everything imaginable to earn them and they deserved to be rewarded.”

Considering high school coaches prepared Hightower for the likelihood he would never step on the field in a Texas uniform, to be a scholarship player on one of the top teams in the country exceeded any expectations.

Standing at only 5-foot-8, Hightower has earned the respect of his teammates after playing in all 25 games the last two seasons. Hightower welcomed the surprising, yet welcome news from Coach Brown and immediately called his mom, who just had knee surgery the previous week.

“I was really happy to call my mom after Coach Brown told me I got a scholarship because I think it lifted her spirits,” Hightower said. “I’ve always been treated like a scholarship player here, but I’m still extremely honored that this happened.”

To Shanahan, the son of Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan, being a scholarship player isn’t as foreign of a luxury. During his freshman and sophomore years, Shanahan was on a full ride at Duke, where he hauled in 13 passes for 173 yards despite missing most of his sophomore year with a hamstring injury.

“The coaches know I gave up a scholarship at Duke, but they also knew I never expected to get one when I came here,” Shanahan said. “The fact they awarded me one along with Richard and Michael is something they didn’t have to do, but I’m extremely grateful.”

Grateful almost understates the appreciation expressed by Ungar.

After the team meeting, Ungar went into an empty locker room and sat on a stool in front of his locker. He looked around at the empty lockers with the helmets and jerseys in them. Above the lockers are posed action shots that manage to capture some of the players’ personality. It’s the same place where the players sing “Texas Fight” after every home game. That’s when it all started to sink in.

“I realized I’m really going to miss this place next year,” Ungar said. “I knew that moment was something I would remember for the rest of my life. I have so much love for this game and this university. Everything I have gained from the two of them is awesome.”

The scholarship is just a bonus.