Mike Cotten has passed away.

07/17/202404/19/2026

Click on the small white letters “VIEW IN BROWSER” above to enlarge and enhance the photos and text on your cellphone.

UT Football Great, Mike Cotten, Has Passed Away by Larry Carlson https:// texaslsn.org

Mike Cotten, one of the early greats of the early Darrell Royal era, died at his Westlake home on Saturday, following a rief illness. He was 84.

A graduate of Austin High, Cotten played defensive back and was a return man and backup QB as a sophomore for the 9-1 team that then lost to top-ranked Syracuse in the Cotton Bowl. He took the starting quarterback reins for the 1960 and ’61 Longhorn teams and excelled, first for a 7-3-1 team that tied Bear Bryant’s Alabama Crimson Tide in the Bluebonnet Bowl.

as a co-captain of the squad that won eight straight games as a senior. Texas was ranked number one before an upset loss to TCU. Cotten and his teammates bounced back to shut out A&M, 25-0, then beat favored Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl. Mike was named Offensive MVP of his final game in a Texas uniform. He led the Southwest Conference in touchdown passes and was the All-SWC quarterback on that talented team that featured two All-Americans, halfback Jimmy Saxton and tackle Don Talbert.

Cotten was the key to DKR’s innovative “flip-flop” offense that was the toast of college football in ’61. He was not only a good runner but often led interference for Saxton, Jerry Cook and FB Ray Poage, as a blocker. It’s also well worth noting that – in an era focused on the ground game – Cotten was considered a pin-point passer. His completion rate of 57 percent as a senior was the best mark for accuracy among UT starting quarterbacks until Major Applewhite surpassed that record more than a quarter-century later, in 1998.

While attending law school at UT, Cotten worked with Coach Royal’s football staff as a grad assistant. He then served in the Marine Corps and quarterbacked the Quantico Marines football team. As a Captain in the USMC, Cotten served in Vietnam three years. He returned to Austin and practiced law for many decades. A season ticket holder, Cotten was an ardent supporter of Longhorn football and UT athletics.

He was preceded in death by his wife, and is survived by two daughters.

TLSN has created a link at 2024 – MIKE COTTEN FOOTBALL (squarespace.com) to commemorate his life. Kindly save this link and revisit it later as more information and testimonials are added to honor his life. If you would like to comment, please send it to Billydale1@gmail.com, and it will be added to his site.

TLSN is a 501 (c)(3) Longhorn Sports history educational website with a compassionate component.

Https://texaslsn.org

TLSN is not associated with the UT Athletics Department or any organization closely aligned with UT.

Https://texaslsn.org

Oral History Podcast of Longhorn Brand Builders, A-Z

Mike Barnes
ByBilly Dale 04/27/202412/04/2024

Mike Barnes Shares 30 years of Longhorn Sports History. Welcome to Longhorn brand builders for Season #2. Click on the link to share in Mike’s oral history longhorn sports podcast. https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/mike-barnes Mike and Kim have shared a special journey and it is just beginning. Mike Barnes’s high octane performance on Austin’s KVUE-TV and his intuitive…

Read More Mike Barnes
2020 | Newsletters

For the Record- managers, trainers,walk-ons, and coaches are real people
ByBilly Dale 07/17/202410/28/2024

View in Browser ALBUM RELEASE Texas Legacy Support Network Presents Records to Remember For the Record TLSN combines 1000’s of photos; the history of every Longhorn NCAA sport from inception until 2014; Seasonal and career individual records; insightful articles ; and player comments into a form that celebrates the greatest brand in the history of…

Read More For the Record- managers, trainers,walk-ons, and coaches are real people
2022 | Bill Little Articles | Newsletters

Carter Hill’s passing, Jeff Ward, Bobby Lilljedahl , and Bill Little
ByBilly Dale 07/17/202401/04/2025

View in Browser TLSN -Volume VII Newsletter #10 May 3, 2022 Click on “View in Browser” highlighted above in white lettering if the newsletter is not to scale or no images are present. HORNS ???? UP Carter Hill has passed away Todd Hunt notified TLSN that Carter Hill has passed away. Todd said: “All, We…

Read More Carter Hill’s passing, Jeff Ward, Bobby Lilljedahl , and Bill Little
2024 | Newsletters

The Miracle Baby, Grubbs, TCU, Bizzell , SWC breakup record, Obit
ByBilly Dale 07/17/202410/27/2024

View in Browser Top of the Queue – Volume VIII Newsletter #5 -March 1, 2024 Click on the small white letters “VIEW IN BROWSER” at the top of the page to enlarge and enhance the photos and text on your cellphone. TLSN is a 501 (c)(3) Longhorn Sports history educational website with a compassionate component….

Read More The Miracle Baby, Grubbs, TCU, Bizzell , SWC breakup record, Obit
2021 | Newsletters

Coach Leon Black has passed away
ByBilly Dale 07/17/202410/27/2024

View in Browser Billy, it’s Chuck Black. Don’t know if you heard but dad passed away this morning. Our family appreciates all the nice articles you wrote about him. It’s those memories we hold on to. Click on “view in browser” at the top of page if images do not appear. Click on “view in…

Read More Coach Leon Black has passed away
2022 | Newsletters

Bruce Mailey passing- Roy Jones, Texas Relays, Tommy Nobis,, Stark Center
ByBilly Dale 07/17/202412/18/2025

View in Browser Volume VII Newsletter #8 – 04/06/2022 Click on “view in browser” at the top of the page if images do not appear, the images appear distorted, or the links are not visible. Bruce Mailey Has Passed Away Lance Taylor texted me on 3/29/2022 saying: ”Billy…I wanted to let you know that Bruce…

Read More Bruce Mailey passing- Roy Jones, Texas Relays, Tommy Nobis,, Stark Center

Click on the small white letters “VIEW IN BROWSER” above to enlarge and enhance the photos and text on your cellphone.

UT Football Great, Mike Cotten, Has Passed Away by Larry Carlson https:// texaslsn.org

Mike Cotten, one of the early greats of the early Darrell Royal era, died at his Westlake home on Saturday, following a rief illness. He was 84.

He was preceded in death by his wife, and is survived by two daughters.

TLSN is a 501 (c)(3) Longhorn Sports history educational website with a compassionate component.

Https://texaslsn.org

TLSN is not associated with the UT Athletics Department or any organization closely aligned with UT.

Https://texaslsn.org

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply Cancel reply