Mission Statement
Today’s Longhorn Athletes Have crossed The Bridge Constructed By Their Predecessors. A Legacy from the Longhorn Past That Has Significantly Enhanced The Value Of The Longhorn Brand.
TLSN has two missions. One is to share the history of all Longhorn sports in an archival format at https://texaslsn.org . This site is free for anyone to visit.
The second mission of the Texas Legacy Support Network (TLSN) is the reason why the TLSN Board applied for 501(c)(3) status.
While it is reasonable to allow current scholarship athletes to benefit from NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), it is equally important to support those who helped establish the Longhorn brand but now require temporary financial assistance due to unforeseen circumstances beyond their control. TLSN is dedicated to assisting the builders of the Longhorn brand—specifically, T-ring recipients who have, through no fault of their own, fallen through the cracks of society’s safety nets. Former Horns, through their hard work, dedication, and perseverance, built the Longhorn brand, which now offers financial rewards, state-of-the-art facilities, equipment, proper nutritional diets, and safety protocols for current athletes.
While the need for financial assistance is uncommon, as most former Longhorn student-athletes are able to secure employment, build wealth, obtain insurance, and live independently, unexpected financial hardships can occur. TLSN provides vital temporary aid for these individuals.
As of December 2024, the TLSN website has received over a million “Google impressions” and supported 18 former Longhorn brand builders. It started in 2004 with the LSG (an organization established by Darrell Royal players, including myself) and culminated with TLSN, a 501(c)(3) organization founded by Benny Pace, Jim Kay, and Billy Dale to assist all former Longhorn student-athletes. Over the years, these two organizations have distributed a total of $256,138 in aid to eligible recipients.
The Texas Legacy Support Network (TLSN) considers itself a safety net for former Longhorn student-athletes eligible for temporary assistance, viewing this role as a moral obligation. TLSN’s mission aligns with the Longhorn motto, “What starts here changes the world.” On April 29, 2017, TLSN made history in intercollegiate athletics by becoming the first private charitable organization sanctioned by the NCAA to provide temporary financial assistance to qualifying former Longhorn student-athletes, coaches, student managers, trainers, and their immediate families.
TLSN operates independently and is not associated with the University of Texas or any closely affiliated institutions. However, TLSN expresses gratitude to the NCAA and the U.T. Athletic Department for their forward-thinking approval of TLSN’s mission statement in 2017-2018.
TLSN has extended a helping hand to individuals in various formats, ranging in grants from $2,000 to $45,000. Visit their website at either the link https://www.texaslsn.org/history-of-tlsn-as-of-12042023 or https://www.texaslsn.org/mission-statement to witness the collective effort of the TLSN Board of Directors. Each Board member, driven by a shared purpose, works tirelessly without compensation, united in their mission to assist those who qualify for temporary financial assistance.
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“The Board of Directors of TLSN hopes for good health, good luck, good families, good jobs, and goodwill to all Longhorns. However, TLSN remains as a sentinel prepared to assist qualifying Longhorns when help is needed. ”
TLSN, INC. MISSION PURPOSE STATEMENT
TLSN, INC., a Section 5.01 (c) (3) Texas nonprofit corporation (“TLSN”), whose primary purpose is to provide financial support and other charitable assistance and support to people who have suffered health-related and other severe financial hardship and who are: (i) former student-athletes who participated in intercollegiate sports governed by the AIAW and NCAA at the University of Texas at Austin, (ii) former coaches, trainers, equipment managers, and managers of (i) above, and (iii) family members of the individuals described in (i) and (ii) above.
TLSN also works to promote and encourage public knowledge, understanding, appreciation of, and preserve the historical legacy of the individuals described in (i), (ii), and (iii) of the above preceding paragraph, which has been accomplished in the website link https://texaslsn.org .
TLSN is TRYING TO LEAVE SOMETHING BEHIND
I understand Sean Rowe’s yearning to “Leave Something Behind.”
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I can get through the wall if you give me a door
So I can leave something behind; Oh wisdom is lost in the trees somewhere
You’re not going to find it in some mental gray hair
It’s locked up from those who hurry ahead
And it’s time to leave something behindWhen my son is a man he will know what I meant
I was just trying to leave something behind
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Texas is more than a football school. No member of the now-defunct SWC or Big 12 has won more conference and national championships in NCAA-sanctioned sports than the Texas Longhorns. All Longhorn fans should honor the history of all Longhorn sports franchises with the same passion as the Texas football program.
see this link in red below for national championship teams. https://www.texaslsn.org/national-championships
Guide Star Silver Level
TLSN has Two Missions- One Creates a Path, and the Other Builds a Bridge.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” TLSN has left the established path and is building new trails to honor the past, celebrate the present, and empower the future.
DKR built his life around the poem ” The Bridge Builder” by Will Allen Dromgoole. The verse states that bridges are needed to make the path easier for others to cross. TLSN is building those bridges.
Go To the 5:45 mark of the video below to listen to Coach Royal as he recites The Bridge Builder by Will Allen Dromgoole.
A Path to Longhorn sports history
TLSN uses synergy to combine U.T. history, traditions, legacies, culture, individual records, photos, insightful comments, and personal commentary from former athletes, trainers, managers, coaches, and their families into a form that all Longhorns can celebrate.
The website captures powerful and insightful Longhorn comments from the minds of great authors, visuals from videos, professional media brochures, newspaper articles, shelter magazines, and, most importantly, from Longhorn athletes who created Longhorn sports history.
The website is free, compassionate, educational, and historical.
Please share your Longhorn sports memories with others ‘til you can’t.
Memories not shared are lost forever, so please contact Billydale1@gmail.com with the Longhorn sports history you would like to share with the TLSN readers.
TLSN has interviewed and captured Longhorn sports history as seen through the eyes of Texas Horns Jim Gideon, Randy McEachern, Tommy Harmon, Ragan Gennusa, Stephen Ross, Aggie Ed Simonini, Rodney Page, Coach Leon Black, Billy Dale, Tommy Lucas, Spanky Stephens, Jim Bayless, Stewart Keller, Byrd Baggett, Ricardo Romo, Dave Morton, Amy Goodwin, John Scott, Rob Moerschell, Peter Gardere, Kiki Deayla, Turk McDonald, Robert Brewer, John Carsey, Bill Atessis, Duke Carlisle, Jim Bayless tennis, Ben Crenshaw, Jenna McEachern, Donna Lopiano, Calvin Murray, Buck Cody, Gary Plock, Tyres Dickson, Jeff Ward, and others have shared their Longhorn stories on the TLSN website
Professional authors such as -Mark McDonald, Steve Ross, Jon DaSilva, Pat Carlisle, Barbara Wainscott, Larry Carlson, and Gaylon Krizak have added quality articles to the TLSN website,
Send your memories as Longhorns to Billydale1@gmail.com
the TLSN website is building bridges to Leave something behind
On April 29th, 2017, TLSN made intercollegiate athletic sports history. TLSN is the first private charitable and tax-exempt with the specific mission of offering temporary financial assistance to qualifying former Longhorn student-athletes, coaches, student managers, trainers, and their immediate families. Longhorn athletes who, through no fault of their own, have fallen through societal safety nets.
The inspiration for the TLSN (Texas Legacy Support Network) mission started informally in 2004 and ended in a formal structure in 2017.
TLSN is not associated with the U.T. Athletics Department or any organization closely aligned with U.T.
TLSN grants require an interview and a due diligence process to confirm eligibility for assistance. TLSN’s goal is to convert a donor’s heartfelt investment into a compassionate dividend for those who, through no fault of their own, have fallen through society’s safety net.
Visit this link for more information on qualifiers for help https://www.texaslsn.org/qualifiers-for-consideration-to-financial
