Good Riddance to the Big XII by Larry Carlson for https://texaslsn.org The below article is Professor Carlson’s condensed version of the History of the Big XII and conference member the Texas Longhorns. I never really bought in to the Big XII. Fancy Roman numerals and all. Sure, the old Southwest Conference had eroded into a…
The Rise and Fall of Texas Longhorn football prior to 2023 by Larry Carlson Journalism Professor Larry Carlson has been a Longhorn fan since middle school. He was part of the media that covered the Longhorns starting with Randy McEachern and Coach Fred Akers (see Photos). Larry Carlson Media savvy journalism Professor Larry Carlson has…
ALL-STARS ON OFFENSE In a new day for college football, what with million-dollar player deals, hundreds and hundreds of transfers annually and a “hired gun” mentality, a guy like Sam Ehlinger will be looked upon as “playerus extinctus.” Well, I never took Latin but here’s a translation. They’re not going to be making any more…
BRIGHT SPOTS IN BURNT ORANGE By Larry Carlson https://texaslsn.org Sometimes you have to look for a silver lining. You have to squint hard on a gray day when a ray of sunshiny hope is as difficult to find as a haystack needle. Maybe the boss was in a bad mood. Then the I-35 or I-10…
MUSICAL ONE-HIT WONDERS: By Larry Carlson https://texaslsn.org Way, way into adult-hood, I was still the guy among the guys I grew up with, who could ID all the “one-hit wonder” songs and artists through the decades. Yet another of the questionable “skills” I was blessed with. Knowing all the Texas high school football nicknames, from…
Donnie Wigginton’s interview is at https://texaslsn.org/larry-carlsons-interviews/ Billy Dale says: Less than a handful of “boys turning to men” can say they received a pitch-out from the first four quarterbacks in the productive history of the Wishbone. Yours truly is one of them. Bill Bradley, James Street, and Eddie Phillips had a soft pitch with a…
The introduction to Donnie’s interview is at DONNIE WIGGINTON https://texaslsn.org/larry-carlsons-interviews/ TLSN: What do you remember about the competition and challenges that came with playing freshman football with a lot of other highly-rated signees from across the state? How much did being ineligible for varsity as a freshman — and playing five games as Shorthorns —…
All-American Kicker Jeff Ward (Still) Speaks Out THE GAME CHANGER https://texaslsn.org/larry-carlsons-interviews/ Comments from Jeff Ward Jeff ward says college football can teach you these outstanding lessons that come in very brutal ways. You start to learn what it’s all about. And that is the same people who would buy you beer on Friday are the…
https://texaslsn.org/larry-carlsons-interviews/ The last Longhorn to take home the Outland Trophy — some four decades ago — is allowing himself a short break from another busy workday to reminisce a little on this broiling summer afternoon. A framed poster of Vince Lombardi’s “What It Takes To Be Number One” credo is the only noticeable hint of…
https://texaslsn.org/larry-carlsons-interviews/ Randy and Jenna at Hall of Honor installation In 2021 Jenna received the second most TLSN national listeners of 22 oral history productions produced in two years. Her link is https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/jenna-mceachern TLSN: You — and teammates from the signing class of ’74, such as Earl Campbell and Brad Shearer — had been freshmen when…