Tell me A Story by Billy Dale for Bill Catlett

Oh well, in the immortal words of Billy Clyde Puckett —  “Nobody said this wasn’t gonna be semi-tough”. 

Bill, your story, through my eyes, is disjointed and is only the first rough draft. Here is what I want to accomplish in your article. 1) I want to share your story but not your name until the last paragraph. 2) Since you don’t have many images of yourself, lets focus on your top 5 photos you took and a short burst sharing why you took the photo. 3) I have color coded in orange comments that don’t have a home yet but will with your approval. 4) From my vantage point, your ego is the driving force behind you successful life journey. If you don’t like that word (ego) then let’s find another word that you like but shares your driving force to excel in all of your endeavors.

Tell me a Story, by Billy Dale
A teammate, friend, and competitor has forever transformed my black-and-white vision of life into a breathtaking panoramic view of the vibrant colors that reside in all of us.
We first met in 1965-1966 as competitors in the highest classification of high school football. I played for the State Champion Odessa Permian Panthers, and he played for the Abilene High School Eagles and future Longhorn head coach David McWilliams. Both of us received and accepted scholarship offers to Texas. Our paths seldom crossed on the football team or socially during our undergraduate years.  He was preparing for a successful life after graduation from day 1 at Texas.  He was blessed with an uncommon combination of high IQ , common sense, a work ethic, and perseverance to achieve success in every endeavor he pursued.
 
This article recounts his journey toward realizing his vision.
Yes, my teammate had an ego, but that isn’t necessarily a bad quality, as many people believe. Egos are like symbolic cars that drive us to our destination. My teammate navigated his ego car carefully through a maze of obstacles, which we all must overcome, to complete his journey which ultimately made our world a better place.   
I wish I could have been in his car for the past 50 years to celebrate all the beautiful scenery along his journey. For more than 30 years, photography was his passion, capturing the beauty of our planet that goes unnoticed by most of us. His photos are a reflection into the heart and soul fascinated with the beauty that surrounds all of us.  He has saved 250 GB of images, totaling around 26,000 photographs that represent the vibrant, end-of-the-rainbow pot of gold-like imagery. His photos are a window to his soul. Below is a photo of our great University produced by Bill Catlett. The photo hangs on the wall in my office.

Bill , let’s add 4 more of your photos you love in this section with the story behind each one of them . I will need the jpeg images to add.

 
 
 
Bill’s internal drive to succeed has resulted in a journey that most people would not or could not accomplish ascending to the top of each professional mountain he chose to climb.  Bill shares a story about his first moments working toward his degree as an Architectural engineering student. 
Sometime in either the Spring of 1970 or possibly 1971, because he was a UT architectural engineering student, he was excused from some Spring training exercise drills. Once a week, he had an engineering lab that conflicted with practice, and Academics trumped practice. –shirt and flip flops venture to th
On one occasion, he dressed in cut-off blue jeans, a surfboard Hawaii T-shirt, and flip-flops to venture adventure to the upper deck under construction with his professor. He said the lesson was “pretty cool.”  He smiled as he walked to a vantage point where he could see his teammate practicing in the hot sun.  He stopped at the level where the sports media and VIP boxes would be, but something was wrong. From that level, he could not really see the whole field.  The new upper deck completely blocked the view of the field for all on that level. It was apparent that no one did a line of site study. Some dismissed his concerns as a novice without a proper working knowledge of the project. Fortunately, others listened, and his observations were proven correct. Adjustments were made, and the media and VIP boxes were moved to another location.
Bill was an early adapter using computers when most consumers had no clue the power of software to create and analyze data. He was a licensed professional engineer, a former committee member of the 16^th largest privately held company  in Texas; a trial lawyer for 12 years, and for 16 years for 16 years he was employed by UT Austin moving technology created by U.T. to the market place to benefit society. Most recently he was involved in a critical advanced nuclear research reactor program involving UT, ACU, A&M, and Georgia Tech, with the four universities supported by Natura Resources. 
 
After decades of little  contact with my district 2-4A competitor friend, we met at a reunion event.  I shared with him the TLSN mission to establish a tax-exempt Longhorn sports historical site with a compassionate component.  He was interested in the idea and started following the TLSN journey as it unfolded. In 2015, he was part of a TLSN meeting in the Stark Center that included Jan and Terry Todd. TLSN wanted the Stark Center to support the TLSN mission with an exhibit of the 1969 National Championship football team. 
 
In the meeting, my teammate suggested that “Instead of having the Starks room focus on the 1969 team only, why not have the theme of the room called “The Streak? ” This would give more team members equity in celebrating two national champions and the 30-game win streak. 
 
 
He continued   “I originally mentioned to Jan that they could pitch it as “the Worster bunch”.  I remember that was how the media most often referred to your recruiting class, which rewrote the history books (literally) the three varsity seasons we  were at UT.  Obviously with help from others, like the seniors on the 68 team (Comer, Koy, Gilbert, Bradley, etc)

Topics looking for a home . It is your call on what if any of the comments are used.

 

 
Reflection of life when Pancreatic Cancer strikes  the spirit of the Longhorn Nation.  This is a story of life well lived and of a leader in whatever venue he decided to pursue. 
 
A visionary his whole life Bill Catlett has been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. He says
I have the misfortune to have THE  most aggressive, hard to treat, form of cancer – pancreatic cancer – which has metastasized and is Stage 4.  

Would like find a home for some of these comments, but some are very personal so you will need to make a decision what you want said at the end of the article.

   
MARK McDonald says,  
Bill Catlett has been a special friend for more than a half century. He is a special and unique person. I have always felt that Bill is one of a kind, with so many great traits and abilities. We played a lot of tennis together, and we talked about many things years ago, things of great depth and complexity. 
I pray he can get into the clinical trial.  It is indeed a terrible disease and he will need our thoughts and prayers.  Cancer is a terrible scourge and it comes as a
SHock to me that my great and strong friend is now facing a difficult fight.  It is a sad time and difficult time.
 
Bill says Mentally I am still plugging along!  I do think about things I’m going to dearly miss, but then I realize if I didn’t have so many wonderful memories of time spent with friends and family – I wouldn’t have anything to miss!  So, I’m SOOO grateful for the memories I have.  Do I wish there’d been more?  Sure.  But the ones I have are great!!
 
 
 
Thank you for all the work you do with/for TLSN Billy!  Especially finding that photo of Edith Royal as a young woman; she was/is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!  Coach Royal definitely “outran the punt coverage” when he married Edith!
 
MENTALLY – 
Good. I’m where the Lord wants me to be, and I’m good with that.  The first 48 hours after the initial diagnosis involved a lot of soul searching, but not really anything different than what I had to work through with the debilitating back pain during 2020-22.  Sort of like I’ve had four years to train for what’s in front of me now.  Plus, now that I’m off BP meds, can think clearly for the first time in years! Mentally, the best I’ve felt in 4+ years.  I feel blessed to be where I am, and have objective proof:  Jackie was online looking at the doctors’ notes following my last visit and there is a category for “Patient Anxiety (on a scale of 0-25)”.  Doctor had recorded my anxiety as: Zero.
 
 
 

 


One of Bill’s special memories.
In 1969 we were beating the ATMs pretty handily and tempers were flaring on and off the field. As we came out through the tunnel for the second half the Aggie Band was exiting the field and UT players had to force their way through the band members. Boys being boys there was most certainly ungentlemanly language being exchanged.  Well, things began to escalate and then one or more Aggie tuba players had the misfortune of saying something explicit to one/both of the Campbell twins. And the Campbell twins immediately reacted by jumping on the tuba players and beating the shit out of them. And of course the Aggie Band reacted in force.  To which any Longhorn player that was close by joined in. I understand that at the periphery of the melee the ATM yell leaders inadvertently started a second kerfuffle when they drew their sabres and tried to make their way to the tuba players. Texas players/fans not only did not retreat, but stormed the sabre wielding Aggies.

any comments on the photos?