Randy Willis share a story about Coach Bryant presenting a Belt Buckle to Coach Royal
A personal article written by Randy Willis about the friendship between Coach Royal and Coach Bryant. For the record, Royal won three and tied one against Bear Bryant in football competition.
Randy says, “This is a true story of Coach Darrell K Royal’s thoughtfulness. And Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant’s unusual gift after the fourth time they played against each other. I have never shared this story before.:”
TLSN has written volumes about Randy’s association with Longhorn sports through the years.
Randy Willis’s Austin, Texas, home. October 8, 2003 Pickin and Grinin music honoring Coach DKR is in the link below. Bruce Channel sings Hey Baby from the film Dirty Dancing with Patrick Swayze. Sonny Throckmorton and Rock Killough join in.
Artist who performed or were present included: Deborah Allen, Michael Ballew, Pete Benz, Jimmy Boggs, Karen Brooks, Steve Carter, Bruce Hey Baby Channel, Allie Danielle, Craig Dillingham, Gary Goss, Mike Hammock, Casey Kelly, Rock Killough, Mike Laudermilk, Kimarie Lynn, Johnny Lyon, John Arthur Martinez, Django Porter, Pauline Reese, Johnny Rodriguez, Leo Stokes, Sonny Throckmorton and many others.
Link below is a Pickin party
1956 Coach Bryant congratulates Coach Royal for being hired for the Texas job.
The relationship had begun when Bryant was coaching at Texas A&M, mentoring the legendary John David Crow. Coach Royal had become the Texas Football coach in 1957, and that season he took his Longhorns to College Station and beat Bryant, Crow, and the No. 4-ranked Aggies.
The year before Coach Darrell K. Royal came to Texas, the team’s record was 1 win and 9 losses.
The four matchups were:
1957 Regular Season (Nov. 29, 1957): Texas defeated the fourth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, then coached by Bryant, by a score of 9-7. This game cost A&M the Southwest Conference championship. This was a major upset: Texas beat a top-five A&M team led by John David Crow, who would win the Heisman Trophy that year. Bryant departed for Alabama the following season.
After Royal beat a great Bear Bryant Texas A & M team in 1957, the Texas quarterback, Bobby Lackey, said, “They (A&M) had more talent than we did, but Darrell and his coaches had us more prepared.” Royal said, ” a fired-up team can beat a team with better material” Preparation is always the key to winning.
The photo below has a note from Bear Bryant to A&M football player Willie Zapalac, who joined DKR’s staff and led the offensive line for years.
To Coach Zapalac from Coach Bryant
1960 Bluebonnet Bowl (Dec. 17, 1960): Royal’s Texas Longhorns and Bryant’s Alabama Crimson Tide played to a 3-3 tie in a defensive struggle. Alabama accepted the Bluebonnet Bowl spot opposite Texas after defeating Auburn, 3-0, and the pairing set up an attractive match of Royal against personal friend Bear Bryant, who was still a drawing card in Texas because of his years at Texas A&M.
1965 Orange Bowl (Jan. 1, 1965): Texas defeated Alabama 21-17. Here is the link https://youtu.be/XLLSIXpI6Ng
1964 – Ernie Koy junior against Alabama in the Orange Bowl 
1964 Orange bowl program Royal vs. Bryant 
1965 Orange Bowl -Alabama vs. Texas Royal vs. Bryiant 
1964 Orange Bowl – Texas goal line stand Royal vs Bryant 
1964 ernie Koy junior Texas vs. Alabama royal and bryant 
1965 Rose Bowl – the stop in the Orange bowl Royal vs. Bryant 
1964 Royal vs Bryant Rose Bowl
1973 Cotton Bowl (January 1, 1973): In their final meeting, Texas won 17-13. As Coach Royal and Coach Bryant met in the middle of the field, Coach Royal told me that Bear Bryant said, “Hell, I can’t beat you, Darrell.”
To Coach Royal’s amazement, Bear Bryant turned to an Alabama State Trooper and said, “Give me your belt.”
When the trooper looked confused, Coach Bryant explained, “I need your belt buckle to give to Darrell Royal.”
When Coach Royal shared that story with me, I asked him what that meant. “Some rival teams would plant their flag or spear into the turf after a victory,” he said.
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When Coach Royal discovered that Rock Killough was from Alabama, he told him, ‘The next time we meet, I have something for you.” Killough not only played my annual pickin’ parties honoring Coach Royal, but also Coach Royal’s Ben Willie Darrell charity events as part of Sonny Throckmorton’s ensemble.
True to his promise, Coach Royal gave Rock Killough the belt buckle Coach Bryant had given him.
