Category: Alumni

Texas Football: A look at the six retired jersey numbers

Taking a look at the Longhorn legends who had their numbers retired after a stellar collegiate career at the University of Texas.

If you’re blessed to have your jersey number retired, it’s an honor that immortalizes a player in the record books of their team or school.

It’s something that only legends of a program are able to achieve. Oftentimes, great players are even left out. It has to be an indescribable feeling to know that the number can longer be worn by anyone else that follows in your footsteps. For example, in Major League Baseball, the No. 42 is retired to honor Jackie Robinson.

The Longhorns have retired a total of six numbers in their football programs history. There have been other great players that have graced the Forty Acres, but did not have the impact that these six had.

Let’s take a look at who the Texas football program has immortalized:

Texas Football: A look at the six retired jersey numbers

Taking a look at the Longhorn legends who had their numbers retired after a stellar collegiate career at the University of Texas.

If you’re blessed to have your jersey number retired, it’s an honor that immortalizes a player in the record books of their team or school.

It’s something that only legends of a program are able to achieve. Oftentimes, great players are even left out. It has to be an indescribable feeling to know that the number can longer be worn by anyone else that follows in your footsteps. For example, in Major League Baseball, the No. 42 is retired to honor Jackie Robinson.

The Longhorns have retired a total of six numbers in their football programs history. There have been other great players that have graced the Forty Acres, but did not have the impact that these six had.

Let’s take a look at who the Texas football program has immortalized:

Longhorns Legend Earl Campbell delivers gift to Guy Fieri

The Longhorns legendary running back Earl Campbell surprised celebrity chef Guy Fieri with a gift. Of course it was a Longhorn.

It isn’t everyday that you receive a gift delivered by a Texas Longhorns legend, but that is what happened to celebrity chef Guy Fieri. The Mayor of Flavortown received a gift from Earl Campbell on Wednesday. The first ever Heisman Trophy winner in Longhorns history delivered a gift, of course it was a Longhorn.

Campbell played for the Longhorns from 1974 to 1977. During that time he racked up 4,443 yards and 40 touchdowns. He left the school as the all-time leading rusher in both categories. The records stood until another Heisman winning running back came to town in Ricky Williams. Campbell would go on to have a Hall of Fame career in the NFL.

Earl Campbell even signed the Longhorn for Guy, who claimed that the Tyler Rose was his favorite all-time player in a tweet. This comes on the same day as the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose award watch list was released. Despite his fame, that had to be a surreal moment for the celebrity chef.

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Former WR, RB among new Texas Athletics Hall of Honor inductees

The next Texas Hall Of Honor class will feature 13 former student-athletes and one former coach.

The University of Texas announced their latest Hall of Honor inductees on Wednesday morning. Continue reading “Former WR, RB among new Texas Athletics Hall of Honor inductees”

Touchdown Wire ranks Earl Thomas III as one of the ten best safeties

USA TODAY’s Touchdown Wire released their top 11 safety list. Former Longhorn Earl Thomas III cracked the top ten.

Our colleagues at the Touchdown Wire are as starved for football as the rest of us. As the NFL season gets closer they have started examining the best players at each position. One of those players is former Longhorn safety Earl Thomas. He started his career with the Seahawks helping lead them to their first Super Bowl Championship, now a member of the Baltimore Ravens.

Earl Thomas III has been a mainstay of lists such as these since his days with the Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom,” and with good reason. Thomas is perhaps the prototype at free safety, with sideline-to-sideline ability and the eye skills to match. His first season with the Ravens after a decade in the NFC West did see his play slip a bit, but when you start at such an elite level any slippage still sees you check in as one of the game’s best.

His coverage skills remain elite. Thomas was targeted in the passing game just 14 times last season, allowing just six receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown, to go with his pair of interceptions. He allowed an NFL passer rating of just 47.9, which was the lowest mark surrendered by him since the 2016 season in Seattle. His ability to read the eyes of a quarterback remains elite, as he displayed on this interception of Ryan Fitzpatrick.

It is no surprise to see Thomas near the top at his position, as he has been viewed as one of the best since he joined the league. Over his career Thomas has accumulated 30 career interceptions, 12 forced fumbles to go along with 713 career tackles in his 10 years in the league.

 

Emmanuel Acho hired by Fox Sports, will cohost Speak For Yourself

Former LB Emmanuel Acho has officially been hired by Fox Sports and will cohost FS1’s ‘Speak For Yourself’ with Marcellus Wiley.

Former Texas linebacker Emmanuel Acho has officially been hired by Fox Sports and will cohost FS1’s ‘Speak For Yourself’ with Marcellus Wiley. Acho is replacing Jason Whitlock, who recently left Fox after his contract expired.

Acho began his media career at ESPN, where he worked for Longhorn Network for a short period. He was promoted in 2018 and was a part of ESPN’s weekly college football coverage. After four years at the Worldwide Leader of Sports, Acho is moving to their main competition.

‘Speak For Yourself’ is on during weekdays at 2 pm CST on FS1. Acho will be the show’s fourth host in its short history, as co-creators Collin Cowherd and Whitlock are no longer on the show.

During his time at Texas, Acho 240 career tackles with 32.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2012 draft by the Cleveland Browns. Acho also played for the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles before retiring in 2015.

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