The countdown continues as kickoff to the season gets closer. We are now 87 days until college football officially gets underway. It will be the first sense of normalcy that fans and media alike will have ever since sports was shut down on March 12th. Check out our most recent countdowns with numbers 88 and 89.
Countdown to Texas Football: Best to wear No. 88-89 https://t.co/yvLno3nrWG
— Longhorns Wire (@LonghornsWire) June 10, 2020
Currently no Longhorn wears the number 87 but there were a couple memorable players who did. The more recent was Lawrence Sampleton who was drafted in the second round of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He also spent time with the Dolphins before hanging up his cleats.
Sampleton first played for Texas in 1978 where he appeared in four games catching eight passes for 196 yards and one touchdown. Overall he appeared in 36 games in his Longhorns career. He finished with 57 receptions for 1,071 yards and seven touchdowns.
The biggest name to wear 87 has to be Hub Bechtol, who was enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991. Prior to playing for Texas, Bechtol actually started his playing career at Texas Tech in 1943, he transferred to Texas in 1944. He would be named All-American in each year as a Longhorn. He became the first Southwest Conference player to become a three time All-American.
Bechtol played three seasons in the NFL for the Baltimore Colts from 1947-49. He only caught 19 passes in 38 games before giving up football to pursue a career in realty. In 1976 he was named Texas Realtor of the Year according to the Football Foundation. Hub “Big Boy” Bechtol passed away in October of 2004.