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Matthew McConaughey missed one!

msucolt45

By msucolt45
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msucolt45

msucolt45 3977

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My dad was on Royal’s first Championship team in 1963. Never played an O/D snap until around 3:00 left in the game versus Navy. Although he did play special teams for years, it was those final minutes that he “lettered” at UT as a football player.

 

Years of practice and no “playing time” earned his respect among fellow players.

 

His first year on campus had him working the dinning hall as a partial scholarship. The kicker was, that it was the athletes’ dinning hall, so after practice and showering, he had to assist those who he had just practiced against and with.

 

I’m proud of him just as if he’d been an All-American, but he was on the team and got a “T” ring upon graduation from Coach Royal and UT’s first football National Championship.

 

When they had their 40th Anniversary weekend, prior to the Arkansas game, he was one of three asked to speak at the banquet with the team and Coach Royal.

 

He came from a small school in Hardin County and could’ve gone to Rice on a full scholarship, but another fellow Hardin Co. guy, Tony Crosby (kicker from Kountze) helped talk him out of it - so I was told.

 

When they had the 50th celebration a couple years ago, I got to see him on the “jumbo tron” scoreboard - his first and most likely last!

 

As always - “Hook’em”!!!!!

 

 

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pch

pch 1259

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IIRC Tony Crosby was a sock footed kicker on that championship team and what a great story about your pop.  This was my second year of following the Longhorns after they lost to LSU the previous year in the Cotton Bowl.  For him too have had the honor to address the team on the 40th anniversary must have made you feel extremely proud.  Rep for the cool story.

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msucolt45

msucolt45 3977

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Thanks- not only was Tony Crosby “bare footed”, but he was a straight on kicker. Hurts just thinking about even trying it.

My dad practiced every day, both ways back then, and had to block or go against the likes of Tommy Noblis, who was years behind him. They had face masks back then, but not like today. He suffered 50+ stiches, mostly to his face during his four years at UT - we’re talking about practice!


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msucolt45

msucolt45 3977

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After they lost to LSU in The Cotton Bowl of the ‘62 season, even though the score wasn’t by much, Coach Royal said never again!
They had felt like the were hammered and out of shape compared to LSU.
The next summer they spent more time, under the west side with strength training than ever before.
They steam-rolled through ‘63 until of “aggy”.


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msucolt45

msucolt45 3977

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Yep - grew up in SE Texas during the Jackie Sherrill era - tough time during the Fall.

I don’t know why I’ve waited this long to share this very minute tidbit of info - beers maybe?

Even though my dad wasn’t a “player”. All through my childhood and going to games (etc.) Coach Royal always said if he had 40 of “my Dad” he’d never lost a game! He was even asked by Mrs. Ruth to speak at the FEC memorial. I have that to go in my memory bank of UT lore!


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msucolt45

msucolt45 3977

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Just trying to share a little unknown UT history.

You could mention the name of my dad, Mickey Riggs, to anyone that played in the early 60’s, and they’d know who he was.
People like David McWilliams, Tommy Ford, or Duke Carlisle, to name a few.


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lemonandaturd

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 I listened to all the non televised UT games in our 1969 championship run in the front yard on an AM radio in a 1963 Ford Falcon.  I was a dedicated 15 year old Texas fan.  Steve Worster was a hero in our part of the state.  He used to completely destroy and humiliate some of the "linebackers" in our district.  They would line up and talk shit and he would run over them like a steamroller on a paving site.  He was usually out of the game by halftime after kicking ass and taking names.  

Good times.  The radio broadcasts were sweet.  If I ever go blind, I hope those old SWC radio broadcasters are still kicking.  

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msucolt45

msucolt45 3977

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Dad always said the “‘64 Longhorns” were better than his senior year, but Arkansas happened. Beat “Joe Namath” and Bama in the Orange Bowl though. I still have the SI issue of that game on the cover.


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pch

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10 minutes ago, msucolt45 said:

Dad always said the “‘64 Longhorns” were better than his senior year, but Arkansas happened. Beat “Joe Namath” and Bama in the Orange Bowl though. I still have the SI issue of that game on the cover.


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Yep, missed that two pointer in '64 in Austin against Arky but got it in '69.  Good times indeed.

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msucolt45

msucolt45 3977

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I wasn’t trying to be a “Surly Dick”, beers speaking, and my Dad sure as hell wouldn’t talk about himself, but I felt like sharing this info with you bunch of UT fans.

All I meant was I think his “story” is better and more grounded than the Rudy story from Notre Dame.

OU still sucks - Dads’ teams were 4-0!


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realgreggym

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Congrats to your Dad from a fellow letterman. Very few fans truly understand the dedication and hard work that goes into all of this. Not being rude but they come to the games and cheer for the team and some of those on the field get lots of publicity but there are a lot of Mickeys that are need to make the team successful.

Thanks for posting.

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hornian

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9 hours ago, msucolt45 said:

I wasn’t trying to be a “Surly Dick”, beers speaking, and my Dad sure as hell wouldn’t talk about himself, but I felt like sharing this info with you bunch of UT fans.

All I meant was I think his “story” is better and more grounded than the Rudy story from Notre Dame.

OU still sucks - Dads’ teams were 4-0!


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But McConaughey had nothing to do with Rudy. So I don’t understand the thread title. 

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Armybrat

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3 hours ago, msucolt45 said:

MM didn’t miss anything, so I chose the title poorly. He can’t miss what he doesn’t know!

“Rudy” is one of my favorite sports movies and the comparisons to my dad, in my biased eyes, are similar.

Pay no attention to the thread title nit-pickers.

If your dad spent an entire season blocking Tommy Nobis in practice on Reggie Grob Field (he should remember that name) and lived to tell about it, then he had to be one of the toughest m-f'ers on the team. Great story about an unsung Horn from one of the greatest college football teams ever. Still have my ticket stub from the Navy Game - my son has the other in his shadow box display with the 2005 season tickets & USC Rose Bowl, along with that game's memorabilia. Most of all, I salute him for earning his T Ring.

Thanks for posting.

PS - My SIL tutored Nobis to help him get through his UT English class.

7_FE69405_D350_42_E6_A0_C9_DB859938_BD9_

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UcancallmeSurly

UcancallmeSurly 451

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17 hours ago, msucolt45 said:

I wasn’t trying to be a “Surly Dick”, beers speaking, and my Dad sure as hell wouldn’t talk about himself, but I felt like sharing this info with you bunch of UT fans.

All I meant was I think his “story” is better and more grounded than the Rudy story from Notre Dame.

OU still sucks - Dads’ teams were 4-0!


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Thank you for sharing, I just text my father.. he worked at Hill Hall with your father & restated ur posts.

classic/mucho rep

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Armybrat

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1 hour ago, idahorn said:

I remember listening the radio as Hix Green missed Krystinik's pass in the end zone that would have won the '64 Arky game. 

I was there watching it hit the ground . The collective drop in blood pressure of 60,000 fans damn near created a new black hole right there.

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19 hours ago, realgreggym said:

Congrats to your Dad from a fellow letterman. Very few fans truly understand the dedication and hard work that goes into all of this. Not being rude but they come to the games and cheer for the team and some of those on the field get lots of publicity but there are a lot of Mickeys that are need to make the team successful.

Thanks for posting.

There is no doubt about that. Rep for the story and your dad, but totally confused at this point on any connection to MM. 

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realgreggym

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15 hours ago, Rex Kramer said:

There is no doubt about that. Rep for the story and your dad, but totally confused at this point on any connection to MM. 

Rex, I agree on the confusion about MM but I'll give it a try. MM is a Hollywood guy who thinks he's special. Granted he probably gives money to the athletic dept but he uses his name to get in with the football team. He takes pictures all the time usually with some of the team's stars if thats the right word and probably seldom with the Mickeys of the team. I could be 100% wrong but maybe that was the OPs point.

Its the Mickeys that get their butts kicked in practice to help the starters and other players to develop and get better. Just my .02

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msucolt45

msucolt45 3977

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Realgreggym,

Spot on!!!

In my original post, I mistakenly made the title in error. I shouldn’t post and drink at the same time! I was thinking of one of the most well-connected UT fans in Hollywood and I of course came up with MM.
Again - what he doesn’t know isn’t his fault.

No - MM wasn’t in Rudy! I was trying to draw comparisons between that movie and the actions of my father, roughly a decade prior to “Rudy” happening.

The teams of the early 60s are slowly leaving us - T. Nobis last year and Coach Royal prior to the 50th Anniversary of ‘63. Thanks to the LHN, their story was shared, which funny as it is, my Dad was in the video snapping the ball to Duke, in the section talking about playing Navy, but never did it in a game! He played at guard or tackle during the last few minutes of the Navy game.
Back then Coach Royal went with the “best 22,” even if that meant going both ways, until your Jr or Sr year. T. Nobis played OL early on as well.

My father would NEVER talk about himself and I really don’t know why I made the attempt - again maybe beers. Through years of practice, film study, and off-season workouts, he thought that he contributed to the teams success and continued to fight for “playing time” even though with the younger classes “talent” behind him - He was going to be challenged for one minute of PT!

Hook’em !!!


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Horn Under a Bad Sign

Horn Under a Bad Sign 20299

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On 6/23/2018 at 9:36 PM, msucolt45 said:

Just trying to share a little unknown UT history.

You could mention the name of my dad, Mickey Riggs, to anyone that played in the early 60’s, and they’d know who he was.
People like David McWilliams, Tommy Ford, or Duke Carlisle, to name a few.


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I wish UTtoTop still posted here.  He had some great stores about those early 1960s teams.  Apparently, the Talbert brothers, Diron and Don, used to raise more than a little bit of hell. 

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