The University of Texas Longhorns boast an athletics program rich in traditions and history that transcends the realm of sports. As we celebrate Black History Month, we’ll take a look at groundbreaking moments and trailblazing efforts of a few of UT’s Black history makers who have left an indelible mark on the Longhorn athletic legacy.  Long before integration at the University of Texas and nearly 70 years before an athlete would break the color barrier, there was a man that would have a huge impact on the UT football program. In 1895, Henry Reeves, an African American, was hired as...

When I had the honor and privilege of being part of the UT Coaching staff, I was constantly brushing elbows with greatness. Every day in the Longhorn dining hall was a veritable stream of “Who’s Who” in the buffet line. Eating adjacent to future Longhorn legends like Cat Osterman, Ian Crocker, Justin Tucker, Destinee Hooker, Bianca Knight, Kevin Durant, and Vince Young (and the list goes on and on and on) was a daily reminder of the standards we set for ourselves and our student-athletes. I used to tell recruits that they could matriculate at other schools but very few...

Coach Dave Snyder’s resume as both a player and a coach runs deep. What the highlights don’t tell you is what an amazing man he was. He was much beloved by his teammates and his players, as evidenced by how many of these men traveled far and wide to get to his side when the end was drawing near last month. He was listening and telling stories right up to the end with his boys and they were all able to say good-bye to one another and express the love and admiration they held for each other for decades. Coach...

Well, folks, it’s that time of the year again. It’s time to raise a stein and proclaim, “Gut Heil!”  Yes, it’s OKTOBERFEST, people, and this time of the year EVERYONE gets to don lederhosen, wear felt hats and master the art of holding a brimming stein of delectable German beer perfectly parallel to the ground, in a true test of strength, all the while belting out “Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit” (beer hall drinking song). Anyone who loves to drink beer gets to be German during Oktoberfest.  In my previous life, September signified the end of the Grand Slam tennis season with the conclusion of...

Yessir, it’s football season again and I have the pleasure of living in FOOTBALL COUNTRY, a.k.a. TEXAS. Friday night lights are in full swing in the high schools—you can’t drive down any highway or back road in the state of Texas on a Friday night and not see the stadium lights somewhere ahead of you on the road. The NFL season got underway last Sunday with a bang. But, more importantly, the college season has begun, and our beloved UT Longhorns are 2-0 with a win over ‘Bama in Tuscaloosa last Saturday. Nobody on campus has come down off of...

Let me start by saying, I have never met the man, or if I have, it was only briefly and only incidentally. Last month was the five-year anniversary of the passing of Dr. Terry Todd. While I never had the privilege or the honor of sitting down and spending time with the man, I did attend the opening of the H.J. Lutcher Stark Center several years ago when it opened in the DKR Memorial Football Stadium North End Zone. Back then, it was only a casual stroll from my coach’s office on the opposite side of the NEZ and now,...

I’ve walked past her a hundred times since I started working at the Stark Center a few months ago. She’s at the end of a row on the top shelf, housed amongst the trophies, plaques, and awards of iconic U.T. Coaches, seemingly a bit out of place. She’s one of thousands of artifacts hidden behind the archive doors of the Stark. She’s frozen in time, forever suspended in her leap wearing her Texas cheerleading outfit, complete with pompoms and ponytails. Boxed. Untouched. Unplayed with. Perfect. Our U.T. Cheerleader Barbie. The Barbie movie is all the rage right now. You have...

I’ve spent a lifetime around people who passionately pursue the perfect body. In my younger days, I was a dedicated gym rat and trained shoulder to shoulder with Olympians, top college athletes, and professional athletes, all who looked like they were carved out of stone like statues of Greek gods and goddesses. My motivation in those days was to build a machine capable of performing at top gear as a professional tennis player. Later, as a Head Women’s Tennis Coach, it was to teach and supervise my college athletes how to train specifically for tennis. Nowadays, my goals are much...