Forgotten, Overlooked, Unsung UT Heroes

Discussion in 'On The Field' started by WorsterMan, Jun 29, 2015.

  1. WorsterMan

    WorsterMan SEC here we come!!

    The off-season sucks but it does give us time to reflect. I have been thinking of this subject as a thread title for a while. It is time to remember and give a shout out to some heroes.

    Many were not starters or big name players but they had a BIG role / contribution in a game or two during the season or bowl game. I did not do a long term memory search, just a few players that came to mind:

    1998 - Bryan White, WR @ Nebraska on Halloween in one of Mack's biggest victories IMO. Down late in the 4th quarter Major hits White with a bomb that gives us a 1st down inside the 20 and the Horns go on to end the Huskers 57 game home win streak with an incredible upset victory 20-16. The win also probably seals the Heisman for RW:hookem:

    2006 - Brian Carter, WR vs. USC in the RB, catches 3 passes - 2 critical catches from Vince on the winning drive of the game the Horns win 41-38. Helping to earn our first NC in over 30 years.:hookem:

    2005 - Drew Kelson, DB vs. Ohio State - very late 4th qtr. he pops QB Zwick creating a fumble Robison picks ups as part of sealing the 25-22 win. On an earlier Buckeye drive he had an INT that was ruled incomplete that was flat wrong. I consider this win the biggest OCC victory in the last 50 years.:hookem:

    1969 - Randy Peschel, TE @ Arkansas in FayetteNam. Right 53 Veer Pass. Peshcel was a TE Street rarely threw to. The biggest go for broke play in UT football history that set up the come-from-behind incredible 15-14 win for the good guys.:hookem:

    What can you add to this list?
     
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    Last edited: Jun 30, 2015
  2. Godz40acres

    Godz40acres Happy Feller

    Great topic idea.

    Dandy Randy and the Clutch Catch!
     
    • Like Like x 1
  3. SabreHorn

    SabreHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Terry Melancon - given the task of single coverage on OU's best receiver (Busted Rhymes), Melancon responded by shutting Rhymes out for the entire game. We still lost but an extraordinary performance by #19 (IIRC) from Port Arthur.

    Steve Hall - TE from Tulsa who pancaked OU safety (I believe the kid from Ball HS) on Earl's TD in 77. Our only TD of he game, and our first win in 7 years.

    Chachie Owens from Orange - for some reason, DKR didn't like Owens and he hadn't seen the field. Prior to Nobis getting injured in 65, Texas hosted an awful Indiana team, but an Indiana team that was huge and slow. Our OL couldn't block all that lard. Owens was our largest RB. When DKR finally put him in the game, Owens ran through the Hoosier defense like a hot knife through soft butter. Coming off a NC and an Orange Bowl victory over #2 Alabama in successive years, a loss to the bottom feeder from the BigTen would have been totally unacceptable. FWIW, I believe that Owens daughter remains the smallest surviving baby in modern day Travis County.
     
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    Last edited: Jun 30, 2015
  4. majorwhiteapples

    majorwhiteapples 5,000+ Posts

    I am going to say Anthony Hicks against Nebraska 1998, 14 Tackles, 4 for loss, 10 solo's and 2QB sacks.
     
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  5. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    Wow. That is an outstanding performance.
     
  6. Horns11

    Horns11 10,000+ Posts

    Hicks also saved the 1999 NU game in Austin with several key QB pressures and stops. If it wasn't for the cheap shot by Derek Dorris in Lubbock in the 1998 game, Hicks probably would have been a much more successful starter for Texas.
     
  7. IvanDiabloHorn

    IvanDiabloHorn 1,000+ Posts

    Sabre, I also had Terry Melancon, but I was thinking about his two interceptions against Alabama in the 1973 Cotton bowl. I think he had some good interception return yardage as well.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  8. WorsterMan

    WorsterMan SEC here we come!!

    By my definition some may say this player does not qualify, but I thought of him and I will briefly explain why.

    Bill Bradley started at QB his Soph. '66 & Junior '67 years. Running the Wishbone the first 3 games of 1968, he was replaced by QB James Street in the 3rd quarter of the Tech game. Bradley struggled to run the Wishbone and Street ran it with ease. He continued to be an outstanding punter.

    Bradley was moved to TE for 2 or 3 games and didn't get much action. He was moved to DB where he shined for the last 3 or 4 games of the 10 game regular season. Versus aggy he had 4 interceptions - still a record for most by a UT player in a game. He went on to the NFL as a DB and became all pro.

    So I submit Bradley. I don't think he is forgotten or unsung but you could say what he did has been largely overlooked by followers and fans. He was a tremendously talented athlete. He took a huge demotion for the betterment of the team and little was said about it. He won a lot of games at QB but he was moved to the other side of the ball the last 3 or 4 games of his Senior year!!

    In a very short time, he made a big contribution at a position he was not used to playing on the college level and then parlayed that to stardom in the NFL.

    Not many players have done what he did.
     
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    Last edited: Jun 30, 2015
  9. Brad Austin

    Brad Austin 2,500+ Posts

    I submit Gap Kid...:smile1:
    [​IMG]
     
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  10. NB_LONGHORN

    NB_LONGHORN 500+ Posts

    Mo Gordon vs. aggy in 2001.
    he was a man possessed.
     
  11. longhorn47

    longhorn47 500+ Posts

     
  12. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    How about Chris Ogbannaya, 15 carries 127 yards, Oct 11, 2008 as then #5 Texas beats then #1 OU
     
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  13. TEXnSEATTLE

    TEXnSEATTLE 1,000+ Posts

    Randy McEachern coming off the bench to replace 2 QB's that went down....he does just what he needs to for the good guys to BEAT THE HELL outta o.u......

    ....best day of my life until Vince ran it in....
     
    • Like Like x 2
  14. Firefly

    Firefly 25+ Posts

    Stonie effing Clark!!
    In 1982 Daryl Clark had a nice year rushing for over 1000 yards, the first back since Earls Heisman year to do that. Against the Ags that year he thrw a long halfback pass to Walls for a td on Texas firt offensive possession of the game!
     
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  15. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    Good call. Chris was a monster that day.
     
  16. Statalyzer

    Statalyzer 10,000+ Posts

    Some of you guys clearly have a different definition of "forgotten" or "unsung" than I do.

    It was almost all in the 2nd half too - at halftime neither team could move the ball except by passing (UT actually had negative rushing yards). After halftime Obi-Wan busted a couple of 20ish yarders to get us going on the ground and help us finally take the lead - and then his 60 yard run to put the nail in the coffin was just perfect as he was running literally right at me, that might be the most excited I'd ever been live at a game (although the Ramonce Taylor end around to tie the 2004 Okie State game is close).

    Good call re: Drew Kelson in 2005. His breakup of what would have been a 50 yard wheel route to Reggie Bush was pretty key in the title game as well.

    Another good one is James Kirkendoll in the 2008 bowl game vs Ohio State - McCoy to Cosby never happens if Kirkendoll doesn't hang on to that 4th down catch with a defender on his back and make the line to gain with about 1 cm to spare.
     
  17. WorsterMan

    WorsterMan SEC here we come!!

    Yep, good call. I thought of him but didn't get it on my list. He had several big plays in 2005 but this one was perhaps the biggest.
     
  18. blonthang

    blonthang 2,500+ Posts

    The "3rd back" after Earl and Ham Jones, mostly 1977, but IIRC had a 100+ yard game in 1976 vs. Tceh(?):

    Jimmy Johnson. (no, not that one).

    Mostly a blocking or decoy back for Earl in 1977 in the veer or I, just went about his business, could have probably been a starting, feature back on a lessor team. Kind of in the mold of Craig James of SMU (didn't he have something to do with 6 hookers, or something like that?).
     
  19. Statalyzer

    Statalyzer 10,000+ Posts

    Another good one - whoever it was that turned James Allen towards the outside allowing Stonie Clark to make the big hit.
     
  20. TEXnSEATTLE

    TEXnSEATTLE 1,000+ Posts

    Michael Griffin's interception at the goal line in THE ROSE BOWL.....I love defense, and this was my favorite play....kept the Trojans out of the end zone....HUGE PLAY!!!
     
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  21. IvanDiabloHorn

    IvanDiabloHorn 1,000+ Posts

    How about TE Mike Jones? 1999 We upset # 3 Nebraska 24-20 with a
    Mike Jones 17 yard touchdown reception with 5:51 left in the game. His only reception in the game.
    Every time I think of that game I see Jones rumbling, stumbling and into the end zone for the winning score. Probably one of the toughest 17 yard catch and run TDs I have seen. Seemed like he was running in slow motion and just kept running over and through the blackshirts. Memorial stadium went crazy.
     
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    Last edited: Jul 8, 2015
  22. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    I recall he might have had a little help from a teammate holding a blackshirt’s jersey on the play. That’s just an empty accusation though I’m pretty sure.
     
  23. WorsterMan

    WorsterMan SEC here we come!!

    Nothing like friendly fire to mess up the warm & fuzzies from the original post!;)

    I have NO recollection whatsoever of the alleged holding act!
     
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2015
  24. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    I didn’t say it was an illegal hold. More like just brushing against the jersey while being awesome, which is legal.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  25. PropositionJoe

    PropositionJoe 2,500+ Posts

    who?
     
  26. NBHorn7

    NBHorn7 Pimp Daddy

    Poor video quality, but it's all there is on this play.



    I believe that Dion refers to the first blocker, who reaches out and seems to get a bit of the Husker's jersey.
     
  27. WorsterMan

    WorsterMan SEC here we come!!


    It WAS poor quality NBH7 - I could hardly make out the players for Pete's sake much less see a small hand allegedly grab some jersey. I have come to expect better from you than this!

    I have 1/2 a mind to report you to the mods.
     
  28. NBHorn7

    NBHorn7 Pimp Daddy

    I'm pretty sure I am the mods.
    What about the other half of your mind?

    I'm also pretty sure the statute of limitations has run out on changing the outcome.
    I said "seems" to get a piece of the Husker's jersey.

    Snek made me do it! (this is always the correct answer when all else fails)
    He tempts people with his evil serpent ways.
     
  29. WorsterMan

    WorsterMan SEC here we come!!


    Ah, you caught my small attempts at humor. You should blame George Constanza, we have worn out blaming snek.
     
  30. NBHorn7

    NBHorn7 Pimp Daddy

    You can never go wrong blaming serpents, it's been that way since the beginning of time.

    Why go against a proven commodity?

    We already lost sharks because "shark week" made them lovable.

    We should use serpents while we still can.

    Besides George is an ex con, he's had it rough since being released from prison.
     

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