Chicago Tribune reporting Steve "Bam Bam" McMichael diagnosed with ALS (Link Added)

Discussion in 'On The Field' started by SabreHorn, Apr 23, 2021.

  1. SabreHorn

    SabreHorn 10,000+ Posts

    :hookem2:

    Prayers, Big Guy


     
    • Agree Agree x 5
    • Like Like x 2
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2021
  2. Sangre Naranjada

    Sangre Naranjada 10,000+ Posts

    That's really awful news.
     
  3. OrangeShogun

    OrangeShogun 500+ Posts

    Dang. Just watched 30 for 30 on the '85 Bears the other night.
     
  4. HornHuskerDad

    HornHuskerDad 5,000+ Posts

    Prayers for a great Longhorn. :bevo:
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
    • Like Like x 1
  5. Vino Bevo

    Vino Bevo Wine - how classy people get drunk

    Indeed
    :hookem:
     
  6. EDT

    EDT 1,000+ Posts

  7. orngblud

    orngblud 1,000+ Posts

    Let those of us who pray send one up for Mongo and those that love him. If you're not the praying type cross your fingers or at least hold a good thought for a former Longhorn great.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  8. SabreHorn

    SabreHorn 10,000+ Posts

    I left a message on Mark Dennard's phone to please relay the information to Curtis Dickey if he sees him in Brazos County.

    Dickey still has a concussion from when Steve hit him on the opening kickoff against the Aggies, and there is still a big dent in the concrete retaining wall on the West sideline (about the 25) at Kyle Field where Dickey landed after Steve's hit.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  9. Texanne

    Texanne 5,000+ Posts

    Steve and I were friends in college. I can’t describe how heartbreakingly sad I feel. I am praying for my friend.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  10. BevoJoe

    BevoJoe 10,000+ Posts

    Sad news. He was one hell of a hitter as a Longhorn, and laid the wood to opponents as a pro. I liked the quote he made about going to Green Bay:

    "For 13 years, I helped the Bears beat the Packers every year. I whupped their ***, right? so last year I went up there on my last leg and I wasn't good anymore. So I stole their money and whipped their *** again!" McMichael in 2019, speaking about his sole season with the Green Bay Packers.



     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Funny Funny x 1
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2021
  11. WorsterMan

    WorsterMan SEC here we come!!

    This is terrible news!

    STEVE McMICHAEL is a Longhorn Legend!

    He was one of the most intense and hardest hitting UT defensive players I ever saw. I frequently focused my binoculars on him when he played D for the Horns. I am SO sad to learn of this diagnosis for him and his family.

    On a personal note, a former Manager of mine at 3 different companies and good friend over 40 years died rather suddenly of ALS at 70 in 2020.

    Tom lived far away and we talked on the phone x1 or x2 a year in recent times... he was enjoying retirement.

    His wife called me in June out of the blue to tell me he had just died. He died within about 6-7 months of his diagnosis. It honestly crushed my soul.

    He was such a great and quality person... and my friend.
     
    • Like Like x 4
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2021
  12. X Misn Tx

    X Misn Tx 2,500+ Posts

    I've had my bell rung so many times. Knocked out multiple times in games

    I deal with depression.

    It's a thing that I wonder about. I've only said that to you guys.

    Feel for all of the lineman who crashed helmets over and over. Lost a friend, older than I, who just didn't have it the last 12 months. Old guys with crappy helmets from the 60s. Miss Big Tony
     
    • Like Like x 3
  13. LousianaHorn

    LousianaHorn Kabong

    Hang in there Mongo!.............helluva DL in his day!
     
  14. HomeBrewHorn

    HomeBrewHorn 100+ Posts

    As a father of a child that has Muscular Dystrophy (and yes ALS is in the same family of diseases) I have told my wife repeatedly, give me cancer before ALS, it is by far my greatest fear. I weep for Steve and his family, stay strong, we are all praying for you!
     
  15. old65horn

    old65horn 1,000+ Posts

    Worster, I too lost my best friend from my college days and several years after graduation, then he moved away..

    ALS has to be the worst diagnostic you can get. I called Charlie about once a year, the last time, Jeane gave me the sad news. I could not talk to him because he had been on a respirator and feeding tube for a month. He passed three months later. When you see something like that, it really tests your faith, how can he allowed that to happen.

    I checked into the "right to die" states right after that, New Mexico is the closest.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  16. Creek

    Creek 1,000+ Posts

    Arguably one of the meanest toughest Longhorn to suit up and wear Orange.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  17. SabreHorn

    SabreHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Recent interview with BamBam

     
    • Like Like x 1
  18. nashhorn

    nashhorn 5,000+ Posts

    Thanks Sabre, sobering.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  19. SabreHorn

    SabreHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Steve lived in the weight room. If Steve did it, Bill didn't, and vice versa.

    Steve got the nickname "BamBam" because he would beat his head against his locker before games - without his helmet.

    Great guy. I took two HS kids to Austin to meet Dana Leduc so Dana could give them a workout regiment that would increase their chances of getting scholarships. (Both of their fathers had been unemployed for over a year)

    Steve came in and they got to watch him workout while he talked to them. He told them he was too small and too slow to play D-1 much less the NFL. Then he said, "the man here is why I've been in the NFL for 13 year".

    Both kids were honor students but too small for for large schools. They stuck to their regiment that Dana gave them and both got scholarships - one to Austin College in Sherman, the other to Hampton Sydney.
     
    • Like Like x 4
  20. earl77

    earl77 500+ Posts

    McMichael's senior year at Texas in 1979, as part of perhaps the best defense in Texas history (it allowed an average of only nine points per game), McMichael personally dominated the 1978 Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims in the Longhorns' 16-7 victory over the OU Sooners. Sims gained only 73 yards on 20 carries, and McMichael registered 13 tackles -- nine against the running game.

    McMichael totaled 133 tackles during his senior season, and posted 369 tackles, 30 sacks, 40 tackles behind the line, 99 quarterback pressures and 11 caused fumbles during his career as a Longhorn taken from Bill Little article.
     
    • Like Like x 2
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2021
  21. DKRoyal fan

    DKRoyal fan 100+ Posts

    Thanks for posting this Sabre.

    I had a ballroom dance instructor who disappeared one day from our class due to ALS. His wife completed the class as our instructor. She had been assisting him, but took over the class. Can't remember how long he lasted after this but it wasn't very long.

    I hope the very best for BamBam, and will keep him in my thoughts and prayers.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  22. earl77

    earl77 500+ Posts

    [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 4
  23. earl77

    earl77 500+ Posts

    [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 3
  24. SabreHorn

    SabreHorn 10,000+ Posts

    The 79 OU game is my favorite of all time. The vaunted multi-million dollar backfield from OU, and our defense held them to barely 100 yards total offense - five first downs (2 on penalties, two on broken plays, one earned). In fact, if not for that last second broken play with time running out, OU's total offense would have been under 90 yards total.

    As a side bar, we got to our seats in 106, and sure enough two Dustbowlers were right behind us. We were standing, and the female said, "sit down", then "I hope you don't intend to stand the whole game". I turned around, stared her down and said, "Lady, that worthless, piece of **** band is playing your school song, and we have the class and dignity to stand for your school song". She looked at her husband and said, "Is that the school song". I said, "It's called the OU Chant & I'll be glad to teach you the words". She never said a word the rest of the game.

    Her husband was trying to play nice. In the fourth quarter he told me, "I don't know what you're worried about, we can't get a first down much less be a threat".

    Indeed, that was our best defense ever, maybe not the most talented, but the best.
     
    • Winner Winner x 3
    • Agree Agree x 2
    • Like Like x 1
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2021
  25. earl77

    earl77 500+ Posts

    You don’t get to McMichael’s hometown, Freer, by accident. You have to plan the route carefully (it’s about an hour east of Laredo). Don’t forget to fill up before you start out – there aren’t many gas station – and carry water. There’s oil wells and dust and scrub vegetation. Water and anything green, not so much. And, in the mid 1970s, there were a lot of winning nights and days in Freer. Three of McMichael’s high school teammates played Division I sports in college. Brothers Bill and Jim Acker were at UT with McMichael; Bill and Steve were the starting defensive tackles in 1978 and 1979. Jim Acker was a star pitcher for Cliff Gustafson who went on to a lengthy major league career.

    McMichael was almost a Hollywood script in high school. He played offensive tackle, tight end and fullback on offense, defensive end and tackle and linebacker on defense, kicked off, handled extra-point and field goal duties. (He even kicked, briefly, as a Longhorn.) His college coach, Fred Akers, once said of a young McMichael, "He backed the line as well as anybody we’ve seen in high school. But he did it at Freer, so you don’t know how that’ll work out. from Ed Spaulding
     
    • Like Like x 2
  26. DKRoyal fan

    DKRoyal fan 100+ Posts

    Sabre, I think you may be referring to the 1977 Cotton Bowl loss to ND. As I recall one of our outstanding linebackers got injured (before the bowl game I believe) and I think it was Taylor.

    A Freshman took his place for the game; Robin Sendlein. Robin turned out to be one of the all time greats, (got to wear Nobis' number 60) but he was just a young rookie in 77. ND seemed like they ran right where Sendlein lined up all game long and consistently tore off big chunks of yardage.

    If this is the game you are referencing, I agree with you. If not for the loss of Lance Taylor, I believe we would have had another trophy in our trophy case because we would have been undefeated and number 1 that year. :bevo:
     
    • Like Like x 1
  27. SabreHorn

    SabreHorn 10,000+ Posts

    You are correct , Sir. 79 was when we were going to the Sugar Bowl before RC gave the world a clinic in ball control. Instead we went out to El Paso and saw how great their RB from Luling really was. Then the next August, Willis Mackey transferred to Austin before lunch and to OU at 3 pm before playing at SWT.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  28. Creek

    Creek 1,000+ Posts

    I always figured McMichael was such a badass at Freer, that it rubbed off on his partner Bill Acker and launched him into the NFL as well just by hanging with him.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
  29. AC

    AC 2,500+ Posts

    I will pray for Steve! God speed. I do remember him at UT, I was young back then. He is 10 years older than me, way to young for this!
     
  30. WorsterMan

    WorsterMan SEC here we come!!

    Disagree. Not 100%, but I think backup LB Mark Magiano - sorry for incorrect spelling - filled in for starting LB Lance Taylor vs ND. Irish ate him alive as I recall.

    Taylor hurt a shoulder vs. aggy last game of season IIRC.

    I too think Horns had a much better chance to slow Irish offense in that Jan. 1, 1978 NC game and possibly win if Taylor had played. He was that good.
     
    • Like Like x 2
    • Agree Agree x 2
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2021

Share This Page