Building the Longhorn Brand with KiKi DeAyala
By Larry Carlson (5/15/2021)
Pass rusher deluxe, Kiki DeAyala owns the Longhorn football records most likely to never be broken. DeAyala, from Houston (Memorial High), played defensive end and was listed at 6-1, 238 for his final season at UT. His mind-boggling totals of 22.5 sacks in 1982 and 40.5 career sacks (mostly from his junior and senior seasons) are comparable to Joe DiMaggio's untouchable 56-game hitting streak. These kinds of marks conjure up visions of an eight-flat 100-meters or a runningback with a 6,000-yard season.
The man responsible works happily and resides by the saltwater in Rockport, Texas but still calls Houston "home." DeAyala is the proud father of three grown children. Natalie, Michael and Christian hold degrees from Alabama, Ohio U and Texas A&M, respectively.
The Sultan of Sacks handled TLSN writer Larry Carlson's questions as easily as he shucked blockers, back in the day.
TLSN: Let's get right to it. In an era of not that much passing (compared to the ensuing four decades), what was your biggest key to sacking so many QBs?
Kiki: I was a big into studying opponent game films, situational tendencies, weight distribution, down and distance. It certainly helps having talented teammates doing their job, as well.
TLSN: Is there a "kill shot" sack or big hit that still makes you smile?
Kiki: The final sack of the game to close out the Cotton Bowl win against Alabama was fun. Baylor in Waco was very memorable. Arkansas in '82 was my last game in Memorial Stadium and I was named ABC Player of the Game. It was a cool way to end my career at Texas. I sure enjoyed meeting Gary Kubiak (Texas A & M QB who was later a Super Bowl-winning head coach with the Denver Broncos) on his back and in his backfield several times.
TLSN: You played for both Leon Fuller and David McWilliams as DCs. How were their coaching styles similar or different?
Kiki: Coach Fuller was a very disciplined and stoic personality. When you received a compliment from Coach Fuller, it really meant something. Coach Mac was a bit more relaxed. Both were excellent coaches.
TLSN: Your defense at Texas included a lot of notable Longhorns.. What was the mindset among your defensive units?
Kiki: As a freshman, I learned quickly what was expected from me by Steve McMichael, Bill Acker, Johnnie Johnson, Ricky Churchman, Lance Taylor, Bruce Scholtz, Robin Sendlein and Kenneth Sims. They taught me how to prepare and the mindset and discipline required to be successful. Our mindset was “we are going to shut you down." They were all great players that also had the intangibles and I had to earn their respect.
TLSN: The '82 team had three shutouts and and twice allowed only one TD, In your last two home games as a Longhorn, Texas stuffed A&M, 53-16 and beat sixth-ranked Arkansas, 33-6 in that MVP effort. What are some other special memories of those games or overall times?
Kiki: The way we finished the 1982 season(after early losses to OU and SMU) was incredible. We absolutely dominated the last 6 games, both offensively and defensively. You can add beating Texas Tech 27-0, Houston 50-0, TCU 38-21 and Baylor 31-23 to the list. We only had 6 returning starters so our team was made up of mostly sophomores and juniors. That was the nucleus of the of the (11-1) 1983 Team.
TLSN: SMU had the now infamous Pony Express featuring Eric Dickerson and Craig James. Texas split with the Mustangs in '81 and '82 (winning 9-7, losing 30-17) but in those two games your defense held SMU to under 2.5 yards per carry on more than 100 rushing attempts. What do you recall about playing those guys?
Kiki: It was a great defensive game in 1981. We absolutely shut them down, holding them to 7 points. It was just a very physical game and we knew that Dickerson and James could break a run on any play so you had to play every down as if it were the most important play of the game.
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My fav line: I sure enjoyed meeting Gary Kubiak on his back and in his backfield several times. Click to expand...