Darrell Royal's impact on Texas fotball

[Randolph Duke]

I am working on a piece encompassing Darrell Royal's impact on Texas football and I came across something I found interesting, so I thought I would pass it along.

Evidently, it was Darrell Royal who recognized the University didn't have an official logo and who was responsible for developing the Texas longhorn logo we have today (and that is almost universally considered the best logo in college sports). Until 1961, college football helmets were either deviod of any decoration (as Penn State's are today) or were adorned with the player's number (as are Alabama's). The logo design we know today is technically known as the "Royal logo." According to the Alcalde:

As he was preparing for his fifth season as head coach of the Longhorns in 1961, Darrell Royal asked sporting-goods merchant William “Rooster†Andrews to design a team logo. The diminutive Andrews, a Longhorn legend from his days in the ’40s as equipment manager and occasional kicker for the football team, gave Royal a crayon drawing of a longhorn head. “This is it!†Royal exclaimed. “And can we put it on a helmet?â€

Soon thereafter, other teams began to copy what Texas had done and today, it seems almost odd if a team doesn't have a logo on their helmets. Notre Dame is the only school who put any adornment on their helmets, putting a shamrock on their helmets in the late 50s, but the shamrock isn't their school logo. FYI - It was Royal in 1962 who changed the team's color from standard orange to burnt orange. The official color is Pantone Matching System (PMS) 159 ( Web CC5500, R: 203, G: 96, B: 21). The Tennessee orange, by contrast (pun intended) is PMS 151.

The entire Alcalde article can be found here:

http://alcalde.texasexes.org/2011/08/longhorn-logo-turns-50/

An interesting resource for anyone wanting to see the historic college football helmet designs can be found here:

http://www.mghelmets.com/

 

[txscallywag]

Nice find. By the way I loved your write up about Bevo. His Name is Bevo! Long May He Reign!

 

[63_Texas_1]

Great post. Thanks!

 

[Chitownhorn]

Really good stuff. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Randolph Duke]

Nice find. By the way I loved your write up about Bevo. His Name is Bevo! Long May He Reign!

Thanks. My favorite article has to be the one about aggy's 21st Man. I just sent the boss my pre-Alamo Bowl piece that was a lot of fun to put together. That one should be up on the site either today or tomorrow. If anyone has any aspect of the program they want to to dig around and do some research on, let me know.

Hopefully with Patterson coming in, one of the changes he will make is to embrace the sites like Horn Sports, instead of seeing us as enemies like Nick Voinis does, and we can get access to more info and photos to do an even better job of writing articles for the fan base.

 

[Landmanhorn]

Tom Hicks was the keynote speaker at the football awards banquet a number of years ago. He told the story of sitting with Coach Royal at the National College Football Foundation and Hall of Fame dinner. In the banquet hall hung the flags of all the respective schools. Coach Royal asked Tom to look at all the flags and asked what did he notice. Tom looked but he was not seeing what Coach Royal was seeing. He gave up and Coach Royal said that the only flag that did not spell out the school's name or used a lettered logo was the University of Texas...it was just the longhorn silhouette. Probably the most recognized image in college sports.

 

[killrjoe]

well I'll be go to hell!! thanks for the info.

 

[HornEsch]

That is really awesome. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Capn Hook]

I should remember all of that, but I don't. Thanks for that info.

 

[beevomav]

As far back as I can remember, I was told if you pay attention you learn something every day. I never knew DKR started the logo in sports? Good job, I can't wait to read the rest of the story.

 

[Bfennell]

I love history, and when it's UT history I'm like a kid in a candy shop. Great sourcing RD, and appreciate you sharing. Your article, "His Name is Bevo! Long May He Reign!" is one of my favorites. To any fan who hasn't read it, I highly recommend. Keep up the great work! Hook'em.

 

[Topstarr]

good write up. Thanks for the information.

 

[Oilfield]

Love the logo. So classic. We need to find a way to apply it and seal it so that it does not get dinged up (sawed off) or pointed down due to contact.

 

[HornNdriftwood]

I always enjoy reading your pieces.

I remember when we first started wearing the logo on our helmets. It was my first year at O.Henry and we all thought it was super cool. That year Mike Cotton (from Austin High) and James Saxton were the stars in the backfield. Saxton was a real hero to me and others. The original No. 10. I got a chinstrap from him once. Many will tell you that may have been DKR's best team. That loss against the cockroaches was like a punch in the gut.

Super cold day in Austin and Jimmy Saxton goes down early. He tries to continue but he's not the same. Our high powered offense gets shut out. Never forget that day.

Hook 'em.