By Riley Zahas
Campbell among ESPN’s top 11 players in history of college football
One of the greatest in Texas football history now has been acknowledged as one of the greatest players in college football history.
Earl Campbell has been a Longhorn legend ever since he stepped onto the Forty as a highly rated recruit in the fall of 1974.
During its broadcast [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]of the national championship Monday night, ESPN announced its top 11 players to ever play the sport in the 150 years of its existence, with “the Tyler Rose” ranked at No. 7 on the list, which also includes legendary players such as former Ohio State running back and two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin, former Navy quarterback Roger Staubach and former Georgia running back Herschel Walker.
Former Syracuse star Jim Brown received the honor of No. 1 on the list, deemed college football’s greatest player.
Campbell carried the rock for the Horns from 1974-77, playing in 40 games during his time at Texas. It didn’t take long for him to make an impact, either, as he earned first team All-America honors as a sophomore. After a leg injury cut his junior year short, he won UT’ first Heisman Trophy in 1977 after a spectacular season in which he rushed for 1,744 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also won the Davey O’Brien Memorial Trophy that season, annually given to the outstanding player in the Southwest Conference.
Men’s tennis takes down No. 1 Florida
It’s always an instant classic when the top two teams in the country face off. No. 1 faced off against No. 2 Wednesday in the men’s tennis version, as top-ranked Florida took on No. 2 Texas in what could be considered the best dual match of the season. In this midweek match in Gainesville, Florida, the Gators’ home court advantage wasn’t enough to propel them to victory as the Horns came in and took care of business earning the impressive 5-2 victory. The Horns were ready to go from the beginning and never let up, as No. 2-ranked Yuya Ito came back to defeat Florida’s Oliver Crawford in a three-set win to clinch the victory.
Up next, they’ll head to Dallas for a 2 p.m. match Saturday against the Mustangs of SMU.
Baseball not ranked to start season
While head coach David Pierce and the Texas baseball team are past the disappointment of not making last season’s Big 12 tournament, the effects from the 2019 season still are being felt heading into 2020. This year marked the first time since 2017 that the Horns were not included in Div. I baseball’s preseason top 25 poll.
In the previous two seasons, Texas was ranked No. 21 and No. 23, and even during last season, the Longhorns found themselves in the top 10, especially after sweeping LSU in a three-game series early on. However, the wheels seemed to fall off in the final few series of the season, as Texas finished with a 27-27 record, and finished last in the Big 12 standings.
A new season means the opportunity to reverse last season’s results and once again make it back to the College World Series, like the Horns did in 2018. We’ll find out soon enough what this team is made of, as the first pitch of the season is thrown on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, against Rice in Houston.
The annual alumni game, which always features current pro players, is set to be played on February 1st.
Track and field returns to Houston for second indoor meet of season
Racing for the second time in Houston during this year’s indoor season, the UT track and field team competes Friday in the Leonard Hilton Invitational, named after the famed Olympic distance runner, at the University of Houston at Yeoman Fieldhouse.
The track is the same one on which head coach Edrick Floreal watched his squad win eight individual events and one relay, thanks in part to nine personal-best performances at the FasTrack Collegiate Opener in December.
One of the key performers will be senior jumper O’Brien Wasome, who literally leaped his way on to the podium in December, posting a personal record while winning the long jump of 7.84 meters/25 feet-8.75 inches. Sprinter Julian Alfred is another Longhorn who raced extremely well at the last meet, winning the 60-meter dash in 7.23 seconds.
Rice, Grambling State, Southern and SMU, along with host Houston, will be among the teams with which the Longhorns will compete.
The UT men’s and women’s team both were ranked No. 4 nationally in the USTFCCCA preseason rankings released last week, and will try to improve upon the success they had last indoor season, when the women finished first at the Big 12 Championships and the men placed fifth.
[/s2If] [s2If !current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] [habeabk] [/s2If]
Discover more from Horns Illustrated
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.