TITLE: In memory of Darrell K Royal, former head football coach at The University of Texas at Austin.

SUMMARY: In memory of Darrell K Royal, former head football coach at The University of Texas at Austin.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The life of a Lone Star legend drew to a close with the passing of former University of Texas football coach Darrell KRoyal on November 7, 2012, at the age of 88; and WHEREAS, A phenomenal leader who never had a losing season during more than 20 years in college football, Coach Royal became a beloved figure to generations of UT fans, not only for his superb gridiron accomplishments but also for his work in behalf of the university and the wider community; and WHEREAS, Born in Hollis, Oklahoma, Darrell Royal excelled at football, baseball, and basketball during his youth and received scholarship offers in all three sports; after serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II, he enrolled at the University of Oklahoma, where he earned All-American honors as a quarterback and punter and established school records for longest punt return and for career interceptions that have yet to be broken; and WHEREAS, His rise through the coaching ranks in the early 1950s was meteoric; he held seven jobs in seven years, four of which were head coaching assignments--El Reno High School, the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League, Mississippi State University, and the University of Washington--before being hired by UT in December 1956; he inherited a Longhorns team that had posted a dismal 1-9 record the previous season, but he managed to immediately turn the program around, guiding his players to a berth in the Sugar Bowl during his debut year; and WHEREAS, So began two unforgettable decades during which the Longhorns became a national powerhouse; under the direction of Coach Royal, Texas won 3 national championships, claimed 11 Southwest Conference titles, and made 16 bowl appearances, 10 of which were victories in the Cotton Bowl; he also fostered excellence off the field by becoming the first college coach to hire a full-time academic counselor to assist players, and he personally awarded special "T" rings to those who graduated; and WHEREAS, Coach Royal was renowned for developing innovative approaches to the game, such as the famous "wishbone" formation that helped the team to rack up 30 straight victories after being introduced in 1968; his homespun wit was just as sharp as his strategy, and many of his humorous observations have become oft-repeated sayings among football enthusiasts; and WHEREAS, In addition to his work overseeing the football team, Coach Royal served as the university's athletics director from 1962 to 1979 and was later appointed as a special assistant to the president on athletic matters; in recognition of his contributions, the UT football stadium was renamed in 1996 as the Darrell KRoyal-Texas Memorial Stadium, and in 2006 he became just the fifth person to earn the Distinguished Service Award from the Texas Exes; and WHEREAS, Numerous other accolades were bestowed on this highly respected coach as well; he won two Coach of the Year awards from the American Football Coaches Association and three from the Football Writers Association of America; he was inducted into the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame, the Texas and Oklahoma Sports Halls of Fame, the Longhorn Hall of Honor, and the Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame; in 1996 he received the coveted Horatio Alger Award, in 2000 he became the inaugural recipient of the Paul "Bear" Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2010 he received the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award for "the individual...whose services have been outstanding in the advancement of the best interests of football"; and WHEREAS, Coach Royal's dedication to helping others was reflected in his sponsorship of a charity golf tournament in conjunction with Willie Nelson and Ben Crenshaw that raised several million dollars to benefit youth in East Austin; moreover, he and his wife, Edith, established the Darrell KRoyal Fund for Alzheimer's Research to expand study and treatment of the disease; and WHEREAS, The most successful football coach in the history of The University of Texas at Austin and one of the greatest of his era, Darrell Royal played a major role in furthering the tradition of excellence that defines Longhorn athletics, and his legacy will be celebrated by the UT faithful for as long as the sport of football is played on the 40 Acres; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Coach Darrell KRoyal and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife of 68 years, Edith Royal; to his son, Sammy Royal, and his wife, April; to his son-in-law, Chic Kazen; to his grandsons, Christian Kazen, David Kazen, and Sammy Royal; to his granddaughter, Elena Trombetta; to his great-granddaughters, Isabella and Alexandra Kazen; and to his other relatives and many friends; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Darrell Royal. Darby Branch Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1070 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on April 3, 2013. Chief Clerk of the House