Coach Darrell K Royal's Longhorns went undefeated, won one of college football's most memorable games, and was crowned national champion. Propelled by a slick wishbone offense, they produced points in frantic fashion. And none of their 11 opponents managed more than two touchdowns in a game.
The roster did not include super-talented players who went on to greatness in the NFL. But seven members of the team gained All-America honors during their careers, and three offensive standouts — fullback Steve Worster, receiver Cotton Speyrer and lineman Bobby Wuensch — did it twice.
The offense also included crafty quarterback James Street, running backs Jim Bertelsen and Ted Koy, and lineman Bob McKay. The defense featured linemen Lee Brooks and Bill Atessis, and linebackers Glen Halsell and Tom Campbell. And there was Freddie Steinmark, the undersized, overachieving safety who inspired with exploits both on and off the field.
The 1969 Longhorns also made news by becoming involved in a controversy that involved the Nittany Lions of Penn State — and the President of the United States.
In addition, their triumphant campaign helped mark the end of an era — a sad one. It was the last time a team without an African-American player on the roster gained a national football championship.
Longhorns Gain No. 1 Ranking
Texas had won its final nine games of 1968 to finish 9-1-1, and continued its roll in 1969 — winning mostly by lopsided scores. Over the first nine games, only Oklahoma managed to come within two touchdowns, losing to the Longhorns 27-17.
A 49-12 victory over Texas A&M extended the Texas winning streak to 18 games. That win, combined with Michigan's upset of No. 1 Ohio State, moved Texas to No. 1. Next on the schedule was a Southwest Conference title showdown with No. 2 Arkansas, also undefeated.
The game, which came during the 100th season of college football, was billed as the "Game of the Century." But it also came to be known as "Dixie's Last Stand," because there was not a single African-American on either team. Both schools had recruited Black players, but none were on the varsity.
Texas vs. Arkansas — 'Game of the Century'
The contest had been tabbed as a monstrous matchup even before the season — so much so that schedules were adjusted to make it the final game of the regular season. And President Richard M. Nixon helicoptered in to watch the showdown and present the winner with a national championship plaque (through most of the 1960s, champions had been crowned before bowl games).
Royal's daring and Street's clutch play enabled Texas to win the Dec. 6 thriller. Arkansas led 14-0 entering the final quarter, but Street closed the gap by racing for a 42-yard touchdown. Royal decided to go for a 2-point conversion attempt, and Street ran in to make the score 14-8.
A bigger gamble took place later, with Texas facing a fourth-and-three from its own 43-yard line. Royal called for a pass play to Randy Peschel. The tight end got behind the defense, made an over-the-shoulder catch for a 44-yard gain. Two plays later, Bertelsen scored on a 2-yard run.
There was still drama left. First, holder Donnie Wigginton had to haul in a high snap on the extra point, enabling kicker Happy Feller to give Texas a 15-14 lead. Campbell then came up with an interception on the Texas 21-yard line to halt the final Arkansas drive. Texas was national champion – even the President said so.
Controversy and the Cottton Bowl
But the Longhorns weren't undisputed champions — especially with bowl games left to play. Joe Paterno's Penn State team was undefeated as well, and had replaced Arkansas as the No. 2 team. There would not a be another No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown, however, as the Nittany Lions had accepted an invitation to the Orange Bowl, and Texas was bound to the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day.
The Longhorns faced a Notre Dame team that was back in bowl play after a self-imposed 44-year hiatus. The Joe Theisman-led Fighting irish held a 17-14 fourth quarter lead. But Street led Texas on a 76-yard drive, with an acrobatic fourth-down catch by Speyrer setting up a 1-yard go-ahead TD run by Billy Dale. Worster rushed for 155 yards, but the game ball went to Steinmark, who was on the sidelines less than three weeks after having his left leg amputated because of cancer.
Penn State beat No. 7 Missouri 10-3 in the Orange Bowl to also finish unbeaten. But the Longhorns were voted No. 1 in the AP poll, fueling an argument that lasts to this very day.
Texas did almost as well the next year, being undefeated and ranked No. 1 at the end of the regular season. But Notre Dame upset the Longhorns 24-11 and Nebraska was the consensus choice for national champion.
Legacy of the Longhorns
The 1969 Longhorns set benchmarks for excellence that lasted for decades. For one, they averaged 472.1 yards of total offense per game — a school mark not surpassed until Texas' 2005 national championship team managed to gain 512.1. A more significant sign of progress, though, was that roughly half of the 2005 team was African-American.
In 1970, Julius Whittier became the first Black player to letter for Texas in football. He was a freshman in 1969, and freshmen were ineligible for varsity play then. Years earlier, Royal had tried to buck university tradition years earlier by recruiting a Black player named Don Baylor. But Baylor decided to play pro baseball, and became a major league all-star.
Steinmark, meanwhile, waged a courageous fight with cancer, continuing his education, coaching freshman players, raising funds for the American Cancer Society, and authoring a book. He died in 1971 at age 22. The scoreboard at Texas Memorial Stadium was dedicated in his honor in 1972.
That stadium is now known as Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. It was named after the universtiy's winningest football coach in 1996.
Sources
Lions make the wrong choice, attend Orange, and finish second again, Daily Collegian Online, Nov. 18, 1989
1969 Champions Left Lasting Legacy, The Associated Press, Jan. 4, 2006
www.mackbrown-texasfootball.com
Jon Matsune - Jon Matsune is a free-lance writer based in Northern California. He has 25 years of experience in newspaper journalism, mostly as a sports ...
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