In the first meeting between Texas A&M and Notre Dame 36 years ago, a walk-on tackled Tim Brown ... and then made history.
Dave Wilson is a college football reporter. He previously worked at The Dallas Morning News, San Diego Union-Tribune and Las Vegas Sun.part of an elite fraternity. He's one of 10 men inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with a Heisman Trophy. Warren Barhorst is part of a select group as well. He's one of 90 people inducted into the Nationwide Insurance Hall of Fame.
Brown was riding high coming into the game. But by the time the Cotton Bowl rolled around on Jan. 1, Barhorst, a senior, had just barely made it through his final season as a student and tackling dummy in practice. It's that contrast that made this game memorable. It was a place where a walk-on playing the last game of his football career could chase down a Heisman Trophy winner from one of the most decorated programs in history. It's why Barhorst would become a cult legend at Texas A&M, and why he says that lesson of perseverance went on to propel him to a wildly successful career in business.
"Being able to represent that number is a big honor," Boadi-Owusu said."We've got 70,000 backing us, and then Aggies all over the world."Starting in 1907, the Aggies built a giant bonfire on campus every season that was lit before the Texas game, signaling their"burning desire" to beat the Longhorns.
"You going to bid, or you going to play?" Fuqua recalls a voice asking Sherrill through the smoke."At that point, Jackie thought we were crazy." The walk-on kickoff team initially handled duties only at home games, because most teams didn't bring entire squads of walk-ons on the road, so scholarship players would resume their roles at away games.
Against Notre Dame in that Cotton Bowl, Chet Brooks knew they were the guys he needed. Brooks, a senior safety on the 1987 team, broke his leg in the Aggies' 20-13 win over Texas in their regular-season finale. He was already a fan favorite for his style of play and had coined the nickname for Slocum's attacking defense: the"Wrecking Crew."
They were already seething. And the 12th Man kickoff team was known for its desire to make its presence felt. But the Aggies still had won 10 games only four times in the program's 83-year history. Another game against another Heisman winner would test A&M's standing among the country's top programs. "Something about that sweet towel, that's what we called them. That's your sweet towel. That's what make you look sweet," Brooks said, saying it's the 1980s slang equivalent to"drip" now."I didn't realize he had his sweet towel encrusted with all kinds of jewelry and stuff. He had it really bedazzled out. I just knew taking his towel from him was going to piss him off and get him off his game. I told my guys, listen, it's my birthday.
Barhorst stuffs the towel down his pants to hide it. He gets up and starts jogging to the sideline, looking for Brooks. But Brown turns on his speed, heads straight for Barhorst, jumps on his back and takes him down. While on the ground, he rips the towel away. Still, Barhorst said there isn't a day that goes by that he isn't asked about it, saying sometimes it's five times a day.
Brown gave Slocum his sweet towel from the 1988 Japan Bowl. It's still on the wall in Slocum's house. It hangs in a frame on the wall of Slocum's house in College Station all these years later, which came as a surprise even to Brown.
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