The 1977 Texas Longhorns football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 1977 NCAA Division I football season….as the Longhorns finished the regular season with an 11–0 record….after riding the broad shoulders and strong legs of RB Earl Campbell….who won the Heisman Trophy in 1977 and led the nation in rushing with 1,744 yards….as he became the first recipient of the Davey O’Brien Memorial Trophy….which was awarded to the most outstanding player in the now-defunct Southwest Conference. The Tyler Rose…..as Big Earl was known around the 40 Acres of UT’s campus….was selected as the Southwest Conference running back of the year in each of his four college seasons and finished with 4,444 career rushing yards.
As Bone Daddy puts it…..“In my 65 years of avidly watching college and professional football…..I have never seen a running back that possessed the Hulk-like power and leave ya in the dust speed of Jim Brown….and then we had three that came along who were worthy of the power and speed talent….O J Simpson….Earl Campbell…..and Bo Jackson….but only Earl was Hulk-like…..as Juice and Bo Knows had speed to burn over the Tylelr Rose…..but Earl’s top speed left lots of defensive backs in the dust throughout his college and NFL career.”
This video is “pure gold” to those of us at ImaSportsphile that call Austin home….cuz even though Austin is a hotbed for such awesome delicacies as live music….Bar B Que….Formula 1 racing….Texas Longhorns…..some of the best high school football in the State of Texas….SxSW….Barton Springs….Austin City Limits…et al….there is absolutely nothing more loved and revered that Longhorn football and their favorite son Earl Campbell….and this video provides living proof of all I have said.
