The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Hall of Honor
- Induction:
- 2019
- Class:
- 1968
It was his hands and his speed that earned Ragan Gennusa a football scholarship to Texas. And it would be those same hands that would dictate a career path, but in an entirely different way than some might have imagined. Gennusa came to Texas in 1964 after playing quarterback for the famed Clarence "Buckshot" Underwood in Port Arthur, where he had earned all-state honors in both football and track. But a broken nose and injuries to both knees threatened his career before it got started as he played on the Yearlings, the UT freshman team in the years before freshmen were eligible to play for the varsity. More than a year later, he was back on the varsity roster. In fact, he was WAY back. Gennusa was listed as the ninth-string quarterback in 1965. He wound up on the "scout" team playing on the defense against the starting offense. Soon he was back on the injured list. Then, he caught a break—only not the kind that involved bones. Longhorn coach Darrell Royal, who was known as a coach who employed an offense which heavily featured the running game, decided to throw the ball and he put in some plays with a split receiver. And Gennusa jumped at the chance to try out a new position. By 1966, Gennusa was the starting split end and was the team's leading receiver in both 1966 and 1967—although Royal's commitment to pass didn't turn UT into an aerial circus. But football dreams gave way to other things as his college career was near the end. Life is, after all, what happens when you are busy planning other things. The Longhorn letterman's real gift turned out to be as an artist. After receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1968, Gennusa went on to become one of America's foremost painters of wildlife and western art. His works hang in private and corporate collections nationwide, including at the Briscoe Western Art Museum, the New York Life Insurance offices in New York City and the national office of The Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America. Among his many awards, Gennusa has been honored by the Texas Legislature as "The Texas State Artist" and has been presented the Texas Historical Foundation's award for his outstanding achievement in historic preservation. His commissioned works have sold for as much as six figures, and he has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for numerous causes including The DKR Research fund for Alzheimer's with paintings he has donated for auction. His paintings also hang in UT dorms and in the offices of the Texas Exes. His life's work has also featured his passion for Texas Longhorns—both in his paintings and as a breed of cattle which he has owned since 1984. Perhaps the most memorable of his creations involving Longhorn cattle came with his alliance with football during the Mack Brown era at Texas. During the rise of Brown's teams to the top of college football, Gennusa began creating a series of three paintings symbolizing the Horns successful ascent which culminated with the BCS National Championship in 2005. The Trilogy series, included "Longhorn Storm," "The Climb to the Top," and "Dawn of a new Longhorn Era." The limited-edition prints were signed by both Mack Brown and Darrell Royal, and originals of the paintings hang in the Texas Athletics offices.
