The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Catching up with Jerry Sisemore
05.31.2002 | Football
This week, Mack Brown-TexasFootball.com had the opportunity to talk with former Longhorns two-time consensus All-American offensive tackle Jerry Sisemore. One of the great offensive tackles of his era, Sisemore was a three-year letterwinner, a two-time consensus All-American (1971, '72) and a team captain during one of the best three-year periods in the history of UT football. In his three seasons, the Longhorns posted a 28-5 (.848) overall record, lost only one game in Southwest Conference play, won three consecutive league championships and played in three straight Cotton Bowls. As a sophomore in 1970, Sisemore helped lead UT to a 10-1 record and the Longhorns' third National Championship in school history. On May 7, 2002, the 6-foot-4, 260-pounder was selected for enshrinement in the College Football Hall of Fame, becoming the 14th Longhorn to earn one the game's most prestigious honors. Sisemore was selected in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles with the third overall pick. Sisemore remained with the team for the duration of his 12-year career and was a three-time Pro Bowl selection from 1980-82. During his tenure, Philadelphia appeared in the postseason four times and won the 1980 NFC Championship before losing to the Oakland Raiders (27-10) in Super Bowl XV. In 1980, he was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor.
Can you tell us what you've been up to the past few years? I have a little place on the north shore of Lake Travis that I've had since 1975. When my NFL career ended on May 9, 1985, I moved back to Austin for good and bounced around from job to job. For the last three years, I've worked for Highland Lakes Real Estate in the Lago Vista area of Lake Travis. I also have served on the Lago Vista ISD School Board for the last 10 years. These last few years have given me the chance to watch my children grow up. As a matter of fact, we just had one graduate from high school. Three others are in college and one is in kindergarten right now.
What are some your fondest memories from your playing days at Texas? I would say the high point definitely would be the 1973 Cotton Bowl when we beat Alabama. It was my last game at Texas. Everyone thought that Alabama was trying to back into the National Championship. OU had beaten us earlier in the year, but we were still 9-1 heading into the game. Alabama was highly-ranked (No. 4 nationally) and the media kept saying they 'were going to win the National Championship against the little boys from Texas.' Leading up to the game some people even called the game the Chicken Bowl because they thought Alabama was going for the easy win rather than playing a better team. No one really respected us at the time, but we had a wonderful group of overachievers and we overachieved big time that day (UT won, 17-13). I also really enjoyed watching the 1969 National Championship run when we beat Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl. I was freshman, so I couldn't play, but it was very exciting to see the Tower lit up in burnt orange with the No. 1 on it.
Why is Texas football such a special fraternity? Coach Royal had a group of assistant coaches around him that really built team unity. They were honest, didn't cheat and worked hard. All of the guys on the team really got along together. No one drew special attention to themselves. The No. 1 reason we were successful was that we were all so close. Even guys that didn't play that much were best friends with the All-Americans."
Can you talk about the pride of being a Longhorn? When you come to The University of Texas, you inherit a rich history of doing things the right way. They just do things the right way. Everyone in the program works hard and wants to uphold the tradition that has been put in place. When I played, the team was in the middle of a long home winning streak and we were pressed to keep it alive because we didn't want to be the ones to lose at home. Coach Royal and Coach Brown have done a wonderful job of keeping the alumni involved. We are always welcome back and it's fun to see former teammates and talk to the people you watched as a youngster.
What do you think about the job Mack Brown has done in his first four seasons at Texas? Mack's like the Darrell Royal of the 21st century. He's hard working and has concern for his athletes. Kids are different now than what they were when I played. We were told how do things in my day, but now they have more choices. The coaches and players work hard and support one another and that's exactly how Coach Royal ran things. Mack has been a very successful recruiter, just like Coach Royal, and he has an outstanding group of assistant coaches who work harder than they're asked. The two programs mirror one another and Mack's the real deal. It's been really fun to watch him build the program. If I knew a young person today who wanted to play college football, I'd tell him the little place on Red River Street is a wonderful place to go.
What did you learn from your 12 years in the NFL? It was an outstanding experience. To come from Plainview, Texas, to Congress Street to Broad Street and jump from a wonderful college town to Philadelphia was a big change. The people in Philly are tough but are wonderful. They are very knowledgeable about sports. The most impressive thing I remember was my first preseason game. I think the fans booed every player except Bill Bradley, who was known as a the 'Mayor of Philadelphia.' I learned a lot about my teammates during my career and I think that brought us together as we climbed from the bottom of the ladder in only five years to the top and almost won it all. It was a great ride.
When you received word that you had been selected for the College Football Hall of Fame, what were your emotions? To be real honest, I thought they had made a mistake. I got a letter a few weeks before the announcement and just couldn't believe it. I figured they must have needed someone to carry the guys' bags from the airport to their hotel rooms. It's still really hard for me to believe. It's been a very fun thing and everyone has been so gracious. I guess I was at the right place at the right time once again, but it's not just for me. It's also for the entire university. I look at it as more of a team honor than an individual one. Without my teammates and great coaches, this would have never happened and I'm so thankful for that.