The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Former Longhorn Danny Abbot dies
01.31.2007 | Football
DENVER -- Danny Abbott, a key member of the Texas Longhorns offensive line which anchored the first year of Darrell Royal's famed Wishbone offense in the late 1960s, died Wednesday after a long bout with cancer.
Abbott, 60, was one of the state's great high school players at Amarillo Tascosa when he signed with The University of Texas in 1965. He lettered three years, earning all-Southwest Conference honors in both 1967 and 1968 as an offensive guard. The 1968 Longhorn team opened the season with a tie and a loss, and then reeled off nine victories as the run-oriented Wishbone offense began cranking into high gear. The team finished with the Southwest Conference championship and a Cotton Bowl victory over Tennessee, and then west on to extend the win streak to 30 games over the next two seasons.
"Danny was one of the great leaders of that 1968 team," said James Street, who as a junior became the team's quarterback. "As an offensive lineman, he was maybe one of the best athletes on the team, and he was always a true team player."
Abbott was in the oil business in Colorado when he was first stricken with cancer in 1997. Proud of his American Indian heritage, he tried both conventional and alternative medicines in his struggle against cancer.
In a modern application of his native roots, he asked that his body be cremated at sundown Wednesday. When the snow melts in the summer, a memorial service will be held in Colorado in July, with his ashes scattered at Vail Pass.
A memorial fund has been established to benefit the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center, and contributions can be made through the Danny Abbott Cancer Fund, c/o David Abbott, 801 Montross Ave., Nashville, TN 37204.
