The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
08.27.2013 | Football
Tommy Ford was on the 1963 National Championship team and shared his memories of that season with MB-TF.com.
Editor's Note: Tommy Ford is a three-year letterman (1961-63) who played tailback on the 1963 Texas Longhorns National Championship team. That season he was a Look Magazine All-American, was All-Southwest Conference and was a tri-captain on the team. He was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1980. Here he recounts some of his memories of the 1963 season and of the 1964 Cotton Bowl when Texas beat Navy and their Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, Roger Staubach, 28-6, to win Texas' first national championship in football.
Well, there were a number of things that stood out. I guess winning every game was the biggest thing.
I think we were all determined that we didn't want what had happened the two previous years to happen to us since we were seniors. Our freshmen team was undefeated, and of course freshmen weren't eligible for the varsity at that time. Our freshmen team was undefeated, and we came close to being that way our sophomore and junior years, and we just felt a real determination to not slip up, but to win every game and hopefully become national champions.
I think we had that attitude from the very beginning. Probably the game that may have turned the tide or motivated us the most was the Oklahoma game. Because when we entered the Oklahoma game, Oklahoma was rated number one and we were number two. We beat them I believe 28 to [7] and became number one. You know, I think that was the thing that probably was the boost that we got that carried over the rest of the season.
I think we felt like we had to prove ourselves [in the Cotton Bowl.] There were a couple of polls that had decided to wait until after that game to vote on the number one team. We just felt like we needed to win that game to solidify our number one spot.
Particularly the eastern sports writers downplayed our positions as number one and felt like Navy was a better team and that would be proven in the Cotton Bowl. It gave us a lot more motivation.
I think the preparation was intense. Our workouts for the game were intense and - I don't want to say strenuous - but they were workouts that you'd normally not have until into spring training. Everybody was intense, and Coach Royal and his staff were intense, and we had a good plan. They developed a really good plan of attack, both offensively and defensively. The main thing about [Navy QB] Roger Staubach was that he was such a good runner. If he got out of the pocket, he could really be dangerous. We felt like [and] the coaches felt like if they kept Staubach contained and made him throw the football, that we had a better chance of beating Navy because they really didn't have the outstanding receivers like a pro football team might have or some of the teams nowadays have. It felt like the danger from Staubach was that he had a tremendous ability to scramble and make long runs.
They basically came out [with] what back then it was called a goal-line defense - that they stacked the line and linebackers and brought everybody up close and didn't think we could throw. Of course [Texas QB] Duke [Carlisle] had a tremendous day passing. Then we had receivers open all day long, and it paid off for us.
We had great fellowship among the players and I think we all had the same kind of attitude and goals for the team. It meant something to go out and win the ball game. Everybody was pretty much dedicated to making Texas a good team and the place to be. I think everybody did what they were supposed to do and it turned out good for us.
Just a lot of good memories. Lot of good fellowships and friendships that have been carried on through the years. Just excited about making it fifty years. Not everybody on the team has made it fifty years, but it's going to be a good reunion. Some of the guys I haven't seen in several years, and some of them I guess I haven't seen maybe since we left college, but it'll be a good time.
