The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
English relishes his time in Burnt Orange
03.04.2014 | Football
Former All-America defensive tackle was a 2014 inductee into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame
By Lauren Giudice, Texas Media Relations
When Doug English stepped out of the tunnel at the Cotton Bowl for his first start for the Longhorns, an overwhelming wall of light and sound hit him. Only a sophomore, he had just turned 19 years old and was facing No. 2 Oklahoma in his first college start.
Defensive line coach Pat Patterson was standing to the side, watching English take in his surroundings at the 1972 Red River Rivalry game with awe. Patterson approached English and said "this ain't no place for a timid man" and ran out onto the field.
Remembering that moment and Patterson's words still gives English chills.
English, a defensive tackle, helped lead the Longhorns to a 10-1 finish, a Southwest Conference championship and a No. 3 final Associated Press ranking that season. He went on to earn first team All-SWC and All-America honors as a junior and senior. The Longhorns won the 1973 SWC title and he was named the team's most valuable player in 1974 when he racked up 92 tackles, just three off the team lead, impressive for an interior lineman.
He describes himself as being nerdy and tall in college. But, he made a lasting impact on Texas football.
"I get to Texas and I was kind of new to the scene," English said. "I was surprised to be recruited by Texas. Coach [Darrell] Royal and [his wife] Edith and Coach Patterson took a chance on me and helped me every step of the way."
Though he was honored to be inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame last week in Waco, Texas, English credited his coaches at every stage of his career for all of his accomplishments.
"When it comes to the good things that happened to me I can point to a coach every step of the way," English said. "It's not just teaching you how to stuff people at the line of scrimmage or put your head across the bow and make a tackle, it's about how to do it with class and how to get up and act like you've done it before. When you talk about this place and all of us that are being inducted, every one of us can point to a series of coaches in our lives."
The Detroit Lions drafted English in the second round of the 1975 NFL Draft. He had a 10-year professional career and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He recorded a career-high 13 sacks and two safeties in 1983 while helping lead the Lions to the NFC Central Division title. He finished his NFL career with 59 sacks four safeties which is tied for the most in league history.
English, a 1986 inductee into the Longhorn Hall of Honor, now resides in Austin where he is the president of the Lone Star Paralysis Foundation, which he founded 12 years ago. Initially, when he was still in the NFL, he would host golf tournaments to help raise money for Kent Waldrep's National Paralysis Association. English's football career was cut short due to a neck injury, which made him more aware of spinal injuries. He eventually decided to start his own foundation and found a true passion in helping people struggling with paralysis.
English has been a Texas football season ticket holder since he left the NFL. Though it has been 40 years since English graduated from Texas, the university remains very special to him and he still wears his T-Ring on his ring finger on his left hand.
"This has nothing to do with whether or not you made a touchdown or a tackle," English said. "This has to do with you playing and graduating. We find that valuable at Texas. Darrell started it and Darrell supported all of us. I'm really proud of this ring."
A 2011 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, English entered the Texas Sports Hall of Fame with Larry Johnson, Charlie Krueger, Dat Nguyen, Ivan "Pudge" Rodriquez, Thurman Thomas, Don Trull and Olympian Sanya Richards-Ross, another Texas-ex. When English first learned he was selected to be a part of the class of 2014, he was humbled and excited. He describes it as a surreal dream.
"The Texas Hall of Fame is so meaningful to me," English said. "It speaks to what we try to live down there with the football program and the way we try to live our lives. That really hit home for me. If you cut me, burnt orange blood comes out."
