The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Koy to be enshrined into Orange Bowl Hall of Fame
11.24.2015 | Football
Former Longhorn running back Ernie Koy, Jr. played on 1963 National Championship team
AUSTIN, Tex.– Former Texas Longhorns running back Ernie Koy, Jr. has been selected for induction into the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame presented by Deloitte on December 30, 2015. Koy becomes the fourth University of Texas representative to receive the honor.
Koy lettered as a halfback and punter for Texas from 1962-1964. As a junior, he was a member of the 1963 Texas Longhorns team that won the national championship. In 1964, after a 9-1 season, the Longhorns earned a berth in the 1965 Orange Bowl against Alabama. Led by Joe Namath, Alabama had been crowned national champions prior to the Orange Bowl game. That did not deter Koy and the Longhorns as he ran for 133 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns in a 21-17 upset win. Koy's 79-yard touchdown run set a record for longest Orange Bowl touchdown run to that date.
Koy was drafted by the New York Giants in 1965, and played six seasons as a running back and punter. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1967 and retired after a season with the Buffalo Bills in 1972.
Koy's father (Ernie, Sr.) and brother (Ted) both starred at Texas. Ernie Koy, Sr., played football and baseball at Texas from 1930-1933. Ted Koy was a star halfback for the Longhorns from 1967-1969, and was a co-captain on the 1969 National Championship team.
In addition to the induction on Dec. 30, the new Hall of Fame members will be introduced to the crowd pre-game at the 2015 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl. The game will be played on December 31 at Sun Life Stadium in South Florida, and is one of the two College Football Playoff semifinals with a spot in the National Championship game on the line.
For more information, go to www.orangebowl.org.
