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Interview of football Center Turk McDonald- by Larry Carlson
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The University of Texas, in the three decades of Darrell Royal/Fred Akers football, cranked out the primo pivot-men on an assembly line. Olen Underwood, Jack Howe, Forrest Wiegand, the peerless Bill Wyman, Wes Hubert, Mike Baab, Mike Ruether, Gene Chilton, David McWilliams, and Alan Champagne all rolled through. But now, only three Longhorn centers — Turk McDonald, Lyle Sendlein, and Zach Shackleford — have earned first-team All-Conference accolades in the last three decades.
The guy who blocked belligerently as a member of the 1992 All-Southwest Conference team blocked no questions, gleefully and glibly responding to them all. Turk is the quintessential UT center, straight from central casting. Born to be a Horn, big and bad on the baseball diamond and then even better on the gridiron, the long-time West Texas oil & gas landman savors family, football, bagging mule deer, and teeing it up with golf buddies. In the lively interview link below, number 55 looks back on Texas teammates, hamburger hangouts, and sudsy sleep-aids, and looks ahead to the possibilities and liabilities as Longhorn football ushers in the era of pre-paying for pancakes.
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Turk blocking for Peter Gardere
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Pat Frost, PRESIDENT OF FROST BANK, will sponsor the first TLSN podcast segment for 2022. Longhorn baseball player Calvin Murray’s Longhorn oral history with text and photos is scheduled for the end of February 2022 TLSN newsletter.
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TLSN has a section on the passion-driven walk-on’s who are part of Longhorn Brand building. A Horns up and Eyes Up for Yair Harari. If you know of someone who should be included in the TLSN walk-on section, please email me a Williamdale@msn.com.
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The story of Bevo I is tough to digest, ending as the main course at a football banquet.
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“TLSN facilitates more than its mission statement. It’s a vehicle that drives home the point that we may have played different sports, years, and eras but, at the heart of it all, we are all one big family.” Tyres Dickson
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TLSN is “a family that takes care of each other through the common bond of being a part of a magnificent institution.” Tyres Dickson
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A LONGHORN FAMILY IN CRISIS
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Not looking for an attaboy, just a Horns up to the donors who support the TLSN tax-exempt mission helping qualifying former Longhorn student-athletes, support staff, managers, trainers, and their immediate family’s. TLSN serves as a last resort for temporary financial assistance.
Fortunately, most but not all former Longhorn student-athletes and support staff personnel have successfully transitioned to the job market without serious health issues or life-altering events.
So requests for help from those covered by the TLSN mission statement are rare. In fact, over the last decade, the two cause-driven Longhorn sports organizations I have been involved with both formally and informally have only qualified 11 Horns for financial assistance. The gifts or grants varied between $8000 and $25,000.
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3 of the 11 were formal grants under the auspices of TLSN 501 (c) (3). The other 8 were DKR players helping DKR players under the supervision of LSG (Legacy Support Group). A great organization with a big heart.
The TLSN grants were received by :
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a former Longhorn volleyball player whose son was fighting Leukemia;
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A football player lost his teeth during throat/mouth radiation treatment for cancer. This individual received financial assistance from both LSG and a grant from TLSN to pay living expenses and purchase teeth implants; and
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Tyres Dickson is a Mack Brown football player confined to a wheelchair for life due to a horrific 1998 car accident. Tyres has spent a large portion of the last 20 plus years of his life in and out of hospitals.
For all three, TLSN was a last resort safety net.
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Angela Hall, wife of former Longhorn football player Eric Hall (2001-2005), will be the 4th authorized TLSN grant.
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On 1/27/2022, former Longhorn football players Tony Malouf and Billy Dale visited Angela Hall in Muleshoe, Texas, to assess her situation.
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TLSN grants require an interview and a due diligence process to confirm eligibility for assistance. TLSN’s goal is to maximize a donors’ heartfelt investment in TLSN’s mission with a worthy dividend.
Through no fault of her own and troubling decisions made by Eric, Angela and her two children have lived a nightmare existence since March of 2021. (Information on Eric Hall’s situation is available via the internet.)
As of 01/27/2022, Angela had no car, no phone, unpaid utilities, and an eviction notice.
TLSN wrote a check for $4500 to pay Angela’s back rent with a commitment to pay her rent, utilities, cell phone, children’s clothes, and groceries through April of 2022.
If you want more details about Angela’s situation, please call me at 972-672-9071.
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TLSN is not associated with the UT Athletics Department or any organization closely aligned with UT.
TLSN is an independent organization celebrating Longhorn Sports History and assisting qualifying Horns who need temporary financial assistance.
The TLSN website and newsletter are free, educational, historical, and insightful. Sharing Longhorn sports history through the eyes of those who created it.
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