Top Ten Greatest Texas Longhorns

Wuensch was the anchor of a world-class offensive line during the heyday of Texas football. The Longhorns went 30-2-1 with Wuensch in the starting line-up. The consenus All-American led the Longhorns to back-to-back National Championships and was a Captain of the 1970 title team.

Other Texas Content:
Decades of Texas Cheerleaders
Top Moments in Texas Football History
2011 Top 25 Countdown: Texas Preview

“Mongo” McMichael played and contributed all four years while at Texas. The two-time All-American left college as the all-time leading tackler in Longhorn history with 369 stops. He is currently sixth all-time in sacks with 29.5. In 2010, the Lombardi and Outland finalist was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Other Texas Content:
Decades of Texas Cheerleaders
Top Moments in Texas Football History
2011 Top 25 Countdown: Texas Preview

Arguably the most decorated defensive tackle in Longhorns history, Shearer was a unanimous All-American as a senior. He won the Outland Trophy as the best lineman in the nation and was a finalist for the Lombardi Award as well.

Other Texas Content:
Decades of Texas Cheerleaders
Top Moments in Texas Football History
2011 Top 25 Countdown: Texas Preview

Sismore broke into the college game as a regular on the 1970 National Championship team. He went on to claim consensus All-American honors over the next two seasons. His senior season, he helped lead the Horns to their third straight Southwest Conference title, along with the school’s third straight Cotton Bowl berth. Sisemore was inducted into the NCAA Hall of Fame in 2002. Had freshman been allowed to play on the varsity in 1969, Sisemore would have won two national titles and been a conference champion all four seasons in Austin.

Other Texas Content:
Decades of Texas Cheerleaders
Top Moments in Texas Football History
2011 Top 25 Countdown: Texas Preview

This hard-hitting defensive back was a two-time All-American and is third all-time in school history for interceptions in a single season (7) and career (16). As a first-round draft pick in 1985, the four-time Pro Bowler went on to play nine years in the NFL before starting his 14-year NFL coaching career. He recently was hired as the Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator.

Other Texas Content:
Decades of Texas Cheerleaders
Top Moments in Texas Football History
2011 Top 25 Countdown: Texas Preview

The two-time consensus All-American was a play-making machine during his time on the 40 Acres. Johnson is the Longhorns' third leading tackler of all-time with 458 total tackles. He owns the school record for career tackles for a loss with 65 and single season forced fumbles with nine in 2004. Johnson also claimed the Butkus and Nagurski (Texas' first such winner) Awards in 2004 as the nation’s top linebacker and defender respectively. He ended his career with 10.5 sacks, nine interceptions, 11 forced fumbles and 30 passes broken up.

Other Texas Content:
Decades of Texas Cheerleaders
Top Moments in Texas Football History
2011 Top 25 Countdown: Texas Preview

The appropriately named gunslinger is the winningest quarterback in NCAA history with 45 victories as the starter at Texas. As a freshman, McCoy set a single-season school record for touchdown passes and tied an NCAA freshman record with 29 scoring throws (since broken by Sam Bradford). As the Big 12 Player of the Year his junior season, McCoy reset the Texas passing record book with school marks for career touchdown passes, single-season TD passes, most total TDs and most career passing yards. He also set an NCAA record for efficiency in 2008 by completing 76.7% of his passes. After being left out of the Big 12 title game as a junior, the Texas quarterback led his team to an undefeated regular season and conference title, earning a birth in the national title game against Alabama. Yet, Burnt Orange fans are left to wonder what could have been, as the two-time Big 12 Player of the Year suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter and never returned to a college football field. The Maxwell, Walter Camp and Davey O’Brien Award winner finished his career with 13,253 passing yards and 112 TDs to go with 1,589 yards rushing and 20 more trips to paydirt.

Other Texas Content:
Decades of Texas Cheerleaders
Top Moments in Texas Football History
2011 Top 25 Countdown: Texas Preview

With his trademark dreadlocks, a rare combination of strength and speed and a flair for the dramatic, Williams left an indelible mark on the University of Texas. As a freshman fullback, he broke Earl Campbell’s freshman school rushing record with 990 yards, claiming Southwest Conference Freshman of the Year honors. He helped Texas to one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history when the Horns beat Nebraska in the inaugural Big 12 title game as well. Williams earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors and claimed the Doak Walker Trophy as the nation’s top running back after his 1,893-yard, 25-TD junior season. As a senior, Williams ran his way to a Heisman Trophy and became the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher with 6,279 yards (since broken by Ron Dayne). Williams set 21 NCAA records and received the greatest percentage of first-place votes cast in Heisman history. He also became the first two-time winner of the Doak Walker Award in NCAA history. He won the Walter Camp and Maxwell Awards in 1998 as well. The two-time consensus All-American is currently second all-time in NCAA history with 452 points scored and owns 38 Texas school records.

Other Texas Content:
Decades of Texas Cheerleaders
Top Moments in Texas Football History
2011 Top 25 Countdown: Texas Preview

One the single most imposing forces to ever carry a football, Campbell was a two-time conference champion, a consensus All-American, a Davey O’Brien Award winner and the first Longhorn to claim the most coveted trophy in all of sports, the 1977 Heisman. The legendary “Tyler Rose” led the nation in rushing (1,744 yards) and scoring (19 TDs) that season. He left school with a then Texas record 4,443 yards and 41 touchdowns. The NFL Rookie of the Year, All-Pro, Offensive Player of the Year and Hall of Famer is one of the most violent runners in the history of the sport - just ask this Rams defender. Or any of these guys trying to play defense.

Other Texas Content:
Decades of Texas Cheerleaders
Top Moments in Texas Football History
2011 Top 25 Countdown: Texas Preview

This is completely subjective, but in my limited viewing experience (since 1993), VY is the greatest player I have ever seen on a college gridiron. Young was 30-2 as a starter at Texas, became the first player in NCAA history to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same year, won the Davey O’Brien Award, was a Heisman Finalist and put on, according to Pete Carroll, “the best performance I’ve ever seen by one player” in the 2005 National Championship win over USC. Young left after his redshirt junior season holding school records for career completion percentage (61.8%), single-game efficiency (85.7%), rushing yards by a QB (3,127), total offense for a career (9,167) and single-game total offense (506). The Big 12 Freshman of the Year (2003) and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year (2005) is one of only four players in history to claim two Rose Bowl MVP trophies. Many believe that had voting for the Heisman taken place after the bowls, Young would have easily beaten out Reggie Bush for the coveted trophy.

Other Texas Content:
Decades of Texas Cheerleaders
Top Moments in Texas Football History
2011 Top 25 Countdown: Texas Preview