Proud T-shirt fan here, but I'll tell you my story.
Some background first:
I'm from the RGV. Both of my parents went to Pan American University as it was known back then. My dad says he was a UT fan back then, but he was much more a Cowboys fan, so we grew up watching the Cowboys moreso than the Longhorns. My Mom's family however....puro Aggies. Yup, you read that right, all Maroon and White. My grandfather was a farmer and my uncle, wanting to follow in the family business, decided to go to A&M to pursue agriculture. While there, he walked onto the football team and was a member of that 12th man kickoff team of all walk-ons. He was on that cover of Sports Illustrated and everything. So, Mom's family, all Aggies. There are even baby pictures of me in A&M gear (vomit). I remember having a bumper sticker above my bedroom window that read "aTm Gig 'em Aggies!" and thinking every night as my elementary school self went to sleep: "What the fuck is Gig em and what in the everliving fuck is an Aggie?!" I was very confused.
Anyway, as I got a little bit older and more interested in sports, I started watching games on my own. Cowboys, Spurs, Astros, Braves, whatever I could find. Scrolling through the channels on New Year's Day, I happen to come across none other than the 2003 Cotton Bowl Classic. Texas vs LSU. I knew enough at this time to know that both teams were good and it would probably be a fun game to watch. Rooting for my home state Longhorns, I couldn't get enough. 4 catches, 142 yards, and 2 Roy Williams touchdowns later, the burgeoning WR in me had a new favorite player, a new favorite team, and Burnt Orange blood running through these veins. Haven't worn Maroon since. A few years later, my older brother was accepted to and attended our state flagship.
Went to my first game as a high school sophomore, where I begged my parents to get us tickets for the Alamo Bowl. Went to my first game at DKR as a high school senior on a school trip fully funded by UT (vs. Rice coincidentally) where, after the game, we had a "lock-in" in Gregory Gym.
When it came my turn to go to college, although I was accepted to UT (and still have that acceptance letter), I stayed home to attend my parents alma mater, then known as UTPA (hey, I was still in the system and we didn't have a football team, so I could continue to root for whoever I damn well pleased). It was cheaper and I had a guaranteed path to a top Texas medical school through a pre-acceptance program at UTPA. Needless to say, I continued to bear my "T-shirt fan" status with pride. Didn't get a chance to make it back for a game pretty much throughout all of college and med school. Finally got back to a game when I drove up to LA when I was living in San Diego to watch us take on USC a few years ago. To this day, I try to make it back to town for at least one game with my family each year (pre-COVID).
And now, my friends, now, you know the rest of the story.
Hook Em 🤘🏽