I did not know this - Nixon’s 1969 #1 presentation plaque.

Armybrat · January 15

https://tylerpaper.com/sports/college/commentary-fifty-years-later-the-long-lost-nixon-plaque-that-he-gave-to-texas-finds/article_56b9eb16-f152-11e9-ac11-bbc2ca7c291f.html

AUSTIN — To this day, no one knows where it is.

Not an inkling.

But anyone who is a college football fan knows its roots.

Moments after Texas had beaten Arkansas in the Game of the Century in December 1969, there in the din of a delirious, cramped visitors locker room bursting with joy, was President Richard Nixon presenting Darrell Royal and his Longhorns an official plaque commemorating their milestone victory and proclaiming them the No. 1 team in college football.

Said so right there on the 12-by-15-inch plaque.

An iconic black-and-white photograph chronicled the special scene with Nixon and Royal and Texas quarterback James Street and tailback Ted Koy looking on, a historic sports moment in time that capped the dramatic 100th season of college football.

There may have been no bigger football fan than the late 37th president, the deep-jowled, swarthy-looking politician who was a backup lineman for his Whittier College team and was so enamored with football that he sent recommended plays to NFL coaches like George Allen and Don Shula and once considered Vince Lombardi as his vice-presidential running mate.

In the hubbub of the presentation in 1969, Nixon eventually retrieved the plaque from Royal, who had taken it and tucked it between his arm and side. Nixon said he would take it back with him to Washington and have it officially engraved with “Texas Longhorns” burnished on it for all time.

And then it was gone forever.

Lost in the dustbin of time, a treasured relic from those heady days of the 1960s, when Texas flexed its muscles as the powerhouse of the decade with two national championships and a third on the way in 1970, had disappeared. That 1969 team will be recognized during Saturday’s Kansas-Texas game, but on Friday night they will be feted in the new $17.1 million north end zone Longhorn Hall of Fame.

“This is awesome,” said Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte, who was only 1 in 1969 living with his parents in Cuernavaca, south of Mexico City. He didn’t see his first college football game until 1983. “Darrell Royal was the ultimate gunslinger. You talk about cojones. The national championship. The president was there. You can’t make this stuff up.”

The ’69 team will tour the glitzy, high-tech hall among the 392 championship trophies, including the one earned by Bruce Berque’s men’s tennis squad last summer, the school’s 55th national champion in all sports.

But that original Nixon plaque will not be there.

“No one’s seen it in 50 years,” Longhorns historian Bill Little said.

Little was there that cold, dank wintry day in Fayetteville, Arkansas, when the two teams battled before a transfixed crowd at Razorback Stadium that included the world’s foremost Christian evangelist, Billy Graham, and the first sitting president to watch a Longhorns game in person along with Congressman and future president George H.W. Bush in attendance as well.

Little was a 27-year-old assistant sports information director for Texas, serving under the legendary Jones Ramsey, and he had been assigned to gather quotes in the victorious locker room. Everyone in the room was physically and emotionally spent, Koy remembers.

“It was one of those surreal atmospheres,” said Koy, who stood behind Royal as one of the three team captains.”The Secret Service guys were back off in the corners. It was just an unbelievable thing.”

Koy said he distinctly remembers Nixon telling Royal that he’d return the plaque to him.

“And then,” Koy said, “it evaporated.”

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The epic game had been one for the ages. Originally the brainchild of television commentator and football historian Beano Cook, the game was moved to the final week of the regular season in December, and Texas and Arkansas obliged. They entered that week ranked No. 1 and No. 2.

The Razorbacks controlled the game for the duration of the first three quarters, but the momentum tilted in Texas’ favor when Street ran forever on a touchdown scramble to start the fourth quarter and bring the Longhorns to within a single score of the hosts.

Then, on the most famous fourth-down play in school history up until one of similar magnitude involving the No. 1 and 2 teams in the country in the Rose Bowl some 36 years later, Street found tight end Randy Peschel behind two Arkansas defensive backs with the most perfect pass of his career. Koy ran for 11 yards on the next play to set up Jim Bertelsen’s winning 2-yard score for a heart-pounding 15-14 win.

The victory came against a backdrop of war protesters on a surrounding hillside clamoring for Nixon to end the Vietnam War, but the president stood oblivious to the noisy distraction and even said during a halftime interview to beware a spirited Texas comeback before game’s end. He’d gone to the losing locker room as well that afternoon and told the sullen Razorbacks that he understood losing, but coming back as well.

Contrary to popular belief, Nixon did not proclaim Texas the national champion that day, but the No. 1 team in the land. It might be a small point of distinction, but the gist of the matter was lost on the Penn State faithful. The Nittany Lions, also unbeaten, bristled at Nixon’s crowning of the Longhorns and made their displeasure well-known.

Years later, a still irate Joe Paterno would add his strident voice in opposition to Nixon’s grandstanding and clamor that, “I don’t know how the president can claim to know so much about football and so little about Watergate.”

Cotton Speyrer, the standout receiver on that Texas team, had kidded that “some Penn State fan had probably gotten the plaque and thrown it into Lake Erie.”

The plaque supposedly made its way back to the Texas camp, but no one can confirm that. It’s not in the Longhorn archives. Edith Royal, Darrell’s widow, has no idea of its whereabouts but swore Nixon never sent it back to Austin. Only Fred Akers, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, remains as the sole living survivor of Royal’s coaching staff. Little searched high and low for it and thought he once saw it hanging on the wall in the coaches’ lounge in the Gregory Gym complex.

The shiny piece of sports memorabilia, however, was gone.

With a celebration of the 50th anniversary of that 1969 team looming, he and his wife, Kim Scofield, dined with Del Conte and wife Robin on the Thursday night before this season’s Texas-Rice game. The topic came up, and Little came up with his brainstorm.

“What if we recreated it?” he posed.

That following Sunday night, Little went home and googled the plaque.

“And it went straight to the Nixon Library and a picture of the plaque,” Little said. “I about jumped out of my chair.”

He contacted the White House about gaining access to the presidential seal to apply to the reproduction. He talked to director of marketing Joe Lopez at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California, about authenticating and copying Nixon’s signature because Nixon signed very few documents. Lopez recited the exact verbiage on the plaque, and Little got Longhorn Trophies, a local company founded in 1969 of all years, to mirror the same font and same spacing.

They went with a dark walnut instead of the less-available oak on the official plaque. They received a digital version of Nixon’s autograph. Little found the college football centennial medallions — the two sides of the coin are flanked on the lower portion of the plaque — on eBay and another website.

On Friday, at least 56 members of the 1969 team will gather to tour the new Hall of Fame. They’ll have a reception, they’ll share stories and sit down for a dinner. And then Del Conte will unveil the plaque before it takes its final resting place.

“Until Chris created the Hall of Fame, the plaque had no place to go,” Little said. “Now we can give it a home.”

Home at last.

Surly Bevo · January 15

So 1 more lie to add to Nixon's resume?

linux · January 15

It's a discernable pattern.

South Austin · January 15

So we don’t have a bullshit plaque that Richard Nixon “awarded” the Longhorns? Bummer.

Harrison Stafford · January 15

As we used to say when I was in college, “Dick Nixon before he dicks you’.

hookem48 · January 15

The day I became a Longhorn fan.

Armybrat · January 15

Quote

Contrary to popular belief, Nixon did not proclaim Texas the national champion that day, but the No. 1 team in the land. It might be a small point of distinction, but the gist of the matter was lost on the Penn State faithful. The Nittany Lions, also unbeaten, bristled at Nixon’s crowning of the Longhorns and made their displeasure well-known.

Years later, a still irate Joe Paterno would add his strident voice in opposition to Nixon’s grandstanding and clamor that, “I don’t know how the president can claim to know so much about football and so little about Watergate.”

Screw that pedo puto enabler and his team that was scared to play Texas in the Cotton Bowl for the championship.

Dewey · January 15

Didn't Pedo U have an opportunity to play Texas in the Cotton Bowl that season, but opted to play Kansas in the Orange Bowl? I believe I have that right, we beat Navy and Staubach.

jw4381 · January 15

9 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Screw that pedo puto enabler and his team that was scared to play Texas in the Cotton Bowl for the championship.

Art Vandelay · January 16

49 minutes ago, Dewey said:

Didn't Pedo U have an opportunity to play Texas in the Cotton Bowl that season, but opted to play Kansas in the Orange Bowl? I believe I have that right, we beat Navy and Staubach.

Texas beat Notre Dame (with Joe Theismann at QB) in the 1970 Cotton Bowl. We defeated Staubach & Navy in the 1964 Cotton Bowl.

Edited January 16 by Art Vandelay

Surly Bevo · January 16

50 minutes ago, Dewey said:

Didn't Pedo U have an opportunity to play Texas in the Cotton Bowl that season, but opted to play Kansas in the Orange Bowl? I believe I have that right, we beat Navy and Staubach.

Freddie Steinmark can’t understand why Penn State did not want to settle #1 in the Cotton Bowl. Freddie says, “We could never figure out why they didn’t choose to settle it on the grass in Dallas, rather than from a soapbox in Pennsylvania.

ClubWhatever · January 16

I'm gonna be in Orange County, CA for work in a few weeks. I will head over to the Nixon Presidential Library and have a look see. If I find the original plaque I'll let you know.

Red Five · January 16

2 hours ago, Armybrat said:

Only Fred Akers, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, remains as the sole living survivor of Royal’s coaching staff.

AnTiM · January 16

9 minutes ago, Surly Bevo said:

Freddie Steinmark can’t understand why Penn State did not want to settle #1 in the Cotton Bowl. Freddie says, “We could never figure out why they didn’t choose to settle it on the grass in Dallas, rather than from a soapbox in Pennsylvania.

Speaking of Freddie Steinmark, is there still a marker honoring him in the stadium since the south scoreboard was removed? If not, that would be a damn shame. Never will forget him on crutches at the Cotton Bowl.

runthebone · January 16

Nixon and Paterno are probably bunkmates right now.

Harrison Stafford · January 16

7 minutes ago, runthebone said:

Nixon and Paterno are probably bunkmates right now.

Hell never looked so good.

ConferenceRoom · January 16

TrashMaster G · January 16

2 hours ago, South Austin said:

So we don’t have a bullshit plaque that Richard Nixon “awarded” the Longhorns? Bummer.

It's a pretty interesting piece of college football history.

MAUFRAIS · January 16

Speaking of Freddie Steinmark, is there still a marker honoring him in the stadium since the south scoreboard was removed? If not, that would be a damn shame. Never will forget him on crutches at the Cotton Bowl.

Yes you can see it during the hells bells walk up thing.

TreatyOak · January 16

Now do a well-researched post about the National Championship trophy Aggy gave Jimbo

The Original Greaser Bob · January 16

Meanwhile, in the basement of PCL.

Upgrayedd · January 16

Nixon went to Duke

Gucci_Suit · January 16

It’s either in the basement of Roslynn Chapel or the Alamo. Depends on whether you believe Tom Hanks or Madame Ruby. I’ve been to both, but never in the basement of either, so I’m no good.

Armybrat · January 16

1 hour ago, Red Five said:

The story I quoted was originally from 2019 and updated in 2020.

RIP Bill Little.

Edited January 16 by Armybrat

Armybrat · January 16

1 hour ago, Art Vandelay said:

Texas beat Notre Dame (with Joe Theismann at QB) in the 1970 Cotton Bowl. We defeated Staubach & Navy in the 1964 Cotton Bowl.

Correct….

Armybrat · January 16

1 hour ago, AnTiM said:

Speaking of Freddie Steinmark, is there still a marker honoring him in the stadium since the south scoreboard was removed? If not, that would be a damn shame. Never will forget him on crutches at the Cotton Bowl.

I saw him on his crutches waiting in line at the Varsity theater on the Drag not long after that.
RIP Freddie, he was a gamer who played bigger than his size….. and an inspiration to so many.

runthebone · January 16

49 minutes ago, Upgrayedd said:

Nixon went to Duke

They took his picture off the wall

Ignatius · January 16

47 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Correct….

The top left Tech stub from September 28th was only our 2nd game of the season; crazy how much later our season used to start compared to now. My freshman year (1985) we played our first game on September 21st; this year, that will be our fourth game…

SHOOTER12 · January 16

4 hours ago, Surly Bevo said:

So 1 more lie to add to Nixon's resume?

Fuck Nixon, and fuck Joe Paterno, may they both burn in hell, that is all...

Paco · January 16

Joe Paterno calling out Nixon about "not knowing about Watergate" is irony at its finest.

mr. sunshine · January 16

Richard Nixon Bowling Print Poster - Etsy.html

mr. sunshine · January 16

Just now, mr. sunshine said:

Richard Nixon Bowling Print Poster - Etsy.html 567.44 kB · 0 downloads

Thanks internet. You've officially won and exposed me for the regard I am

HornOnTheBayou · January 16

3 hours ago, ClubWhatever said:

I'm gonna be in Orange County, CA for work in a few weeks. I will head over to the Nixon Presidential Library and have a look see. If I find the original plaque I'll let you know.

You know what you have to do.

Tex Pete · January 16

5 hours ago, South Austin said:

So we don’t have a bullshit plaque that Richard Nixon “awarded” the Longhorns? Bummer.

Y’all are kind of missing the point. That it was Nixon is irrelevant. That is an iconic moment in Longhorn history and is unique in presidential history. Texas A&M is one of dozens of schools that would kill to have a national championship plaque/trophy with an actual year on it that people who are still alive can remember.

El Squared · January 16

I think it’s also correct that the plaque was given out right after the Arkansas- Texas game, which he attended. Also ABC apparently talked Texas and Arkansas into moving the game to the end of the season as they believed both teams might go undefeated.

n64ra · January 16

Does the replica say Longhorns as Nixon promised it would be updated to have?

abuelo gringo · January 16

16 hours ago, Armybrat said:

Correct….

I was at that 1964 Cotton Bowl also. My brother was home for the Christmas break of his plebe year at USNA. He had secured four tickets in the south end zone and he and I (a junior in high school) double dated to the game.

He seemed very sure that Staubach and company would prevail, but me and my date had the last laugh. I came down to Austin for school in September of '65, but my date ended up at SMU. We both ended up meeting our spouses at college.

It would be nice to have kept my ticket, but it would probably have been lost in a flood several years ago with many other mementos.

mdleast · January 16

Eh…championship plaques are overrated. Any slack-jawed yokel can have one commissioned

Armybrat · January 16

15 hours ago, El Squared said:

I think it’s also correct that the plaque was given out right after the Arkansas- Texas game, which he attended. Also ABC apparently talked Texas and Arkansas into moving the game to the end of the season as they believed both teams might go undefeated.

Correct.

Armybrat · January 16

15 hours ago, Tex Pete said:

Y’all are kind of missing the point. That it was Nixon is irrelevant. That is an iconic moment in Longhorn history and is unique in presidential history. Texas A&M is one of dozens of schools that would kill to have a national championship plaque/trophy with an actual year on it that people who are still alive can remember.

Well, Franklin Roosevelt probably never heard of aggy back then.

Sgt Hulk · January 16

Horns Hogs and Nixon coming is an awesome book. Bitching about Nixon is a moot point but surly gonna surly. Has any other game outside of army navy have a sitting potus show up let alone crown the university of Texas. The best in the nation. That’s the good stuff that keeps aggy up at night

Armybrat · January 16

34 minutes ago, Sgt Hulk said:

Horns Hogs and Nixon coming is an awesome book. Bitching about Nixon is a moot point but surly gonna surly. Has any other game outside of army navy have a sitting potus show up let alone crown the university of Texas. The best in the nation. That’s the good stuff that keeps aggy up at night

Hear Hear!

Lerka Lerka · January 16

Take note folks, this is how you offseason. 🤘

Hermanator · January 17

"I don't know how Joe Paterno can claim to know so much about football and so little about butt raping little boys in his locker room"

LTtxfan · November 14

BurntEyes · November 14

Okay, I want to know more about that story. Clickity click on that shit man.

Royale with cheese · November 14

On 1/15/2024 at 6:12 PM, ClubWhatever said:

I'm gonna be in Orange County, CA for work in a few weeks. I will head over to the Nixon Presidential Library and have a look see. If I find the original plaque I'll let you know.

Jimmy Hoffa has it.

MAUFRAIS · November 14

It belongs in a museum!

Or Dirty’s.

Rimbo · November 14

On 1/15/2024 at 1:48 PM, Armybrat said:

Years later, a still irate Joe Paterno would add his strident voice in opposition to Nixon’s grandstanding and clamor that, “I don’t know how the president can claim to know so much about football and so little about Watergate.”

Well how can you claim to know so much about your staff and so little about them raping little boys, eh, Joe?

Could've had it out with us in the Cotton Bowl if you cared so much, too.

Squareass bitch.

RollLeft · November 14

I stayed at the Watergate recently and though i looked I couldn't find plaque on my teeth so this hits close to home.

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I did not know this - Nixon’s 1969 #1 presentation plaque.

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