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RIP Lew Holder (1923-2018)

hpslugga

By hpslugga
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hpslugga

hpslugga 4058

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coach1.jpg

The last living starter of the 1947 and 1948 Texas Longhorn football teams is gone. 

Lew Holder (“Coach” to us, his grandkids) was a 3 year letterman at Texas and roomed with his DKE fraternity brother, Tom Landry, for whom he’d later serve as best man at his wedding. Here he is pictured left with Landry.

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Lew was named to the Press 1948 All-Southwest Football Team

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It’s kinda funny because three of those guys had grandsons that played on the 2001-2002 HP Scot Football Teams (Doak Walker, Lew Holder, and Lindy Berry).

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Coach was about as bad-assed as they came.

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There’s also the old story about him in the game against TCU in 1947. In the era before facemasks, Lew was charged to rush the punter against the Frogs. He blocked the living hell out of it…with his face, which caused him to lose multiple teeth. He ran to the sideline, spit out his four front teeth into a metal bucket, and returned to the field to play some more.

Lew’s finest hour as a Longhorn occurred on January 1, 1948, in Tulane Stadium in New Orleans.  With 7 minutes to play in the 4th quarter, Texas led favored Alabama, 13-7.  Alabama had the ball at its own 10 yard line when Lew intercepted a pass and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown and a 20-7 lead for Texas.  After the ensuing kick-off, Lew sacked the QB on 1st down and then on 3rd down stripped the ball from the quarterback’s hands and recovered on the Alabama 5 yard line.  A few plays later Bobby Lane punched in a quarterback sneak sealing a 27-7 victory and Texas’ first and only Sugar Bowl title.  If you’d like to view Lew’s heroics in this game, watch the period of time from the 32:00 minute mark to the 35:00 minute mark on the video at the bottom of this article:  https://allstatesugarbowl.org/classic/1948-game-recap/

Coach then tried his luck at pro ball with the AAFC’s Los Angeles Dons:

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But, if I remember correctly, he hated living in California and this was obviously well before big money contracts allowed a pro football player to be set for life in just 6-10 years, so he headed back to Texas and left his athletics career in LA.

My grandmother was married to my grandfather in that approximate time period, but my grandfather passed away at the age of 30 in 1962. As luck would have it, my widowed grandmother living with her 3 young children, would later meet and ultimately marry this fine man and would remain so, through thick and thin, until this past Thursday morning as he passed peacefully in his sleep.

I know the normal protocol is to offer condolences for a “loss,” but the truth is that his peaceful passing was a relief to all of us, most of all to himself. He had recently battled multiple strokes over the past few years and had several severe falls that basically rendered him bedridden for the last couple years of his life. That was no way for one of life’s giants to live. You have to understand, from the age of 7 when I was first exposed to it until the age of 21 when I could finally take it (or he could no longer dish it out), I hated shaking his hand because he had a grip that would crush the neck of a grizzly bear. In fact I was just told this morning that it was recently discovered that he had a hairline fracture in either his back or hip that could very well have occurred in his playing days at UT, but no one would ever have known it in watching him. 

We will be holding a memorial service for him next weekend, but make no mistake, this will be no funeral. This will be the celebration of the life of one of the finest men I have ever known. We love him dearly, and we know he’s finally at peace.

Hook 'Em Horns, Coach. 

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nivek3

nivek3 83

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In the boxing photo he looks like he wants to punch the guy he is shaking hands with. Also the photo with Tom Landry is really cool. Thanks for sharing, he sounds like he was an incredible person. Sorry for you and your family's loss.

 

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Caver60

Caver60 395

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That’s as fine a tribute as I’ve seen on any message board.

It’s all great stuff, but when you got to the part about how he married your grandmother with three kids in the mix, well, it takes a very special man.

Blessings to you and yours.

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kopp0e

kopp0e 1135

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Your Grandfather was blessed to compete in athletics at the premier University of Texas, he has accomplished more in life than many who root from afar...

May God bless you & your family in this time of mourning, as it's obvious he was more than a Longhorn Legend, but also an honorable man of great moral compass...

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TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 31435

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Those guys back then were pretty much tough as nails.  Raised during the Depression.  Played football both ways with minimal pads and no facemasks.

I assume that he served in WWII before commencing his college career.  Most from the classes in the late forties would have been class of 44 or 45.

My Dad played his high school ball against Clyde Smackover Scott.

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hpslugga

hpslugga 4058

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7 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Those guys back then were pretty much tough as nails.  Raised during the Depression.  Played football both ways with minimal pads and no facemasks.

I assume that he served in WWII before commencing his college career.  Most from the classes in the late forties would have been class of 44 or 45.

My Dad played his high school ball against Clyde Smackover Scott.

He did serve in the Pacific theater for the Army Air Corps, yes.

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Spring Branch Horn

Spring Branch Horn 124

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Good Story about Tom Landry and Lew Holder

 

https://books.google.com/books?id=dmCx8Ouym4oC&pg=PA217&lpg=PA217&dq=Lew+Holder+and+Tom+Landry&source=bl&ots=DnOc6JU4Cz&sig=7hPC1laWtD7xwWkwhmP3iqc0WyY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiQ9b2ejZ7aAhVK1IMKHY_PAmYQ6AEINTAF#v=onepage&q=Lew Holder and Tom Landry&f=false

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