Greatest Longhorn Football Teams of All Time -No. 4, 1963
There’s nothing like the first taste of victory. Since its creation in 1893, the Texas football program played with one goal in mind - reaching the mountaintop of college football and winning a national championship. The climb lasted until the 1963 season. It took Horns 70 years to finally bring a national title to the Forty Acres.
Through this time, Texas fans have been on an emotional rollercoaster, experiencing big wins, followed by even bigger losses. In his seventh season as head coach, the late Darrell Royal led the horns to a perfect 11-0 season. Texas became the consensus best team in the nation and won its first national championship even before its Cotton Bowl game, in which the Horns cruised to a 28-6 win over Roger Staubach and No.2 Navy. Another highlight moment came earlier that season when Texas faced off against the No.1 ranked, modern-day rival, Oklahoma Sooners in the Cotton Bowl, once again coming out on top 28-7. The toughest test came late in the season in College Station against Texas A&M. Texas trailed 13-3 in the fourth quarter. For Texas fans, it all looked too familiar. There always seemed to be a slip up at the times where it mattered most. Surprisingly, Texas changed the narrative, scoring 12 points in the final 13 minutes to win the game and shock the home crowd.
The roster had some outstanding talent including star running back Tommy Ford and quarterback Duke Carlisle. Scott Appleton, defensive tackle, who was drafted fourth overall by the Cowboys, won the Outland Trophy and was a consensus All-American. Finally, linebacker Tommy Nobis went on to be selected No.1 overall in the 1965 draft; becoming the first Longhorn to do so.
