Hooked: UT Football through a UK lens.

It’s been quiet around here. No Texas Longhorn Football post since the Peach Bowl. No content consumed since the Cotton Bowl. No hype. No expectation. One trip changed it. Returning from a two-week Texas vacation has reignited the spark.

This trip was a reminder of community and belonging. Passing passion down generations, around familial circles not bound by geography. A reminder that sport takes us on a journey, intricately weaved through the fabric of life.

Late last year I had surgery. In the wake of that surgery, I forced myself home from hospital. Reassuring and pleading with hospital staff that I felt fine having only come out of theatre three hours prior. Texas were to play A&M four hours later. I wouldn’t miss. Though contingencies had been made, I watched from what can only be described as “relative-comfort” of my couch with Stephanie. We won. Elation and adrenaline doing their best to nullifying aches, pains and prescription pills that should have left any human comatose.

That same adrenaline, mixed with hope and belief, took me through to the SEC championship game. Again, albeit muted, into Clemson at DKR. Once more to The Peach Bowl against Arizona State. And finally, the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State. Well shit, we all know what happened next…

I didn’t write after the Cotton Bowl, I haven’t until now. It’s a hard feeling to explain. It’s a bit more than disappointment. Disheartening isn’t quite correct. Demotivating, demoralizing, and painful all feel wrong. If there was a single word that encompassed all of the above then it’d be that.

Over 7 months I had started to channel two passions as one. Texas Longhorn football and writing. The 28 – 14 Cotton Bowl loss somewhat drained both passions, something that I hadn’t anticipated happening. Something maybe I should have looked to other sports writers I admire like Eric Henry and Robert Tiffin, and asked how to overcome it as both a fan and a writer.

Nonetheless, it’s taken something special to reignite this passion before the opening game against Ohio State on the 30th of August. And let me tell you, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Three weeks ago I started preparations for a family vacation to Austin and West-Texas with Stephanie and my kids, still wondering how I’d rekindle the passion for this blog and for the Longhorns with little over a month until kick-off. Two days after landing at Bergstrom International, it started.

My brother-in-law, Wade, is to thank. Shortly after entering his home he comes down the stairs with a picture frame in his hand. Inside the frame is a copy of Texas Monthly, the September 2005 issue, signed by Mack Brown himself. Wade hands it to me, childlike joy and disbelief flooding my insides already just looking at it.

Before any words can exit my mouth, “this is for you”, Wade says. No words came out. My mouth opened, jaw-to-the-floor type stuff. “I can’t take this from you” I managed to get out, but Wade once more “this is for you”. I don’t really remember much else of what I said after that. More protest, I know that much, as he continued to explain the significance of the issue before the ensuing National Championship season.

An hour later, more surprises. Out comes Wade once more, this time no picture frame.. A heavily signatured Texas Longhorn football and baseball cap, and a copy of “100 Things Longhorns Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die” by Jenna McEachern. Wade happily explaining who’s signatures are on the ball and cap, Darrell Royal and Vince Young most significantly.

Now, if there’s anyone that’s a Texas Longhorn’s fan, it’s Wade. The man’s depth of knowledge, not just of the football team but baseball, softball and basketball as well, is close to unmatched.

“These are for you, too” he says. More protest. More disbelief. And a hell of a lot of gratitude. I still think he was playing it down when he told me “it’s probably not worth that much, loads of people around here will have stuff like this, but it’ll be pretty unique in England”. Even if the former part of that statement is true, even if I lived in Austin, it’s worth more to me than he’ll ever know.

With the spark truly igniting, I knew I was off. Copies of the latest Texas Football magazine at the checkout of countless H-E-B trips, UT flags whipping in the breeze from neighborhood houses and bars, and the playfulness of cashiers joking with me about my accent and Texas Longhorns t-shirts turning a spark into a fire.

On the final day of the trip I took my kids by DKR Memorial Stadium — an errand to run downtown gave us some time to swing by. The awe on their faces seeing how high the stands go. How big the stadium is. Their disbelief that 25,000 more people fit in there than their favorite soccer teams stadiums. Their excitement of seeing the huge Longhorn Logo stamped into a wall of burnt orange. And finally, the willingness to hop out and take a picture at the facility (headline pic) when dubiously parked in a loading-zone on family day, turned a fire into a full-burn blaze.

So, here I am with a pen (or more accurately, keyboard) again. I’m excited. I’m hopeful. And damn, I’m proud to be Texas Longhorn.

Hook ’em.