Those Longhorns? They always go looking for the best Kangaroos.
E. J. “Doc” Stewart and the Texas Longhorns kicked off their 1923 season at old Clark Field against Austin College. Not a mile away, land was being cleared for a new stadium promoted by UT President Robert Vinson. Vinson, who encouraged UT alumni and fans to help finance, was an Austin College Kangaroo (class of 1896).
The Longhorns won handily in 1923 by a score of 31-0 behind the effort of UT quarterback Robert Gardere. UT was on its way to a Southwest Conference championship behind Gardere, the grandfather of 1990 Longhorn QB Pete Gardere.
But Pete Cawthon’s Kangaroos had an outstanding team of their own, and were also on their way to a 1923 TIAA conference championship. In spite of the loss, the play of Austin College had impressed Stewart. One Kangaroo in particular caught his eye: AC Quarterback Mack Saxon.
Gardere was set to graduate after 1923, leaving an opening at the QB position. After the game, Stewart caught up with Saxon and asked him a tantalizing question: Would he consider transferring from Austin College to the University of Texas?
Those Longhorns? They always go looking for the best Kangaroos.
Saxon thought it over. He was reluctant to leave Cawthon’s program in Sherman, but the offer was one he just couldn’t refuse. Saxon said yes. He finished out the 1923 season at AC, and made his way to Austin. He sat out the 1924 season, where he witnessed his new teammates play the first game ever at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. The Horns lost that first game at DKR to Baylor, just two weeks after Saxon’s former AC teammates had defeated the Bears in Waco.
During summer workouts in 1925, Saxon was tapped by Stewart as the starting Horns QB. The first ever season opener at DKR took place in September 1925 with a former Roo calling signals. Behind Saxon’s strong effort on the ground and in the air, UT defeated Southwestern 33-0, and was on its way to a 6-2-1 record. Saxon was perfect at DKR, leading his Horns to home wins over Ole Miss, Auburn, Rice, Baylor, and Arizona. He returned in 1926 as team captain; his last game in a Horns uniform was a win over Texas A&M at DKR.
Larry Fedora is synonymous with Texas football. He played Jr. High ball in College Station, back when Coach Clarence W. Junek was getting his start. He played in High School at A&M Consolidated alongside Jim Cashion, son of the recently passed “Red” Cashion. An All-American at Austin College, he learned a few tricks of the trade from Clayton Oliphint. As a graduate assistant in Sherman, he coached Jack Wylie and many other Roos reading this post.
Fedora moved on to Garland HS, where he coached future Roo Brian Land. He then landed a position at Grant Teaff’s Baylor, where he worked with Bears QB Jeff Watson. Watson had recently delivered a state title for Fedora’s A&M Consolidated Tigers, who are today coached by Larry Fedora’s brother Lee and recently QB’ed by the son of brother John.
Since Baylor, nearly a quarter century of success in the coaching ranks. Air Force, Florida, Oklahoma State, Southern Miss, and North Carolina. However, not a whole lot of time in the great state of Texas during that period.
But guess what?
Those Longhorns? They always go looking for the best Kangaroos.
Thanks John Cotton for being my guy on the inside. Welcome home Larry Fedora. We. Are. Texas. Get your Horns up.
