The Texas Silver Spurs (often referred to as the Spurs) is an honorary men's service organization at the University of Texas at Austin, best known as the caretakers of Bevo. Founded in 1937, the Spurs were established with the mission to benefit the university through service and philanthropic efforts. [1] The Spurs serve as ambassadors of the University of Texas.
In 1937, the Spurs were founded at a time when few service or spirit organizations existed at the University of Texas campus. Their charter members sought out student leaders interested in service to the University and quickly gained prominent standing on campus. [2]
In 1945, the Spurs officially overtook care-taking responsibilities for Bevo III. Given this responsibility, the Spurs became even more deeply involved in University spirit activities. They have managed the mascot ever since. [3]
In 1950, the Spurs made the decision to raise Bevo V from calfhood after challenges handling Bevo III and IV. Previously, Bevo had escaped his handlers, charged people, and caused property damage. This new strategy allowed the handlers to better control the mascot, and he was able to travel with the football team on a consistent basis. [3]
In 1963, the Spurs worked with the Texas Rangers to recover Bevo VII after his kidnapping by Texas A&M University students. This kidnapping came just days before the Longhorns were set to take on the Aggies in football, a game Texas eventually won 15-13. Bevo was unharmed. [3]
In 1995, the Spurs took over responsibility of Smokey the Cannon after the cancellation of the Texas Cowboys as a student organization. Mike Perrin, a Cowboys alumnus, leased the cannon to the Spurs for five years at $1 annually with the hope to continue the tradition despite the Cowboys' removal. During this time, the Spurs fired Smokey and looked after Bevo at Longhorn football games. Upon the Cowboys' reinstatement in 2000, the Spurs returned Smokey. [4]
In 2006, the Silver Spurs Alumni Association completed construction of the Silver Spurs Bevo Center. The museum commemorates Bevo throughout the history of the tradition and the organization’s role in his handling. Located in Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, the Center is one of the few structures on the University campus named for a student organization. [5]
In 2019, the Spurs again took over responsibility of Smokey the Cannon after the second cancellation of the Texas Cowboys as a student organization. Members of the Cowboys Alumni Association came to an agreement with the University to allow this transition to occur for the duration of the suspension. [6]
Over the years, the Spurs have escorted Bevo all over the country for football games, including the 2006 Rose Bowl. [7] The Spurs have also brought Bevo to special events including George W. Bush’s first [8] and second presidential inaugural ball. [9]
The Spurs primary responsibilities stem from the management, care, and transportation of Bevo. Each year, a new group of student handlers is elected and trained to transport the school's mascot for all events. During this time, they must learn to halter Bevo and become familiar with the techniques required to direct and control him. In addition to appearances at all home football games, the Spurs are responsible for bringing Bevo to special events for the University and private parties. [10]
Active Spurs are required to participate in service work in the Austin area. The Spurs primary philanthropic partner is the Neighborhood Longhorns Program, to which the organizations has donated over $250,000 all-time. To support these efforts, the Spurs host Spring Jam, an annual charity concert whose proceeds support the Neighborhood Longhorn Program. In addition to monetary contributions, active members are required to complete hours tutoring at local Title I Schools every semester. [11]
In partnership with the Texas Exes, the Spurs established the Bevo Endowment. [12] The Bevo Endowment’s stated mission is to “benefit/support: The ongoing care and transportation of future BEVOs; Scholarships for exemplary students at The University of Texas; The University of Texas Neighborhood Longhorn’s Program; Other philanthropic endeavors associated with The University of Texas.” [13]
The University of Texas at Austin is a public research university in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 52,384 students as of Fall 2022, it is also the largest institution in the system.
The Texas Longhorn is an American breed of beef cattle, characterized by its long horns, which can span more than 8 ft (2.4 m) from tip to tip. It derives from cattle brought from the Iberian Peninsula to the Americas by Spanish conquistadores from the time of the Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus until about 1512. For hundreds of years the cattle lived a semi-feral existence on the rangelands; they have a higher tolerance of heat and drought than most European breeds. It can be of any color or mix of colors. In some 40% of the cattle it is some shade of red, often a light red; the only shade of red not seen is the deep color typical of the Hereford.
Thorndale is a city in Milam County, Texas, United States, with a small section in Williamson County. The population was 1,263 at the 2020 census. It was founded in 1878, approximately three miles west of its present site, and moved to its current site in 1880.
Bevo is the live mascot of the athletic programs at the University of Texas at Austin. Bevo is a Texas Longhorn steer with burnt orange and white coloring from which the university derived its color scheme. The profile of the Longhorn's head and horns gives rise to the school's hand symbol and saying, "Hook 'em Horns". The most recent Bevo, Bevo XV, was introduced to Texas football fans on September 4, 2016. His predecessor, Bevo XIV, died of cancer on October 16, 2015. Bevo XV is owned by Betty and John Baker's Sunrise Ranch in Liberty Hill, Texas; Sunrise Ranch also owned Bevo XV's predecessors Bevo XIII and Bevo XIV.
Hook 'em Horns is the chant and hand signal of The University of Texas at Austin. Students, alumni, and fans of the university employ a greeting consisting of the phrase "Hook 'em" or "Hook 'em Horns" and also use the phrase as a parting good-bye or as the closing line in a letter or story.
Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium, located in Austin, Texas, on the campus of the University of Texas, has been home to the Longhorns football team since 1924. The stadium has delivered a home field advantage with the team's home record through November 24, 2023 being 399–122–10 (.761). The official stadium seating capacity is 100,119, making the stadium the fourth largest in the Southeastern Conference, the seventh largest stadium in the United States, and the ninth largest stadium in the world.
Smokey the Cannon is a replica Civil War artillery cannon that has served as part of the pageantry of college football games at the University of Texas at Austin since 1953. Smokey the Cannon is owned and operated by the Texas Cowboys and is stationed in the left corner of the south endzone at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium during every Texas Longhorns home football game. After each football season, Smokey the Cannon is generally displayed in the Red McCombs Red Zone atrium for the spring semester.
The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and are now the official "large animal" of the state of Texas. Generally, both the men's and women's teams are referred to as the Longhorns, and the mascot is a Texas Longhorn steer named Bevo. The Longhorns have consistently been ranked as the biggest brand in collegiate athletics, in both department size and breadth of appeal.
Texas Student Media (TSM) is an auxiliary enterprise of the University of Texas at Austin (UT) and the largest student media operation in the United States. It is composed of faculty, student, and professional news industry representatives.
The 2005 Texas Longhorns football team represented the University of Texas at Austin during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season, winning the Big 12 Conference championship and the national championship. The team was coached by Mack Brown, led on offense by quarterback Vince Young, and played its home games at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium.
Hex Rally was a pep rally at The University of Texas at Austin that occurred in the week before the annual football game between the Texas Longhorns and their in-state rivals, the Texas A&M Aggies.
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate team representing the University of Texas at Austin in the sport of American football. The Longhorns compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Their home games are played at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas.
The 2007 Texas Longhorns football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Mack Brown. The Longhorns played their home games in Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium (DKR).
Lake Travis High School is a public high school located in unincorporated Travis County, Texas, United States, approximately 20 miles west of Austin, near Lake Travis. The preparatory is accredited by the Texas Education Agency and rated as an exemplary secondary by TEA standards. LTHS serves students in grades nine through twelve who live in southwest Travis County and is part of the Lake Travis Independent School District.
The Texas Cowboys is an honorary student service organization at the University of Texas at Austin. The organization was founded in 1922 with the purpose of serving the University of Texas and maintaining Smokey the Cannon. It is considered one of the "oldest and most elite student organizations" at the university. Among its alumni are national politicians, two Texas Governors, prominent businessmen, and professional athletes.
The 2008 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Mack Brown, who had a contract lasting through the 2016 season but resigned on December 14, 2013. The Longhorns play their home games in Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium (DKR), which during 2006–2008 was undergoing renovations to improve older sections as well as to add extra seating capacity.
The 2009 Texas Longhorns football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Mack Brown. Texas played their home games in Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium.
Hook 'Em, the official costumed mascot of The University of Texas at Austin's athletic teams, is a prominent figure at various sports events. Hook 'Em is regularly seen on the sidelines of Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium during football games, and at the Moody Center for basketball games, engaging fans and contributing to a lively atmosphere. Beyond these sporting events, Hook 'Em's presence can be requested through the Texas Athletics website, allowing the mascot to engage with the broader university community and its supporters.
William Mack Brown is the former head coach of the University of Texas Longhorn football team. During his tenure, the Texas Longhorns football team under Mack Brown had a winning record in 15 of 16 seasons.
Robert Steven "Steve" Hicks is an American businessman, who is most closely associated with the radio business, pioneering the concept of local marketing agreement and was the Vice-Chairman of AMFM, Inc, a predecessor of radio station company Clear Channel Communications. He is chairman of medial medical products firm HealthTronics and chairman of private investment firm Capstar Partners LLC, of which he is the principal owner. He is on the University of Texas System board of regents.