ILS1
01-21-2008, 09:45 PM
By Rick Cantu, Randy Riggs
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, January 21, 2008
Rooster Andrews, whose tenure as a student manager for University of Texas teams turned into a lifelong association with the Longhorns, died Monday at age 84.
Andrews had been in and out of hospitals in recent years, living most recently in the nursing unit of Westminster Manor, daughter Lisa Ard said.
"I will miss him terribly," Ard said
That sentiment was echoed by many Longhorn athletic figures.
"He probably was one of the greatest ambassadors for the university that I've ever known," said Longhorn men's track coach Bubba Thornton. "He's one of our real treasures. The number of lives he's influenced in a positive way is staggering. What a wonderful life he lived."
For more than 60 years, Andrews seemed to know everybody's name around UT sports. His college roommate was legendary quarterback Bobby Layne. He dined regularly with UT football coaches Darrell Royal and Mack Brown. His friends included Presidents Johnson and Bush (both of them).
Born William E. Andrews on March 1, 1923, in Dallas, Andrews may be best remembered as the owner of the popular sporting goods chain that bore his name. The stores owned by the Andrews family have closed in recent years, but at its peak, Rooster Andrews Sporting Goods boasted four retail locations across Austin and an annual sales volume of $5 million, and employed more than 70 people.
Andrews often said he stood "five feet on the dime," but he was a larger-than-life fixture and friend of the university.
"Rooster was a trusted confidant and important member of the UT athletics family," UT athletics director DeLoss Dodds said. "His advice and friendship will be dearly missed."
Andrews' devotion to Central Texas began when he came to the state high school track meet as manager of the Woodrow Wilson High School track team. He credits legendary UT track coach Clyde Littlefield with getting him to stay.
"I came down here from Dallas in '38 and started working the Texas Relays at the strong suggestion of Mr. Littlefield," Andrews once recalled. "He came up to me and said, 'Hey! What are you doing sitting on your butt?' I was sitting on my little curb, and I said, 'coach, I'm waiting on the bus to take me back to Dallas.' "
Littlefield had other plans for Andrews.
"He said, 'Get ... out there and start setting up those hurdles.' I just said, 'Yes sir,' and started setting up the hurdles."
Andrews would be hooked on the Longhorns for the rest of his life, attending the university as a student from 1941 to 1946 and earning a degree in business.
He served as manager of the UT football team, lugging 5-gallon buckets of water for the players, until coach D.X. Bible came up with another role for him in 1943.
Many colleges had suspended their football programs after so many players were drafted into the military during World War II. UT continued to play, but in 1943 the Horns were weak at kicker.
Bible held weekly tryouts for anyone who wanted to be the team's kicker. Andrews had showed off his drop-kick style in practice — something unusual at the time — and he earned the right to play.
In a 46-7 victory over TCU, Andrews made a pair of drop-kicks, which irritated Horned Frogs coach Dutch Meyer. It was bad enough to lose a lopsided game, but to have a water boy make extra points in the second half, that was insulting, Meyer said.
Meyer dared Bible to use Andrews in the final game of the season against a better team, Texas A&M.
Bible didn't flinch. He let the water boy kick again, and Andrews made two more kicks in UT's 27-13 triumph.
By the end of his college career, he had earned letters in football and baseball, as well as the nickname that lasted a lifetime. The nickname stemmed from a college prank in which Andrews climbed a tree to fetch a rooster.
In 1946, Andrews decided to make Austin his home and went to work for a sporting goods company. A year later, he married his high school sweetheart, Betty Jane, better known as B.J.
By 1969, he had opened his first retail store. Fittingly, Longhorn-themed products were always a staple at Andrews' stores.
Andrews was never far from Longhorn athletics.
Edith Royal recalled Monday that Andrews assisted her husband in some unusual ways long before Royal gained legendary status as Texas' football coach.
"When Darrell first got here, he always had a hard time remembering names," Edith Royal said. "So Rooster would kind of follow around behind him and whisper names in his ear when they'd meet someone."
Former Texas track coach Stan Huntsman still remembers his first encounter with Andrews at a track meet in 1956. He now refers to Andrews as "a legend."
"You could see he was the center of Longhorn spirit for years," Huntsman said. "There are very few people you can be around and no matter how bad things were, still be so upbeat."
Andrews is survived by his wife, B.J.; brother J.B. "Bunny" Andrews; son Ralph Griffith Andrews and wife Melissa; daughters Betsy Dabbs, and Lisa Ard and husband Mike; and six grandchildren.
Funeral services are pending.
Story Link (www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/longhorns/01/22/0122rooster.html)
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, January 21, 2008
Rooster Andrews, whose tenure as a student manager for University of Texas teams turned into a lifelong association with the Longhorns, died Monday at age 84.
Andrews had been in and out of hospitals in recent years, living most recently in the nursing unit of Westminster Manor, daughter Lisa Ard said.
"I will miss him terribly," Ard said
That sentiment was echoed by many Longhorn athletic figures.
"He probably was one of the greatest ambassadors for the university that I've ever known," said Longhorn men's track coach Bubba Thornton. "He's one of our real treasures. The number of lives he's influenced in a positive way is staggering. What a wonderful life he lived."
For more than 60 years, Andrews seemed to know everybody's name around UT sports. His college roommate was legendary quarterback Bobby Layne. He dined regularly with UT football coaches Darrell Royal and Mack Brown. His friends included Presidents Johnson and Bush (both of them).
Born William E. Andrews on March 1, 1923, in Dallas, Andrews may be best remembered as the owner of the popular sporting goods chain that bore his name. The stores owned by the Andrews family have closed in recent years, but at its peak, Rooster Andrews Sporting Goods boasted four retail locations across Austin and an annual sales volume of $5 million, and employed more than 70 people.
Andrews often said he stood "five feet on the dime," but he was a larger-than-life fixture and friend of the university.
"Rooster was a trusted confidant and important member of the UT athletics family," UT athletics director DeLoss Dodds said. "His advice and friendship will be dearly missed."
Andrews' devotion to Central Texas began when he came to the state high school track meet as manager of the Woodrow Wilson High School track team. He credits legendary UT track coach Clyde Littlefield with getting him to stay.
"I came down here from Dallas in '38 and started working the Texas Relays at the strong suggestion of Mr. Littlefield," Andrews once recalled. "He came up to me and said, 'Hey! What are you doing sitting on your butt?' I was sitting on my little curb, and I said, 'coach, I'm waiting on the bus to take me back to Dallas.' "
Littlefield had other plans for Andrews.
"He said, 'Get ... out there and start setting up those hurdles.' I just said, 'Yes sir,' and started setting up the hurdles."
Andrews would be hooked on the Longhorns for the rest of his life, attending the university as a student from 1941 to 1946 and earning a degree in business.
He served as manager of the UT football team, lugging 5-gallon buckets of water for the players, until coach D.X. Bible came up with another role for him in 1943.
Many colleges had suspended their football programs after so many players were drafted into the military during World War II. UT continued to play, but in 1943 the Horns were weak at kicker.
Bible held weekly tryouts for anyone who wanted to be the team's kicker. Andrews had showed off his drop-kick style in practice — something unusual at the time — and he earned the right to play.
In a 46-7 victory over TCU, Andrews made a pair of drop-kicks, which irritated Horned Frogs coach Dutch Meyer. It was bad enough to lose a lopsided game, but to have a water boy make extra points in the second half, that was insulting, Meyer said.
Meyer dared Bible to use Andrews in the final game of the season against a better team, Texas A&M.
Bible didn't flinch. He let the water boy kick again, and Andrews made two more kicks in UT's 27-13 triumph.
By the end of his college career, he had earned letters in football and baseball, as well as the nickname that lasted a lifetime. The nickname stemmed from a college prank in which Andrews climbed a tree to fetch a rooster.
In 1946, Andrews decided to make Austin his home and went to work for a sporting goods company. A year later, he married his high school sweetheart, Betty Jane, better known as B.J.
By 1969, he had opened his first retail store. Fittingly, Longhorn-themed products were always a staple at Andrews' stores.
Andrews was never far from Longhorn athletics.
Edith Royal recalled Monday that Andrews assisted her husband in some unusual ways long before Royal gained legendary status as Texas' football coach.
"When Darrell first got here, he always had a hard time remembering names," Edith Royal said. "So Rooster would kind of follow around behind him and whisper names in his ear when they'd meet someone."
Former Texas track coach Stan Huntsman still remembers his first encounter with Andrews at a track meet in 1956. He now refers to Andrews as "a legend."
"You could see he was the center of Longhorn spirit for years," Huntsman said. "There are very few people you can be around and no matter how bad things were, still be so upbeat."
Andrews is survived by his wife, B.J.; brother J.B. "Bunny" Andrews; son Ralph Griffith Andrews and wife Melissa; daughters Betsy Dabbs, and Lisa Ard and husband Mike; and six grandchildren.
Funeral services are pending.
Story Link (www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/longhorns/01/22/0122rooster.html)