Fotbol
05-02-2008, 09:34 AM
TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: 2-way terror 'knew what that helmet was for'
Click-2-Listen
Friday, May 02, 2008
By John Werner
Tribune-Herald staff writer
Johnny Treadwell was a quiet, humble guy who always took care of business and inspired loyalty among his friends.
But on the football field, Treadwell’s alter ego came out.
“It was like Johnny had two personalities,” said former Austin High School teammate Rox Covert. “When he stepped on the football field, he’d tear the shirt off your back. When you were suiting up in the locker room, you didn’t want to bother him. He knew what his job was, and you didn’t want to get in the way.”
Treadwell starred at Austin High as a linebacker and offensive guard from 1956-58 before becoming an All-American linebacker at Texas. He’ll be inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame on Saturday at the Ferrell Center.
The Austin American-Statesman once called Treadwell one of the best two-way players in Texas schoolboy history, and anyone who played with or against him wouldn’t disagree.
“Johnny was tough as nails,” said Covert, who played quarterback for Austin High. “He only weighed 195 or 200, but you couldn’t wear him out. If you needed a yard on offense, he was the guy you’d run behind. When he put on that helmet, he knew what that helmet was for.”
Playing on a team with eight future Division I players, Treadwell helped Austin High reach the 1957 state semifinals before losing to a Port Arthur team that featured future Baylor All-American running back Ronnie Bull.
“I think we had one of the best high school football teams anyone had ever seen,” Covert said. “We were unbeaten until we played Port Arthur, but they threw up an eight-man line and we had trouble picking up yardage on a wet field.”
After playing for another district championship team as a senior in 1958, Treadwell signed with Texas where he became an All-American in 1962. He’s best known for a play that became known as “The Tackle.”
In a 1962 game between No. 1 Texas and No. 7 Arkansas, the Razorbacks were leading 3-0 and driving for another score when Treadwell and Pat Culpepper crushed running back Danny Brabham, forcing a fumble for a touchback. With the momentum turned, the Longhorns drove for the winning touchdown.
After graduating from Texas, Treadwell earned his veterinary degree from Texas A&M before returning to Austin. Treadwell and his wife, Peg, have been married 42 years and have four daughters who all became outstanding athletes.
Peg said Johnny couldn’t interview for this story due to memory loss, but he’ll be at the induction ceremony tomorrow. He’s always looked back fondly on his high school football days, she said.
“When they get together for reunions, they’re like the same guys they were back in high school,” Peg said. “It’s amazing what the team meant to those guys. It’s like they really went to battle together. It’s hard to duplicate that kind of camaraderie.”
jwerner@wacotrib.com
Click-2-Listen
Friday, May 02, 2008
By John Werner
Tribune-Herald staff writer
Johnny Treadwell was a quiet, humble guy who always took care of business and inspired loyalty among his friends.
But on the football field, Treadwell’s alter ego came out.
“It was like Johnny had two personalities,” said former Austin High School teammate Rox Covert. “When he stepped on the football field, he’d tear the shirt off your back. When you were suiting up in the locker room, you didn’t want to bother him. He knew what his job was, and you didn’t want to get in the way.”
Treadwell starred at Austin High as a linebacker and offensive guard from 1956-58 before becoming an All-American linebacker at Texas. He’ll be inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame on Saturday at the Ferrell Center.
The Austin American-Statesman once called Treadwell one of the best two-way players in Texas schoolboy history, and anyone who played with or against him wouldn’t disagree.
“Johnny was tough as nails,” said Covert, who played quarterback for Austin High. “He only weighed 195 or 200, but you couldn’t wear him out. If you needed a yard on offense, he was the guy you’d run behind. When he put on that helmet, he knew what that helmet was for.”
Playing on a team with eight future Division I players, Treadwell helped Austin High reach the 1957 state semifinals before losing to a Port Arthur team that featured future Baylor All-American running back Ronnie Bull.
“I think we had one of the best high school football teams anyone had ever seen,” Covert said. “We were unbeaten until we played Port Arthur, but they threw up an eight-man line and we had trouble picking up yardage on a wet field.”
After playing for another district championship team as a senior in 1958, Treadwell signed with Texas where he became an All-American in 1962. He’s best known for a play that became known as “The Tackle.”
In a 1962 game between No. 1 Texas and No. 7 Arkansas, the Razorbacks were leading 3-0 and driving for another score when Treadwell and Pat Culpepper crushed running back Danny Brabham, forcing a fumble for a touchback. With the momentum turned, the Longhorns drove for the winning touchdown.
After graduating from Texas, Treadwell earned his veterinary degree from Texas A&M before returning to Austin. Treadwell and his wife, Peg, have been married 42 years and have four daughters who all became outstanding athletes.
Peg said Johnny couldn’t interview for this story due to memory loss, but he’ll be at the induction ceremony tomorrow. He’s always looked back fondly on his high school football days, she said.
“When they get together for reunions, they’re like the same guys they were back in high school,” Peg said. “It’s amazing what the team meant to those guys. It’s like they really went to battle together. It’s hard to duplicate that kind of camaraderie.”
jwerner@wacotrib.com