Spring Break
Former football stars relive rivalry for charitable cause
By: Brad Cox
Issue date: 11/20/07 Section: Sports
Football players stood on either side of the line, staring each other down with competitive tenacity. On one side, the Aggies stood in their maroon and white. On the other, the Longhorns stood covered in orange.
The sky was cloudy and rain was eminent, but a collection of fans, decorated in their colors, had gathered to witness the "backyard brawl."
No, it wasn't A&M's Stephen McGee or UT's Colt McCoy facing each other from the sidelines. It was former star A&M football player Chris Osgood and former Longhorn James Brown. A collection of former players from each school gathered Saturday at A&M Consolidated High School's Tigerland Stadium to face each other for the second time in three years.
Despite the flags hanging from their hips and the absence of pads, it was like watching the two schools meet at Kyle Field or Memorial Stadium for any other day-after-Thanksgiving game.
"It's just about having fun playing against guys you haven't seen in years," said Osgood, a former A&M quarterback that played in the late 1980s. "It starts out as fun but, as the game goes on, it gets pretty competitive."
Osgood threw the eighth-longest pass in A&M history against Southern Methodist in 1989, but played second fiddle to sophomore sensation Bucky Richardson that year.
Brown, a former Longhorn quarterback, led Texas to the final Southwest Conference championship in 1995, and is famous for his "roll left" play in the victory over Nebraska in the 1996 Big 12 championship. He played quarterback for the Longhorn squad on Saturday.
"It's fun to get back out here," Brown said. "The game hasn't quite forgotten about us yet."
The game was the result of the planning and connections of Junior White, a "Wrecking Crew" safety from the 1990s. White said that former team members had gathered to play each other in 2005 and were interested in doing it again.
"The competitive juices flow, but we're at an age where we know that it's not about difference in schools, it's about what we give back," White said.
White had his mind on Thanksgiving when he decided to have Brazos Valley Food Bank take part in the event. The Food Bank was established in 1985 to "alleviate hunger in the Brazos Valley," according to the group's website.
"Since it was Thanksgiving time, and being thanks for being here, it was our way of giving back to the community," White said.
The game did not bode well for the Aggies. After tying the game at 21-21 shortly after the beginning of the second half, the Aggie squad struggled and the Longhorns began running away with the lead.
"Tell them we tied," White said, laughing after the game. "We were outmanned a little bit."
The Aggie roster included Wes Bautovich, Bill Johnston, Steve Solari, Lance Jackson, Detron Smith, Osgood, White and many others. Brown was joined on the Longhorn squad by Shon Mitchell, Quinton Wallce, Rod Walker, Tre Thomas, Bryant Westbrook and a number of other former players.
The sky was cloudy and rain was eminent, but a collection of fans, decorated in their colors, had gathered to witness the "backyard brawl."
No, it wasn't A&M's Stephen McGee or UT's Colt McCoy facing each other from the sidelines. It was former star A&M football player Chris Osgood and former Longhorn James Brown. A collection of former players from each school gathered Saturday at A&M Consolidated High School's Tigerland Stadium to face each other for the second time in three years.
Despite the flags hanging from their hips and the absence of pads, it was like watching the two schools meet at Kyle Field or Memorial Stadium for any other day-after-Thanksgiving game.
"It's just about having fun playing against guys you haven't seen in years," said Osgood, a former A&M quarterback that played in the late 1980s. "It starts out as fun but, as the game goes on, it gets pretty competitive."
Osgood threw the eighth-longest pass in A&M history against Southern Methodist in 1989, but played second fiddle to sophomore sensation Bucky Richardson that year.
Brown, a former Longhorn quarterback, led Texas to the final Southwest Conference championship in 1995, and is famous for his "roll left" play in the victory over Nebraska in the 1996 Big 12 championship. He played quarterback for the Longhorn squad on Saturday.
"It's fun to get back out here," Brown said. "The game hasn't quite forgotten about us yet."
The game was the result of the planning and connections of Junior White, a "Wrecking Crew" safety from the 1990s. White said that former team members had gathered to play each other in 2005 and were interested in doing it again.
"The competitive juices flow, but we're at an age where we know that it's not about difference in schools, it's about what we give back," White said.
White had his mind on Thanksgiving when he decided to have Brazos Valley Food Bank take part in the event. The Food Bank was established in 1985 to "alleviate hunger in the Brazos Valley," according to the group's website.
"Since it was Thanksgiving time, and being thanks for being here, it was our way of giving back to the community," White said.
The game did not bode well for the Aggies. After tying the game at 21-21 shortly after the beginning of the second half, the Aggie squad struggled and the Longhorns began running away with the lead.
"Tell them we tied," White said, laughing after the game. "We were outmanned a little bit."
The Aggie roster included Wes Bautovich, Bill Johnston, Steve Solari, Lance Jackson, Detron Smith, Osgood, White and many others. Brown was joined on the Longhorn squad by Shon Mitchell, Quinton Wallce, Rod Walker, Tre Thomas, Bryant Westbrook and a number of other former players.
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