UofH on why they should join the Big 12

Harry · August 2, 2016

http://houstontobig12.weebly.com/

buff64 · August 2, 2016

Interesting article Harry. Thanks

RushnStudies · August 2, 2016

That's pretty much every argument I've ever heard for the move all in one place.

risinggreen · August 2, 2016

"Yeoman also played a prominent role in the racial integration of collegiate athletics in the South by being the first coach at a predominantly white school in Texas to sign a black player."

So are they trying to claim that Abner Haynes and Leon King didn't exist, or am I missing something here?

MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF · August 2, 2016

Big 8 schools integrated before Houston, so....

NTXCoog · August 2, 2016

36 minutes ago, risinggreen said:

"Yeoman also played a prominent role in the racial integration of collegiate athletics in the South by being the first coach at a predominantly white school in Texas to sign a black player."

So are they trying to claim that Abner Haynes and Leon King didn't exist, or am I missing something here?

So many people get that so wrong. UH was the first school to have an African American play at an SEC field.

NTXCoog · August 2, 2016

Something interesting I just learned... Haynes and King may have been the first African Americans to play at a university in Texas, but they weren't recruited. They were at the university and decided to try out for the football team.

So maybe Yeoman was the first to recruit and sign a black player.

Aldo · August 2, 2016

Interesting read http://richardpennington.com/index.php/publications/entry/racial-integraton-of-college-football-in-texasracial-integraton-of-college

Cerebus · August 2, 2016

3 hours ago, risinggreen said:

So are they trying to claim that Abner Haynes and Leon King didn't exist, or am I missing something here?

Cerebus · August 2, 2016

54 minutes ago, NTXCoog said:

So maybe Yeoman was the first to recruit and sign a black player.

Yeoman signed Warren McVea in 1964. King and Haynes were playing on the Freshman team in 1956 and Odus Mitchell put them on scholarship in 57. By 1964 Haynes was in his 5th year in the NFL and Mitchell had recruited ans signed other black players.

risinggreen · August 2, 2016

13 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

Yeoman signed Warren McVea in 1964. King and Haynes were playing on the Freshman team in 1956 and Odus Mitchell put them on scholarship in 57. By 1964 Haynes was in his 5th year in the NFL and Mitchell had recruited ans signed other black players.

Including these guys.

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth61027/m1/174/?q=1962 north texas state football picture

TreeFiddy · August 2, 2016

How sad for UH trying to use something like this, especially when found to not be true.

greenminer · August 2, 2016

53 minutes ago, TreeFiddy said:

How sad for UH trying to use something like this, especially when found to not be true.

Not much different, IMO, than the way UNT/Fry misrepresented the true story of the Mean Green moniker.

Tons of misinformation out there. I don't think we're in a position to make fun of Houston.

Cerebus · August 2, 2016

53 minutes ago, TreeFiddy said:

How sad for UH trying to use something like this, especially when found to not be true.

Deep denial.

So for the record:

UH fan says George McVea was first black player to "sign" with a Texas school in 1964.
NT fan points out Abney Haynes and Leon King played with NT in 1956.
UH fan says Haynes and King were not scholarship, H&K just walked onto team.
NT fans says H&K did walk onto team, but were on scholarship by 1957, and that Odus Mitchell recruited other black players by 1958.
UH fan asks for proof of recruiting other players.
NT fans cites book that states Mitchell asked NT president to be allowed to recruit black players, he was allowed two a year. Shows Billy Christle was signed in 1958 and was all MVC in 61 an 62.
UH fan just says NT fan likes NT, says good source told him otherwise.

MeanGreenTexan · August 2, 2016

23 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

Deep denial.

So for the record:

UH fan says George McVea was first black player to "sign" with a Texas school in 1964.

NT fan points out Abney Haynes and Leon King played with NT in 1956.

UH fan says Haynes and King were not scholarship, H&K just walked onto team.

NT fans says H&K did walk onto team, but were on scholarship by 1957, and that Odus Mitchell recruited other black players by 1958.

UH fan asks for proof of recruiting other players.

NT fans cites book that states Mitchell asked NT president to be allowed to recruit black players, he was allowed two a year. Shows Billy Christle was signed in 1958 and was all MVC in 61 an 62.

UH fan just says NT fan likes NT, says good source told him otherwise.

You know, this is really a big deal. Something we should really be proud of.
It would be nice if WB would have his SID take a moment to gameplan how we can get this out more.
Between this Houston garbage and SMU's claims with Levias, NT's integration forerunning is swept way under the rug.

Cerebus · August 2, 2016

It seems Mathews allowed Mitchell to recruit two black players a year in starting in 1957. Does anyone know who the two after King and Haynes were? I would love to find an article about the next players recruited.

Aldo · August 2, 2016

22 hours ago, Cerebus said:

Yeoman signed Warren McVea in 1964. King and Haynes were playing on the Freshman team in 1956 and Odus Mitchell put them on scholarship in 57. By 1964 Haynes was in his 5th year in the NFL and Mitchell had recruited ans signed other black players.

In addition, was Haynes the first black football player drafted in the AFL?

ETA: Answer seems to be no. He was the first Rookie of the Year.

Edited August 3, 2016 by Aldo

tmjerm · August 3, 2016

UH should be in the big XII for many reasons mentioned in their ad (none of which are the mentioned LOSSES in the ice bowl and the Phi Slamma Jamma collapse) but they belong. @MeanGreenTexan So right though about how our place in history needs to be celebrated more. We need to plant that flag in the ground big time.

My pops was a member of that UH team that lost the ice bowl/chicken soup game. Makes him sick to think about.

greenminer · August 3, 2016

Has anyone read the oral interview of Abner Haynes available in Willis?

I would be interested to find confirmation that he was put on full scholly. I have found mention that he and King were put on half-scholly as frosh.

Quote

“Oral Interview with Abner Haynes,” OH 620 (University Archives, Willis Library, North Texas State University, Denton, TX): 277-279

Here's another good read if it interests you: http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/JSH/JSH1987/JSH1403/jsh1403c.pdf

GrayEagle · August 3, 2016

Odus Mitchell didn't normally award scholarships without first working out for him. In 1956, freshmen were not allowed to play on the varsity. Freshmen played other freshmen teams and junior colleges.

If I remember correctly, Abner's brother brought him to interview with Coach Mitchell. Odus told him to report to the first practice and if he was impressed that he would give him a scholarship. The word on the street was that the first time that Abner Haynes touched the ball he went through the entire coverage and scored. Coach gave him a scholarship that day.

Both Abner Haynes and Leon King were on scholarship in 1957 as sophomores. I don't recall Coach Mitchell setting any limits on the number of black players in any season; at least I don't believe that it was ever announced. Recruiting was much different in those days. A few of the better players may have been scouted by an assistant coach and invited to try out. Most were advised to show up and be evaluated. There was little film available so you proved yourself against live competition.
Art Perkins, who was on the second team All Missouri Valley in 1962, was also black and was drafted by (I believe) the Los Angeles Rams. So there were several black players sprinkled through the lineup before 1964.