Longhorn Madness: Great Eras in Texas Football (Golden Ages of College Sports) (Paperback)

by Wilton Sharpe (Author)
Key Phrases: jeff ward, rushing yards, defensive tackle, Darrell Royal, Mack Brown, Vince Young (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Perhaps no symbol in college football is as easily recognized as the Hook 'em 'Horns of Texas Longhorns football. The longtime powerhouse has recorded two national championships and hatched a pair of Heisman Trophy running backs in its 113 years of gridiron greatness.
Longhorn legends abound: Bobby Layne, James "Jackrabbit" Saxton, Tommy Nobis, Earl Campbell, Chris Gilbert, Steve Worster, Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson, Derrick Johnson, and Vince Young among others—all have illuminated the Longhorn landscape with brilliant play. And then there are the great coaches and the fabled rivalries with Oklahoma and Arkansas. In all, the Burnt Orange and White have left an indelible brand on the open range of collegiate grid annals.
Longhorn Madness is the timeless story of University of Texas football. Its star players, teams, bitter rivals, and magical moments are presented in compelling quotations by Longhorn players, coaches, opponents, fans, and members of the media. Special chapters highlight the all-time Texas team, the great Earl Campbell, and the complete rosters of the Longhorns' national championship teams.

About the Author
Wilton Sharpe is a freelance writer and former copy editor for the (Nashville) Tennessean sports department. His articles have appeared in Athlon Sports Publications, NFL Insider and Gameday magazines, Athletic Administration, the Cleveland Browns yearbooks, Coffee Corner, Titans Exclusive, and NFL.com. The one-time Connecticut native currently syndicates a weekly sports content package to community newspapers. He has written four previous books, Bulldog Madness, Buckeye Madness, Tar Heel Madness, and Wildcat Madness.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing (June 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581825331
• ISBN-13: 978-1581825336
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,732,178 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All things Longhorn, May 24, 2007

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Reviewed by David Olvera for Reader Views (5/07)

If ever there was a Bible of quotes on the subject of The University of Texas Longhorn's football, "Longhorn Madness" is it. You'll be hard pressed to acquire a more comprehensive group of quotations on UT football as Wilton Sharpe has managed to corral. Sharpe does a good job of avoiding a shotgun approach by arranging his cornucopia of quotes into relevant chapters and themes. Sharpe includes some ancient, old, and new school. From the 1890s (I'm not kidding...) to Darrell Royal on up to Vince Young, Sharpe leaves no stone unturned. He even reaches across the aisles to sworn enemies to get their take on the Burnt Orange phenomenon.

Sharpe could have left it at that and would have pieced together a decent sports book, but he takes it one step further. In between all the pigskin talk he includes short narratives of key historical and legendary events. So in case you're overwhelmed by the Longhorn quotes stampede you can rest your eyes on a quick story here and there. Sharpe also includes nifty rosters of all the UT Championship teams at the end of the book.

"Longhorn Madness" also includes some pictures along the way. Most of the portraits are pretty good for black and white paperback copy, but others leave something to be desired. All in all, the only downside of the book is couple of grainy pictures here and there. The cover is appropriately burnt orange with a great shot of Vince Young running through a pack of Mizzou Tigers.

Now I'd say that this book could be destined to any fan's Lavatory Readers Club, but it has more practical applications. "Longhorn Madness" presents the reader with a great tool for research. Any kid writing about the Longhorns for a school paper or a sports writer looking for some good copy can use the book to their advantage. Sharpe has done a lot of work and people can take advantage of his research. To sum it up, it's a great archive of all things Longhorns from the guys who walked the walked.