FORMER TEXAS QUARTERBACK DUKE CARLISLE DIES AGED 84

The University of Texas has announced the death of former quarterback Emmet Augustus "Duke" Carlisle III, who died at 84 after a lengthy battle with cancer, according to the university. The announcement was made on Friday. Carlisle is remembered as the quarterback who led the Texas Longhorns to their first national championship. Tributes have been paid to him following news of his death. He chose not to pursue a career in the NFL after his college career ended, according to accounts of his life published after his death.

Carlisle initially planned to play for the Oklahoma Sooners, having followed their 47-game winning streak while at school in the late 1950s, he wrote in his book, What It Means To Be A Longhorn. He credited Bill Ellington, then an assistant coach at Texas, with persuading him to switch to the Longhorns, saying Ellington spent time getting to know his parents during the recruitment process. Freshmen at the time had limited opportunities to play for the varsity team, but Carlisle made an impression across five games against first-year players from other colleges. The Texas team he subsequently joined lost only one regular-season game across three seasons beginning in 1961, according to the report.

In 1964, Carlisle started at quarterback for Texas in a game against the Navy Midshipmen, who were led by Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach, according to the report. The Longhorns had already been voted national champions before that game was played, a decision Navy was reported to have objected to. The university's announcement credited Carlisle as the quarterback who delivered Texas's first national championship. News of his death has prompted tributes from across college football, according to reports of his passing.