R.I.P. James Saxton

[Etex Horn]

Former Texas RB James Saxton passes away at age 74

One of the all-time Texas greats passed away this morning.

 

[monarch]

"T"

my prayers are with his family.  props for sharing etex horn.

 

[streettopeschel]

RIP indeed. 74 doesn't seem so old to me these days. 
 

i know some on here witnessed the '61 team first hand. i'd argue it was our best team that didn't win a NC.

 

[Etex Horn]

Saxton made the cover of Sports Illustrated in November, 1961...the caption read "Football's Fanciest Runner".  Averaged 7.9 yards per carry in his senior year of '61.    

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Saxton made the cover of Sports Illustrated in November, 1961...the caption read "Football's Fanciest Runner".  Averaged 7.9 yards per carry in his senior year of '61.    

 

[Shevis Irons]

RIP James. 

He was always my Dad's favorite Texas player. He said he was the most exciting player ever at Texas. He said he when he ran he looked like a Mexican Jumping Bean during an Earthquake.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

Too soon.

 

[pringlelake]

He was the most exciting player I ever saw. I know my mind is prejudiced, because I was young when I saw him. But there will never be another like Jimmy Saxton for me.

 

[pringlelake]

Just finished reading Bill Little's tribute to Saxton. Bill wrote that............................

"He was so elusive that Royal once described him as being  "like a balloon that you fill with air and then turn it loose and let the air out all at the same time. It goes all over the place, and it does it in a hurry."

Former Longhorns coach Fred Akers, who played against Saxton when Akers was at the University of Arkansas, recalled trying to tackle the elusive runner. 

"It was like trying to tackle a feather," Akers said.

 

[Duke C #11]

My first college football hero.  DKR compared watching him run to watching a minnow swim across a dipper.

 

[Duke C #11]

My first college football hero.  DKR compared watching him run to watching a minnow swim across a dipper.

 

[killrjoe]

He was definitely fun to watch. My favorite player of that era. My sincerest  sympathy to his family.

 

[HornNdriftwood]

Saxton made the cover of Sports Illustrated in November, 1961...the caption read "Football's Fanciest Runner".  Averaged 7.9 yards per carry in his senior year of '61.    

A good man and a great Longhorn. The original #10 and my first Longhorn hero. RIP

Here's a link to the article in SI. It came out the week after the loss to TCU, one of the darkest days in Longhorn history.

Long but worth a read:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1073247/index.htm

 

[armadillo slim]

my worst memory of a Texas loss was him getting a knee to the head in the 61 TCU game which we lost 6-0 to the cockroaches.  we had a NC wrapped up if that doesn't happen.

great runner, great memories of him.  i agree, he was one of the most exciting backs ever.  gale sayers category.

 

[Bear19]

I was only 11 in 1961 but don't I remember his being referred to as the Jackrabbit?

 

[JimR]

RIP indeed. 74 doesn't seem so old to me these days. 

i know some on here witnessed the '61 team first hand. i'd argue it was our best team that didn't win a NC.

no doubt about that. it was a runaway national champion. damn TCU.