AUSTIN, Texas -- One of the most revered terms in the college football lexicon owes its existence to a hotel that no longer exists.
The Villa Capri once adjoined the University of Texas campus and boasted one of Austin's in-demand restaurants. The dining room, with brass-rodded chandeliers above, featured a broiling pit at the center, where a chef charcoaled choice steaks. Outside, burnt-orange umbrella tables and lush grass surrounded the hotel's pool.
But the place to be at the Capri on autumn Saturday nights was Room 2001, where legendary Texas coach Darrell Royal would hold court and drink booze with reporters and luminaries -- including actor John Wayne once -- in town to watch the Longhorns.