11/6/2026 5:42:00 PM | Football
Star defensive tackle and team captain became the first former Owl to return as head coach
Houston- Ray Alborn, who helped lead Rice to an appearance in the Sugar Bowl as a player and later became the first former Owl to take the reins as head coach, passed away on Thursday in Houston at the age of 87.
A product of nearby Lamar High School where he earned all-city honors as a senior, Alborn stayed home and accepted a scholarship offer from Rice in 1957. He was starter at defensive tackle and was named a team captain as a senior.