“When the time comes, I’ll bring that quote back myself. I’ll say it. As of now, we haven’t proved anything yet.”
Like virtually the entire college football world, Texas Longhorns defensive end Breckyn Hager remembers the infamous call by Joe Tessitore some 700-odd days ago, and he isn’t going to let anyone else make that judgement this time.
The call was indelible, even if the moment itself and the future that it anticipated proved much more ephemeral. Or, perhaps, nonexistent in the latter case.
In double overtime of the 2016 season opener against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a raucous Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Tyrone Swoopes took the direct snap in what would become known as the 18-Wheeler formation, side-stepped a defender running free through the hole, made another sharp cut to his left, and extended every bit of his 6’4 frame to find the end zone for the walk-off victory.