Stark Center Opens Darrell K Royal Exhibit

By Brittany Lamas in 40 Acres on September 13, 2013 at 3:30 pm | No Comments

“Dance with the one who brung ya.”

“You never lose a game if the opponent doesn’t score.”

“The good news is, there’s 17 million people who care about Texas football. The bad news is, there’s 17 million people who care about Texas football.”

Legendary Texas head football coach Darrell K Royal was known for his one-liners during his 20-season tenure at UT that included 11 Southwestern Conference titles and three national championships.

Now, thanks to the H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports and Royal’s widow, Edith, a few of his most famous quotes have been made into a “Dancing with the Coach” piece as part of the “Royal-T: Remembering Coach Royal and The Season of ‘63” exhibit that includes photographs, memorabilia, and other artifacts pertaining to Royal’s life and the 50th anniversary of the 1963 National Championship season.

“The championship was a turning point,” Stark Center co-director Terry Todd, BA ’61, PhD ’66, Life Member, says. “Since that time, and since Royal’s great run here, UT has always been considered one of the football powerhouses in the country. We wanted to pay respects and say thank you all these years later to the team and their undefeated season.”

The exhibit is split between highlighting the moments of the 1963 season and focusing on Royal’s career, with family photographs from his time at the University of Oklahoma to his coaching career and after his retirement.

Most of the collection came from personal photos, scrapbooks, and letters given to the center by Edith Royal, according to Todd. Edith, along with Jenna McEachern, will be at the grand opening to sign autographs for their book, DKR: The Royal Scrapbook.

The exhibit officially opens tomorrow before the Ole Miss game, and will run the entire season. Fans with tickets to the game can stop by the Stark Center at the North End Zone and walk through the displays beginning two hours before kickoff until the game starts. The exhibit will on be open on weekdays during the center’s normal business hours.

Photo courtesy the H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports.