ARLINGTON, Texas – The college football community and the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic lost a special member of its gridiron family on Monday, Dec. 7 with the passing of former Texas head coach Fred Akers. He was 82.
 
Akers, inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2016, led the Longhorns to three Cotton Bowl Classics. In his 10 seasons at Texas, the Longhorns posted an 86-31-2 record and captured two Southwest Conference titles in 1977 and 1983. In each of those conference championship seasons Texas went 11-0 and landed in the Classic with a chance to win the national championship.
 
His Texas coaching resume is highlighted by six Associated Press Top 25 finishes that included four Top-10 rankings and two Top-5 finishes. He was 1-2-0 in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
 
Akers knew what it took to be successful and constantly reminded his players that to win any game a full 60-minute effort was mandatory. This coaching axiom never rang truer than in the fourth quarter of the 1982 Classic.
 
Trailing 10-0 to third-ranked Alabama and coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, this never-give-up attitude produced a scoring play that will live forever in Cotton Bowl lore. After driving to the Crimson Tide 30, Akers called for the quarterback draw and Robert Brewer executed the play to perfection. Brewer surprised everyone in the stadium with a dash up the middle for the Longhorns' first touchdown.
 
Texas rode the momentum of Brewers' stunning run to produce another memorable scoring drive, this one covering 80 yards in 11 plays and clinched an unforgettable 14-12 victory. The touchdown came with just over two minutes to play. With the victory over Alabama, the Longhorns leaped to No. 2 in the final AP poll.

Amid the celebration in the winning locker room, the happy head coach exclaimed, "This game shows why you play four quarters of football!"