Rodney Page
Please welcome Rodney Page to the TLSN Board of Directors. Rodney is a benchmark in the history of Longhorn sports.
TLSN reached out to Rodney in 2018 to write some articles about his years as the first black coach at Texas. He agreed and wrote profound historical articles about the first women's Athletic Director- Betty Thomspon, his memories of Basketball coach Leon Black, and the first great women's basketball player, Retha Swindell. Rodney set the foundation for Coach Jody Conradt to build a national women's basketball powerhouse.
His story is rich in detail, capturing essential moments in Longhorn sports history, so TLSN asked him to share his Longhorn oral history with the Longhorn Nation. He agreed, and the link to his story is at https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/coach-rodney-page-1973...
Links to articles Rodney has written for TLSN are below.
Tribute to Betty Thompson
https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/rodney-page-tribute-to-betty-thompson
Remembering Coach Leon Black
https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/rodney-page-and-leon-black
Recruiting Retha Swindell
https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/retha-swindell-by-rodney-page-1
In 2017 Rodney Page was recognized as a “Good Legend” at the closing ceremony at City Hall . Legends are true champions working for the greater good.
1998 All-American Benjamin Adams
Ben Adams at work against the Sooners
Former NFL offensive lineman Jonathan Odgen said, “Being an offensive lineman is a tough job, but it's also a very rewarding one. It's great to be able to be a part of something bigger than yourself and to know that you're making a difference." Ben Adams says, “These words resonate with my own experiences as an Offensive Lineman during my college years at the University of Texas. In the trenches of the gridiron, offensive linemen work tirelessly, often in the shadows, to protect and support their team, much like Texas Legacy Support Network’s commitment to helping those in need. Joining the Texas Legacy Support Network was a natural progression for me, as it allows me to continue being a part of something greater, making a tangible difference in the lives of others, and ensuring that no one faces life's challenges alone, just as we never left a teammate behind on the field.”
My career began as a standout Offensive Lineman at the University of Texas at Austin, where I earned a reputation as a three-year starter and demonstrated exceptional skills on the football field.
Following my collegiate years, I played in the NFL. My time as a professional athlete allowed me to develop not only my football prowess but also invaluable teamwork and leadership abilities, contributing to a positive and productive team dynamic.
Transitioning from a successful athletic career, I embarked on a fulfilling journey as a Collegiate Assistant Football Coach at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan. My dedication to the athletic development of young talents and my contribution to optimizing team performance and player development earned me recognition as a committed coach and mentor.
During my high school coaching career, I instilled the values of teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship in student-athletes, paving the way for their success on and off the field.
Ben and Jill
After a successful athletic and coaching career, I embarked on a fulfilling journey in the insurance industry, where I have accrued over 15 years of experience. I began my professional career as a Claims Adjuster and quickly ascended through the ranks, displaying exemplary dedication and expertise.
Chairwoman Beth Coblentz
Chairwoman of TLSN
It all started when I was a young child, watching my father help people he knew, people he did not know; it did not matter who they were. He would see an elderly lady on the side of the road with her arms filled with groceries. We would stop, pick her up, take her to her home, unpack her groceries, and wish her well. It didn’t register with me then, but that will help others was passed on to me long ago.
So, when I got a call from a former teammate, she told me about another teammate’s son’s illness and her family’s need for help. I immediately jumped at the chance to get involved and help. I quickly learned that there was an organization called Texas Legacy Support Network (TLSN), a charity created to help fellow UT athletes, coaches, trainers, team managers, and their families. I also learned that this charity had been helping my former Volleyball teammate with her and her family’s financial needs, and they were getting ready to help again. This is exactly WHY I had to be a part of TLSN. I wanted to help others in their time of need, their families’ time of need, their parent’s time of need, whatever, whoever, it didn’t matter. I wanted to help.
So here I am, now the Chairwoman of the Board and helping to forge the path forward to help as many Longhorn Alumni athletes, coaches, managers, and trainers who qualify for emotional, financial, or physical assistance.
Chairman Emeritus Benny Pace
Benny is one of the three creators of the TLSN website. He served as the TLSN Chairman for five years and is now TLSN’s Chairman Emeritus.
In the TLSN formative years, he was instrumental in procuring the authorization to move the TLSN mission forward with the NCAA and UT compliance departments and creating a Longhorn sports historical website with a 501 (c) (3) compassionate component.
Pace received his bachelor of arts in 1969 from The University of Texas at Austin, where he was a football letterman as a quarterback at the University of Texas, and preceding his college football career, he was the only 5-sport letterman in school history and an All-American quarterback at Sweetwater High School in Sweetwater, Texas. He earned his JD in 1975 from The University of Houston Law Center, where he also received the American Jurisprudence Award in Trusts and Wills, was an Honor Court Judge, President of the Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity, and recipient of the Fulbright & Crooker Scholarship Award. In the Houston community, Pace is a director and President-Elect of the Houston Touchdown Club, a 501(c)(3) charity; former advisory director and chairman of the Cancer Counseling, Inc.'s Annual Golf Tournament, former member of the American Heart Association's Golf Committee and Paul "Bear" Bryant College Coach of the Year Award Banquet Committee, former member of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Annual International Cup Polo Ball Committee, and a former member of the Boy Scouts of America Annual Golf Tournament Committee. Pace is a former United States Air Force Officer from 1969-1972. He was voted outstanding junior officer of his squadron in 1971. He served as an assistant hospital administrator at the United States Air Force Hospital at Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas. Adams and Reese is a multidisciplinary law firm with offices strategically located throughout the southern United States and Washington, DC. American Lawyer includes Adams and Reese on its distinguished list of the nation's top law firms - "The Am Law 200". The National Law Journal also includes the firm on the "NLJ 250" list of the nation's largest law firms
Sheryl Hauglum - Former Longhorn NCAA Runner-up for the National Championship
The TLSN mission reflects my passion to give back from the many blessings that I have received as a direct result from my tenure at the University of Texas.
Serving on the Texas Legacy Support Network Board provides me with a meaningful way to help fellow qualifying Longhorns in need.
Our organization is community-driven, supports the University's values, and contributes to a sense of solidarity among the Longhorn Alumni.
Residing on the TLSN Board provides me with the deep satisfaction derived from being an integral part of a compassionate initiative that aligns with my values. This journey has nurtured my desire to contribute to a cause close to my heart.
Hook’em,
Sherryl Hauglum
Sherryl shares her story as a Longhorn via an oral history podcast at
Billy Dale
THE 50-YEAR ASCENT OF THE LOST MINE TRAIL
Because of a hike up the Lost Mine trail in 2016, a new path has been built. For the first time in the history of intercollegiate athletics, a private charitable and tax-exempt organization with the specific mission of offering temporary financial assistance to qualifying former Longhorn student-athletes, trainers, managers, and their immediate families is available.
In 2006 I was stricken with a non-life-threatening disease that, for years, sapped me of my energy and appetite for life. By January 2015, there remained only one surgical option for recovery. If the surgery was unsuccessful, no other medical options were available to enhance my quality of life.
The operation was a success!
After a year of rehabilitation, I was ready to test my return to good health. No, I did not go sky diving as Tim McGraw suggested, but I went hiking up “Lost Mine Trail” in Big Bend National Park in April 2016. It would be my second time in 50 years to challenge this desolate trail.
The first time was in 1966 when my parents permitted me to climb Lost Mine Trail without adult supervision. It was a crucial moment toward self-reliance on my journey to adulthood.
THE 2016 JOURNEY
The 50th anniversary of the first ascent of the Lost Mine Trail began at 5:00 A.M. on April 3rd, 2016. It started with a drive to Fort Davis to see Glen Halsell - a friend since the 8th grade.
Glen was an All-American and Captain on the 1965 (Friday Night Lights) Odessa Permian state championship team and the Texas Longhorns 1969 National Championship team.
We shared a few memories, and then I said goodbye with a hug that captured in a brief moment decades of shared experiences. Only teammates bonded by a common experience understand that in sports, respect is earned, not given. My belief that life has little meaning without family and friends was re-confirmed as we parted ways.
GLEN HALSELL AND BILLY DALE
GLEN AT HIS COMPOUND
Looking toward Mexico
Looking toward Chisos Basin and through the "Window" from the top of Lost Mine trail.
The Window viewed from the top of the Lost Mine trail.
Two hours later, at 1:15 P.M., I started my journey up Lost Mine Trail. The round trip hike is listed at 3 hours. In 1966 I ran most of the way and completed the ascent and descent in two hours. In 2016 the trip took 5 hours, with many stops bent over with hands to knees to catch my breath.
I did not know when I started my ascent that this hike would have spiritual overtones representing a personal “Walk to Emmaus,” but it did.
A young boy ran past me three hours into the ascent and 15 minutes from the top. I told him in jest, “‘Hey, slow down- don’t you know you are in a school zone?” He smiled and said: “I want to see how fast I can run the trail from top to bottom .”I smiled and said, “50 years ago, I completed the round trip in two hours.” He did not hear me, but as I watched him continue his climb, I shed a few tears of joy, remembering my challenging running ascent and descent 50 years ago.
The young boy was sitting on a rock when I reached the top. I asked him what happened to his race against time. He said, “I decided to enjoy the view and wait for my mom and dad to share this moment with them.” We spent 30 minutes talking to each other, and the more he spoke, the more impressed I was with his maturity. Finally, when his family arrived, he climbed down from the rock to greet them, and I took that opportunity to ask him to take my picture.
SUMMIT APRIL 3RD, 2016
The 50th anniversary of my first climb in 1966 gave me pause to reflect on my life journey.
While you see my image sitting on a rock at the top of the Lost Mine Trail, you can't see the epiphany that touched my soul.
With the click of the camera, a split second in time, the 4th quarter of my life's mission was set. I realized how unhappy and helpless I felt listening to Americans, media, and politicians spew word venom at each other. Mean-spirited comments that profile those that disagree with you as evil and those that agree with you as righteous. Portraying good people as evil and evil people as good.
I wanted out of this political hate fest, and the camera's symbolic spiritual click was the answer that released me from issues I could not control. Sitting on the rock on top of Lost Mine trails is when I chose to change “who I am to who I should be.” Seeing the world through this boy's eyes- not mine- I was once again full of hope and optimism for the future of our country.
This boy started the day in a race against time but ended the day choosing to share a special moment with his parents. Choosing family over personal goals is an important decision for any adult, so witnessing this 14-year-old boy's decision to put family first encouraged me to prioritize my life to look at the world through his eyes.
I climbed the mountain in 2016 to complete a personal goal, but I walked down with more altruistic visions — a passion for giving back the blessing I have received and lending others a helping hand.
The Lost Mine trail once again impacted my life. In 1966 it was my pathway to adulthood; In 2016, it was my pathway to enlightenment.
Billy Dale
A link to the TV interview with Billy Dale is below
Benny Pace and Billy Dale celebrate the creation of the TLSN 501 (c)(3), which is composed of both an educational and compassionate component.
Benny Pace and Billy Dale
VE CAMPBELL'S TEXAS FOOTBALL JULY 2019
End of Bio for Billy Dale