Former Texas Coach And Sooner All-American Darrell Royal Dies

Legendary football coach and Sooner All-American Darrell Royal has died at the age of 88.

Royal, a Hollis native, is well-known for his time as head coach of the Longhorns from 1957 to 1976. But he was also an All-American with the Sooners where he played defensive back and quarterback.

During his time at OU, Royal impressed on both offense and defense. His senior year he led the Sooners in passing with 509 yards while rushing for 189 yards. During that season he completed 34-of-63 attempts with only one interception.

As a punter he booted a ball 81 yards during a 1948 Oklahoma A&M game. On offense, he is the all-time interception leader at OU with 17.

As a punt returner he made it into the school's record books. During the 1948 season, he had returns of 73 and 95 yards for touchdowns. The latter is tied for the 12th-longest play in school history.

He was selected in the 20th round of the 1950 NFL Draft by the New York Bulldogs. He went on to become a legendary coaching figure at the University of Texas.

Royal had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease and fell ill recently at a nursing home where he was receiving care.