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Before each Longhorn game, UT players participate in one of the unofficial traditions that has accompanied football contests since Mack Brown arrived as coach in 1998: they hug the coach’s wife. “No disrespect to coach Brown,” says former Longhorn Lee Jackson, “but she’s the reason I came to Texas.”
Beloved by players, Sally Brown is the force behind-the-scenes, creating the family atmosphere that so many Longhorns cite as the essential ingredient in the program’s success.
On the verge of a new season, Brown, who shuns interviews and television cameras – something she believes helps build trust with players – sat down with austinwoman to reflect on what the players have taught her.
1. Everyone has a surprising and interesting “life story,” and you should try to learn it.
I’m always surprised by players’ stories. Some who look unscathed will share, and I’ll think, “Are you kidding? You look like you’ve had no problems in your life.”
I feel like everybody has something they carry with them that’s their burden, and one of our jobs as adults is to get that story so we can understand them and so they can feel comfortable with their story. Because once they unburden themselves of it – I don’t mean that in a psychiatric way but in a ”friend” way – they can open up to you about other things.
Freshmen all try and hide their stories. They want us all to think they’re just cool. It comes out ... it takes time.
2. They may be 17 or 18, and they may be huge, but they’re still kids.
Whereas fans might see the players as grown men – and many develop into that as juniors and seniors – when they’re 17 and 18 it’s hard to view them that way. I’m reminded of this when they cry because they lost a video game ... or they’re upset because somebody said something they didn’t like, and they got their feelings hurt. Or they lost a pair of shoes. They’re like my kids.
3. From 18-to-22 is a good age range to experiment with fashion.
This is where Mack and I differ sometimes. His belief is that people shouldn’t call attention to themselves if they’re on a team, but my belief is if you’re not going to experiment at that age, when will you? It’s fun. They come up with some wild stuff, and I love that expression. Right now it’s the whole matching t-shirt and tennis shoes thing ... you have to have xx pairs of tennis shoes, and they all have to be in bright colors and match your t-shirt. Who would have thought boys would care that much?
4. If you work really hard, you can get where you want to go.
These kids come from such varying backgrounds, from great wealth to great poverty, from two-parent families to having grown-up in bad situations. What I’ve found is that the ones who work hard always do well. Sports really is the great equalizer – it doesn’t matter where you come from. You don’t have to have the contacts, you don’t have to have the name, you don’t have to have the pedigree. You need talent and a tremendous work ethic.
5. Movies can be interactive.
When we’re on the road, we take the players to a movie on Friday nights. They explained to me a few years back that a movie is an interactive experience, because they were all talking back to the movie, and I told them, “You need to be quiet in a movie theatre. You need to just watch.”
One of them pulled me aside and said, “Miss Sally, you’re white.” And I said, “I know.” And he said, “When you go to church, you sit back there and somebody just talks to you. But when we go to church, he says something, then we say something ... it’s like that.” So now I’m a little more relaxed about them talking back to the movie. I get it.
6. Rap and country music tell stories.
They’re surprisingly similar genres – all about heartache and growing up and overcoming ... instead of a truck, there’s a gun. When I was growing up, rock-and-roll told that story. Neither country nor rap was a style of music I enjoyed until I started listening. Now, whenever a kid walks by me and he’s got his earphones in, I take them from him and listen because I’m curious as to what they enjoy. I love the fact that they have an art form. Singing and dancing keep their hearts light.
7. The feeling of accomplishment is the best reward.
When they win ... when they graduate ... that’s the only reward they need ... just that feeling of accomplishment.
And the thing that’s so good for kids who get their degrees is they do realize they’re smart. Some kids come here, and they don’t know that ... or what that’s going to do for them. One of our players got an A-plus this summer – one of only three his professor has ever given – and he’s on cloud nine ... so proud because he finally thinks he’s smart. He’s brilliant – you can tell that just by talking with him – but nobody’s ever said to him, “You’re really smart.” No one’s ever given him that label. They say, “You’re a great athlete, you’re really fast, you’re really funny, you’re really cute.”
8. Hugging creates strong bonds.
Unofficially, my responsibility on the team is to make the place welcoming, to make the players feel comfortable. It starts with touch. If you hug a person, put your hand on their back as you walk past ... they feel that openness to you – especially kids. After that, you gain trust by having conversations with them. I get text messages from players all the time. “My mom will be at practice – can you talk to her?” “Do you think I’ll always be with my high school girlfriend?” “Where’s a good place to get a hamburger on Riverside?” Sometimes I’m a concierge. [Laughs]
It’s not a burden for me. There’s no one way to perform this role; this is just the way I choose to do it. I have a pretty great life. Who wouldn’t choose to be around all these kids?
Tales from the Team
Longhorn Football Players on Sally Brown
Colt McCoy (2006-present; quarterback)
She’s always around – we can all talk to her. When we travel, she’s on the plane with us, bringing us cookies and taking care of us. During two-a-days [twice-daily grueling summer practices], she’s there encouraging us. We all know we’re important to her.
Vince Young (2003-05; quarterback)
She and Coach Brown work great together. Miss Sally is definitely Coach Brown’s rock, and the football program wouldn’t be the same without her. She looks out for all of the guys like we’re her own kids – supporting us out of the goodness of her heart. There isn’t anybody on the team who doesn’t know and love her.
Tony Jeffery (2000-04; wide receiver)
She senses when something’s important to someone, and it becomes important to her also. My freshman year in 2000, we were traveling to California to play Stanford. I’d never been away from home that long and was feeling homesick. I was flying for only the second time in my life, so I was pretty nervous the entire week. She sensed that I was anxious and told me everything would be okay. The words were simple, but the way she said them made the difference. It was right on time!
Lee Jackson (1998-2002; linebacker)
My senior year during two-a-days I tore ligaments in my toe and found out I was done for the year. The first person to come to the training room as soon as I got hurt was Miss Sally. She gave me a hug and said everything was going to be okay. I felt like my momma just hugged me – and to me she is my mother!
Marcus Tubbs (2000-2004; defensive tackle)
Football players hate to admit that they’re mama’s boys, but at the end of the day we all crave for a motherly smile, a word of encouragement or a pat on the back, and Sally offers all those things to 130 young kids.
Jordan Shipley (2006-present; wide receiver)
We were all shocked when she fell and broke her wrist during the bowl game. When something like that happens, you can see how much everyone cares about her by the way they’re concerned. But she came back like any of us would and is now strong as ever.