National Football Foundation

Pat Culpepper was once described as “the ideal combination of student, athlete and leader.” The University of Texas linebacker played under Hall of Fame coach Darrell Royal, serving as co-captain his senior year. At 5-feet-9 and 193 pounds, Culpepper led the Longhorns to two Southwest Conference Championships in 1961 and 1962, and he received All-Southwest Conference honors in 1961. In 1962, the linebacker was honored with the Nils V. “Swede” Nelson Award.

Culpepper held a B+ average while studying history and government. He belonged to two honor societies, and he was also one of the religious leaders of the college. In 1962, Culpepper was selected to the Academic All-America team.

Although Culpepper originally planned to study law after graduation, Coach Royal persuaded the Texas native to join his coaching staff. Culpepper accepted, and he served as an assistant coach under Royal for four seasons, including the 1963 National Championship season. He left Texas to pursue assistant coaching positions at other schools including Tulane, Baylor, Memphis and Colorado. Culpepper finally got his first head coaching position at Northern Illinois University, where he remained for four seasons. In 1980, he returned to Texas to coach high school football, making stops at Midland, Lufkin, Galveston Ball, Westfield and finally his hometown of Cleburne. Culpepper was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Fame in 1991 and Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 2011.