Greek News
New Football Book by Beta Theta Pi’s Jim Dent is in Stores
New Football Book by Beta Theta Pi's Jim Dent is in Stores
The latest work by Jim Dent, one of America's top football authors, is Courage Beyond the Game, which covers the short life of University of Texas safety Freddie Steinmark, who helped inspire the Longhorns to the 1969 national championship. Dent, a Beta Theta Pi from Southern Methodist University, researched his ninth book by interviewing players and coaches from the '68 and '69 teams, which included a large number of Greeks, plus close friends and family of Steinmark, who lost his left leg to a cancerous tumor several weeks before the 1970 Cotton Bowl between Texas and Notre Dame. Also providing their memories were former head coaches Darrell Royal, a member of Delta Upsilon at Oklahoma, and Fred Akers, a member of Sigma Chi at Arkansas. Steinmark made it to the Cotton Bowl on crutches several weeks after surgery and supported his teammates on the sideline. After a short stint as a coaching assistant, his cancer returned and he passed away on June 6th of 1971.
The book's foreword was written by Longhorns head coach Mack Brown, a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon from Florida State, who was asked to keep the Steinmark legend alive after he became head coach in 1998. He later installed a large photo and plaque of Steinmark in the tunnel to the playing field. Previously, the stadium scoreboard was dedicated to Steinmark in 1971 and coach Royal installed a Steinmark plaque near the dressing room. Players touch the Steinmark photo/plaque with the Hook 'Em Horns salute each time they head to the field. Among Longhorn Greek starters on the '69 title team were co-captains Glen Halsell (Delta Tau Delta) and Ted Koy (Sigma Nu), offensive guard Bobby Mitchell (Sigma Alpha Epsilon and high school friend of Steinmark's), fullback Steve Worster (Sigma Phi Epsilon), linebacker Scott Henderson (Delta Tau Delta), halfback Jim Bertelsen (Beta Theta Pi), defensive back Mike Campbell (Phi Gamma Delta), defensive end Bill Zapalac (Delta Tau Delta), receiver Cotton Speyrer (Pi Kappa Alpha), center Forrest Wiegand (Alpha Tau Omega), offensive guard Mike Dean (Phi Gamma Delta), defensive tackle Leo Brooks (Lambda Chi Alpha), offensive guard Danny Abbott (Sigma Nu), halfback Billy Dale (Delta Tau Delta), defensive end David Arledge (Delta Tau Delta), kicker Happy Feller (Sigma Nu) and punter Scooter Monzingo (Delta Tau Delta).
