 "Photo: Jordan Gomez")
Texas has never played Sam Houston State in football, and defensive tackle Derek Lokey has a theory why.
Fear of the Bearkat, the team's mascot.
"We don't even know what that is," Lokey said. "You've got to be careful with wild animals."
While technically, there is no such thing as a bearcat, a pair of Asian animals are similar to this fictitious feline. The kinkajou is a 10-to-12-inch whiskered critter, while the binturong is a much larger creature capable of leaping five feet into the air to land on its prey.
Ty Cashion wrote something entirely different in "Sam Houston State University: An Institutional Memory" though. According to Cashion, "The bearcat was a fierce, snarling critter of Deep East Texas mythology - half-panther, half-bear and all-beast."
Apparently the Bearkats ferocity is not in question, but Texas quarterback Colt McCoy didn't appear to worried about facing off with one.
"I haven't seen a bearkat," he said. "But I've shot some bobcats."
Fan's dedication appreciated
When the Texas and Iowa State teams returned to the football field Saturday after a 70-minute lightning-inspired delay, a large contingent of Longhorn fans were there to greet them.
With the score at 37-14 and Texas dominating, the loyal crowd surprised head coach Mack Brown and his players.
"I was really impressed with those who stayed," Brown said. "It was dangerous."
Like the teams, the fans were evacuated from the stands as bolts of lightning struck just east of the stadium.
Despite reports of hail, and the rain that whipped through the air at times, thousands of fans chose to stick around to see the end of a game that appeared already decided.
"Coming back after, I heard hail and lightning, those are true fans," McCoy said. "They're the people that really want to support us."
While their dedication was rewarded with a win, neither team put points on the board in the final quarter, but Brown pointed out that the fans got another perk by coming back.
"Some of them had better seats than they did before," he said.
No Place Like Texas
As a tight end, running free in the Brenham High offense, Limas Sweed attracted the attention of both Texas and Sam Houston State. Both came calling, but Sweed's decision was easy.
"I knew from the start where I wanted to go," he said. "I committed at an early age."
Like Sweed, it only took Lokey one visit to know in which locker room he'd hang his jersey.
"Texas was where I wanted to go, and that's the truth," he said.
Despite offers from perennial powerhouses such as Ohio State University and Notre Dame, Lokey opted to stay in the Lone Star State. Texas, he realized, was on the cusp of something big. Coach Brown, with his honesty and dedication to his players, sealed the deal.
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