Cotton Speyrer
Encyclopedia
Charles Wayne Speyrer was an American football
wide receiver
in the National Football League
for the Baltimore Colts
and the Miami Dolphins
. He played college football
at the University of Texas
.
Speyrer was a key play-maker in what is considered by some to be the most famous drive in Texas history. Texas was fresh off its famed 15-14 come-from-behind victory over No. 2 Arkansas in the "1969 Shootout", and was eager to avoid a letdown over the eighth-ranked Irish in the 1970 Cotton Bowl National Championship game between Notre Dame, featuring Joe Theisman, and the University of Texas at Austin. But the early proceedings had the makings of one of the decade’s biggest upsets when Notre Dame charged out to a 10-0 lead.
Starting on their own 24-yard line, the Longhorns embarked upon a fourth-quarter, 17-play march that included a pair of fourth-and-two conversions, the last coming at the Notre Dame 10 when James Street completed a clutch pass to a diving Speyrer that took the Horns to the two. From there, it took three plays before Billy Dale pushed the ball over the goal line to cement UT’s second national title - Texas 21, Notre Dame 17.
Speyrer is also known for his last minute touchdown catch for a come-from—behind win in the Texas-UCLA game in the fall of 1970. That victory cemented Texas' third National Championship year.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
and the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
.
Speyrer was a key play-maker in what is considered by some to be the most famous drive in Texas history. Texas was fresh off its famed 15-14 come-from-behind victory over No. 2 Arkansas in the "1969 Shootout", and was eager to avoid a letdown over the eighth-ranked Irish in the 1970 Cotton Bowl National Championship game between Notre Dame, featuring Joe Theisman, and the University of Texas at Austin. But the early proceedings had the makings of one of the decade’s biggest upsets when Notre Dame charged out to a 10-0 lead.
Starting on their own 24-yard line, the Longhorns embarked upon a fourth-quarter, 17-play march that included a pair of fourth-and-two conversions, the last coming at the Notre Dame 10 when James Street completed a clutch pass to a diving Speyrer that took the Horns to the two. From there, it took three plays before Billy Dale pushed the ball over the goal line to cement UT’s second national title - Texas 21, Notre Dame 17.
Speyrer is also known for his last minute touchdown catch for a come-from—behind win in the Texas-UCLA game in the fall of 1970. That victory cemented Texas' third National Championship year.