Former Texas running back, two time national champion Steve Worster passes away

Two of Texas‘ four national championships came in back-to-back seasons, coming under head coach Darrell K Royal in 1969 and 1970. Running the wishbone offense, the star of the show was running back Steve Worster. A two-time All-American with the Longhorns, he is widely considered one of the greatest players to ever come through the program.

On Sunday, Texas announced Worster had sadly passed away at the age of 73. He is in a plethora of Hall of Fames for his football career, including the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor, Texas Sports, Texas High School Football, and Cotton Bowl.

During his time in Austin, Worster rushed for 2,353 yards and scored 36 touchdowns. In addition to the two national championships, Texas won three Southwest Conference titles while he was in school. Worster was voted fourth in Heisman Trophy voting for his performances during the 1970 season, having over 900 total yards and 14 touchdowns.

As many do at Texas, Worster made his name going up against Oklahoma in the 1968 Red River Rivalry. In a matchup known as “The Game That Made the Wishbone,” Worster scored the game-winning touchdown against the Sooners to cap off an 85-yard scoring drive. Since freshmen were not allowed on the varsity team back then, it was Worster’s first appearance in the bitter rivalry game.

The Los Angeles Rams selected Worster in the fourth round of the 1970 NFL Draft at No. 90 overall. However, he never played in the NFL and instead opted for one season in the Canadian Football League with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. After the CFL, he quit football overall and lived a life outside of the sport.

Worster was one of the top prospects in the country coming out of high school after winning a 3A championship at Bridge City High School. According to the official Texas release, the 1967 recruiting class was dubbed the “The Worster Bunch” and helped the Longhorns sustain their success under Royal.

“There’s never been a more celebrated high school athlete that produced to the level of his high school hype,” said former teammate Bill Zapalac, who was also in the 1967 class.

Another former teammate, Bob McKay, described Worster as the “toughest” football player he had ever seen. One of the all-time greats for the Longhorns, Worster will forever be remembered for his accomplishments on and off the field.