Moon Mullins

Gary “Moon” Mullins calls it a day.

Mullins retires

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Moon is one of my all time favorite Cougar Football players. Winner, tough, smart and a leader!

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What an incredible read. I know those days and those legendary players well. I lived it as a season ticket holder and dedicated fan who attended many of our notable away games.
For the youngsters on here that didn’t here are some recollections.
Moon was about as far from a prototype quarterback as you could get. Short (about 5’8 or 5’10 on his tip toes), short arms and legs. Thick chest. But he mastered the veer reads as well as anyone of that era. He was a masterful passer. I was in the Dome when he threw a 99 yard touchdown I believe to Elmo Wright.
On the field he was the consumate leader.
Robert Newhouse had somewhat of a similar build but had incredibly thick thighs. He wasn’t that fast but if you came up to hit him you better be prepared for your reward. Pain. Robert was hard to bring down and went on to a legendary career with the Dallas Cowboys.
Jerry Drones was tall, rangy and one hell of a defensive end.
Royce Berry was one of the nicest guys you could meet. Good looking white guy who could have been a movie star.
So much more I can say. Thanks for bringing back those great U of H Football memories.

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That was a joy to read.

Ken Bailey, Gary Mullins, Robert Newhouse, Robert Ford, Elmo Wright, Bill Cloud, and so many other great players during the late 1960s - mid 1970s, put UH on the national map in football. UH played as an independent then and took on and often beat all comers. I got to see most of it as a student. It set the standard for the many great gridiron accomplishments that UH football wrought in later eras, beginning with winning the SWC championship three out of the first four seasons we were in that conference. - Go Coogs!

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My brother was the DC at Hays HS south of Austin and lost to Grapevine in the state championship in 1996 24 - 19 … I didn’t know Moon was the DC at Grapevine … the Hays QB was playing hurt in an earlier playoff game and at 40% … had he been at 100% it wouldn’t have even been close …

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The good old days watching moon

Highlight was seeing him throw a pass to Elmo in the end zone where I was sitting for a TD and then see Elmo do his end zone dance in the 69 Blue Bonnet Bowl… but Jim strong was the hero that day

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As a sophomore Moon came off the bench and led the Cougars to 9 straight wins after losing the first two games. We soundly beat Auburn in the Bluebonnet Bowl in '69, our first bowl appearance since '62 I believe.
Had Mullins not hurt his knee the following spring there is no telling how good he and Coogs could have been. But like Guy Lewis used to say about Melvin Bell, Mullins was better than most quarterbacks with one good leg.
Great guy, great Cougar. Yes he was near sided, short and stubby and slow, but he was perhaps the greatest on the field leader we have ever had here…

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Mullins’ play along with the other awesome talent we had was my initial exposure to Coog football as I started in 1969 and attended all home games. I’ll never forget yelling for and expecting a long pass to Elmo Wright when we started play at our own 1 yard line. What incredible talent we had then. Then our success the first years of SWC play made me so proud each time I heard “Cougar High”. “Standing tall” against the SWC teams, Nebraska, Maryland and Notre Dame those early years was priceless.

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Was right there with you bro.

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Love these threads. Always love Cougar history. Thanks for sharing.

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How many 99 yd touchdown passes did you witness ? ? ? ? ?

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Two. Both Terry Peel to Robert Ford.

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Yup. Saw both Ford/Peel TDs. Went to both Bluebonnet Bowls. Back to back years, if I remember correctly. 4th/5th grade for me.
I grew up going to every single home game in the Dome with my folks. Had the greatest parents ever.
To this day, when I do my laps on the track, when I hit 24, I tell myself “Alois Blackwell”…

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Will never forget playing Colorado in Blue Bonnet Bowl. First time to see Ralphie the Buffalo.
They opened the gate on the trailer parked in the end zone & Ralphie exploded out of the trailer running full speed towards opposite end zone. 2 handlers struggling to keep up as he sprinted 100 plus yards & turns around & sprints back another 100 yards to the trailer! One of the most awesome Mascot features in sports!

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Remember a wide receiver running down the right sideline, line of scrimmage, the 1 yd line, and being hit in the back of the head about the 45 yd line, with no defender between him and the end zone ? ? ? ? ? Shoulda, wooda, couda been another 99 yd TD play . . . . .

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