FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE + LEISURE
Football . Texas . You can ’ t have one without the other . Sure , it ’ s played in other places . But not like here . Friday Night Lights . BEAR BRYANT . DARRELL ROYAL , JOHN HEISMAN . ( He was at Rice . Really .) EARL CAMPBELL . ERIC DICKERSON . ROGER STAUBACH .
I am a diehard Texans fan . Have been since Day One . A true Houstonian though is still Luv Ya Blue through and through . CAMPBELL , PASTORINI , BUM PHILLIPS , the Dome . When the Oilers moved to Tennessee , they took a huge part of Houston with them . I love my Texans ; I miss the Oilers .
Because Houston hosted Super Bowl LI , many of the Oiler greats came out for events and interview opportunities . Through the Alzheimer ’ s Association Gala , I had the privilege of sitting down with several legends : MIKE ROZIER , WEBSTER SLAUGHTER , HAYWOOD JEFFIRES . Rozier reminisced about how a South Jersey boy ended up winning a Heisman at Nebraska . Jeffires explained that much of his success came because every defense had to respect Earl Campbell . On every play . Webster Slaughter gave me insight into free agency . It didn ’ t exist until Slaughter and three other players sued the NFL in 1991 . Great players who told great stories of camaraderie , family and football .
My night would have been complete if that had been it . Instead , I met a true Oiler legend : COACH ED BILES , who was with the Oilers from 1969 until 1983 . He was the man responsible for drafting BRUCE MATTHEWS and MIKE MUNCHAK , arguably two of the best linemen in NFL history . He succeeded Bum Phillips as head coach . Coach Biles was also instrumental in breaking the color barrier for black quarterbacks . Not once but twice . In the early 60s , Coach Biles recruited one of the first black quarterbacks to start for an NCAA team . As Head Coach of Xavier , he traveled to Tennessee-Chattanooga , walking arm and arm with Carroll Williams past 150 members of the KKK to get to the field . A winning field goal was called no good by the officials , but that didn ’ t deter Coach Biles . He didn ’ t care about color , just ability .
OILERS RETAKE THE FIELD
A HISTORIC SUPER BOWL REUNION
By Brian Tagtmeier | Photography by Jenn Duncan
When ED BILES brought WARREN MOON out from the Edmonton cold , he changed the NFL forever . While there had been a few others before him , Moon was the first superstar . Warren Moon went completely undrafted out of the University of Washington . Like most black quarterbacks , Moon went to the CFL . Biles had wanted to draft him , and he never gave up . When Biles became the Head Coach in 1981 , he made it a mission to sign Moon . He brought Warren down to Houston to see you didn ’ t have to freeze to play . After only a few days , Moon was sold . Moon joined the Oilers in 1984 . 49,000 passing yards , nine Pro Bowls , one MVP later , Warren Moon was responsible for some of the best football memories Houston would ever have . Because of Warren Moon , NFL QBs can be judged on the content of their character and ability , not the color of their skin .
History in the making . If you get to talk to Coach Biles , he will tell you all of it . march 17 | LOCAL 57