Former Cowboys QB Who Led Texas Longhorns to Their First National Title Passes Away at 84

Over sixty years ago, one quarterback picked his side in the Red River Rivalry. Little did he know that decision wouldn’t just create one of the most dominant teams of the decade, but one that football fans in Texas remember to this day. That is the legacy Duke Carlisle leaves behind at 84. 

On Friday, the University of Texas announced the news of its legendary quarterback Emmet Augustus “Duke” Carlisle III’s passing after a lengthy battle with cancer. What makes his story so unique isn’t just winning the Longhorns their first national championship; it was his decision to walk away from the NFL. 

But to understand that, we need to go back to the start of Carlisle’s college career. You see, at the time, Carlisle had a choice to make. His goal wasn’t to play for the Longhorns, but for their rivals, the Sooners! 

As Carlisle put it in his book, What It Means To Be A Longhorn, “When I was in high school in the late 1950s, Oklahoma was coming to the end of their 47-game winning streak. I became more and more convinced that Oklahoma was probably where I wanted to go.”

But that was when Carlisle met Bill Ellington, an assistant coach at the University of Texas, who had plenty of experience recruiting. He was the one who talked Carlisle into coming to the other side of the Red River. 

“I’ll never forget him, because if it hadn’t been for him, I might never have been a Texas Longhorn. That spring, he came into my life. He was a really good guy and a fine person. He was kind and patient and he spent time with my parents, and they got to know him. Everybody thought a lot of him. And he caused me to rethink this thing.”

Even though freshmen had limited opportunities with the football team, five games against first-years from other colleges were all it took for Carlisle to make his impact. The squad that took over in 1961 lost just one regular season game in three years. But Carlisle’s finest moment was yet to come. 

In 1964, Duke Carlisle started for the Texas Longhorns as their quarterback against the Navy Midshipmen, led by Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach. The Longhorns were already voted champions, a decision Navy wasn’t happy with. That’s why, going up against them at home in the Cotton Bowl, the pressure was on Carlisle. 

With eight men on the line of scrimmage, you’d think Carlisle would falter, but he simply responded with two touchdown passes and set a then-bowl game record with 234 yards. His opponent, the same QB who would go on to become a Dallas legend, Roger Staubach, couldn’t bring his team back into the competition, as the Longhorns won 26-6.

Carlisle had done it. Going up against a Heisman winner was a QB who never made All-American, yet managed to deliver an unbeaten run and a national championship. The next logical step would have been the NFL, right? 

That was where the Duke’s story took a different turn. 

Carlisle found his way to the NFL in 1964. The Packers, who initially signed him, proceeded to cut Carlisle during training camp. He was then picked up by the Dallas Cowboys, who kept him on their practice squad through the 1964 season.

By this time, doubts around an NFL career had already been sown into his mind. “I was skinny compared to the rest of those pros. I looked around and thought maybe I should get out of the NFL while I still had my head attached.” 

But the defining moment was an injury. Despite being selected in the NFL, Carlisle decided to return to the University of Texas for a graduate degree in business, served with the Army in Germany, and returned to New York where he worked as an investment banker. 

Eventually, Carlisle made his way to his wife’s hometown, McComb, Mississippi, where he began working in the oil business. He never regretted the possibility of a career in the NFL, instead spending all his time with his family and being a “Poppy” to his grandchildren. 

“My grandkids give me the greatest joy. Except when they look at old pictures of me and remind me I had more hair back then,” he once explained. And after his passing, his family emphasized the same. 

Speaking to the Houston Chronicle on October 2, his son-in-law, Rich Terry, described him as a humble man with an easy-going personality.

“He [Carlisle] was really a humble, self-effacing guy,” Terry said. “He never pushed himself and never took himself seriously. He was such an invert and just a good guy.”

The Texas team doesn’t seem to have forgotten Carlisle one bit either. The team released an official statement on Friday evening, mourning his death. “We are saddened to hear of the passing of Texas Athletics Hall of Honor member, Duke Carlisle,” Texas shared on X. “Our thoughts & prayers go out [to] his family, friends, and teammates.”

The Longhorns’ Athletic Director John Bianco also added a personal statement honoring the UT legend. 

“We lost a great Longhorn in Duke Carlisle,” Bianco wrote. “The QB who led Texas to its first National Championship in 1963 and a true Longhorn Legend in every way, he’ll be dearly missed but never forgotten.”

Rest easy, Duke. 

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