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Texas

There's nothing like that first game in DKR

by: Evan Vieth16 hours ago
Jack Endries
Jack Endries (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

Hidden in the discourse over Texas’s get-right win over San Jose State yesterday was the return to Darrell K Royal Stadium for everyone involved.

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From players to coaches to fans, it was the first time in 260 days that Texas had hosted a game at the legendary stadium, dating all the way back to the CFP quarterfinals against Clemson.

For some players, it was a final first day, the same way high school seniors feel returning to their 8 A.M. science classes after a far-too-short summer.

For others, it marks the beginning of something new.

“That’s great, the Bevo Walk, it’s awesome. I didn’t really have anything like that (at Cal),” transfer tight end Jack Endries said. “Going out of the tunnel for the first time. And then I think a play that I’m not gonna forget is Parker (Livingstone’s) long touchdown run.”

Endries was far from an elite prospect entering college. In fact, his only visit was to the school he ended up walking onto, the California Golden Bears. While Berkeley’s Memorial Stadium is nothing to scoff at, it pales in comparison to the doubled capacity of DKR in Austin.

Endries told us that Texas was the only place for him as soon as he entered the transfer portal, and it didn’t take long for him to sign on. But even with the Longhorns being his preferred spot from the start, he’d never gotten to experience what a home game felt like. He can now check that off the bucket list.

For other players, a return to DKR means something bigger than football. It’s a sense of progress and proof that what these players worked hard for has paid off.

“Doing everything that we do leading up to the actual game. Bevo Walk, walking into the actual stadium,” CJ Baxter said. “When I first got in here, I soaked it all in. The last time I played DKR was November of 2023 against Texas Tech. It’s been a long time, so I was extremely thankful and grateful to play out there in front of those amazing fans.”

Baxter’s progression has been well documented. A star rookie RB who suffered a season-ending injury entering year two in the program, setting him back and forcing him to watch on the sidelines as his teammates played into the CFP semifinals.

Now healthy, Baxter got to experience returning home for the first time in over 21 months.

Baxter and Endries were just two examples of players who had an extra-special day on Saturday, but there’s a whole team of players who had their own unique experiences.

Twenty-five freshmen saw DKR from the sidelines instead of the stands for the first time, 12 of whom got a chance to see the field on offense or defense. Then there are the 10 other transfers who joined Endries, none of whom played at stadiums that can hold the sheer volume of fans that come to Texas games. Or even the four to five starters who saw their first career starts in the stadium, trotting out in front of their own fans this time, not Buckeye Scarlet.

That first Bevo Walk of the year, or tunnel run out, or 3rd quarter field flip, can all be seen as unforgettable moments for these players. And as Baxter told us, a win can never be taken for granted. This one won’t be.

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