Gentleman James

FAYETTEVILLE - Bruce James enjoyed getting to visit with James Street a few weeks ago when both were in Little Rock to appear at the Clinton Presidential Library and discuss a new documentary about the 1969 Arkansas-Texas football game known as the “Big Shootout.”

They were on opposite sides in the game- Street as the quarterback for the No. 1 Longhorns and James as a defensive end for the No. 2 Razorbacks - but became close friends after a reunion of the teams at the 2004 Arkansas-Texas game in Fayetteville.

James said he had lunch with Street during his recent visit to Little Rock, and James said Street appeared fine, though he was getting ready to undergo hip replacement.

“But he looked great, like he could still play,” James said. “I didn’t realize that was the last time I was going to see him.”

Street died Monday of an apparent heart attack at his home in Austin. He was 65 and is survived by his wife, Janie, five sons and several grandchildren.

James got a call from Bob McKay - a former Texas offensive tackle and Street’s closest friend - about 7 a.m. Monday and learned ofStreet’s death.

“When I got that phone call, I was just flabbergasted,” James said. “It was an unbelievable shock.”

The shock waves of Street’s death were felt strongly in Arkansas as well as in Texas considering he’ll always be part of the Razorbacks history after helping rally the Longhorns to a 15-14 victory over Arkansas in the 1969 game, which became so big that President Richard Nixon was among those in attendance at Razorback Stadium.

“When you go through that experience like James and I did with that game, and then later have the opportunity to become friends, there’s a pretty special bond there,” said Bill Montgomery, Arkansas’ starting quarterback in 1969. “I was shocked when I heard James had passed, and very saddened by it.”

Montgomery recalled that Darrell Royal, who coached Street at Texas, used to say whatever “It” was, Street had it.

“James could make it happen,” Montgomery said. “He was a great champion.”

Street helped Texas overcome a 14-0 third-quarter deficit against Arkansas when he scored on a 42-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion, then on fourth-and-3 from the Longhorns 43 completed a pass to Randy Peschel for a 44-yard gain to set up Jim Berlesen’s game-winning touchdown run.

Harold Horton, the Razorbacks’ linebackers coach in 1969, said Monday he remembers Street’s clutch plays as clearly as when the game was played almost 44 years ago.

“On the pass play to Peschel, we thought they’d come back with something in the triple option, because that’s how they made their living,” Horton said. “We still had the pass well-covered, but it was such a spectacular throw and unusual catch, where [Peschel] got the ball at the top of his shoulder pad.

“Hey, you have to credit James Street with coming through in the critical situations and getting the job done.”

James said he was glad to see the Longhorns try a passon fourth down.

“When I saw him drop back, I thought, ‘This is great,’ because James was not the greatest passer in the world,” James said. “Then he let it go, and the next thing you know, Peschel is pulling it down.

“Peschel has told me all he saw were Arkansas hands, and he somehow came down with it. James used to laugh and say, ‘We probably didn’t deserve to win, but we did.’

“He was very much a gentleman about it. I thought James always really appreciated Arkansas, and we appreciated him for sure.”

James said Street’s humble attitude was in sharp contrast to that of some of today’s college players, notably Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.

“The last time I saw James, he talked about how lucky he was that Texas switched to the Wishbone, because otherwise he’d have never gotten on the field, because he wasn’t a dropback passer,” James said. “I think a lot of people in Arkansas liked the way he handled himself.

“He wasn’t like Johnny Manziel. He was not a flamboyant person. James was a down-to-earth guy you could really like. He had respect for other teams. … He exemplified everything you want about college athletics to be about.”

James said that when Street and McKay were asked to speak at the Little Rock Touchdown Club in 2006, they insisted on paying their own airfare from Austin and declined the $3,000 speaking fee so that the organization could save that money to help finance its annual banquet that honors high school and college players.

“James said, ‘We’ll be there, but you’re not paying for anything. We’ll be happy to do it as our contribution to football in Arkansas,’ ” James said. “There was much more to James Street than being a great football player. He was a just a quality, quality human being.”

James said Street showed a calmness throughout “The Big Shootout,” even when Texas fell behind by two touchdowns.

“The thing about the ‘Big Shootout’ that I’ll always remember is that when they were losing, James Street was in control of his team,” James said. “Nobody was yelling at each other. He kept everybody settled down.

“You’ve talking about a lot of big egos on their team, guys that went on to play pro ball, and James had total control of them. He was maybe the smallest guy on the field, but he had everybody’s respect.”

Street and Frank Broyles, Arkansas’ coach in 1958-1976, were inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 1999.

“James Street was a wonderful person, and what a great quarterback he was,” Broyles said. “I respected him so much and was very sad to hear of his passing.

“Quarterbacks are supposed to be difference-makers, and when he went into the game, he made a big difference for Texas. He took them to a level that made them champions.”

Texas followed its Arkansas victory be beating Notre Dame 21-17 in the Cotton Bowl - with another rally led by Street - to finish 11-0 and claim the national championship. The victory made Street 20-0 as the Longhorns starter after he won the job after the first two games of the 1968 season.

“To be a quarterback who never lost a game, that never happens,” Texas Coach Mack Brown said Monday.

Street remained close to the Texas program and often spoke to Brown’s teams with a recurring message of “regardless of how big you are, how fast you are, you can still compete and you can still win,” Brown said.

Texas started the 1968 season 0-1-1 when a frustrated Royal inserted Street, 5-11, 170 pounds, to take over at quarterback.

“Coach Royal grabbed me and he looked for a minute as if he were having second thoughts about putting me in,” Street said in 2012 when Royal died. “Then he looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘Hell, you can’t do any worse. Get in there.’ ”

When Royal died, Texas honored the former coach by lining up in the Wishbone on the first play against Iowa State and throwing a pass that conjured memories of the “53 veer” that Street threw to Peschel against Arkansas.

“From where I sit, James Street has our respect because he was a winner on the field, and from everything I’ve heard and observed, he was the same way off the field,” Horton said.

When James played at Arkansas the Razorbacks faced Ole Miss with Archie Manning and Stanford with Jim Plunkett, who both had lengthy NFL careers. Street never played in the NFL but was a successful businessman.

“When somebody asked me who was the best quarterback I played against - Manning or Plunkett - I said, ‘You better put Street in there, too,’ ” James said. “I thought James was as good as anybody I ever played.

“James might not have had the talent of Manning or Plunkett, but he had a tenacity and an ability to rally his guys.”

The Associated Press contributed information for this article.