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Mike Cotten
Mike Cotten
Mike Cotten
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Michael Barry Cotten (December 12, 1939 – May 25, 2024) was an American football player who was the starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns and the Quantico Marines in the early 1960s. He was an All-Southwest Conference back in 1961 and the Outstanding Back/Offensive MVP in the 1962 Cotton Bowl.

Key Information

Early life

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Mike Cotten was born in Uvalde, Texas, in 1939 but after moving with his family to Amarillo in 1943 he landed in Austin in 1946, with a 1-year detour to Abilene in 1949, and went to high school in Austin and, by coincidence lived in the same neighborhood as Darrell Royal at the time. He was an All-District, All-State and All-America quarterback who led Austin High School to the state semi-finals and their last playoff win in of the 20th century.[1] Widely recruited, the only campus he visited was Texas.[2]

Cotten also played catcher and center field on the school's state championship baseball team. In 1957, he tied the state record for most doubles in the playoffs with 2, a record that wasn't broken until 2002.[1] He made the all-tournament team his senior year and played a little baseball in college.[2] In high school, he also ran track and played basketball.

Football

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As a freshman, Mike Cotten led the freshman team – the Yearlings – to their first undefeated team since 1941.[2]

In Mike Cotten's second year he was one of four players to take snaps under center, but he was the primary backup to starter Bobby Lackey. He also played defensive back - leading the team with 4 interceptions that season - and returned punts and kickoffs on a team that went 9–2, and finished No. 4 in the nation before losing to No. 1 Syracuse in the Cotton Bowl.

For the next two years Cotten was the starting quarterback for Texas and, in the second year, ran Royal's first great innovation – the Flip Flop offense, a winged-T formation that simplified the offense.[1] In 1960, the Longhorns went 7–3–1 for a disappointing 2nd-place finish in the Southwest Conference and finished the season with a 3–3 tie against No. 9 Alabama in the school's first Bluebonnet Bowl appearance. Cotten led the team in total offense and scoring.[3]

In 1961 Cotten was quarterback and co-captain of the first Darrell Royal Longhorn team to contend for the national title. The team, powered by All-American Jimmy Saxton, went 10–1 and rose to No. 1 in the rankings for the first time since 1946. After beating everyone but Oklahoma by at least 3 touchdowns and with only two very beatable teams left on the schedule, they seemed to be a lock to finish the season ranked No. 1. But they suffered their only loss in a shocking 6–0 upset at the hands of 24-point underdog TCU on a trick play.[4] Despite the disappointment of that loss, Cotten led the Southwest Conference in passing touchdowns and total touchdowns,[5] became an All-Conference selection at back and led the team to a share of the conference championship with Arkansas. Texas went to the Cotton Bowl, by virtue of their head-to-head victory over the Razorbacks, and there Cotten ran the offense with such efficiency that he was named the Outstanding back in the team's 12–7 win over No. 5 Mississippi. It was Royal's first bowl victory.

A few weeks later he led the South to a 42–7 victory in the Senior Bowl, throwing five completions for 76 yards and a touchdown.[6]

Cotten was 17–4–1 at Texas as the starting quarterback and won every game he ever played against rivals Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

He was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1981.[3]

Records

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  • UT – Fewest Passes had intercepted, season (2) (min 75 attempts), later tied by Tommy Wade, James Brown and Chance Mock
  • UT – Highest Average Gain Per Pass Attempt (min. 50 attempts), season (9.3), surpassed by Randy McEachern in 1977
  • UT – Highest Average Gain Per Pass Completion (min. 30 completions), season (16.8), surpassed by James Street in 1969
  • UT – Highest Percentage of Passes Completed (min. 70 attempts), season (57.1%), surpassed by Shannon Kelley in 1987
  • Cotton Bowl – Most passes had intercepted, game (3), tied Buzz Buivid and Glynn Griffing; later tied by Kenny Stabler, Bobby Scott, Wade and Randy McEachern; surpassed by Joe Montana in 1979
  • Cotton Bowl – Most passes had intercepted, career (3), tied Buivid and Griffing; later tied by Joe Theismann, Wade, Stabler, Scott and McEachern; surpassed by Montana in 1979

Bold means current record.

Later life

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Undrafted by the NFL, Cotten graduated from Texas in 1962 and after joining a Marine Corps program as a freshman, received a commission from the Marines. They granted him a deferral so that he could go to law school. He studied for his juris doctor from the University of Texas School of Law while serving as a graduate assistant football coach for Texas. When he graduated in 1964, his deferment ended and the Marines sent him to The Basic School at Quantico where he played on the Quantico Marines football team. That team went 6–5, with victories over Dayton and Villanova, and it ended the season with an upset of Memphis State, thus denying them a trip to the Liberty Bowl.[1]

Captain Cotten then did a tour in Vietnam and was stationed in Da Nang where he served in a legal billet.[1]

When Cotten's tour of duty was completed in 1968, he returned to Austin, Texas, and became a lawyer with Clark, Thomas & Winters, a firm that focuses on civil practice such as regulatory and state agency work.[1] He became a partner in 1975.[2]

Cotten died on May 25, 2024, at the age of 84.[7]

References

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Mike Cotten

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Michael Barry "Mike" Cotten was an American former college football quarterback known for his accomplished career with the University of Texas Longhorns in the early 1960s. Born on December 12, 1939, in Uvalde, Texas, he grew up in Austin and became a two-year starter at quarterback under head coach Darrell Royal, directing the famed Flip-Flop offense and compiling a 17–4–1 record as a starter while defeating rivals Oklahoma and Texas A&M in every matchup. He earned All-Southwest Conference honors in 1961, led the conference in passing touchdowns that year, and guided the Longhorns to a 10–1 record and No. 3 national ranking. Cotten was named Outstanding Player of the 1962 Cotton Bowl after leading Texas to a 12–7 victory over No. 5 Ole Miss. After his playing days, Cotten completed a degree in government at the University of Texas, graduated from UT Law School in 1965, and served three years as a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, including a tour in Vietnam. He joined the Austin law firm Clark and Thomas in 1968 and became a partner in 1975. Cotten was inducted into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor in 1981 and served as an original member of the Stadium Veterans Committee starting in 1996. He died on May 25, 2024, at the age of 84 following a brief illness.

Early life and education

Childhood and family background

Mike Cotten was born on December 12, 1939, in Uvalde, Texas, to parents W.C. Cotten and Florence Cotten. During World War II, while his father served in the United States Navy in the Pacific, Cotten spent the war years living with his mother in Amarillo. Following his father's return from naval service, the family moved to Austin, Texas, in 1946. This relocation solidified his connection to Austin during his childhood.

High school athletics and education

Cotten attended Stephen F. Austin High School in Austin, Texas, where he starred as a multi-sport athlete in football, baseball, basketball, and track. As the quarterback for the football team, he led the Maroons to the state semifinals in 1957, marking the school's last playoff win of the 20th century. In baseball, Cotten played catcher and center field on the 1957 state championship team. He was heavily recruited by colleges but chose the University of Texas after making only one recruiting visit to the UT campus.

University of Texas education and law degree

Mike Cotten majored in government during his undergraduate studies at the University of Texas. He enrolled in the University of Texas School of Law in 1962 and earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1965.

Football career

Texas Longhorns playing career

Mike Cotten played quarterback for the Texas Longhorns from 1959 to 1961 under head coach Darrell Royal, directing the team's Flip-Flop offense during his tenure as a starter. As a freshman, he led the Texas freshman team to an unbeaten season, marking the first such achievement for the squad since 1941. In 1959, Cotten shared quarterback duties with Bobby Lackey while also contributing at defensive back. The Longhorns compiled a 9–2 record that season, shared the Southwest Conference title, finished ranked No. 4 nationally, and lost to No. 1 Syracuse in the Cotton Bowl. Cotten assumed the role of starting quarterback in 1960, leading the team in both scoring and total offense. The Longhorns finished with a 7–3 record and closed the season with a 3–3 tie against No. 9 Alabama in the Bluebonnet Bowl. In 1961, serving as team co-captain and earning All-Southwest Conference honors at quarterback, Cotten guided Texas to a 10–1 record, a Southwest Conference co-championship, and a No. 3 final national ranking after holding the No. 1 spot for much of the year. Following an upset loss to TCU, the team rebounded to defeat No. 5 Ole Miss 12–7 in the Cotton Bowl, where Cotten was named the game's offensive MVP. As a two-year starter, Cotten posted a 17–4–1 record and went undefeated against rivals Oklahoma and Texas A&M throughout his career.

Post-college football and accolades

Cotten received several notable accolades for his contributions to Texas Longhorns football. He was named a team co-captain and All-Southwest Conference quarterback in 1961. He also earned Offensive MVP honors in the 1962 Cotton Bowl Classic, where Texas defeated Mississippi 12-7. In 1981, he was inducted into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor in recognition of his overall career achievements. Following his college career, Cotten played in the 1962 Senior Bowl for the South team. He led the South to a 42–7 victory, completing 5 passes for 76 yards and one touchdown. During his U.S. Marine Corps service at Quantico, he quarterbacked the Quantico Marines football team to a 6–5 record that included an upset victory over Memphis State.

Military service

U.S. Marine Corps enlistment and Quantico

Cotten joined the U.S. Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Class program as a freshman at the University of Texas, committing to military service alongside his athletic career. The program required officer candidate training over two 6-week summer sessions at Quantico, Virginia, which he completed after his freshman year in 1959 and after his junior year in 1961. Upon his undergraduate graduation in 1962, Cotten received a commission as a second lieutenant but deferred active duty to attend law school at the University of Texas. After earning his law degree and passing the bar exam in 1965, he entered active duty in September 1965 and attended the Naval Justice School. He also quarterbacked the Quantico Marines football team during his time in the Marine Corps. This service overlapped with his post-college football activities. He served on active duty until August 1968, attaining the rank of captain.

Vietnam War service

Cotten served overseas for 13 months in Japan and Vietnam during his Marine Corps service. He returned to Austin in 1968 following the completion of his active duty. His overall active service in the Marine Corps spanned three years, during which he attained the rank of captain.

Law practice in Austin

Upon returning to Austin in 1968 after completing his military service, Mike Cotten joined the law firm Clark and Thomas, where he began his legal career. The firm later became known as Clark, Thomas, Winters & Shapiro. Cotten became a partner in 1975 and practiced there for over four decades until his retirement in 2011. His practice focused on civil and administrative law, including regulatory matters and representation before state agencies. In 1996, Cotten became an original member of the Stadium Veterans Committee, formed to support and recognize veterans associated with University of Texas athletics, and he remained active in the group.

Personal life

Family and community involvement

Mike Cotten was a longtime resident of Austin, Texas, having moved there in 1946, with roots in the city dating to his early childhood. He remained a dedicated supporter of the Texas Longhorns throughout his life, having chosen the University of Texas without considering any other institution after graduating from Austin High School. He married Betty George, whom he met at the University of Texas, in March 1964. They remained married for 44 years until her death in 2008. Cotten is survived by his daughters, Ashley Putman of Austin and Lesley Childress of Jackson, Mississippi, and six grandchildren: Caroline, Elizabeth, and Ford Childress; Jack, Helena, and Will Putman. He was actively involved in the university community as one of the original members of the Stadium Veterans Committee, which was formed in 1996 and where he continued to serve for many years.

Death

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