Eagle Passan Frank Lopez Walks-On with Texas Longhorns Football
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2015
Eagle Pass C. C. Winn High School Mavericks Class of 2012 graduate Francisco “Frank” Javier Lopez accomplished an almost impossible mission becoming the first Eagle Passan to play football for the prestigious University of Texas at Austin Longhorns Football Team as a walk-on player in the Spring of 2013 after an arduous and exhausting one week try out with former Longhorns strength and conditioning coach, Beame Wylie.
Lopez survived the grueling one week tryout and was rewarded as being one of only two players (22 tried out) selected to the Longhorns Football Team in the Spring of 2013. Lopez is an unselfish and humble 21 year old young man with a passion for playing football for his beloved Texas Longhorns. Lopez is 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 295 pounds.
While at C. C. Winn High School, Lopez lettered two years with the rising Mavericks football program playing center, guard, and tackle. He earned All-American Academic Second Team honors as an Offensive Tackle as well as Honorable Mention as an Offensive Lineman (Center) in District 29-5A. While at C. C. Winn, Lopez was greatly influenced by Coaches Reynol Jimenez, Jr. and Gustavo Varela, whom always motivated and pushed him to improve and work harder every day to become an elite football player.
In the Fall of 2012 while enrolled as a Freshman at the University of Texas at Austin, Lopez decided to try out for the legendary Texas Longhorns football team as a walk-on player to pursue his dream of playing college football despite the great odds of making the highly competitive Longhorns team. He called C. C. Winn Coach Reynol Jimenez, Jr. to ask him about what did he think about him trying out for the Longhorns and received positive encouragement from him that he could do it if he set his mind to it. Lopez visited with the Longhorns Coaches to find out the requirements for trying out as a walk-on player and learned that they required he have health insurance in the event of an injury. Unfortunately, Lopez’s modest parents did not have health insurance at that time, but his mother, Maria Lopez, promised him that she would do everything possible to buy him health insurance the next semester so he could pursue his dream. Lopez had to wait until the Spring of 2013 to try out for the Longhorns after finally obtaining health insurance through his parents dedication and generosity.
Lopez finally registered for the Longhorns’ walk-on try outs. The very first day, Coach Wylie requested him and the other 21 players to get on a strenuous Stair Master machine and do 99 minutes of non-stop exercise on it. Anyone who failed to complete the 99 minutes were disqualified from any further try outs. Seven players failed to complete the 99 minutes, Lopez recalls focusing on his mission and purpose for trying out and wanting to play college football while on the Stair Master. He thought about his parents and family and the many sacrifices they have had to undergo in life to make ends meet to sustain four children. He survived the Stair Master. Just when he thought he was done for the day, Coach Wylie asked the remaining 15 players to get on the thread mill machine and do 60 minutes of running 10 minute intervals and walk 5 minute intervals. Lopez survived the thread mill too and then was asked to go outside to the football practice field and push the football sleighs for 200 yards. Lopez successfully completed the first day and survived another six days of grueling drills and conditioning. “It was a difficult mental and physical endurance test we went through,” said Lopez. “I was notified on Saturday morning by email that I had been selected to the Longhorns football team as a walk-on, only one of two selected,” said Lopez. “I was studying for a test so the news did not hit me until a few minutes later and I called Coach Jimenez and my parents to notify them of the great news,” said Lopez.
“I tried out as deep and short snapper for punts, extra points, and field goals, but the team was short on Offensive Linemen so I was asked to play third team guard, too,” said Lopez. Snappers are coached by the Offensive Linemen coaches so we do both workouts and drills.
The rest is history as Lopez has now been on the Texas Longhorns football team for two years and is approaching his third year as a Junior with two years of eligibility remaining.
“The difference between high school and college football is huge,” said Lopez. “The practices are longer and players are expected to do strength and conditioning training on a daily basis as well,” said Lopez. The speed of the game is so fast and the hitting contact is much harder than high school. “I like the Longhorns and my teammates because we do Bible Study on Thursdays after practice and go to church on Sundays. The players are a family and everyone is protective of each other and helps each other out,” said Lopez. “We really get to bond together and get to know each other throughout the season and years,” added Lopez.
Lopez was fortunate to play for two different head coaches, Mack Brown during his first year and now Charlie Strong during his second year. “Coach Brown was reserve but friendly. Coach Strong is very caring, warm, and friendly with all of the players. He meets with each player at least three times during the year to go over our development, personal goals, and family situation. He is truly a player’s Coach,” said Lopez.
He started wearing No. 58 but this year has chosen to wear No. 68 for the 2015 Season. He reports to practice on August 7th for the Fall Season workouts and is looking forward to competing for the starting job as short and long snapper. He also will play Offensive Guard on the team. His predecessor, Nate Boyer, is now playing with the Seattle Seahawks. His competition for short and long snapper this year is from Kyle Ashby. He is going to work hard to do the best he can for his Longhorns team. “The short and long snapper has a lot of responsibility because the game can ride on whether he makes a good or bad snap for that winning field goal or extra point,” said Lopez. “I love the challenge of snapping,” said Lopez. “I thank Coach Gustavo Varela for teaching me in high school how to snap the football,” added Lopez.
“My former Longhorns place kicker, Justin Tucker, now plays for the Baltimore Ravens and gave me some good advice on snapping and complimented me. Nate Boyer, my predecessor, also spoke highly of me to the new coaches under Charlie Strong. I am blessed to have such a great family of Longhorn players,” said Lopez.
The 2015 Texas Longhorns football season will be Lopez’s third season with the team, Coach Charlie Strong’s second season, and there are many important games with national and Big XII Conference rivals such as Notre Dame Irish, TCU Horned Frogs, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Oklahoma Sooners, California Bears, Baylor Bears, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Kansas Jayhawks, Kansas State Wildcats, West Virginia Mountaineers, Rice Owls, and Iowa State Cyclones.
Lopez is majoring in Math and his goal is to graduate from UT and become a Coach and a Motivational Speaker. He loves to read books and encourages all young people to read a book every day or chance they get. Reading has taught him many inspiring things and motivated him to live each day to his fullest and succeed in life. He would like to return to Eagle Pass to speak to local students and young athletes to motivate them that they need to build their dream and their dream will build them, just as he has done.
His parents are Maria and Rodolfo Rey Lopez of Eagle Pass and has one brother, Rodolfo “Rudy” Lopez and two sisters, Amber Lopez and Cynthia Lopez, all three working in San Antonio, Texas.
He is working three jobs this summer in Eagle Pass to help him raise money for the academic school year. He returns to Austin, Texas on August 7th to report for the Fall Football Drills and Season.
The Eagle Pass Business Journal congratulates Frank Lopez on his making the Texas Longhorns Football Team and for being a positive role model to the youth of Eagle Pass and the world and wishes him all the success during the 2015 Football Season and academic studies.
Go Longhorns!
