The eighth annual Mike Campbell Letterwinners' Golf Tournament welcomed almost 200 past players back to Austin for a day of golf, hamburgers, and old friends.

"The golf is unimportant," said head coach Mack Brown. "The relationships and the visiting are very important. I'm not sure if they even keep score."

Bob McKay, who lettered from 1968-69, smiled as he mentioned, "I just saw Jack Howe, who was one of my freshman coaches. It was the first time I had seen him since I left school."

Texas Football letterman and ex-head coach David McWilliams, who helped to organize the event, was in attendance along with several other coaching greats. Coaches Fred Akers and Darrell Royal also joined in the celebration. The legendary Royal shook many hands and impressively remembered every name.

"I am surprised at how easily the names keep coming back to me," Royal said. "I see their faces, and then I have the name. Even though I didn't coach all of the guys that are here, I feel like we all belong under the same flag.

Though the heavy spring wind botched some putts and ruffled a few hairs, letterman and ex-assistant coach T Jones seemed to enjoy himself.

"All of these men were great athletes in their days," Jones said. "Some of them have gained a little weight and some are a little bit grayer than they used to be, but it is always fun to see those guys."

But old friendships and memories were not today's only themes. Many new bonds were formed, as well. Pat Fitzgerald, a 1994-96 letterman and member of the Longhorns' Southwest Conference Championship team, was able to meet some of the men who led the way years before him.

"There are all of these other guys out here who went through the same things we did, but at different times," Fitzgerald said. "You can talk with them and hear some great stories."

As the leadoff event to the annual Spring Jamboree and Scrimmage, today's golf tournament was an event unlike any other that the Texas football family takes part in.

"This is a great weekend because it is one of the few times that you can pull the past, the present, and the future together," Brown said. "You have guys here that have made Texas such a special place in football. It is so much fun for our current coaches and players to get to visit with them. Tomorrow, we have the signees and current recruits coming in along with our current players. It is probably one of the most special weekends we have at The University of Texas because it reinforces how special this place is to all of us."