Texas Football: Top 15 all-time Longhorns quarterbacks
Top All-Time Texas Football Quarterbacks – Number 9: Eddie Phillips (1969-71)
Career stats: 1,067 passing yards, 6 TDs, 8 INTs, 40.4 completion %, 100.3 passer rating, 1,211 rushing yards, 19 rushing TDs
Like the previous and upcoming players on this list, Eddie Phillips thrived during an era in which Texas wasn’t known for their prowess with airing it out. Instead, it was all about running the wishbone offense — and running it to near perfection.
That’s exactly what Phillips did when he took over as the Longhorns’ starting quarterback in 1970, a year after he watched James Street take the team to the promised land. As luck would have it, Phillips was on the verge of another outstanding year that would yet again see Texas crowned as national champs.
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That year, Phillips led the school to a 10-1 finish, nearly earning outright title honors before a letdown against Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl. Despite the loss, Phillips was a sensation against the Fighting Irish, becoming the first Longhorn quarterback to throw for and run for over 100 yards in the same game.
Unfortunately, his final year in Austin was characterized by injury. He missed a good chunk of his senior season, eventual taking his final snaps as the Texas signal caller during a blowout loss to Penn State in the Cotton Bowl.
When his playing days were over, Phillips had compiled a 14-2 record as the starter. Combine that with his two national championships, and you’ve got the perfect resume for one of the greatest Longhorn quarterbacks of all time.