Mike Cotten, a former University of Texas Football player (1959-61) and 1981 Texas Athletics Hall of Honor inductee, passed away Saturday after a brief illness. He was 84 years old.
Born in Uvalde, Texas, on December 12, 1939, and a native of Austin, Cotten was a two-year starter at quarterback and a 1961 All-Southwest Conference honoree, who directed Darrell Royal's famed Flip-Flop offense.
Cotten was a lifelong Longhorn, who coming out of Austin High School never considered any other school or visited another campus. He was even a neighbor of Royal in Austin during that time.
After leading the Austin High Maroons to the state semifinals, Cotten enrolled at the Texas and promptly led the freshman team to an unbeaten season, a first for that team since 1941.