TYLER, Texas — It was a packed house at the Green Acres Crosswalk Center Tuesday to officially begin the 2022 season with the 16th Annual East Texas Kickoff Luncheon.
More than 40 schools were in attendance to hear the keynote speaker, Fox college football commentator, Tim Brando, who had an early start right here in East Texas.
"I was the voice of the Pine Tree Pirates in the fall of 1973," Brando said. "I used to come all the time to East Texas, places like Gladewater. Center, Gilmer and South Central Texas. Never got to do the big Lobos though, did the Mavericks -- did Marshall, but never got to do a Lobos game so that was a big miss in my early career."
As he's become the face of college football, looking out on the young athletes in attendance, even as a big shot like him there's no Friday night lights without a region like East Texas.
"Tyler, Kilgore, even smaller places like Hallsville where Robert Newhouse played. Friday Night Lights is an old story, I mean, it's a new movie still. It's been made in the last 15 years but it's the story of Texas high school football."
Later in the program, while not in attendance, the Palestine Wildcats were awarded the Coach Danny Palmer East Texas Team Community Service Award, for how they rallied behind fallen Palestine coach Michael Coyne's wife following that tragic accident coming back from the Dallas Mavericks playoff game.
The luncheon ended with the announcement of the 10th Earl Campbell watch list. Sixty-three players from nine conferences and two independents representing 52 schools. Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn, a previous finalist for the award, made the list again this year. The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award winner will be announced Jan. 11, 2023, at Willow Brook Country Club.