AUSTIN (KXAN) — Actor and Austin native Glen Powell is a huge Longhorns football fan, and he helped head coach Steve Sarkisian make an emotional announcement Tuesday that made the entire team erupt in cheers.
With the team gathered in an auditorium for a meeting, Sarkisian told players to watch a video. What they saw changed a player’s life.
“Marshall,” Powell said, referring to fifth-year linebacker and special teams player Marshall Landwehr. “Your hard work has not gone unnoticed. That is why Texas, is awarding you, a scholarship.”
The team exploded in cheers for Landwehr, who in five seasons at Texas has appeared in 15 games, mostly on special teams. Landwehr’s teammates stood on chairs, waved towels in the air and gave out high-fives, handshakes and hugs. Everybody in the room was going bonkers for a walk-on to get some of his school paid for finally.
Once things calmed down, Sarkisian spoke about what Landwehr meant to the team.
“Everybody in this room has a role in this organization, and this is the epitome of that,” Sarkisian said, pointing at Landwehr. “I couldn’t be more fired up for you, man. Congratulations.”
Landwehr spoke after that, telling his teammates, “y’all are the reason I show up every day.”
“I’ve been doing this for five years, and it doesn’t get old,” he said. “Keep working, this is the dream.”
Landwehr was a Texas Sports Writers Association honorable mention all-state pick in 2020 at middle linebacker out of Highland Park High School in Dallas. He also played lacrosse for the Scots.
Aside from being a Longhorns fan and Texas alum, one of Powell’s latest projects is a Hulu series called “Chad Powers.” Inspired by a segment on Eli Manning’s ESPN+ show “Eli’s Places,” where Manning dresses up and goes undercover at Penn State’s walk-on tryouts under the name Chad Powers, Powell plays Russ Holliday, a quarterback who tries to revive his career by doing the same thing. The series debuts Sept. 30.