Texas Longhorns’ reputation as a cultural program has always exceeded expectations. It’s a people-first university at the end of the day, and much of that credit goes to AD Chris Del Conte. When a Longhorns superfan came out after a long battle with cancer and shared her love for the program, particularly the football team, Del Conte was moved to tears and honored her with one of the highest compliments a Texas fan could ever receive.

“My mom just had a procedure, and yesterday was the first time she could walk after her procedure,” Longhorns superfan Josh Reese tweeted. “Long story short, her breast cancer came back, and she beat it again! She also attended every home game while not feeling well. #hookem!”

Josh Reese shared a picture of his mama throwing the ‘Hook ’em’ hand sign after beating breast cancer not once, but twice. He also shared an update that she was walking again for the first time after a recent medical procedure. Even though she was going through intense treatments every now and then and not feeling her best, she never let her spirit get the best of her. In fact, she never failed to show up for her team by attending every Longhorns home game this season without missing one game at DKR Stadium.

That type of resilience had Longhorns’ athletic director in tears. Within a couple of hours, Del Conte retweeted the post with the highest praise: “Your mom is the epitome of Texas fight🙏🏽🤘🏽,” Del Conte tweeted on X.. If you observe a bit closely, Del Conte is a philanthropist at heart. He loves to spoil people with gifts and amenities. And he has a pretty amazing backstory that explains why he’s so big on giving back and looking after.

He actually grew up on a giant 147-acre ranch in New Mexico that his parents ran as a home for foster kids. Living with over 150 foster siblings taught him early on that life is all about looking out for the people around you. He recently made a super wholesome move by partnering with the Helping Hand Home in Austin. They even put up a bright mural at their playground to honor his dad’s legacy of helping kids in need.

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Del Conte also finds creative ways to make game days help the community. At the Moody Center, he started the $10K for 10K program. When lots of fans come to basketball games, the school donates $1,000 for every 1,000 fans. The money goes to local students through the Neighborhood Longhorns Program. No wonder why he’s appointed AD of the Longhorns. After all, they both are very similar when it comes to going above and beyond for fans and people of Austin.

Texas Longhorns football’s impact on the city of Austin

The Longhorns host a big Cancer Awareness Game every year where things get really personal. Each player picks a friend or family member who has battled the disease and dedicates their entire performance to them. You’ll see the team rocking different colored ribbons on their helmets like pink for breast cancer, yellow for testicular, and purple for everything else.

A huge part of this heart comes from the legacy of Freddie Steinmark, a star safety on the 1969 championship team. He famously lost his leg to bone cancer and passed away shortly afterwards in 1971. Today, there’s a special fund in his name that gives scholarships to athletes who show that same kind of bravery.

Then, on their game days, the team often brings young cancer patients out onto the field for the coin toss. They use a program called “Horns for Hope” to make these kids feel like superstars, giving them game balls and an enormous round of applause from the entire stadium.

The players also do a ton of work off the field. On Friday afternoons before home games, you’ll often find Longhorns stars at Dell Children’s Medical Center hanging out with kids. Not only that, they hand out iPads and fun gadgets to uplift their spirits even if it’s for a minute.

Finally, they don’t stop at cancer. The team also supports kids with all kinds of physical or intellectual challenges through a program called “Bevo’s Buddies. Their job is to get tickets to see the games in person. They also partner up with groups like the Children’s Miracle Foundation to raise money for medical research. Basically, the Longhorns are doing everything and anything to help someone feel special.