:Is there a rallying cry for the thinkers and doers of tomorrow? A motto that sums up their passion for creativity and their pursuit of discovery? Sure there is: "Hook 'em, Horns". The advertisement is one of nine ads that make up the "What Starts Here Changes the World" campaign, all of which are narrated by university alumnus Walter Cronkite. ] Beginning in 2004, The University of Texas has featured the slogan in a television advertisement titled "Rallying Cry". That title was usurped shortly thereafter as the Longhorns proceeded to lose their very next game (Miami-20, UT-13), followed a few weeks later by a drubbing from the University of Oklahoma (OU-52, UT-13). 1 - Hook 'em Horns! | journal=Sports Illustrated | date=] That issue of the magazine highlighted the Texas football program as the best in the nation at that time. Sports Illustrated featured the Hook 'em Horns symbol in front of a Texas pennant on the cover of their 10 September 1973 issue (pictured). Within a few years, the symbol was widely known to football fans across the state and country. UT went on to lose that game to the Jim Swink led TCU Horned Frogs 47 to 20. TCU football game, Clark stood in awe as the "Hook 'em Horns" hand sign surged from one side of the stadium to the other. By the thousands, students extended an arm to create the now famous salute. October 21, 2005.] but it caught on rapidly from there. According to Neal Spelce, who attended the rally when he was a student at the university, "a lot of people didn't get it right at first," " The Daily Texan". Clark showed an enthusiastic student body the sign a few nights later at a football pep rally at Gregory Gym. "Texas Traditions".] In addition, the " gig 'em" thumbs up hand signal created by archrival Texas A&M University twenty five years earlier was growing in popularity across the state and a similar hand signal was desired by the University of Texas. "Mack Brown-Texas Football".] Clark got the idea for the hand-sign from his colleague Henry Pitts, who had been casting shadows on the wall at the Texas Union. "It was second only in importance to the Texas governor," he jokes.
Clark was head cheerleader at the university, a position that was elected by the student body. Harley Clark introduced the Hook 'em Horns sign in 1955. A variant of the Horns, formed upside down, is often used by rivals of the Longhorns and is considered insulting, especially when performed by a player or coach of the team in question. It is one of the most recognized hand signals of all American universities. The sign is often seen at sporting events, during the playing of the school song " The Eyes of Texas", cite news | url= | title=Lady Bird Johnson Funeral - The Eyes of Texas | accessdate=] and during the playing of the school fight song " Texas Fight". The arm is usually extended, but the sign can also be given with the arm bent at the elbow.
The sign is made by extending the index and pinky fingers while grasping the second and third fingers with the thumb. The gesture is meant to approximate the shape of the head and horns of the university mascot, the Texas longhorn steer Bevo. Students and alumni of the university employ a greeting consisting of the phrase "Hook 'em" or "Hook 'em Horns" and also use the phrase as a parting good-bye or as the closing line in a letter or story. Hook 'em Horns is the slogan and hand signal of The University of Texas at Austin.