Hook ’em Horns is a hand signal and chant among U Texas at Austin faithful. Used frequently, especially at sporting events. How did it start?
Courtesy UT History Corner
In 1955, Harley Clark, who would later introduce the signal, got the idea for the hand sign from colleagues Tom Butts and Henry K. Pitts. Clark was a member of the Tejas Club and head cheerleader at UT. That position was elected by the student body.
At a pep rally at Gregory Gym on the Texas campus, Clark had flashed the sign to the student body. It was the pep rally of the Texas Longhorns vs. the TCU football game in 1955. During the game, Clark stood as he saw the crowd do the Hook ’em Horns sign surge from one side of the stadium to the other. It caught on.
Courtesy YouTube
In a few years, the symbol was widely known to football fans across the state and country. Sports Illustrated featured the sign symbol in front of a Texas pennant on the cover of their September 10, 1973 issue.
The Hook ’em Horns has been featured throughout the decades. Everyone from celebrities like Matthew McConaughey to George W. Bush. A statue of a musician displaying the hand gesture is located on the Texas campus in Austin.
