Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
Texas coach Mack Brown had a surprise for fans and the media who attended his team's open practice Wednesday night in Austin.
The Longhorns' helmets for 2009 have a small yellow ribbon on the back of the helmet that is a tribute to United States service men and women.
Brown said he got the inspiration for the display of support after his trip to visit U.S. troops in the Middle East and Europe earlier this year.
"When I got back from our trip to visit the troops in Germany and in the Middle East, we started thinking about what we could do to show our support for them," Brown said. "One of the things the other coaches and I realized on our trip was the number of lives that were touched, not just those of our service men and women, but the families who are left here at home while they fight for us."
That idea was an inspiration for Brown to place the sticker on his team's helmets.
"Our players will respectfully wear a small yellow ribbon on the back of their helmets," Brown said. "Those men and women over there risk their lives daily to fight for our freedom, so that we can enjoy playing a game like football. They don't get days off, so the ribbon is a symbol for them.
"It is our way of saying thanks to them and their families, and that we will constantly keep them in our thoughts. It reflects our hopes and prayers that they all return safely."
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