Larry Brogdon drove his ’55 Chevy from California to Fort Worth to claim a Horned Frog football scholarship. Quarterback of the freshman team, he was at practice one day when he looked up to see an imposing man crouching at the sidelines, holding a pipe and intently observing the play.

“I want to introduce you to my dad,” said Steve Howell, one of the team’s receivers, leading Mr. Brogdon to the sidelines. It was the beginning of a relationship that would last more than three decades.