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In downtown San Antonio, in Alamo Plaza, there is a statue of Teddy Roosevelt on horseback. A wayward tourist might be confused by seeing the 26^th U.S. president presented at the historic Texas battleground. However, T.R. is here not to fight for Texas independence, but fighting for Cuba’s independence in the Spanish-American war with his band of volunteers, the Rough Riders, which were formed in San Antonio.

Currently in this hot climate of tearing down of statues this depiction of Roosevelt is safe, for now. But there’s one in New York City in front of the Museum of Natural History that is not. It’s coming down.

Clay Risen is the author of a new book about Teddy Roosevelt that focuses on his time with the Rough Riders and the impact that experience had on his presidential policy making and the reshaping of American attitudes about military power and the United States place on the world stage.

He writes that when Teddy Roosevelt came to San Antonio and formed the Rough Riders, it set in motion a chain of events that changed the course of American foreign policy and sparked America’s love affair with military might.

The book is “The Crowded Hour – Theodore Roosevelt, The Rough Riders and the Dawn of the American Century.”

David Martin Davies can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter at @DavidMartinDavi.

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Inside Texas is putting a new twist on long-time photographer Will Gallagher’s time-honored countdown to Texas football kickoff. In addition to Will’s great pictures, the Inside Texas staff will go through every player on the roster by jersey number and offer a season outlook on each, from five-star to walk-on.

[Join Inside Texas today and get the best Texas Longhorns insider team info and recruiting intel!]

We’ll also look back at other greats to wear that day’s number, with special reverence to some of Texas’ best.

Today is 46 days until kickoff. No. 46 will be worn by Tausili Akana, a freshman EDGE. Inside Texas previewed Akana before his jersey number was assigned.

Today, we’ll look back at Roosevelt Leaks, a Longhorn legend who wore No. 46.

Roosevelt Leaks, a pivotal figure in UT football history

The Texas Longhorns were 26-8 when Leaks was part of the program. A standout from Brenham (Texas), Leaks’ first season in 1972 included a 230-carry, 1099-yard, eight-touchdown campaign.

He followed that up with an even better year in 1973, finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting behind Ohio State offensive lineman John Hicks, who was the runner up, and running back John Cappelletti, the winner representing Penn State. Leaks rushed 229 times for 1415 yards and 14 touchdowns, figures that lead the Southwest Conference and earned him consensus first-team All-America Honors. Leaks was the first African-American All-American produced by the Longhorn football program.

Injury hampered his 1974 season. Leaks was able to rush 96 times for 409 yards and four touchdowns in 1974, but his 1972 and 1973 success paved the way for one of the best Longhorns to ever wear burnt orange to follow in his footsteps.

Earl Campbell saw Leaks’ success at Texas following the integration of the football program, and it was one of the many factors that led to the Tyler Rose selecting Darrell Royal’s program. Leaks and Campbell even shared a backfield in 1974, a season where Campbell led the team in rushing as a freshman with 928 yards.

Leaks was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1975, and he enjoyed a nine-year NFL career with Baltimore and Buffalo.

Leaks was one of the best to tote the rock for the Longhorns, eventually joining the University of Texas Hall of Honor in 1985. He is an important figure in Longhorn history, not only for his on-field exploits between the lines, but also his achievements outside of them.

Tausili Akana season outlook

Akana, the younger brother of Texas volleyball national champion Keonilei Akana, chose the Longhorns in a bit of a surprise (according to the RPM) over Oklahoma. That decision led to one of the strongest tweets of the 2023 cycle.

Though ranked as a linebacker and despite playing off-the-ball during the 2023 All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Akana will have a unique role for him at Texas. When recruiting Akana, Pete Kwiatkowski and Texas labeled his future position as a DPR, or designated pass rusher. That likely means Akana will be a specialty player asked to get after the quarterback on passing downs when his opportunity for playing time arrives.

“Coming off the edge, sealing the edge, and just going to get the quarterback is one thing I love,” Akana said in January. “Playing into space is another thing I like to do. A lot of O-linemen look at me and they’re like, ’oh, who is this guy? He’s kind of skinny for a D-lineman.’ But once I get out there, I tear things up.”

Akana mentioned that Steve Sarkisian was the only head coach who made the trip to Hawaii to visit his family. Plus, as Jake Langi mentioned, Kwiatkowski and Jeff Choate have strong reputations in Hawaii and among the Polynesian community on the islands and on the West Coast.

Akana had a successful career playing for Lehi (Utah) Skyridge, winning a state championship during his senior year. He’ll need to add plenty of bulk to his light frame, but Akana has a role carved out for him whenever he’s ready for extended action.

Tausili Akana as a recruit

Akana was ranked as the No. 131 overall prospect, the No. 12 linebacker, and the No. 2 prospect in Utah according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. On3 ranked Akana as the No. 33 linebacker and the No. 3 player in Utah.

Recent player to wear No. 46: Malik Jefferson

Jefferson played in 33 games with 29 career starts before declaring for the NFL Draft after the 2017 season. He was named Big 12 Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year in and first team All-Big 12 in 2017, the same season he was a second team All-American (Associated Press, Sporting News) and a 2017 Butkus Award semifinalist.

Jefferson was named second team All-Big 12 at linebacker by the Associated Press in 2016 and was also a semifinalist for the 2016 Butkus Award. He earned freshman All-America honors in 2015 and was named honorable mention All-Big 12 and Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.

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All-Americans to wear No. 46

Joseph Ossai, JACK, 2020

Malik Jefferson. LB, 2017

Roosevelt Leaks, RB, 1972 and 1973

Steve Habel co-authored this article.

The dining facility went quiet, Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe had the trophy in hand. The commanding general tried to look serious, and for a second the assembled culinary team held their collective breath. He couldn’t help but smile though, and when he did, the team knew what was coming next.

“Ai-ee-yah!” shouted the crowd. The entire cafeteria erupted in applause. They had done it, the hours of planning and preparation had all been worth it. The 3rd Cavalry Regiment team at Theodore Roosevelt Warrior Restaurant won the annual Thanksgiving culinary competition at Ft. Hood, Texas, on Nov. 22, 2022.

“They did so much work,” said Master Sgt. Jigna P. Steward, the Warrior Restaurant’s senior enlisted culinary specialist. “Hours and hours and hours of work. They used their hearts and their skills and a lot of training and then they made it happen.”

“It makes me really, really proud,” Steward said.

Five dining facilities participated in the competition and each one had chosen a theme to wow the judges. This year’s themes included churrascaria, football, a glamorous casino and The Peanuts. Despite the eclectic mix of themes one thing that the judges and Soldiers found to be consistent was the food.

“I don’t know who put all this together but it’s amazing,” said Maj. Leif Vestermark from 1st Medical Brigade while dining.

Vestermark, who was enjoying the spread with his NCOs, had moved on to dessert but his sergeants were just digging in.

“The turkey is so good,” said Staff Sgt. Laura Alvarez, who also works at 1st Medical Brigade, who was sampling some turkey while also enjoying a plate of collard greens and baked macaroni and cheese.

Bernabe, who led the delegation of judges alongside Maj. Gen. Michael Keating, III Armored Corps deputy commanding general-support, Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, III Armored Corps deputy commanding general-maneuver, Command Sergeant Maj. Cliff Burgoyne, the III Armored Corps Sgt. Major and several others agreed with the sentiment, especially after eating five Thanksgiving dinners in a row.

“What we saw out here was excellence,” Bernabe said. “These kinds of competitions are all about caring, and providing the best possible. They provided a great Thanksgiving meal.”

The commanding general remarked that he found the winning dining facility’s theme, football, to be well thought out, and well executed. He found the centerpiece, a fully edible miniature football stadium, sculpted from puffed rice, marshmallow and fondant to be particularly impressive. What really set the 3rd Cav team apart though, according to the general, was something far more modest.

“It was a close competition,” Bernabe said. “Ultimately, like with many things, it comes down to leadership. You can see it in here, at every level from the top, down the middle and to the youngest leaders and that’s the key to their success.”

Before Bernabe left to crown the runners-up at the 1st Cavalry Division, he paused to express his gratitude to the community for the quality of the competition.

“To all the Soldiers here at Ft. Hood,” said Bernabe, ''I'm lucky to be a part of this team.”

One thing is for certain, there will be a team from the South Plains playing in the high school football state semifinals next week. There could be two.

With that in mind, here's a look at who's waiting on the other side. In the interest of not getting ahead of myself, I'll save any potential Lubbock-Cooper semifinal preview material for next week.

Roosevelt (13-0) and Abernathy (12-1) tangle once again Friday after the Eagles won a 58-56 thriller during district play Oct. 22. This time, it's for the Region I-3A Division II championship. If it's anything like the first meeting, the fans at Jones AT&T Stadium are in for a doozy.

Making history:Trinity Christian football gets state semifinal win over Lubbock Christian

I don't know if there's a favorite in the Region II final, but I'd give Gunter a slight edge if I had to pick. The Tigers (13-0), the defending regional champion, take on fellow unbeaten Holliday (13-0). For what it's worth, Gunter finished No. 2 in the final state rankings and the Eagles were No. 4. Then again, Childress was in between them and lost in the first round, so take those numbers with a grain of salt.

It's the sixth consecutive trip to the state quarterfinals for Gunter, which won the 2019 title. The Tigers also won the state championship in 2016 and reached the title game in 2017. All that to say, it's a program that won't be intimidated by the bright lights.

Neither will Holliday. The Eagles have reached this round in two of the past three seasons. And they'd love to exact some revenge.

High school football playoff:South Plains pairings, results

Gunter eliminated Holliday in three consecutive years from 2017-19, including in the regional final the latter two seasons.

This year's Tigers are doing what Gunter does. The pistol offense, led by quarterback and Texas Tech commit Hudson Graham, averages 53.4 points per game. The team has scored at least 41 in all but one game, when it scored 28 in a 22-point win over Whitesboro, still alive itself in 3A D-I.

The Tigers have scored 62 points in each of their first three playoff games. But the defense has been doing its share, too.

The 20 points allowed in Gunter's third-round win over Dublin last week were the most all season. Seven times this year the Tigers have allowed seven points or fewer.

Holliday got past Bells 21-14 in the regional semifinals. The Eagles defense has proven to be stout, allowing 12.1 points per game. The team gave up its most points two weeks ago in a 35-28 win over Leonard.

Lone Star Varsity Athletes of the Week:Frenship's Holder, Roosevelt's Gensler

So Holliday is certainly battle-tested, too. The Eagles have been in tight contests and come out on top. Gunter hasn't been pushed in that way.

The Tigers have won every game by at least three scores, and their closest game was nearly three months ago. That speaks to the dominance of Gunter, but it would be interesting to see how the team reacts if Holliday is able to stay in the game late.

And if you're into things like comparing results against common opponents, the Tigers beat district mate Bells 41-14 on Sept. 30. The Eagles actually beat Bells twice, the first time was 27-14 on Sept. 17.

What's described as President Teddy Roosevelt’s favorite shotgun will go on display starting next week at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon.

A ribbon cutting for the artifact, considered to be the most historic and important shotgun known to exist, will take place at 10 a.m. May 28 in the museum’s Pioneer Hall at 2503 4th Avenue, Canyon. The firearm is on loan from the Jason Roselius Trust. Members of the Roselius family will be present for the ribbon cutting.

Roselius, a native of Panhandle, graduated from West Texas A&M University with degrees in history and political science, and from the University of Oklahoma Law School. He purchased the shotgun in 2010 for $862,500, setting a record for the most expensive shotgun ever sold at auction.

According to Roselius family, it was Jason’s intention the shotgun be displayed where the residents of the Texas Panhandle would be able to see and enjoy it. Following Roselius’ death in an accidental drowning in January 2018, members of his family initiated efforts for the shotgun to be placed on display at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, on the campus of the university he loved, according to his father, Jay Roselius.

The Fox “F” Grade double barreled shotgun was presented to Roosevelt by the president of the Fox Gun Company and bears the inscription “Made Expressly for Hon. Theodore Roosevelt.”

Roosevelt used the shotgun on his well-documented 1909 African safari, the most famous of all African safaris, and told friends it was “the finest and most beautiful gun” he’d seen. The shotgun features intricate scroll work, oak leaves and a gold inlaid hunting dog on each side of the frame.

“We are extremely excited to have this shotgun on loan to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum,” said Carol Lovelady, the museum's director. “PPHM has long been known for having the best gun collection in Texas, but with the arrival of Teddy Roosevelt’s shotgun – considered a national treasure – the museum has become a destination for history buffs, gun collectors and Roosevelt scholars.”

The shotgun will be on display in PPHM’s Pioneer Hall for the summer and possibly longer, per the terms of the loan agreement with the Roselius family.