#UTCountdown: Celebrating the Best of UT Austin on the Way to Kickoff

We’ve waited (at least) 100 days for kickoff to arrive, and now it’s finally here.

To get excited for the season and get ready for kickoff, we’ve been celebrating the best of UT Austin off the field.

From astronauts and dinosaurs to world-changing leaders and incredible students, there are plenty of reasons to love UT. 

Take a look back at some of the Longhorns featured in the #UTCountdown and test your knowledge of UT trivia with this 10-question quiz. [Take the quiz.]

52 days until kickoff. 1 more reason to love UT. http://t.co/vOqBPFqrep #UTcountdown pic.twitter.com/EvlsD9RmOx

— UT Austin (@UTAustin) July 15, 2015

35 days to kickoff. UT grad @BillMcRaven is the world’s 35th greatest leader http://t.co/s53c8MJEvl #UTCountdown pic.twitter.com/2oFZ0IszlG

— UT Austin (@UTAustin) August 1, 2015

To Longhorns, the No. 28 represents faith, family, football and legendary player Freddie Steinmark, whose story will be told on movie screens across the country this fall. With 28 days left until the Longhorns kick off the season, we're celebrating Freddie and his inspirational story. The integrity and spirit with which Freddie fought for his team, and eventually for his life, was the impetus for Coach Darrell K Royal fondly bestowing Freddie with the moniker “My All American.” In 1970, Coach Royal and Freddie met with President Richard Nixon at the White House, where Freddie received a special citation for "steadfast faith in God, his country and himself." His story as a Longhorn Legend comes to the big screen on October 9 when “My All American” hits movie theaters nationwide. #UTcountdown is counting the days until the Longhorns kick off football season by celebrating the best of UT off the field. Read more about Freddie at utcountdown.tumblr.com, look for “My All American” at your local theaters and discover how Freddie Steinmark is honored prior to every home game.

A post shared by UT Austin (@utaustintx) on Aug 8, 2015 at 9:18am PDT

18 days until kickoff. 18 colleges and schools on the Forty Acres: http://t.co/YPsUSugBGp #UTCountdown pic.twitter.com/2Lfj6isGVO

— UT Austin (@UTAustin) August 18, 2015

We’re No. 17 worldwide for producing millionaires. That’s a reason to love UT. http://t.co/pOudZTokTP #UTCountdown pic.twitter.com/Uv835NN5V9

— UT Austin (@UTAustin) August 19, 2015

13: The number of days remaining until kickoff. 13: The age of @Bevo_XIV, the best mascot in all of sports. But Bevo isn't just a pretty steer. Did you know he helps raise money for university scholarships and tutoring programs at local elementary schools? And he has attended two presidential inaugurations? He may have even played a key defensive role in a victory against Baylor years ago. Bevo XIV makes as many as 50 appearances annually to help support the Texas Neighborhood Longhorns Program and other philanthropic endeavors. Money donated during photo shoots and events with Bevo support tutoring and mentoring services for 6,000 East Austin children and scholarships for university students. #UTcountdown is counting the days until the Longhorns kick off football season by celebrating the best of UT off the field. Read more about Bevo XIV at utcountdown.tumblr.com.

A post shared by UT Austin (@utaustintx) on Aug 23, 2015 at 9:35am PDT

When asked their occupation, 12 of our alumni reply “astronaut.” And that's not counting Matthew McConaughey for his role in Interstellar. They've walked on the moon, piloted Space Shuttles, lived on the International Space Station and helped implement the next generation of space exploration tools. These 12 astronauts are only some of the Longhorns dreaming beyond infinity. One alumnus lead NASA's historic Pluto flyby earlier this year. UT astronomers helped discover “Earth 2.0.” And with a lot more out-of-this-world space-related projects and research happening on the Forty Acres, maybe we should start saying that What Starts Here Changes the World (and the universe). #UTcountdown is counting the days until the Longhorns kick off football season by celebrating the best of UT off the field. Read more about how Longhorns are changing the world from the Forty Acres to Pluto and beyond at utcountdown.tumblr.com.

A post shared by UT Austin (@utaustintx) on Aug 24, 2015 at 5:57am PDT

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