Texas DE Breckyn Hager to wear No. 60 in tribute to Tommy Nobis

The motor of Texas Longhorns junior defensive end Breckyn Hager never stops — nor does it even slow down — but the Westlake product will have a little bit of extra motivation on Wednesday evening in the Texas Bowl against the Missouri Tigers.

On Tuesday, Texas head coach Tom Herman spoke with the widow of legendary linebacker Tommy Nobis, who passed away two weeks ago, in order to secure permission for Hager to wear the No. 60 that Nobis sported at Texas.

Though the number is retired, it’s worn every once in a while for a special occasion. And Hager is an easy choice to wear it, as his father, Britt, also wore No. 60 when he was an All-American for the Longhorns from 1984-88.

“It is a huge honor to have the chance to wear Tommy Nobis’ number 60 on Wednesday night,” Hager said. “Growing up, my dad constantly talked about Nobis being the standard of Texas football, and also the importance of the 60 jersey that he wore so proudly throughout his career. Mr. Nobis set the standard at The University of Texas and I am truly honored to have the chance to wear it in honor of him and his family during the Texas Bowl.”

Linebacker Derrick Johnson was the last Texas player to wear the number back in 2004 against Texas A&M on Senior Night.

The team will also have No. 60 decals on their helmets this evening.