Olen Underwood
| No. 54, 56, 50 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker, Defensive End |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 25, 1942 Holly Grove, Texas, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Channelview (TX)[1] |
| College: | Texas |
| NFL draft: | 1965 / round: 14 / pick: 183 |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Olen Ulesus Underwood (born May 25, 1942) is a former American college and professional football player and judge.
Underwood played Defensive End at the University of Texas at Austin from 1962 to 1964. He helped the Longhorns win the National Championship in 1963 and was a first-team all-Southwest Conference selection in 1964, when the Longhorns upset #1 Alabama in the 1965 Orange Bowl and finished ranked 5th.[2]
In 2003 he was named to the Texas Longhorn Hall of Honor.[2]
He was drafted and signed by the New York Giants in the 14th Round of the 1965 NFL Draft (183rd overall).[3] He played linebacker for the Giants for one year, but didn't finish the season following a knee injury. He then played the same position in the American Football League (AFL) for the Houston Oilers, after a brief time on the Atlanta Falcons roster,[4] from 1966 through 1969, including the 1967 AFL Championship Game. He stayed with the Oilers after the NLF-AFL merger, but in 1971 he played for the Denver Broncos.
While he was still in the NFL, Underwood attended law school at the University of Houston, and after his NFL career was over he started practicing law in the Houston area.
In 1981, Bill Clements appointed Underwood to the bench of the newly created 284th District Court for the State of Texas, a position he held until 2005, winning re-election six times without ever having an opponent.
In 1996, he was appointed by then Governor George W. Bush to be the presiding judge of the Second Administrative Judicial Region of Texas.[5] He has been re-appointed to that position many times since then.[6]
Underwood's daughter, Nancilea Foster competed in diving at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
See also
References
- ^ "Channelview (CHS) Class of 1960 Alumni List". Channelview High School. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
- ^ a b "Olen Underwood HOH". Retrieved February 6, 2025.
- ^ "Olen Underwood". Retrieved February 6, 2025.
- ^ "Oilers Activate Four For Bills". The Baltimore Sun. September 24, 1966.
- ^ Thackeray, Sue (July 1, 2005). "Olen Underwood to retire as judge". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
- ^ "Governor Abbott Reappoints Underwood Presiding Judge Of The Second Administrative Judicial Region". Retrieved February 6, 2025.