Duke Carlisle

Emmett Augustus "Duke" Carlisle III was an American college football quarterback and defensive back who started for the Texas Longhorns and led the program to its first national championship in 1963. He died on 2 October 2026 in Lockhart, Texas, at age 84 after a seven-year battle with lung cancer.

Carlisle was born on 13 December 1941 in Kaufman, Texas, and moved to Athens, Texas, in 1955. He was called Duke to distinguish him from his father and grandfather, both named Emmett. At Athens High School he played quarterback and led his team to three consecutive district titles and a state quarterfinal appearance as a junior. He arrived at the University of Texas in 1960 and played on an undefeated freshman team before varsity seasons from 1961 to 1963 under coach Darrell Royal.

As a sophomore he started at safety and saw limited time at quarterback. In 1962 he started every game on defense and made key contributions, including an interception that sealed a win over Arkansas. In 1963 he took over as starting quarterback, earned second-team All-Southwest Conference honors, and guided Texas to an 11-0 season and the school's first football national title. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated after a Red River win over Oklahoma, made a game-saving end-zone interception against Baylor while playing safety for a single series, and scored a late game-winning touchdown against Texas A&M. He was named Team MVP and Academic All-American, and finished fifth in Heisman voting within the Southwest region.

In his final game, the 1964 Cotton Bowl against Navy and Heisman winner Roger Staubach, Carlisle threw touchdown passes of 58 and 63 yards to Phil Harris, added a rushing touchdown, and finished with 267 all-purpose yards. He was named Outstanding Back and set a then NCAA bowl record of 30.4 yards per completion, a Cotton Bowl mark he still holds. His record as a Texas starting quarterback was a perfect 12-0.

The Green Bay Packers drafted him in the fifth round of the 1964 NFL Draft and the Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the AFL draft. After a brief Packers camp and a season on the Dallas Cowboys taxi squad, an injury ended his pro career. He returned to Texas for an MBA, served in the Army Medical Service Corps in Germany, worked as an investment banker with Merrill Lynch in New York and Dallas from 1969 to 1973, and later joined the oil business in McComb, Mississippi. He was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1979 and the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2008 Athens High School named its field house for him. He authored Longhorns and Tall Tales about life around the championship years.

Carlisle was preceded in death by his parents, Eloise and Emmett Carlisle Jr. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Emily Alford Carlisle; daughters Kathy Carlisle Asher and Eloise Carlisle Terry; and brother Todd Carlisle. The Houston Chronicle and University of Texas Athletics reported his death on 2 October 2026. A celebration of life was planned for later that month.