Heisman candidate Eric Metcalf is on the front cover, Butkus Award candidate Britt Hager is on the back cover.
The Longhorns finished the season with a 4-7 record. Texas finished with a 2–5 record in conference play. Few years have been as bad as the 1988 season at Texas. In fact, at 4-7, the 1988 season is tied with the dreadful 1997 campaign as the worst season since the hiring of Darrell Royal. The Longhorns had one of the best do-it-all running backs in program history, Eric Metcalf, and the all-time leading tackler in program history on the roster, Britt Hager, but couldn’t make a bowl game. There would be no bowl game for Texas in 1988.
Metcalf, however, would be named an All-American and was drafted No. 13 in the 1989 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He went on to become one the league’s greatest special teams players. He was a three-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, returning 12 kicks for touchdowns in his career.He is one of two players in NFL history to return two punts for touchdowns in a single game.
Hager set the all-time single season Texas tackles record in 1988, recording 195. He is still the all-time leader in tackles with 499 total. Hager was taken in the third round, No. 81 overall, in the same draft as Metcalf by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Metcalf played until 2002, while Hager’s career ended in 1997.