TCU Football: Remember The Alamo Bowl

The new book by Jim Reeves is a must-read for any Horned Frog fan

© Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

It was one of the most epic football games in TCU history and college bowl game history. The 2016 Alamo Bowl was one of the craziest bowl games ever played - #11 TCU (10-2) vs. #15 Oregon (9-3) in what was billed as the best game of the bowl season outside of the CFP and NY6 games that year.

You know the story. Frogs were a slight favorite going into the game. Vegas had the line at Frogs -1.5. Then the star of the TCU offense, Trevone Boykin, gets sent home after a brawl in a San Antonio bar. Suddenly, the line changed to Oregon -7.0. Backup quarterback Bram Kohlhausen gets the start for the Frogs. The first half was just horrible. Oregon takes a 31-0 lead at halftime. TCU head coach Gary Patterson notoriously takes off the black shirt and comes back out for the second half wearing a purple shirt. Kohlhausen then leads the most incredible comeback ever seen. TCU wins the game 47-41 in triple overtime.

Jim Reeves, an award-winning sports reporter and columnist at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for over four decades, has written a new book that captures the story of that game from Kohlhausen’s perspective. The book, Remember the Alamo Bowl, is a must-read for any Horned Frog fan.

The book is a quick, easy read and tells the story of how Kohlhausen became the underdog hero of the epic game. You learn about his tumultuous college career that took from the University of Houston to Los Angeles Harbor College and back to TCU, where he was Boykin’s backup for two seasons. Reeves does a great job of telling the story. If you were at the game or watched it on television, just reading the book takes you back to the emotions of that night. You thought your heart was beating fast on January 2, 2016? Even though you know the result, it will beat just as fast as you read this story. Kohlhausen made some mistakes coming out of high school and at each stop in his college career. Reeves doesn’t hold back and paints an accurate picture. Yet, the book is still captivating as you read.

On August 16, KillerFrogs sponsored a book signing where both Reeves and Kohlhausen were present and signing copies of the book. “Jim is the only person I trusted to tell the story correctly,” said Kohlhausen when discussing his thoughts on the book. “It was a pleasure working with Jim throughout the process, and I hope this redemption story is able to impact people’s lives in the right way.”

Barry Lewis

Ryann Zeller

Barry Lewis

Barry Lewis

Author Jim Reeves, Bram Kohlhausen, and publisher Barry Shlachter

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Barry Lewis

Ryann Zeller

"The book would not have worked except for how candid, and forthcoming Bram and his family were,” said Reeves. “Bram was able to make an honest appraisal of where his career had gone wrong and the things he'd done to contribute to that. His mom, his brothers Dash and Gareth, were the same. They pulled no punches, made no excuses.”

“I quickly realized that the story wasn't just about a football's team incredible comeback in a nationally televised bowl game,” Reeves continued. “It was also the story of a rather amazing comeback by Bram himself on a personal level. He had matured and learned from his mistakes. That's what put him in position to step up when Trevone Boykin was suspended. It's what allowed him to have the poise and belief in himself when he found himself down 31-0 at halftime of the Alamo Bowl. He was at the right place, at the right time in history to put an exclamation point on a true redemption story."

The book is available at major booksellers, online, and at the TCU Campus Store. Look for another book signing with Reeves and Kohlhausen at an upcoming TCU football game. You can order the book here as well. 

Also, if you are attending KillerFrogs’ “State of the Frogdom” on Friday, August 26, your ticket to the event will include an autographed copy of the book. Buy your tickets to the event here.

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