Peter Gardere
Encyclopedia
Peter Alexander Gardere is a former American football
quarterback
, famous for his four-year tenure as Texas Longhorns
quarterback in the late 1980s/early 1990s.
Born in Houston, Texas
in 1969, he is both the son and grandson of varsity football players at UT-Austin. Gardere was recruited by coach David McWilliams, himself a UT football player in the early 1960s, to be the starting quarterback for the University of Texas Longhorns from 1989–1992. Gardere ran a pro-style offense while at UT, and ranks 4th all time among Longhorn quarterbacks (and 6th in Southwest Conference history) in career passing yards with 7,396. Gardere is also tied for 6th in career wins (25) for the University of Texas with James Brown.
At Houston Robert E. Lee High School, Gardere passed for nearly 4000 yards, leading the Generals to winning campaigns in 2 of his 3 starting seasons there. While at Houston Lee High School, he was selected MVP of the Houston region (1987), and won All State honors as a punter and a place kicker. In May, 2010, he was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame, in Waco, Texas
. At his alma mater, he was inducted into the "Robert E. Lee Hall of Honor" by unanimous vote of the alumni committee, in December, 2010.
Nicknamed "Peter the Great" by Longhorn fans, Gardere is worshiped by UT and reviled by OU
fans, as he remains the only starting quarterback on either side of the Red River Rivalry
in the 100 year history of the series to have won 4 consecutive games against the other team.
During the 1989 season
Gardere was a freshman at the University of Texas. That season, Gardere threw 5 touchdowns and 13 interceptions with a completion percentage of 57.5. 1989 was a down year by University of Texas standards relative to their typical levels of success, as they finished 5-6 with a 4-4 record in the Southwest Conference, finishing tied for fifth with Baylor. The season included losses to Texas Tech, Houston, Texas A&M, and Colorado among others. The season did have bright moments, however, as Gardere defeated #15 Oklahoma in the annual Red River Shootout and led the team to a win against #7 Arkansas in Fayetteville in consecutive weeks. Gardere performed well in these games, combining to go 31–43 passing with two passing touchdowns against one interception.
Gardere led the Longhorns to the 1990 SWC title and the 1991 Cotton Bowl, where the Longhorns lost to Miami 46–3. After graduation in 1992, having passed on the MLB baseball draft offers made to him, he tried out for NFL teams in Seattle
and New Orleans
. He punted in the Canadian Football League
for several seasons, and played in both California and Tennessee before retiring from football in 1996. Gardere was the passing coach and stand-in for stars James Van Der Beek
and Scott Walker
in the 1999 movie Varsity Blues
, filmed in Austin.
He is a commercial real estate
portfolio manager in Austin, Texas.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, famous for his four-year tenure as Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
quarterback in the late 1980s/early 1990s.
Born in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
in 1969, he is both the son and grandson of varsity football players at UT-Austin. Gardere was recruited by coach David McWilliams, himself a UT football player in the early 1960s, to be the starting quarterback for the University of Texas Longhorns from 1989–1992. Gardere ran a pro-style offense while at UT, and ranks 4th all time among Longhorn quarterbacks (and 6th in Southwest Conference history) in career passing yards with 7,396. Gardere is also tied for 6th in career wins (25) for the University of Texas with James Brown.
At Houston Robert E. Lee High School, Gardere passed for nearly 4000 yards, leading the Generals to winning campaigns in 2 of his 3 starting seasons there. While at Houston Lee High School, he was selected MVP of the Houston region (1987), and won All State honors as a punter and a place kicker. In May, 2010, he was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame, in Waco, Texas
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
. At his alma mater, he was inducted into the "Robert E. Lee Hall of Honor" by unanimous vote of the alumni committee, in December, 2010.
Nicknamed "Peter the Great" by Longhorn fans, Gardere is worshiped by UT and reviled by OU
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
fans, as he remains the only starting quarterback on either side of the Red River Rivalry
Red River Rivalry
The Red River Rivalry, commonly known as the OU-Texas Game or Texas-OU Game, is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Oklahoma Sooners football team of the University of Oklahoma and the Texas Longhorns football team of the University of Texas. The series is considered...
in the 100 year history of the series to have won 4 consecutive games against the other team.
During the 1989 season
1989 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Miami winning its third National Championship during the 80s, cementing its claim as the decade's top team, winning more titles than any other program....
Gardere was a freshman at the University of Texas. That season, Gardere threw 5 touchdowns and 13 interceptions with a completion percentage of 57.5. 1989 was a down year by University of Texas standards relative to their typical levels of success, as they finished 5-6 with a 4-4 record in the Southwest Conference, finishing tied for fifth with Baylor. The season included losses to Texas Tech, Houston, Texas A&M, and Colorado among others. The season did have bright moments, however, as Gardere defeated #15 Oklahoma in the annual Red River Shootout and led the team to a win against #7 Arkansas in Fayetteville in consecutive weeks. Gardere performed well in these games, combining to go 31–43 passing with two passing touchdowns against one interception.
Gardere led the Longhorns to the 1990 SWC title and the 1991 Cotton Bowl, where the Longhorns lost to Miami 46–3. After graduation in 1992, having passed on the MLB baseball draft offers made to him, he tried out for NFL teams in Seattle
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
and New Orleans
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. He punted in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
for several seasons, and played in both California and Tennessee before retiring from football in 1996. Gardere was the passing coach and stand-in for stars James Van Der Beek
James Van Der Beek
James William Van Der Beek, Jr. is an American television, film, and stage actor, known for his portrayal of Dawson Leery in The WB series Dawson's Creek...
and Scott Walker
Scott Walker
Scott Walker may refer to:*Scott Walker , Governor of Wisconsin, and former county executive of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin*Scott Walker , boxer...
in the 1999 movie Varsity Blues
Varsity Blues (film)
Varsity Blues is a 1999 American drama/sport film directed by Brian Robbins that follows a small-town high school football team and their overbearing coach through a tumultuous season. The players must deal with the pressures of adolescence and their football obsessed community while having their...
, filmed in Austin.
He is a commercial real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
portfolio manager in Austin, Texas.