Two University of Texas walk-ons were surprised with scholarships this week.
Longhorn football starts Sept. 1, but the team is making sure players who work hard during fall camp are rewarded.
It started with 2016 walk-on Jarmarquis Durst being rewarded a scholarship on Thursday.
Durst was talking to the team about a humanitarian trip to Jamaica he took with offensive lineman Patrick Hudson and Soles4Souls when he was told his senior year would be paid in full. The team erupted and rushed Durst to congratulate him.
A teary-eyed Durst thanked his teammates and coach Tom Herman. "I wasn't supposed to be right here today in front of y'all, I wasn't supposed to be here... so many people wrote me off, they wrote me off," Durst said. "Just to be here, I'm so thankful. I'm thankful to the staff, I thankful for everybody in here. Y'all make me love being here every day."
The second scholarship surprise went to walk-on wide receiver Phillipp Moeller who hails from Plano.
Moeller spent the summer interning for wide receivers coach Corby Meekins' brother at a hedge fund group and made an impact off the field that matched his hard work on the field.
Marty Meekins spoke to the team about Moeller's internship and then dropped the news that the coaching staff thought he was worthy of a scholarship -- the news was met with a loud cheering from his teammates.
"Really all I have wanted since I have got here is your guys' respect and to matter," a tearful Moeller told his teammates afterwards. "I just want to make my family proud and you guys. I love you guys so much, you guys took me in. You guys treat me with respect and that means to much to me. I love you guys.”
The Texas Longhorns take on Maryland at noon on Sept. 1. The team's first home game is Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. against Tulsa.
