Ted Constanzo
| Texas Longhorns – No. 12 | |
|---|---|
| Position | QB, P |
| Class | 1979 |
| Career history | |
| College | Texas (1975–1979) |
| Bowl games |
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| High school | Churchill |
| Personal information | |
| Height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Weight | 420 lb (191 kg) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Ted Louis Constanzo (born c. 1956) is an American former football player who started as quarterback and later at punter for the Texas Longhorns in the late 1970s.
Ted Constanzo was a star quarterback at Churchill High School in San Antonio. He quarterbacked his team for two years, earning player-of-the-week, all-district and, in 1974, all state honors. He was also the team's punter. He played in the 1974 Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star game and won the Thom McAn award as the city's outstanding high school football player. He had a strong arm and was a blue-chip college recruit for his passing.
Constanzo was an all-around athlete, who was also a star of the track and field team where he competed in, among other things, the pole vault, and he lettered in both baseball and basketball.
Ted Constanzo arrived at Texas at 1975 and immediately moved into the role of backup to Marty Akins because Mike Presley, who backed up Akins in 1974, had decided to leave football to focus on his education. He gained experience in blow-out wins over Colorado State, Utah State and Rice, replacing Akins late in all three games. Late in the season, he was pressed into duty against TCU when Akins hurt his knee. He led the number 7 Longhorns to a win, but he had difficulty handling the Wishbone offense. Two weeks later, he again replaced Akins when Akins re-injured his knee early in the second quarter against number 2, undefeated Texas A&M. The Longhorns kept it close, but Constanzo threw 3 interceptions in a 20–10 loss.
Akins graduated and in spring 1976 Constanzo was named the starter for the next season. Royal also considered him the starter during summer practice. However, just before the season started he was beat out for the starting position by Mike Cordaro, primarily because of Cordaro's speed. He backed Cordaro up for most of the season, playing late in a blowout win over Rice. His first chance to regain the starting position came against Texas Tech, when he took over for Cardoro in the first quarter. Despite losing Earl Campbell before halftime he was twice able to help Texas retake the lead, but Texas couldn't hold on and lost, 31–28. Constanzo played well enough to earn his only career start at quarterback the next week in a 30–0 loss to Houston in which he shared quarterback duties with Cordaro. The following week, they were both benched in favor of freshman Mark McBath.
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