Greg Tepper previews this years release of Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine

Dave Campebell's Texas Football Magazine or as some call it "The Bible" is almost on the bookshelves. Greg Tepper, the managing editor of the magazine, joins the program to discuss the release with Craig, all the behind scenes work, and an early preview of the 2024-25 season.

Episode Transcript

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Back to the Craig Ways. Connectwith Craig through the text line by texte
in Texas to eight one five threezero, followed by your message. Standard
message and data rates may applock.I mentioned earlier in the program that these

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mile these signposts, mile markers ifyou will, that were just around the
corner from football season. Two ofthe earlier ones always are in the past,
Big twelve now for Texas SEC MediaDays. Big twelve Media Days are
going on right now in Las Vegas. Incidentally, SEC Media Days will be

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next week in Dallas. Will beup there at the Omni in downtown Dallas
for SEC Media Days, and thenthe Texas High School Coaches Association's Annual Coaching
School on the tail end of thatthe weekend following into the next week.
Those are two signposts. The othersure sign that football is just around the
corner is the annual publication of DaveCampbell's Texas Football magazine. It really truly

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does kick off in the minds ofmillions over the years. The sense that
football is just around the corner.Toward that end and back to join us
for another season. Is the managingeditor of Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine also
certainly a broadcast partner of mine.A co host along with Aaron Hartigan on

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the High School Scoreboard Live is theone and only Greg Tepper who joins us
Okay tep this just to make myselffeel even older. The first year of
the magazine was nineteen sixty, theyear I was born. And looking at
the mockup of it or the printof it there on the Texas Football website,
it has Jack Collins of course,the former Highland Parks stand Out and

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the Texas Long Worn and it saysfive one hundred and seventy four Texas school
Boys teams, the boys to watchfive hundred and seventy four. And then
you look at this year's cover.We're in the upper right corner. Do
you proudly point out fifteen hundred plushigh schools previewed? And it just then
makes you catch your breath? Right, yeah, I think the number is

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like fifteen oh four. It's justsomething, right if you're instance for those
who are the kind of people thatkeep track of these things things it is
right over the fifteen hundred marks.So it's not exactly you know, we're
not talking sixteen hundred because when itget sixteen hundred, you better believe we're
going to change that number. Butyeah, it is a little there's been
some growth. And then you goback to that's on the high school side,

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think about the college side. Imean, Dave essentially launched this magazine,
as you know, as a loveletter to the Southwest Conference and at
one point was doing Dave Campbell's ArkansasFootball. And the good news for him
upstairs is that, well, Texasand Arkansas will be linking up and conference
play once again. Just a bitof a roundabout way of getting there.
But oh yeah, now we haveforty eight college football teams in Texas,

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and I believe in twenty twenty fivewe'll have fifty. So yeah, the
magazine has swelled the ninety six pagesto four hundred. Everything about it is
bigger, but everything about football inTexas is bigger, so we might well
keep pace, all right, Soyou have to answer a couple of questions
for me. Last year. Iknow you were concerned, what with added

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college teams and Division one FBS teamsand college previews, how you were going
to keep it at four hundred,at that magic number of four hundred pages,
And you said something may have togo. Ultimately, did something have
to go? How did you keepit to four hundred and get everything in?
Yeah, you know, we justwe just wrote smaller. No,

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we did. We made a coupleof adjustments. One of the things that
had to go, sadly was theNFL section. We used to have a
section we're preview the Cowboys and theTexans. We don't do that anymore.
That was those were I believe weended up saving about four pages. But
you add in, you know,it's just because of the swell. You
add in, for example, iswhat happened last year. Sam Houston moves

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up to the FBS ranks. Well, in our magazine, if you're an
FCF team, you get a fullpage preview, and if you're an FBS
team, you get a five pagepreview. So that's plus four pages.
You know, at that point we'vegot to find four pages to save.
And then you add in the factthat we this year had to add an
ACC preview for the first time inthis magazine's history because of s and News
moved to the ACC and so wehad to maneuver. Some things tightened,

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some things shortened, some things tomake room. There are other things on
the horizon. Ut RGV is onthe horizon as well. You know there
the Shriner University is going to gointo our small college, you know at
some point. And by the way, high school football continues to grow and
blossom and change and God for didyou know the the UI. I'll add

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another classification or something like that thatcould make things tighter. For now,
we are squeezing, uh, youknow, probably six hundred pages worth of
content into four hundred. But therewill there will come a time in which
that regis critical masks. But we'renot there quite quite yet. Okay,
I will say this and Cameron cancorrect me if I'm wrong. That one

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of the really cool things that itleaped off the page for him, and
it did for me as well asI was sitting on that beach in North
Carolina going through that was in yourhigh school preseason rankings putting the logos there
was that your idea. I haveto I actually have to give credit to
Mike Craven, our senior college writer, who when we came together, we

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come together in January and February wedo just a full deep guy post mortem
and we say, what do welike about the magazine? What do we
hate about the magazine, how dowe change him? And it was his
idea. He goes, listen,let's let's let's think about what people come
to us for. They love rankings. They love rankings, So why don't
we build the whole plane out ofrankings and uh and so yeah, so
we we've got now a full pageof rankings, win the logos and all

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right up for each for each team, just to make it a little bit
more visually appealing, because we knowthat that's the kind of thing that people
gravitate for. They want to seewhere their team is ranked or where their
rival is ranked, and see stackedup and they want to see them visually.
So yeah, that's that's a smallchange. But I will admit you
are not the first person to bringthat up to me, so it's probably
something that's going to be sticking aroundfor a while. That was a that

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was a real winner for us asfar as a small change, because one
of the things, and I knowyou and I talk about this at times,
one of the things about our magazineis that the bones of the magazine
are so strong, Like Dave gaveus such an incredible gift of just like
the the basics are so strong thatyou don't want to screw up a good
thing, but you want to findthat little extra one or two percent things

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that you can you can improve andchange and make a little bit better.
And that was a perfect example oflike, why don't we just rethink this
and think of a way that's goingto make that's going to engage high school
football fans even more. And earlyreturns are positive, I would say,
yeah, I think they would bepleased to see that as well. Uh.
I always asked you about the cover, uh selection? And was was

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this? Uh? First of all, the the gatefold cover, which I
think is just settled in nicely,uh with with a high school theme,
and and uh and the peace onthe Joseph's dad and son Gary and and
Jeff is really cool with the withthe gatefold cover that A companies. But
on the main cover, was ita no brainer that it would be Texas

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and Texas A and M. Iwouldn't say it was a no brainer,
but I will say that it waspretty close. You know, we go
through my my staff Will Will WillWill complain about me behind my back and
sometimes in my face that I willI make us go through the process every
year, even if it seems obvious. Last for example, last year with
TCU, I mean, CCU makesit to the College Football National Championship Game,

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and Sonny Dykes is, of courseguy that everybody's talking about. It
such a terrific story. But Imade them sit down go said, guys,
we're going through the process. We'regoing to talk through every possible outcome
and every possible ability here. Nowwe ended up landing on Sunny Dykes.
Now, it was a similar situationI think with A and M in Texas
kind of reunited. This is therivalry that has defined the state. This

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is the rivalry of the two flagshipuniversities across the state of Texas, and
it's something that we have been prettyvocal about that we want to see renewed.
To see our twenty fifteen cover,So to have it back I think
was really really special. Obviously wewanted to and it also helps. One
of the things is that it helpsthat they have two I think superstars or

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budding superstars at the most important position, both of whom are Texas born and
Texas bred, right, you know, between Connor Wegman at A and M
and then quhen you were there atTexas and so then it was just a
matter of trying to get him inthe same room at the same time.
And so actually we met on neutralground. We met at you know,
a place at Appomattox, so tospeak, where we went and uh,

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and we had a Texas High SchoolCoaches Association. Joe Martin and Glenn West
were so nice to to lend usthere San Marcus Offices, uh for for
a day to set up a photoshooting. And the guys, I hate
to, I hate to maybe burstthe bubble of some folks out there,
but the guys were very cordial andnice to each other. They daped each
other up, they knew each other. I asked them the last time they

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had seen each other, and thatsaid it was at Lead eleven. There
was the last time that they hadbeen the same room at the same time.
But they were very cordial. Therewere no punches thrown, which is
very nice, and we were ableto get a great shot. So Uh,
it's something that I know you've heardme say this before, but it's
something we can't screw up. It'sthe thing we've got to get right every
year. And uh, and I'mreally pleased with the way that this one
turned out. I would also saythis because I thought it was really cool

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that not only is it is arethey on the cover? And not only
is it a cover story and aand uh and I might add, uh,
not only is it your cover story, but ah, but a nice
cover, a nice cover piece written. But it is always nice. It
is always nice whenever you can getThomas step from Texas from the media relations

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staff and Alan Cannon from Texas Aand M in that photo shoot somehow with
those guys were there when I likethat little added thing of showing what the
guys were going through with the photoshoot. Yeah, we do a little
behind the scenes because this is abig event for us too every year,
and so we want to make surewe give a little behind the scenes.
A lot of this is just somy boss can get a photo with all

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the people on the cover, butthis is also including himself exactly right.
So but we've got a group photothere. And yes, of course Alan
Cannon ac there at A and Mhas been has been so kind to us,
and Thomas Stepped in the entire utleg department has been so helpful,
and it is it is the kindof thing where you've got to remember it's
hard to get these guys together inthe same room at the same time,

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especially when you're talking about two differentprograms coming together, you know, and
work together. But I will tellyou that they helped to make it really
seamless and helped to make it asas seamless of an experience as possible.
There's always going to be like scheduling, Hey, you know, Quinn's got
this this day or Commed's got thisthis day. But we were able to
make it work, and it workedout faculously, and really it's the last

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time we did something like this wasback in twenty twenty two, I believe
twenty twenty two, when we hadJoey Maguire and Jeff Traylor on the cover
tech in UKs and I had toremember I was like, oh, yeah,
that's took a little bit of coordination, because when you just get to
Sunny Dyke on the cover, justyou show up at TCU and you're like,
all right, we just you know, we'll take care of this photo

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shoot in ten minutes. But thiswas this sort of a lot of coordination.
Were really we're really pleased with theway it turned out and grateful to
people who help make it happen.And I should point this out too that
I mentioned that the Athlone publication theyhad a playoff bracket and they showed Texas
being a semifinals. They had Georgew the SEC. But your preseason top

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twenty five you have Texas at numberthree, and both publications have Texas getting
to the semifinal and then losing toOhio State in the cotton Bowler. So
obviously the magazine staff is high onthe Longhorns. Then yeah, we're pretty
bullish on the long Horns. Wethink that what they've got coming back,
especially on the offensive side, onthe offensive line and then the quarterback spot.

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And then I do think that they'regoing to have some playmakers in the
secondary really emerged and I'm excited tosee take a step. And yeah,
I mean we think that, youknow, the real question is going to
be just we don't know how theymatch up with all these new teams and
styles make fights, right, butthese are all this is a whole boatload
of new opponents that they're going tobe seeing and you never really know.

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You know, on paper, theyare going to be favored and probably at
least at least nine of their twelvegames, probably closer to ten or eleven
of their twelve games. How butstyles make I think a perfect example not
to not to give Texas fans kindof the heap GVS here, but you
think about Kansas State over the years, Texas has been better than Kansas State

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over the years a lot of seasonsnow that hasn't mattered a whole hill of
beams simply because can stay matched upwell with Texas, and so that's one
of the things that I'm fascinating tosee. But on paper, you look
at this team and it's hard tofind that spot where you're like, oh,
that is going to be the clearweakness, that's going to be their
undoing. Uh. The schedule isdifficult, but you knew what you were

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signing up for whenever you join theSEC. This is this is what you
signed up for. Uh, andit should be it should be fun that
they they've got all the pieces inplace to make a run, and I
think especially the expectations have been raisedthere to make that type of run,
and especially if they can get oneof those one of those all important buys,
all all important first round buys inthe New Low twelve team college football

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playoff. That should set them upfor success. A lot easier said than
done, but the talent is certainlyon on campus there for them to make
another deep rum. Greg Tepper,managing editor Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine with
the magazine uh out and hot Okay, so the high school rankings, uh
people will look at your six eightpredictions and go mm hmm, yeah,

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uh de Soto and Duncanville. DeSoto and Duncanville. De Sota and duncan
I'd say you you're feeling that there'sa three peat in mind for both.
I love I love to be thatguy who's just really like off the wall
and oh yeah, you know,you never know what this what can happen,
And certainly that is the case.There could be those types of changes.

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But I would say that when youtake a look at at at six
A, it still has to gothrough Southern Dallas, Southern Dallas County with
De Soto and Duncansville, you know, DeSoto. It's interesting because they we
had big questions about them coming notbig questions, we had certainly some questions
coming into them the year, especiallythe core spot. You know, they
lose a guy like DJ Bailey,who's off the San Houston, who was

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not only an excellent football player,but I think he was he did so
much around the team as well thatthat I think was really important, that
that was so important. He wassuch a leader for that team, such
a leader of men for that teamand for you know, with Brandon Booker
off to the next level. Theleadership question was one that I and the
quarterback spot were things I had questionedabout. Well, they just hauled off

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and won the state seven on seventournament. Uh and and like, Okay,
well I'm probably gonna be pretty good. And of course they've got playmakers
Dalen Singleton, Booby Feast their tiredright, And I mean they're gonna be
absolutely loaded at the skill position spots. And they got big time playmaker off
the edge and kill and Abramard Sixtha preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
I mean, the team is loadedand they were talent ful Pound the Finance

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high school football team in Texas andso therefore, in my opinion, the
finance high school football team in Americalast year don't see a whole lot changing,
barring injuries or them just not figuringout the quarterbacks and then Duncan Bills
right behind him. Of course,I've got the Alabama commit and in Keil
and Russell, there outstanding quarterback who'sbeen fantastic. They have their own superstar

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wide receiver into Corey, more thannumber one player in the state according to
a lot of recruiting services, includingours, and they've got maybe absolute absolute
weapons out there. I have afew questions about defense, but at the
same time, you doubt Reginald samplesof defense at your own peril. So
yeah, I love to be ahipster and come to you and say,
well, actually the team to watchin six A is going to be rock

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Waller. The team is going tobe you know, Paarland or forty.
But in the end it's probably goingto be one of those two teams at
least playing in state championship games.And by the way, there's no drama
as a D one or D two. Remember De Soto was has five A
numbers. They opted up to playsix A, so they are locked in.
They're a small team. They're notjust the smallest team in their class,

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in their district and one of thesmallest teams in Class six A,
but they should maybe that should notstop them from making an another deep run,
potentially all the way to Arlington.He's Greg Temper, managing enter dig
Campbell's Texas Football magazine. In comingweeks, TEP, we'll talk about some
of the other classifications. Well,but for the people who are blowing me
up on our text line, theywant to know is the magazine available for

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public purchase in addition to the copiesthat we're going to give away that your
fine office sentas as they annually do. Are are you already out now in
the stores? They are on theirway to stores right now as I'm saying
these words. They're on their way. But I don't control trucks. Unfortunately,
the best way to make sure youget it is to go to Texas
Football dot com slash subscribe, becausethen we can drop it in the mail

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for you and we know exactly howwe have more control over it. So
Texas Football at complash subscribes the bestway to get it. But they're on
trucks as we speak right now,on their way to stores at this moment.
Well, if they subscribe also,they get all the other great elements
in the features of the subscription,right, thank you. Craig. Your
check is in the mail. Thankyou. Appreciate that. Hey, listen,

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I will I guess, am Igoing to see you at the SEC
me the days? Or will Inot see you until San Antonio? You
won't see me until San Antonio.I'm going to keep my powder drive for
coaching school, because God knows thoseboys need a little bit of wrangling.
Yeah, yeah, we'll look forwardto it. Hey, Chep, Thanks,
I appreciate it. All right,here you guys, all right,
that's great chapter. Managing editor ofDave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine. Coming up,

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I'm going to tell you how youcan win your copy of it from
the copies that we're going to giveaway here on the program. Where is
that we're going to do that.I'll tell you about that coming up next
when we continue on Sports Radio AMthirteen under the zone of the IR Radio app.