Clueless Colorado Kid Meets Real Football Rivalry in Texas

Well, bless his heart, Gunnar Helm—a Colorado native—hadn't a clue about the Red River Rivalry until he stepped onto UT's campus. Can you believe it? A whole football world exists beyond those Rocky Mountains!

"I'm going to be honest with you, I didn't know a whole lot about (the Red River Rivalry)," Helm, a senior tight end, confessed. "My whole football domain was the Rocky Mountain Showdown. That was my big game to look forward to."

Helm wasn't the only non-Texan in the room. Barryn Sorrell, a senior edge rusher from New Orleans, at least knew about LSU-Alabama. But even Sorrell admitted, "Obviously it's a really big rivalry, a really big game and there's a lot of history behind it. Growing up, I did hear a lot about it."

Since their arrival for the 2021 season, both Helm and Sorrell have played in three Oklahoma-Texas showdowns. Talk about a crash course in real football rivalry! Helm even caught his first career touchdown pass during last year's trip to the Cotton Bowl. Meanwhile, Sorrell tackled five Sooners last year.

Guess there's nothing quite like a Texas-sized rivalry to bring these out-of-towners up to speed! 🏈😆