Remember the Alamo Bowl: Bram Kohlhausen's Epic TCU Comeback

by Jim Reeves, Amy Culbertson (Editor)

''A deeply reported and well-told account of a legendary day on the gridiron... Even readers who have no affiliation with TCU will find themselves caught up in this tale of triumph.'' -- KIRKUS REVIEWS

Texas sports writer Jim Reeves (DALLAS Legends of America's Team) has done it again. Revo has written a college football book far more compelling than Notre Dame's 'Rudy."

Shortly after his father died, Bram Kohlhausen was made starting quarterback in the last game of his senior year after Texas Christian University's star QB was arrested for punching a San Antonio cop in a Riverwalk bar. Bram was a walk on who had never started in a four-year college game, let alone a nationally televised bowl game.

Behind 31-0 at halftime against the Oregon Ducks, Bram would win the game in three, nail-biting overtimes in what likely is bowl history's most thrilling comebacks.

“Now that Jim Reeves has written a book about the 2016 Alamo Bowl, the astounding result of that game has become official. It deserved nothing less.” – Chuck Culpepper, Washington Post

“A candid and poignant true life parable of one young man's winding journey from unfilled promises to a moment of magical destiny. A beautiful, uplifting story, so very well told...” –Carlton Stowers, two-time Edgar winner and author of Portrait of the Brightest Star

“Veteran sports writer Jim Reeves spins a great football tale featuring backup TCU quarterback Bram Kohlhausen, down 31-0 at the half of the Alamo Bowl, who engineered one of the most unlikely comebacks in college football history.”
–Glenn Dromgoole, A Small Town in Reflections on Growing Up in the '50s and '60s

“Few writers have the heart and talent to do this story justice. I’m not at all surprised that Jim Reeves, one of my professional heroes, is more than up to the task. This book is a must read, especially in these difficult times.” –Tim Madigan, New York Times bestselling author of The The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921

“Riveting story, lots of drama and reality. A great look inside the game of football, particularly the young men who play and sacrifice in pursuit of excellence. Revo’s best yet and that’s saying something. I don’t care what your school allegiance is, you will enjoy this book.” – Mike Perry, former sports editor, Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

149 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2022

Reviews

[Karen Siddall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straight-forward and wonderfully told, humble with all the warts.

The 2016 Alamo Bowl game between TCU and Oregon was one for the record books, with TCU overcoming one of the largest deficits in bowl game history to attain a victory. With a 31-0 score at halftime, the sportscasters had all but turned out the lights at the Alamodome on TCU's chances to win that game. But the Horned Frogs team that came back on the field for the second half had decided they weren't ready to lie down and give up. And leading the way was TCU senior quarterback Bram Kohlhausen. Relieved to find he still had the coaching staff's confidence, he put the frustrating first half behind him and led the Frogs to an amazing comeback victory in triple overtime. Remember the Alamo Bowl is Bram's story.

I liked that the author begins Bram's story as the miserable first half of the game concludes. Bram is disheartened, and the Horned Frogs are devastated by their performance and are returning to the locker room. The author succeeds in placing us right there with the team and coaches. The insights from the players, including Bram, his family, and friends, were honest and heartbreaking, especially with the ever-present shadow of the disgraced Trevone Boykin hovering in the midst. It was easy to feel the excitement of the time, even all these years later, as each one recounted their thoughts and participation. You could still hear the wonder in the comments at what the Horned Frogs accomplished that night.

The story goes back to Bram Kohlhausen's childhood and early success in high school football, and he is open and forthcoming about how he handled all the attention he received, becoming the big man on campus. I especially enjoyed his brothers' contributions to the story and could easily relate to his mother. The loss of his father in the months leading up to the bowl game was heart-wrenching. Bram takes ownership of things that didn't go well in his college football journey, partly due to his own decisions, actions, and choices but not all. Still, there was no finger-pointing.

The events leading up to Bram replacing Boykin in the Alamo Bowl, his first start as a quarterback for TCU, are covered from start to finish. I felt I better understood what went down in San Antonio back then. It was such an avoidable tragedy for his friend and teammate, and I could feel the brotherhood in that Horned Frog team.

I have watched this game a couple of times since the live airing, and the recounting of the plays in the book was still exciting. Reading this, I knew what would happen, and I was still caught up in the same emotions I felt during the actual game.

I highly recommend REMEMBER THE ALAMO BOWL to readers who enjoy sports books, underdog stories, and most of all, TCU fans, especially those who watched or experienced that game.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from NetGalley.

[Jennie Rosenblum · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspirational tale of a player who was not perfect but kept coming back and trying again. While the story centers around one specific game in detail, the author provided a very good background setup of Bram Kohlhausen as well as insight into his family, coaches, and teammates. This is not just a football story. It is an 'I have arrived' story of persistence and never giving up.