Texas Southern Legend Bert Askson Dies at 80

HOUSTON — Bert H. Askson played in the first Space City Classic, took on roles on both offense and defense at Texas Southern before players his size were common at those positions, was picked 340th in the 1970 NFL draft, and returned to campus for sporting events for the next 50 years.

Askson died on July 24 in Houston at age 80. The cause of death has not been shared. According to Houston radio broadcaster Ralph Cooper, who knew Askson and covered his career, no one expected his passing.

“No, I checked with some people. They didn’t know he had been sick,” Cooper said. “He took good care of himself; he was always a healthy man.”

Sadly, Texas Southern never inducted him into its Sports Hall of Fame.

A “Simple Gathering” will be held at 6:00 p.m. CST inside of Lockwood Funeral Home in Houston, Texas, on Friday, July 31, 2026. Askon’s “Celebration of Life” funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. CT in Oakwood, Texas, at Lone Star Baptist Church, followed by his burial at Lone Star Cemetery.

A starter in the Space City Classic

Cooper recalled Askson playing in the first Space City Classic between Grambling and Texas Southern at the Astrodome, around 1967 and 1968. Askson started in those games.

He also played on both offense and defense. When asked if Askson was a receiver and a defensive back, Cooper clarified his positions.

“Oh yeah, a lineman, a defensive lineman, and he played a lot of tight end,” Cooper said. He handled the two-way workload, “At a high level either way.”

According to Pro Football Reference, Askson was 6-foot-3 and weighed 223 pounds. Cooper remembered him as a bit bigger and said his build was rare for his position in the late 1960s.

“Oh yeah, about 6’3, or 6’4, 220 or something, which was big at that time for that position,” Cooper said. “Big hands and, and could catch — able to make tough catches.”

A Houston coaching tree that reached the NFL

Askson came out of Kashmere High School in Houston, where Cooper said he played for Billie Matthews rather than the coach commonly attached to him.

Matthews became one of the more consequential Black assistants of his generation. Cooper said Matthews “at one time was in the running to become the first Black head coach in NFL,” and that he later coached in Indianapolis before joining Bill Walsh in San Francisco.

That connection leads to one of football’s well-known stories. Bill Walsh used ideas from the wide-open offense created by HBCU legend Archie Cooley at Mississippi Valley State. Walsh and the 49ers drafted Cooley’s top receiver in 1985.

“And got Jerry Rice, remember?” Cooper said.

At Texas Southern, Cooper credited Clifford Paul with recruiting Askson and said he may also have played a season under a coach he identified as Page.

“If I’m correct, that’s who recruited him, Clifford Paul, if I’m correct,” Cooper said. “I may be wrong, but I think he may have played one year for Coach Rod Paige over there [TSU], but I know Clifford Paul for sure.”

A Texas Southern early pipeline in the NFL

Askson left Texas Southern during the school’s most successful period for NFL drafts. In the same 1970 draft, Ken Burrough was picked 10th overall by New Orleans, while Askson went to Pittsburgh in the 14th round.

A year later, the Tigers sent Julius Adams to New England in the second round, where he played 206 games and made the Pro Bowl. Ernie Holmes was picked in the eighth round by Pittsburgh, where he became a key part of the Steel Curtain and won two Super Bowls.

Askson and Holmes were teammates twice. Cooper said the two came through Texas Southern together and stayed close after Pittsburgh brought them both to the same locker room.

“He played at Texas Southern with Ernie Holmes, and then he was in Pittsburgh with him,” Cooper said. “They were real good friends.”

Over 60 Texas Southern alumni have played in the NFL. Askson was part of the group that helped make this possible.

Askson’s NFL Career

Askson played 11 games at defensive end for Pittsburgh in 1971. He was out of the league in 1972, returned with New Orleans in 1973 as a tight end and played one game for the Saints, then missed the 1974 season too.

Green Bay signed him in 1975, the same year Bart Starr brought in Lew Carpenter as receivers coach after Carpenter coached in Houston. Askson played all 14 games in 1975, 1976, and 1977, totaling 42 games for Packers teams that finished 4-10, 5-9, and 4-10. He started once, in 1977, which was his only NFL start.

His touchdown came Oct. 3, 1976, at Lambeau Field. Green Bay was 0-3. Askson caught a 2-yard pass from Lynn Dickey, his only reception of the season and the only touchdown of his professional career, and the Packers beat Detroit 24-14 in front of 54,758 for their first win of the year.

He finished his career with 54 NFL games, five catches for 78 yards, and one touchdown. These stats do not show the special teams work and position change he managed at an age when most 14th-round picks were already out of the league.

He kept coming back and supporting the Tigers

Cooper focused less on Askson’s stats and more on how Askson always stayed connected to Texas Southern, never seeing it as just a place he graduated from.

“But he was very proud of the fact that he, he always supported TSU, even when he became a pro,” Cooper said. “When the football season’s over, he come to basketball games, the track meet, all that kind of stuff.”

Cooper believed Askson had been at the spring game as recently as last year. “He probably was out there last year for the Spring Game,” he said. “And the basketball games, you probably saw him in the gym. He always supported the school. He always came back.”

The honor that never came

Asked whether Texas Southern had ever inducted Askson into its Sports Hall of Fame, Cooper did not hedge.

“No, I don’t think they did,” he said. “They should have, but I don’t think they did.”

Asked how that was possible, he said, “I don’t know.”

Cooper tied the omission to a lack of continuity within the TSU athletic department.

“When you steady changing our people, you don’t get a chance to do all this kind of stuff because the people who know this stuff are not involved, or they end up gone,” Cooper said.

Texas Southern’s institutional memory has changed many times since Askson last played. Many people who saw him start in the Astrodome have retired or passed away. There are fewer records of his time there compared to his 42 games on special teams in Green Bay.

Bert Askson’s stats only tell part of his story. His legacy lives on in the Texas Southern players who followed him to the NFL. HBCU alumni may not remember him for big plays, but he spent decades after graduation walking the sidelines, greeting alums and fans, and always supporting his beloved school as a proud Texas Southern Tiger.

Bert Askson FAQs

Who was Bert Askson?

Askson was a Houston-born two-way player at Texas Southern who became an NFL defensive end and tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers.

When did Bert Askson die?

Askson died July 24, 2026, in Houston at age 80. A cause of death has not been disclosed.

Was Bert Askson in the Texas Southern Sports Hall of Fame?

No. Ralph Cooper, who covered Askson’s career, said Texas Southern never inducted him.

Where did Bert Askson play college football?

Askson played at Texas Southern University, a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, after graduating from Kashmere High School in Houston.

Which NFL teams did Bert Askson play for?

Askson played for Pittsburgh in 1971, New Orleans in 1973, and Green Bay from 1975 through 1977.

What were Bert Askson’s NFL statistics?

Askson appeared in 54 NFL games with one start and recorded five receptions for 78 yards and one touchdown, according to Pro Football Reference.

When did Bert Askson score his only NFL touchdown?

Askson caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Lynn Dickey on Oct. 3, 1976, in Green Bay’s 24-14 win over Detroit at Lambeau Field.

Reporting: Ralph Cooper interview conducted by Kyle T. Mosley. Statistics via Pro Football Reference and Green Bay Packers historical records.

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