Interviewer
Luis A. Saenz
Project
1966 NCAA Championship
Summary of Interview
Nevil Shed discusses his experience playing for the Texas Western College basketball team. He discusses his initial prospects of working in the fast food industry but then decided it was not a career path he wanted to follow. Shed was recruited into Texas Western College basketball team thanks to a recommendation made by a former player of the team who recommended him to Coach Don Haskins. He then describes his first impressions of El Paso, its mountains, and its friendly atmosphere. Unlike other college campuses, he enjoyed that people talked to him to ask how he was doing. Coach Haskins is described as an easy-talking individual who Shed was excited to play for. Their team engaged in rigorous practices that Shed says were much harder than games they played against other teams; He notes that they practiced even until Coach Haskins was tired. Moreover, their coach demanded punctuality and constantly pushed his teammates to perform better by pointing out their flaws; He recalls moments where their coach called them insulting and playful names meant to motivate them into performing better. Despite his coach’s criticisms that his team was too relaxed, Shed argues that they were always relaxed because all of his teammates’ personalities interacted well together. He also noted trainings where they were told to sit in the dark to contemplate ways in which they could improve. Shed describes the NCAA playoffs as “just another game” that his team wanted to win. They were not motivated by the so-called “race question” as they competed against Kentucky State University. He believes if their win was solely motivated by the fact that their team had African American players while Kentucky State University did not, it would not have been as great of a win. Shed argues that Texas Western’s success was instead based on its abilities and confidence.
Date of Interview
2-2002
Length of Interview
13 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1653
Transcriber
Daniel Santana
Interview Number
No. 1653
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Nevil Shed by Luis A. Saenz, 2002, "Interview no. 1653," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.