Howard Payne University Athletics

Volney Darrell Townsend was a three-year letterman on the Howard Payne track team and captain his senior year. The sprinter set the Border Olympics 100-yard dash record at 9.7 seconds; a record later broken by Olympian Bobby Morrow of Abilene Christian. Townsend also played football for the Yellow Jackets in his senior year and was voted class favorite by his fellow students all four years at Howard Payne. After graduating in 1955, he joined the Army and was stationed in Germany, where he served with Elvis Presley. He then worked at Texas State Technical College in Waco, where he was known as “Coach T.” Townsend was an instructor, recruiter, director of telecommunications, athletic director and  program chairman during his time at TSTC. He died in 2021.