Say What? The Texas Tech ‘Guns Up’ Hand Sign Came From Austin
I'm a huge sports fan. It doesn't matter if it's pee wee, junior high, high school, college, or pros, if it's on TV, I'll watch it.
Even more so, I'm a huge fan of Texas sports and have always wondered how Texas Tech adopted the "Guns Up" hand sign.
The story is more interesting than just a couple of drunk frat brothers accidentally flashing the sign. It actually originated in the University of Texas Longhorns' country, and our capital city, Austin.
It actually originated in the University of Texas Longhorns' country, and our capital city, Austin.
As legend has it, Glenn Dippel was a Texas Tech alum living in Austin. As you could imagine, he frequently saw the Longhorns "Hook 'em Horns" hand sign, so he and his wife decided something had to be done.
Knowing that the Texas Tech mascot, Raider Red, always pointed his guns in the air, the Dippels, in 1971, came up with the perfect retaliation, the "Guns Up" hand salute. Shortly thereafter, the Texas Tech cheerleaders and booster club, the Saddle Tramps, embraced the hand sign and began using it.
The rest, as they say, is Texas Tech history.
It doesn't take much effort to make the Guns Up sign, either.
The sign is made by extending the index finger outward while extending the thumb upward and tucking in the middle, little and fourth fingers to form a gun. [Texas Tech University]
While you may typically see the Guns Up hand sign at a football game, it's also used as a greeting between Tech alum.