'Life has been good to me': Marty Akins returns to Corpus Christi to showcase paintings

Long before Marty Akins was winning football games at Gregory-Portland and the University of Texas, the Texas Football Hall of Famer was already establishing himself as a successful artist.

Akins developed a passion for painting when he was 5 years old and hasn't put down his brush since.

"The first thing I was before anything was an artist," Akins said. "When I was 5 years old I started drawing and I started painting. I always loved to draw and paint because it frees up my mind and my body and it soothes my soul. It gave me a powerful feeling to be able to create something from nothing."

Akins was back in Corpus Christi on Wednesday to showcase his artwork at Bespoke Art & Design, located at Space on South Staples.

Akins has displayed his paintings at several expos in Austin and Dallas, but Wednesday was his first time selling his artwork in the Coastal Bend.

"I don't sell them to make money," Akins said. "Selling them is nice because it shows people you've done something well enough to where people like it and want to have it. The most important thing to me is the joy and relaxation painting brings me."

The calm and collectiveness from painting helped Akins lead the Wildcats to the UIL Class 3A state championship game in 1971 and as a star quarterback for the Longhorns from 1972-1975.

Akins, 69, said painting during his college and high school seasons helped calm him down and relax his soul.

Akins said painting sunsets are his favorite because it reminds him how God is the best painter.

"My dad (Ray Akins) knew I liked to paint but he was more on me on being a football player," Marty Akins said. "He gave me time to paint, but he mostly wanted me to focus on football. He might let me paint for 30 minutes and then tell me, 'That's enough painting. Let's go practice.'"

Akins passed for 3,349 yards during his high school career at Gregory-Portland and captured Class 3A Player of the Year honors in 1971. Akins' talent captured the attention from several colleges across the country, but the wishbone offensive quarterback had had his mind set on Notre Dame.

Until he met former president Lyndon B. Johnson during a visit to his library in Austin.

"I was definitely going to Notre Dame," Akins said. "My dad didn't really want me to go to Notre Dame because he wouldn't get to see me play in person. I went to Austin when I was 18 and coach (Darrell) Royal met us. We sat down and Lyndon B. Johnson walked in and came over and shook hands with me.

"LBJ sat down and said, 'Coach Royal tells me you're the best player in the country. If you think that, then you want to play for the best team. If you don't think that, then you should go somewhere like Notre Dame.' I literally stood up and told him, 'Sir, I'm coming to Texas.'"

Akins led the Longhorns to a 37-10 record during his career at Texas and earned All-American honors at quarterback from the Football Writers of America in 1975 and was the Southwest Conference Player of the Year that same season.

Akins went on to be a trial lawyer, a college golf coach at Huston-Tillotson University and a professor at two universities.

"Out of all those things, painting has always been my true love," Akins said. "I love to create things on canvas. There's things I saw when I was a kid and I painted them. Images that I remembered growing up... I paint a lot from inspiration. It brings back great memories."

Akins currently resides in Austin and spends his free time painting, ranching and fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.

Akins said he still remains in contact with G-P Superintendent Michelle Cavazos and her husband Randy and tries to visit Portland when he can.

"I love the fact I went to the University of Texas and I loved coach Royal because he was like a second dad to me," Akins said. "I accomplished everything I wanted to except for playing quarterback in the pros. I tore my knees up in college and for a couple of years I tried but couldn't do it. I'm a guy that strongly believes in God and I believe that God had a better plan for me. To do things that will help people and I've done that all my life. That was the best thing for me."

Akins, who is the uncle of former NFL quarterback Drew Brees, said even though he didn't get to play quarterback in the NFL, he's glad Brees was able to live his dream for him.

Brees won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints in 2010 and capped off his NFL career with 80,358 passing yards and will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026.

"Drew did what I was set out to do," Akins said. "He lived my dream and I lived the dream of being a trial lawyer. I feel like I got more out of it than football. I know a lot of people may not believe in God but I feel like his plans for us is what's going to happen.

"Life has been good to me and I can't complain," Akins added. "Painting is one of the most important parts of my life. I've been in politics, a rancher, I love to hunt, fish in the Gulf, I couldn't have written my life any better. I feel very blessed and lucky I have great kids, great family, great grandkids, great wife, great mom and dad. God wrote me the best plan he possibly could."

See more of Marty Akins' paintings at https://www.martyakinsart.com/

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Marty Akins returns to Corpus Christi to showcase paintings