When John Pelphrey came out of the tunnel for the Texas game January 6th in a bright red sport jacket, he had no idea what he was about to start. The fans went nuts, message boards were lighting up with comments on the jacket, and Razorback fans all over the country were asking themselves, “how can I get one of those jackets?”
The jacket was John Pelphrey’s wife Tracy’s idea.
“I just thought it would be fun,” Tracy Pelphrey told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “He did it for the fans, because he knew they’d love seeing him in Razorback red.”
Well, the fans did love it, and now Hog Heaven, the Razorback apparel shop inside Bud Walton arena, is capitalizing on the jacket’s popularity.
For $22, Razorback fans can get a long sleeve t-shirt printed to mimic Pelphrey’s fashion-forward statement, with the slogan “It’s gotta be the jacket” printed on the back. The shirts are exclusive to the Hog Heaven store.
And they are selling like hot cakes. “These things have taken on a life of their own,” says Robert Mann, Director of Retail Operations at the Hog Heaven store inside Bud Walton arena. “We just put them on the shelves on Friday, and we’ve already sold a ton of them.”
Hog Heaven came up with the idea, and official apparel sponsor Addidas printed the shirts.
So what does Pelphrey think about them? “He thought they were hilarious. He was rolling around his office when I brought one over to show him.” Mann said. “You even got the tie right.” Pelphrey told Mann at the time.
The tie printed on the shirt is also fashioned after the tie Pelphrey wore during the Texas game, a multi-colored red striped number.
“I just wanted to touch his jacket,” freshman Courtney Fortson said after the Texas game. “He pulled that one out of the woodwork.”
Now, plenty of Hog fans will be able to get their hands on Pelphrey’s Texas game look. Hog Heaven is located at 1270 Leroy Pond Road on Fayetteville, inside Bud Walton Arena. You can call 479-575-3815 to purchase one of the red jacket t-shirts, and they are not currently available online.
