See the official list of 2024 nominees below.
Official voting will begin on July 17th & end on August 17th. To become a voting member please visit our Membership Page. This year's list includes professional athletes, Olympians, coaches, and administrators. The voting ballot will be emailed on July 17th to TSHOF members, board members, the selection committee and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to Simply Voting.
Individuals can cast a vote this year by clicking here and becoming a TSHOF member. Membership starts at $25.
The 2024 Texas Sports Induction Banquet is set to take place in Waco, Texas, on April 13, 2024. The Official 2024 class announcement and ticket sales will be released in the fall of 2023.
Official voting will begin on July 17th & end on August 17th. To become a voting member please visit our Membership Page. This year's list includes professional athletes, Olympians, coaches, and administrators. The voting ballot will be emailed on July 17th to TSHOF members, board members, the selection committee and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to Simply Voting.
Individuals can cast a vote this year by clicking here and becoming a TSHOF member. Membership starts at $25.
The 2024 Texas Sports Induction Banquet is set to take place in Waco, Texas, on April 13, 2024. The Official 2024 class announcement and ticket sales will be released in the fall of 2023.
Randy Allen- Football
Abilene, Texas native. 2022 marked his 42nd year as a Texas high school football coach. His career record of 435-93-6 ranks 1st among active coaches and is 2nd on the all time list for wins behind Phil Danaher’s 490. He also ranks 2nd on the list for career playoff wins (83) and career playoff appearances (38). His teams have won 30 district championships which ranks 1st on the all time list. Allen played football as a running back at Abilene Cooper High School. After graduating in 1968, he played at SMU from 1969-1972. After stops at Ballinger, Brownwood and Abilene Cooper he took the Highland Park job In 1999. Allen led Highland Park to 4 State Championships (2005, 2016, 2017, 2018.) He joined the THSCA Hall of Honor in 2005 and in 2017 he received the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award. He was also awarded the National HS Football Coach of the Year award for 2018 by the National Federation of State High School Associations. Jose Altuve- Baseball
Maracay,Venezuela native. Altuve was signed as an amateur free agent by the Houston Astros in 2007 and made his major league debut in 2011. He is an eight-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, six time Silver Slugger, three-time American League batting champion, and two-time American League stolen base leader. Altuve was a critical part of the Astro's rise back to the top of the baseball world. He is currently in his 13th season with Houston and is still regarded as one of the best-hitting second basemen in the game. He ranks second in franchise history in batting average (.307), fifth in games played (1,589), third in hits (1,947), fifth in home runs (194), fourth in stolen bases (279), eighth in runs batted in (702), and fourth in runs scored (994). Altuve has also been recognized for his character off the field, winning both the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year and AP Athlete of the Year after his first World Series championship in 2017. Tim Buchanan-Football
Buchanan amassed a 281-58-3 record as a high school football coach, winning eight state titles along the way (1998, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2020, and 2022).His eight titles are tied with G.A. Moore, Jr. and behind only Gordon Wood & Scott Surratt who each have nine. Buchanan is only the 3rd Texas high school football coach to win state titles in 4 different decades. His career playoff record was 81-14-0. He took the Aledo job in 1993, and the recently retired Buchanan, would go on to spend 30 years at Aledo High School -25 as their head football coach. Buchanan’s Bearcats had two undefeated seasons and 20 double-digit win seasons during his tenure. The winning did not just come with Buchanan as head coach; he also won three state titles during his time as Aledo ISD Athletic Director in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Jamaal Charles- Football
Port Arthur, Texas native. Being diagnosed with a learning disability, he competed in the Special Olympics at 10 years old. Later on, Charles would become a two-time Willie Ray Smith Award recipient for Southeast Texas Offensive MVP out of Memorial High School. In both high school and college, he was a dual-sport athlete competing in football and track & field. During his time running track in college, Charles won the 2006 Big 12 Championship in the 100-meter dash for the University of Texas and was a 4-time All-American. While playing college football, he was a true freshman on the 2005 National Championship team and ended up ranking fifth all-time in single-season rushing touchdowns (18), fifth career rushing touchdowns (36), and fourth in career rushing yards (3,328). In 2008, Charles was drafted to the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2012, he led the NFL in rushing touchdowns (12) . Upon retirement in 2019, Charles would rank first in career yards (7,260), fourth in career touchdowns (43), first in rushing average (5.5), and first in single-game rushing yards (239). Phil Danaher- Football
Danaher’s career record of 490-118-4 makes him the all-time winningest high school football coach in Texas history. He also ranks 1st in the coaching record book in other categories including - most seasons as a UIL head coach (48 from 1974-2021), most playoff appearances (41) and most playoff victories (93). He ranks 2nd on the all time list of district championships won with 28. Danaher’s Corpus Christi Calallen Wildcats won 10+ games in 30 of 38 seasons and he has coached hundreds of all-district players and dozens of all-staters. In 2016, Phil Danaher made history when Calallen defeated Corpus Christi Flour Bluff 31-7. Danaher notched his 427th victory passing Coach G.A. Moore, Jr. as state’s all time victory leader. Danaher also coached at Dilley (1974-77) and Hamshire-Fannett (1978-83). His 490 wins also ranks 5th nationally all-time among high school football coaches. Todd Dodge- Football
Port Arthur, Texas native. Dodge compiled a 233-72-0 record during his 23 year career as a Texas high school football coach. His teams won 7 state championships which rank 5th on the all-time coaching list. He won 3 titles in a row at 2 different schools - Southlake Carroll from 2004-2006 and at Austin Westlake from 2019-2021. Dodge ranks 7th on the list for most playoff wins with 70. From 2002 to 2006 at Southlake Carroll his teams had a record of 79-1 and won four 5A state titles (2002,2004,2005,2006). At Austin Westlake from 2014 to 2021 Dodge built another dynasty posting a 104-13 record and winning three Texas 6A state titles (2019,2020,2021). He was a two-time High School Coach of the Year voted by Schutt Sports in 2003 and USA Today in 2004, and is a 2005 Texas High School Football Hall of Fame inductee. At Port Arthur Jefferson HS Dodge was a Parade All-America quarterback and earned honors as the state’s top player in 1980. Dodge threw for 3,135 yards as a senior, becoming the first Texas schoolboy to break the 3,000 mark. He led the Yellow Jackets to a 14-0 record and a trip to the 5A state championship game. Dodge was the district offensive player of the year in 1979 and 1980 while compiling 5,642 career passing yards. He made the 1980 all-state team, played in the 1981 THSCA All-Star Game and was awarded the Hertz #1 Award in the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City as the state’s top athlete. At Texas (1981-1985), Dodge continued his winning ways by leading the Longhorns to bowl appearances in 1983-84 Juan Gonzalez- Baseball
Vega Baja, Puerto Rico native. Signed with the Texas Rangers organization as an undrafted free agent before making his debut with the club in 1989 at 19 years old. He played with the Texas Rangers (1989-1999 and 2002-2003), the Detroit Tigers (2000), the Kansas City Royals (2004), and the Cleveland Indians (2001 and 2005). Gonzalez was a three-time All-Star (1993,1998,2001), a two-time American League MVP (1996 and 1998), a six-time silver slugger (1993,1993,1996,1997,1998,2001), a two-time American League home run leader (1992-1993), he also led the entire MLB in runs batted in during the 1998 season and is a member of the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame. He ranks sixth in Texas Rangers franchise history for games played (1,400), fifth in hits (1,595), first in home runs (372), fourth in runs scored (878), first in runs batted in (1,180), and first in extra-base hits (713). He also managed Puerto Rico’s World Baseball Classic team in 2017. Brittney Griner- Basketball
Houston, Texas Native. Griner first burst on the basketball scene in 2009 when she was named a Mcdonald's All-American, and rivals.com rated her the best high school women's basketball player in the nation. She then committed to play basketball at Baylor University where she was named All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year three times, Big 12 defensive player of the Year four times, brought home the AP Player of the Year award, a National Championship, and was named the most outstanding player of the final four. Griner's efforts won her an ESPY for the best female athlete in 2013, and she is still the only women's college basketball player ever to score over 2,000 points and block over 500 shots. She was selected number one overall in the WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury in 2013 and won her first WNBA title just a year later in 2014. She is a two-time gold medalist (2016 and 2020), an eight-time WNBA All-Star (2013-2015,2017-2019,2021 and 2022), a two-time WNBA scoring champion (2017,2019), an eight-time WNBA blocks leader (2013-2019 and 2021), and a two-time WNBA defensive player of the year (2014 and 2015). She ranks third all-time in the WNBA for blocks (729) and second all-time in field goal percentage (56.13%). Jon Kay- Football
After graduating from Concordia University, coach Jon Kay arrived in Houston in 1996 and became a seventh-grade science teacher as well as head football coach for Cunningham Middle School. He was named North Shore High’s defensive coordinator just two short years later, in 1998, and won the school's first state title as a coordinator in 2003. When Kay took over as head coach in 2014, he led the Mustangs to an exceptional 117-18 record over nine seasons with North Shore, bringing them four 6A state titles in 2015,2018,2019, and 2021. Now Kay has found himself at the collegiate level leaving North Shore after 25 years to be the linebackers coach at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Wes Kittley- Track & Field
Rule, Texas native. Kittley, a former 800 meter runner at Abilene Christian University, returned to his alma mater in 1983 to coach the women’s track team, a position he would hold until the men's and women's programs merged in 1993. He won four consecutive DII Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships from 1985 to 1988. He would also go on to win numerous Women's Indoor Championships taking home titles in 10 out of the next 11 consecutive years (1988,1989,1990,1991,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998, and 1999). In 2000 Kittley left Abilene to take over the men’s and women’s track programs at Texas Tech. Kittley continued his dominance producing 291 First-Team All-Americans, 214 Big 12 Champions, 10 Big 12 Team Championships, 20 Olympians, 8 Olympic Medalists, 7 Top-5 NCAA Team Finishes, 16 Top-10 NCAA Team Finishes and winning his first Men's Outdoor National Championship with the Red Riders in 2019, bringing his combined total number of NCAA Titles up to 44. He also won numerous individual awards, such as Men’s Regional Coach of the Year (2015,2017,2018), Women’s Regional Coach of the Year (2009 and 2012), Big 12 Men's Conference Coach of the Year (2014), Big 12 Men’s Outdoor Coach of the Year (2023) and was inducted into the Lone Star Conference Hall of Fame. Mike Leach-Football Deceased
Susanville, California native. Mike Leach began his coaching career as Offensive Coordinator under Hal Mumme at Iowa Wesleyan, Valdosta State, and Kentucky. Under Mumme, Leach learned the Air Raid Offense and eventually became its most successful practitioner. Leach took the first head coaching job at Texas Tech at the end of the 1999 season. From 2000 through the 2008 season, Texas Tech won at least 8 games a year with five QBs and averaged more than 530 yards of offense a game. He led Tech to 10 consecutive winning seasons, and 9 consecutive bowl appearances with 5 wins. Leach left Texas Tech as the winningest football coach in program history with a record of 84-43, a record still standing to this day. While in Lubbock, Leach was named AP Big 12 Coach of the Year and Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2008. Leach was awarded the Woody Hayes Trophy by the Touchdown Club of Columbus for the top collegiate coach and the George Munger Award given by the Maxwell Football Club for the NCAA Division I Coach of the Year in 2008 as well. Under Leach’s Air Raid, Micheal Crabtree would become the first WR to win the Fred Biletnikoff Award two times (2007, 2008). He also had 3 Sammy Baugh Trophy winners with Kliff Kingsbury (2002), B.J. Symons (2003), and Graham Harrell (2007). Harrel would also win the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award in 2008. After his departure from Texas Tech in 2009, Mike Leach would coach at Washington State and Mississippi State before his passing in late 2022. He ended with a 158-107 overall record as a Head Coach Colt McCoy-Football
Born in Hobbs, NM, raised in Tuscola, Texas. Two-time All-State QB Jim Ned HS while setting the record for most yards by a 2A QB. McCoy went 45-8 as a starter at the University of Texas (2005-’09) and set 47 school records, including the marks for career passing yards (13,253), touchdowns (112), and completion percentage (70.3). Ranks 2nd in all-time wins behind Kellan Moore of Boise State. Two-time All-American in 2008 & 2009. His #12 jersey was retired by UT in 2010. McCoy won the Walter Camp Football Foundation award in 2008 and 2009 and won the Maxwell Award in 2009. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, and New York Giants and is currently with the Arizona Cardinals. Hal Mumme-Football
San Antonio, Texas native. Hal Mumme started his football career as a wide receiver playing collegiately for New Mexico Military Institute (1970-1971) and Tarleton State University (1974-1975). He started his coaching career as an offensive coordinator at Corpus Christi Moody High School (1976-1978) and had stops at Aransas Pass High School (1979), West Texas A&M (1980-1981), University of Texas El Paso (1982-1985), Copperas Cove High School (1986-1988) Iowa Wesleyan (1989-1991) where he is credited with inventing the “Air Raid Offense” with offensive coordinator Mike Leach, Valdosta State University (1992-1996), University of Kentucky (1997-2000), Southeastern Louisiana (2003-2004), New Mexico State (2005-2008). McMurry University (2009-2012), Southern Methodist University (2013), Belhaven (2014-2017), Jackson State University (2018). He also coached professionally in the XFL for the Dallas Renegades (2020) and the Linemen in the Spring League. He has won two championships, one in the Gulf South League of the NCAA(1996) and another professionally in The Spring League (2021) Carla Overbeck -Soccer
Born in Pasadena, California, Overbeck grew up in Richardson, Texas, a suburb of the Dallas area, where she attended Richardson High School. She played collegiately as a defender for the University of North Carolina’s women's soccer team. During her career there, the Tar Heels went on a 95-match undefeated run going 89–0–6. Overbeck was a four-time member of the NCAA All-Tournament Team and a two-time All-ACC selection. She also was a member of the 1986 Soccer America All-America Freshman Team and was named the Most Valuable Defensive Player of the 1988 NCAA Tournament. She then went on to play internationally for the US women's national soccer team from 1988-2000 competing in over 160 matches. Overbeck is a two-time FIFA World Cup Champion (1991 &1999) and a member of the U.S. team that won the first-ever FIFA Women's World Cup in 19991 . She also is also a two-time Olympian winning gold in 1996 and silver in 2000. Since 1992, Overbeck has focused on being an assistant coach for Duke University women’s soccer team, particularly since her retirement from international play in 2000. She has since been inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame (2006) and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame (2010). Arthur Rhodes-Baseball
Waco, Texas native. Rhodes was taken 34th overall by the Baltimore Orioles in the second round of the 1988 MLB draft. Rhodes played for a number of MLB teams debuting for the Baltimore Orioles (1991-1999) in 1991; he then moved to the Seattle Mariners (2000-2003 and 2008), The Oakland Athletics (2004), the Cleveland Indians (2005), the Philadelphia Phillies (2006), the Florida Marlins (2008 via trade), the Cincinnati Reds (2009-2010), the Texas Rangers (2011), and the Saint Louis Cardinals (2011 via trade). Rhodes had an all-time record of 87-70, an earned run average of 4.08, and 1,152 strikeouts. Rhodes' most notable professional accomplishments were his All-Star team selection in 2010 and his World Series championship with the Cardinals in 2011. He is currently a pitching coach for the Cleburne Railroaders of the American Association of Professional Baseball League. Jackie Sherrill- Football
Duncan, Oklahoma native. Jackie Sherrill started his football career collegiately as a fullback and linebacker for the University of Alabama (1962-1965). He started coaching as a graduate assistant at his alma mater during the 1966 season. From there, he moved to the University of Arkansas (1967), Iowa State University (1968-1972), University of Pittsburg (1973-1975 and 1977-1981), Washington State University (1976), Texas A&M University (1982-1988), and Mississippi State University (1991-2003). Over his coaching tenure, he compiled a record of 180–120–4, won three Southwest Conference Titles with Texas A&M (1985-1987), and was recognized for his coaching prowess by receiving the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award (1981) and winning Southwest Conference Coach of the Year three times in (1985-1987). In 1983 he revitalized Texas A&M’s beloved 12th Man traditions when allowed walk-on tryouts from the student body to field members of the Aggies kickoff coverage team. Leon "Red" Spencer- Basketball
Spencer spent over four decades serving as Trinity Valley Community College’s men's basketball coach and athletic director, ultimately retiring in 2006 as the most successful coach in Texas junior college basketball history with a career record of 809-492. He joined HCJC in 1957 as a basketball scholar and later pursued football at East Texas State University, where he was honored as the team's MVP during his senior year. In 1964, Spencer returned to HCJC as the head men's basketball coach and took on the assistant football coach role. He experienced many memorable moments throughout his illustrious career, but the 1981-82 season stands out the most. During that time, his team, including the renowned Stan Cloudy, earned third place in the national tournament, making it the closest any Cardinals basketball team had come to a national title. Spencer and the Cardinals achieved significant milestones in the 1995 and 1999 seasons, again appearing in the national tournament. Along the way, he coached numerous players who received recognition as All-American, All-Region, and All-Conference athletes. Under his guidance, the Cardinals claimed over a dozen conference championships and secured three regional titles. Recognizing his exceptional contributions, Spencer received induction into the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1996. Matthew Stafford-Football
Born in Tampa, FL, raised in Dallas, TX. Three-time All-State QB Selection for Highland Park High School. Named Gatorade Player of the Year and EA Sports National Player of the Year in 2005. Stafford led his team to a 15-0 record and helped clinch the 2005 4A State Championship title. At the University of Georgia (2006-’08), he threw for 7,731 total passing yards and set a record for the most touchdown passes in a single season with 25 in 2008. He finished 27-7 overall through his three years after forgoing his senior season. Playing for the Detroit Lions from 2009-2020, he has thrown for a total of 45,109 yards and 282 touchdowns. In 2012 he was awarded an ESPY for Best Comeback Player of the Year after being out due to a shoulder injury the previous season. Selected as a Pro-bowl alternate in 2013 and 2014 and was selected for the 2015 Pro-bowl. In 2021, Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams and led the Rams to the Super Bowl LVI victory. Bubba Thornton- Track & Field/ Football
Keller, Texas native. During his 31 year track & field coaching career Thornton coached athletes to a combined 35 NCAA event titles, more than 300 All-America honors, and 161 conference championships. Thornton lettered in two sports at TCU - football (WR, DB & RB) and track & field from 1967-1969. He was drafted in the 14th round of the 1969 AFL draft by the Buffalo Bills. From 1977 to 1981 he was the athletic director and head football coach at his alma mater, Keller High School. He then returned to TCU to coach track and field (1982-1995), and then eventually to the University of Texas (1996-2013). He won 11 men’s Big 12 conference championships - (six indoor: 1999, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013 & five outdoor: 1997, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2013) and one SWC Men’s Outdoor Championship in 1996. He was selected to coach the 1996 USA World Junior Championship team, served as Asst. Head Coach of the USA Olympic Team in 2000, and was head coach of the 2003 USA World Championship team and the 2008 USA Olympic Track & Field Team in Beijing. Thornton was named Big 12 Coach of the Year ten times (Indoor: 1999, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013 & Outdoor: 1997, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2013), USTFCCCA South Central Region Indoor Coach of the Year (2006, 2007), USTFCCCA South Central Region Outdoor Coach of the Year (2006), NCAA District VI Coach of the Year (1999). He has coached 34 NCAA national championships (27 individual & 7 relays) Thornton was also inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame in 2015. Christa Williams- Softball
Born in Houston and raised in Pasadena, Texas. Williams was a softball pitcher who was a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist (1996, 2000) and two-time ISF World Champion (1995, 1998). As a freshman at Dobie High School, she led the Longhorns to their first state championship in 1993. In 1995 she pitched a perfect game against Plano East, claiming the Longhorns’ second state title After transferring from UCLA (1997), Williams landed at the University of Texas (1998-’99), where she was Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and NCAA Regional Tournament MVP (1998). She was a three-time NCAA All-American (1997, UCLA and ‘98 and ’99, UT). She helped lead Texas to the 1998 NCAA WCWS. Honors included: Gold medalist at Pan American Games Qualifier (1994), where she threw a perfect game and no-hitter and finished with a 3-0 record, 0.00 ERA, and 45 strikeouts; gold medalist at ISF Junior Women's World Championship (1995), Gold medalist at Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia (1996), Gold medalist at ISF World Championships (1998), Gold medalist at U.S. Olympic Cup (1999), where she pitched a complete game shutout against Australia in Championship Game. |
Jay Buhner-Baseball
Raised in League City, TX. Played for Clear Creek High School before joining McLennan Community College. There, Buhner helped MCC win its first NJCAA National Championship in 1983. In his sophomore year, Buhner was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1984. Buhner made his Major League debut with the New York Yankees in 1987 where he would play two seasons. In 1988, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners where he would play for 14 seasons from 1988-2001. Over 20 seasons since his retirement Buhner still ranks among the Mariners career leaders in games (1440; 5th), at bats (4,922; 5th), runs (789; 4th), hits (1,255; 5th), doubles (231; 5th), triples (19; tied for 8th), home runs (307; 2nd), RBIs (951; 3rd), total bases (2,445; 5th), extra-base hits (557; 4th), slugging percentage (.497, 6th) and walks (788; 3nd).In 1996, the big left fielder was selected to play in the MLB All-Star Game and won a Golden Glove award. From 1996-1998, he became just the 10th player to hit 40 or more home runs in three consecutive seasons. Buhner had 310 Career Home Runs, 1,273 Hits, 956 RBIs, and a Career SLG of .494. In 2004, he was inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame. Kirk Dressendorfer-Baseball
Houston, Texas native. Dressendorfer graduated from Pearland High School and was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 34th round of the 1987 MLB Draft, but opted to attend The University of Texas at Austin. At UT he was a three-time All-American and All-SWC, posting a career record of 45–8, including a single-season record 15 complete games. From 1988-90, Dressendorfer compiled the second-most wins in Texas history with a 45-8 overall record and the second-most complete games with 33. Dressendorfer is one of only five three-time First Team All-Americans in program history. During his three-year career, he recorded a 2.56 ERA with 462 strikeouts in 429.2 innings pitched. Following his Texas career, he was selected in the first round of the 1990 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics and played eight seasons of professional baseball, including making his Major League debut for the Athletics in 1991. Dressendorfer was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 2002 and the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009. Cito Gaston-Baseball
San Antonio, Texas native Cito Gaston was drafted as a center fielder by the Atlanta Braves and made his debut during the 1967 season, playing just nine games in a Braves uniform before being selected the following year by the San Diego Padres in the MLB expansion draft. Gaston’s best individual season came in 1970, where he hit .309 with 29 home runs and 93 runs batted in and earned himself a National League All-Star selection as a Padre. As a player, he was a part of the Atlanta Braves (1967 and 1975-1978), San Diego Padres (1969-1974), and Pittsburgh Pirates (1978). Following his playing days, he became a hitting coach for the Toronto Blues Jays starting in 1982 until he eventually took over as manager in the middle of the 1989 season. He led the Blue Jays to a division title in the 1989 season and became the First African-American Manager to win a World Series, going back to back in 1992 and 1993. Gaston’s accolades as a player and coach earned him an induction into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame (2002) and the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame (2006). Chris Gilbert- Football
Houston, TX native. Gilbert played for Spring Branch High School before joining the University of Texas, where he became the first person to record three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Three-time All-SWC and consensus All-American in 1968, Gilbert rushed for 1,080 as a sophomore, 1,019 as a junior, and 1,132 as a senior, totaling 3,231 yards in just 29 games (28 TDs). His best individual games included 245 yards against Baylor in 1966, 213 against Baylor in 1968, and 202 against Texas Christian in 1966. Selected by the New York Jets in the 1969 NFL Draft, Gilbert never played in the NFL, instead launching a business career in Houston as president of Gilbert Investment. Still fifth on the Longhorn’s all-time rushing leader list, Gilbert was the first UT player to have over 1,000 yards in a season. Judge Roy Hofheinz- Administration Deceased
Beaumont, Texas native. Hofheinz joined the Houston Sports Association (HSA) in 1959 with the goal of bringing a Major League Baseball franchise to the city of Houston. The following year Hofheinz was able to secure the birth of Houston's new national league franchise, the Colt .45s. They played their inaugural game on the Judge's 50th birthday, beating the Chicago Cubs 11-2. Hofheinz also headed the way to building Houston’s famous Astrodome, which he and HSA founders purchased 497 acres in the South Loop region of Houston, then nothing more than a swamp, from the owners of the Shamrock Hilton Hotel and resold 254 acres to Harris County for the site of the Astrodome; to finance its construction, the county issued $31 million in two separate bond votes. HSA leased the Astrodome from the county (at $750,000 per year), and the Colt .45s were renamed the Houston Astros in 1965 upon the institution of their new stadium. His contributions to baseball and the city of Houston earned him an induction into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame (2006) and the Houston Astros Hall of Fame (2021) Barbara Jacket- Track & Field Deceased
Port Arthur, Texas native. Barbara Jacket received her Bachelors from Tuskegee University (1958) and her Masters from Prairie View A&M (1968). In 1965 Jacket became the head coach for the newly created Women’s Track and Field team as well as the Men’s team. The Lady Panthers won 9 consecutive NAIA Outdoor National Championships (1982-1990), and 3 Women’s Indoor National Championships (1984, 1987, 1991). The Men’s team won 2 NAIA Outdoor National Championships in 1968 and 1969 as well as the 1968 Men’s Indoor National Championship. Combined, both teams placed 2nd 13 times in both Indoor and Outdoor National Championships between 1965-1991. The Lady Panthers won 9 Women’s SWAC Indoor Conference Championships (1976-77, 1979-80, 1984-87, 1989) and 2 Women’s SWAC Outdoor Conference Championships (1976-77). Prairie View A&M won 2 Men’s SWAC Outdoor Conference Championships (1969-70) under Jacket. She also coached outside of Prairie View A&M in the 1979 Pan American Games as an assistant coach for the Women’s team. Jacket was the head coach for the Women’s team at the 1975 World University Games, and for Team USA for the 1987 and 1991 World Championships in Athletics. She became the second every African American coach after her appointment as head coach for Team USA for the 1992 Summer Olympics. After retirement Barbara Jacket served as an Athletic Director for Prairie View A&M from 1990-95. She was inducted into the Prairie View A&M Sports Hall of Fame (1992), International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame (1995) and the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2001). Fred Newhouse- Track & Field
Honey Grove, Texas native. Fred Newhouse graduated from Hallsville High School before attending Prairie View A&M. As a Panther, Newhouse would go on to become an All-American and National Champion. In 1971, he represented Team USA at the Pan American Games in Cali, Columbia. Newhouse participated in the 4x400 M Relay, winning Gold (3:00.68). Newhouse then took home Silver in the 400 M Dash (45.09). He, again, represented Team USA at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Newhouse participated in the 4x400 Relay, winning Gold (2:58.65) and Silver in the 400 M Dash (44.40). In retirement he became a referee at the Texas Relays. Fred Newhouse a member of the Prairie View A&M Sports Hall of Fame in 1992, Texas Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2014, and the USATF Officials Hall of Fame in 2020. Charmayne James- Rodeo
Born in Amarillo, TX. Raised in Clayton, New Mexico. 11-time World Title holder and 10-time champion at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in the Astrodome. She holds the most Average Titles (6) won in Barrel Racing at the NFR. At just 13 years old she entered her professional career and qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in 1984 and earned WPRA Rookie of the Year. In 1987, she earned the number one back number at the NFR which signifies earning more money than anyone in rodeo. In 1996, her horse, Scamper, would be inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and James would follow in 2017. Scamper was a five-time award winner for the AQHA/WPRA Horse of the Year. James also became the first woman in pro rodeo to reach $1 million in earnings. Billy Nicks- Football Deceased
Born in Griffin, raised in Atlanta, GA. Played football, basketball, baseball and track at Morris Brown College in Atlanta, GA. After playing for Morris Brown College, he coached the football team in the years 1930-’35, ‘37-’39, and ‘41-’42. His record while coaching there was 66-22-13 during his 11 years. He moved onto Prairie View A&M and was the head football coach from 1945-’47, assistant coach in ‘48-’51, and head coach again from ‘52-’65. In those 17 years his record was 127-39-8. Nicks racked up eight Southwestern Atlantic Conference Championships and five black college national championships (1953, ‘54, ‘58, ‘63, and ‘64). He was named Prairie View’s Director of Athletics and some years coached basketball and baseball. From ‘66-’73 he was the special assistant to the University president. In 1975, he left the college atmosphere and traded in for a position of Director of Parks and Recreation for the city of Houston, TX. Prairie View honored him by naming its athletic complex after him in 1988. Richard Ritchie- Football Deceased
Richard Ritchie, from Mineral Wells TX, was the most successful quarterback in the history of college football at any level, going 39-0 as Texas A&I’s starter from the last game of his freshman season in 1973 to his final game in 1976. Ritchie earned Little All-America honors as a senior after the Javelinas won their third consecutive NAIA Division I national championship. Texas A&I, (now Texas A&M-Kingsville), was a combined 38-0 during its three-year run as national champion. One of the best option quarterbacks in college history, Ritchie passed for 40 touchdowns and rushed for 19 in his career. He passed for 5,131 yards and rushed for 1,492. He was also the Javelinas’ kicker, converting 137 extra points and making nine field goals. Ritchie was named NAIA Player of the Year and Lone Star Conference Player of the Year in 1975 and 1976. Ritchie, who also earned Academic All-America honors, graduated from A&I in 1977 and coached at Texas, North Texas and Texas Tech for seven years. He was inducted into the National College Football Hall of Fame in 1998 Ira Terrell- Basketball
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas. Franklin D. Roosevelt High School, SMU, Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Jazz, and Portland Trail Blazers Power forward/Center. Referred to as one of the greatest basketball players in SMU history. At SMU, he became the 1976 Southwest Conference Player of the Year, one of two players in SMU history to finish with 1,000 career points and rebounds, and averaged a double-double in each of his three seasons. Received All-Southwest Conference Recognition in 1973, 1974, and 1976. Member of the SMU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012 and Southwest Conference Hall of Fame. In 2019, SMU retired his jersey #32. Wilson Whitley- Football Deceased
Brenham, TX native. Whitley was a three-time all-state, twice all-America at Brenham High School. In Whitley's senior season at the University of Houston, he became a consensus All-America selection and won the Lombardi Award. 1976 was Houston's first year in the SWC. That season he anchored a defense that held opponents to ten or fewer points in five games. His numbers for that season included five sacks, and 50 tackles. In his final collegiate game he had eight stops in an upset victory over previously unbeaten Maryland in a Cotton Bowl victory. Despite playing only one year in the SWC, Whitley was named the SWC Defensive Player of the Decade. He was the eighth overall selection in the NFL draft, playing seven NFL seasons and appearing in a Super Bowl with Cincinnati. He was inducted into College Football HOF in 2007. |