Less than 20 tables left for 2014 TSHOF banquet 2/2714

​ WACO –  The Texas Sports Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2014 presented by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Companies. Those to be honored on 2/27/14 include  -

Doug English - former University of Texas and Detroit Lion DT  

Larry Johnson - former UNLV and NBA All Star  

Charlie Krueger - former Texas A&M and NFL DT  **Please note - Charlie Krueger will not be attending the banquet due to health reasons

Dat Nguyen - former Texas A&M and Dallas Cowboy LB  

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez - former Texas Ranger catcher  

​Thurman Thomas - former Oklahoma State and Buffalo Bills RB  

​Sanya Richards-Ross  - NCAA & Olympic 400m champion  

Don Trull - former Baylor and Houston Oiler QB  

​The banquet will be held on Thursday evening, February 27, 2014 at Baylor's Ferrell Center at 7:00pm. A  private reception will be held at the museum at 5:00pm. Ticket prices are .......

Combo Banquet/Reception ticket             $200/person

Banquet ticket                                             $75/person
 
Combo Table (seating 10)                         $1,500 ($500 discount)
   
Banquet only Table (seating 10)               $675

CLICK HERE TO ORDER TICKETS ONLINE

The Hampton Inn & Suites and the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Lacy Lakeview (5 minutes from the museum) are the host hotels for the induction banquet.
Be sure and ask for the special Texas Sports Hall of Fame room rate at either 

Hampton Inn
4259 North IH-35
Waco TX 76705
254-662-9500.
Hampton Inn Website 
 
Fairfield Inn
4257 North IH-35
Waco TX 76705 254-412-2535.
Fairfield Inn Website.  

​ 2014 INDUCTEE BIOS

DOUG ENGLISH
Dallas native Doug English began his football career at Bryan Adams High School where he was a member of Coach & Athlete Magazine’s Prep All-America team. The 6’5”, 255 lb. English was a two-time All-SWC defensive tackle at the University of Texas in 1973 and 1974 and was also selected to the All-America team as a senior in 1974. He helped lead Coach Royal’s Longhorns to SWC titles in 1972 & 1973 and was later voted to the University of Texas All-Century Team. English played 10 seasons in the NFL with the Detroit Lions from 1975-1985 (he briefly retired for the 1980 season). He made All-Pro four-times (1978, 1981, 1982, 1983) and was also selected to play in four Pro Bowls (1979, 1982-1984). English had 59 career sacks including 13 in 1983. That season Detroit’s “Silver Rush” defense helped the team win its first NFC central division title. During his 131 game professional career he recorded a record four safeties. English is a member of the Detroit Lions All-Time Team and was inducted in the University of Texas Hall of Honor in 1986. He is also a member of the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame (1997). In 2000 he started the Lone Star Paralysis Foundation. English was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011. He currently works as the CEO of PowerDrive Training Products.

LARRY JOHNSON
Dallas’ Larry Johnson was a 1987 McDonalds High School All-American at Dallas Skyline for coach J.D. Mayo. At Odessa College he became the first two-time NJCAA Player of the Year winning the award in 1988 & 1989. The 6’7” Johnson was a two-time All-American at UNLV in 1990 and 1991. In the 1990 NCAA title game vs. Duke he had 22 pts & 11 rebounds in 103-73 win which was the largest margin of victory ever in a title game. His senior year playing for Coach Jerry Tarkanian, the Running Rebels posted a perfect 27-0 regular season record but were upset by Duke in the Final Four. Johnson was the 1990-91 John R. Wooden Award winner and was also named the Naismith College Player of the Year. He was the 1st overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft by Charlotte Hornets (1991-1996). “LJ” played for the New York Knicks from 1996-2001 helping them win the 1999 Eastern Conference title. Johnson was named the 1992 NBA Rookie of the Year and was selected to NBA All-Star Teams in 1993 & 1995. His career NBA totals include 11,450 points and 5,300 rebounds for an average of 16.2 PPG & 7.5 RPG. Johnson also represented his country as a member of the 1994 FIBA World Championship team. He currently works for the New York Knicks as a basketball & business operations representative.

CHARLIE KRUEGER
Caldwell, Texas native Charlie Krueger was a two-time All-America tackle at Texas A&M in 1956 & 1957.  The 6’4”, 215 lb. Krueger was also a two-time All-SWC selection in 1956 & 1957. He helped Coach Bear Bryant’s 1956 Aggies earn a 9-0-1 record and the SWC championship. Krueger was captain of the 1958 College All-Star team that beat the Detroit Lions 35-19. In the 1958 NFL Draft he was the 8th pick overall by the San Francisco 49ers. He played defensive tackle for 15 seasons for the 49ers from 1959-1973. Krueger was All Pro three-time (1960, 1965 & 1970) and was selected to play in two Pro Bowls (1960 & 1964). His #70 jersey has been retired by the 49ers. Krueger’s brother Rolf was also an All-American OT at Texas A&M in 1968. Krueger is a member of Texas A&M’s Athletic Hall of Fame (1972) and was inducted into the College Football Hall Of Fame in 1983.  **Please note - Charlie Krueger will not be attending the banquet due to health reasons

DAT NGUYEN
Dat Nguyen began his illustrious career at Rockport-Fulton High School and soon became one of the most decorated football players in the history of Texas A&M University. From 1995 to 1998 the 5’11”, 238 lb. linebacker averaged 10.7 tackles per game for Texas A&M’s Wrecking Crew defense and set a school record with 517 career tackles. Nguyen also became the first Aggie to lead his team in tackles four consecutive years. A three- time All-Big 12 pick, he was the Conference’s defensive player of the year in 1998.  His senior season he made the All-America team, and also won the Chuck Bednarik and Lombardi Awards. Nguyen played with the Dallas Cowboys from 1999-2005 becoming the first Vietnamese-American to play in NFL. He earned NFL All-Pro honors in 2003. After a neck injury shortened his career Nguyen became the linebackers coach with Dallas Cowboys (2007-09) and later with Texas A&M University from 2010 to 2011. He was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004 and in 2007 joined the AT&T Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame. He currently works as the host of “The Blitz” on ESPN 1250 radio in San Antonio. 

IVAN “PUDGE” RODRIGUEZ
Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, a native of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, began and ended his 21-year career with the Texas Rangers. He began catching for the Rangers as a 19 year old rookie in 1991. From 1991 to 2002 he helped the Rangers win three AL West division titles (1996, 1998 & 1999). He joined the club again for a season in 2009 before eventually retiring as a Ranger in 2012. He played 1,507 games with the Rangers and is second in club history in hits (1,747), doubles (352), and multi-hit games (490). He ranks third in at-bats (5,754), triples (28) and homers (217). He’s fourth in games (1,507), runs (866), RBI (842), total bases (2,806) and extra base hits (597).  Rodriguez won 10 of his 13 Gold Glove Awards and made 10 of 13 All-Star Game appearances wearing a Rangers uniform. In 1999 Rodriguez was named the American League’s MVP when he hit 35 homeruns, 113 RBIs and had a batting average of .332. Also known for his strong arm behind the plate, Pudge threw out 46% of runners who attempted to steal on him during his career. In 2013 Rodriguez became the 16th member of the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame. He currently works for the Texas Rangers as an instructor, ambassador as well as a Special Assistant to the General Manager.

SANYA RICHARDS-ROSS
 Sanya Richards-Ross from Kingston, Jamaica wasn’t born in Texas but she got here as fast as she could. In two short years at the University of Texas (2003-2004) she became a five-time 400m NCAA champion and earned All-America honors 11 times. Richards-Ross joined esteemed 400m coach and fellow TSHOF member Clyde Hart in 2004 and the pair quickly set their sights on Olympic gold. At the 2004 Athens Olympics she was a member of the U.S. gold medal 400m relay team. In 2008 at Beijing she again won gold on the 400m relay but settled for bronze in the 400m after suffering a mid race cramp. Leading up to the 2012 Olympics she became the U.S. indoor and outdoor champion in the 400m and then topped it off by winning the World Indoor championship as well. At the 2012 London Olympics she accomplished a rare feat by winning gold in both the 400m & 4x400m relay. Her 400m victory made her only the second American woman to ever win the event and the first to do so since Valerie Briscoe-Hooks in 1984. She is the American record holder in the 400m (48.70) and a six-time U.S. outdoor 400m champion. Richards-Ross also won a total of six world championship titles in her two events. Her impressive resume includes the IAAF World Female Athlete of the Year and the Jesse Owens Awards in 2006 & 2009. In 2005 she was named the Visa Champion and Humanitarian Athlete of the Year. In 2011 she was inducted into the University of Texas Women’s Hall of Honor. She is married to New York Giants cornerback Aaron Ross.

THURMAN THOMAS
As a running back for Willowridge High School in Sugar Land, Texas, in 1982, Thurman Thomas had 1,556 yards and helped lead his team to the 4A state championship with a 15-0 record. At Oklahoma State University he twice made the All-America team (1985, 1987) and had 21 games of 100 yards rushing or more. His staggering career numbers include 897 rushes for 4,595 yards, 43 touchdowns, and 5,146 total yards. Thomas left OSU as the school’s all-time leading rusher and his 34 jersey is one of only three to have been retired by the school. After being drafted by the Buffalo Bills (1988-1999) he soon led the team to four straight Super Bowls in 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994. Thomas was named to five consecutive Pro Bowls (1989-93), was the 1991 NFL MVP, and in 13 NFL seasons (including Miami in 2000), he had 12,074 rushing yards, 472 receptions for 4,458 receiving yards, and 88 touchdowns with 16,532 total yards from scrimmage. He was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 2007 as well as the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

DON TRULL
Baylor quarterback Don Trull led the Bears to lofty heights in the early 1960’s, becoming one of the greatest passing threats in Southwest Conference history. From 1961 to 1963 he amassed 4,143 career passing yards and 27 touchdowns. Running Coach John Bridgers’ offense to perfection, Trull led the nation in passing in 1962 & 1963. His many honors in 1963 included being named to the All-America team, winning the Houston Post SWC MVP award and making the All-SWC team. Trull twice guided the Bears to bowl victories including a 24-9 victory over Utah State in the 1961 Gotham Bowl and a 14-7 win over LSU in 1963 Bluebonnet Bowl. Also an excellent student, Trull became Baylor’s first NFF National Scholar Athlete, made the dean’s list three times and won the 1963 Earl Blaik Fellowship Award. He went on to have a successful professional football career with the Houston Oilers (1964-1969), Boston Patriots (1967), Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Eskimos (1970-1971), World Football League’s Houston Texans (1974) & Shreveport Steamer (1975).  He was inducted into the Baylor Athletic Hall of Fame in 1975 and the College Football Hall of Fame on December 10, 2013.