Texas Sports Hall of Fame inducts two-sport All-American Dave Elmendorf

Texas Sports Hall of Fame to induct two-sport All-American Dave Elmendorf

​Texas A&M University legend joins seven other honorees at February 21 dinner in Waco

WACO, TX –  January XX, 2017 – The Texas Sports Hall of Fame (TSHOF) announces that it now counts football and baseball athlete Dave Elmendorf among its 2017 class. Dave, along with seven other exceptional athletes, will be formally recognized and inducted into the TSHOF on Tuesday, February 21 in Waco, Texas.

A Houston, Texas native, Dave was a highly recruited outfielder and safety from Westbury High School. He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1967 but instead went to Texas A&M University, where he had the opportunity to play both football and baseball. While there, he became a two-sport All-American (football ’70, baseball ’71) and earned Academic All-American honors in both sports.

“I hadn’t looked at the roster of inductees into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame until I found out I was going to be included in it. That’s when it hit me what an incredible honor this is,” said Dave. “When I looked at some of the names, guys I’ve played against, like Steve Worster in college and Earl Campbell in the NFL, and then I look at former great players at Texas A&M where I graduated, like John David Crow, and consider that I’m being inducted with probably the best track coach that ever was and may ever will be, Coach Henry, it is just an incredible honor. I’m so blessed and I thank the Texas Sports Hall of Fame very much.”

Though the Texas A&M football squad only won eight games during the three years Dave was on the varsity team, he was still a two-time All-SWC safety (1969-1970), leading the Aggies in kick and punt returns, and catching six interceptions.

In Aggies baseball, Dave had a .402 batting average, driving in 3 home runs and 25 RBIs as a senior. He was also a four-year starter as an outfielder and three-time All-SWC in the sport.

Dave’s favorite childhood baseball team, the New York Yankees, called him up in the draft after college. But he instead chose to play football when drafted by the Los Angeles Rams. Dave played nine seasons in the NFL, never missing a game in 143 starts. While with the Rams, the team won seven consecutive NFC titles from 1973 to 1979, making it to the Super Bowl XIV in 1979.

In his NFL career, Dave recorded 27 interceptions earning NFL All-Rookie (‘71), All-NFC (’74) and All-Pro (’75) honors. After the Super Bowl, he retired and started his broadcasting career with ESPN for college football. In 1989, he came back to his alma mater and since then has been the color commentator for Texas A&M football games. Dave was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997 and Southwest Conference Hall of Fame in 2016.

Presented by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, Dave will join other inductees at the February event including former Houston Cougars NCAA women’s volleyball player Rita Buck-Crockett, Texas A&M University track & field coach Pat Henry, former Houston Cougars NCAA women’s volleyball player Flo Hyman (deceased), 2008 Olympic all-around gymnastics champion Nastia Liukin, former University of Texas dual sport athlete Eric Metcalf, Denver Broncos football defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and former Dallas Cowboys All Pro safety Darren Woodson. This class joins a long list of Texas sport legends forever being honored as a member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

The February 21 event will begin with a reception at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame at 4 p.m., with a 6 p.m. banquet at the Waco Convention Center. Combination reception/banquet tickets are $200 each or $1,400 for a reserved table of eight. Banquet-only tickets can be purchased for $75 each, or $600 for a reserved table of eight. To purchase tickets, please call the museum at 800-567-9561 or visit http://www.tshof.org/buy-tickets/

For additional information on Dave or any of the other inductees, please contact Adrian Patenaude, [email protected], or Jay Black, [email protected].

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About the Texas Sports Hall of Fame

​The Texas Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Waco, Texas, chronicles the heroes and legends of the Lone Star State sports at all levels, including high school standouts, Olympians and professionals. Established in 1993, the organization’s mission is to preserve the legacies of all inductees and the history of sports in Texas to educate and inspire guests of all ages. Home to over 300 Texas Legends, the museum houses the Texas Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame and Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. The Texas Sports Hall of Fame is located at 1108 S. University Parks Dr. Waco, Texas 76706. For more information, please visit http://www.tshof.org/.