PARRISH RESTAURANTS’ TEXAS BLACK SPORTS HALL OF FAME “CELEBRATING ATHLETIC BRILLIANCE” December 7, 2013 Dallas, Texas -- The 18th Class of the Parrish Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame (TBSHOF) will be formally recognized at the Induction Luncheon December 7, 11:30 a.m., at the Marriott City Center, 650 North Pearl Street, Dallas, Texas. The enshrinement of the 2013 Class of Inductees to the (TBSHOF) will celebrate athletic brilliance with the all-time winningest boys’ basketball coach in high school history, an Olympic Gold Medalist, the first black athlete in the state to integrate an all-white football program, and a gridiron star who made one of the greatest defensive plays in Monday night football history. The Class of 2013 inductees is a highly prolific group of outstanding Texas African American athletes and coaches, all who will formally receive their just due honors. The 2013 Class of Inductees include: Zelmo Beaty, Jr. (Posthumous), basketball; Steffanie Blackmon, basketball; Chryste Gaines, track & field; Clifton Gilliard, coaching; Kenneth Houston, football; Robert Hughes, coaching; Carl Jackson, coaching; Jeff Jacobs, football; Benjamin Kelly, football; and Todd Scott, football. “The 2013 Class of the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame is not only a celebration of athletic brilliance, but is also a celebration of community achievements,” said Ronald Parker, Chair of the TBSHOF Advisory Committee. “These athletes were not only great on the field of play, but they’ve continued that level of performance by serving as good community stewards, in which we are very pleased in celebrating as well.” This year’s class of inductees represents three sports and coaching: 4 in football, 3 in coaching, 2 in basketball and 1 in track and field. The 10 Inductees this year have collectively attained: 1Super Bowl ring; 1 ABA Championship; 1 NFL Hall of Fame Induction; 1 Olympic Gold Medal; 1 NCAA National Championship; 1NAIA National Championship; 1 Black College National Championship; 3 World Track Championships; 5 NBA All-Star appearances; 10 Team and Individual State High School Championships; 13 NFL and AFL Pro Bowl Appearances; 18 Major College Bowl Game appearances; and 20 NFL Pro-Bowl Honors. Clifton Gilliard, Kenneth Houston, Carl Jackson and Zelmo Beaty, Jr. all hailed from outstanding athletic programs at Prairie View A&M University, demonstrating how Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have evenly contributed to the success of athletic figures who went on to perform at elite national and world-class levels. Robert Hughes came out of Texas Southern University, making half of this year’s inductee’s products of HBCUs. -more- This year’s class includes: Zelmo Beaty, Jr., out of Woodville, Texas and Prairie View A&M, was part of the cornerstone of the American Basketball Association (ABA), leading the Utah Stars to the 1971 ABA championship and helping the league gain the utmost respect in pro basketball. He also led Prairie View to the 1962 NAIA title. Steffanie Blackmon was the dependable and dominant center for the 2005 Baylor Lady Bears NCAA Championship squad, playing under Coach Kim Mulkey and becoming the predecessor to Brittney Griner. Chryste Gaines, in track and field, won an Olympic Gold Medal in the 1996 Atlanta Games, three World Track Championships, several NCAA crowns for Stanford and three state individual track titles for Dallas South Oak Cliff, all starting at the ripe young age of 14. Clifton Gilliard was a literal “go-to” coach, serving in several roles at Prairie View A&M and Houston area high schools, leading his teams to winning titles wherever he went, including a total 11 SWAC Conference crowns. Kenneth Houston was a perennial All-Pro defensive back with the Houston Oilers and Washington Redskins who returned 9 interceptions for touchdowns and is known for his historic tackle of Walt Garrison in a classic Monday night football game. Robert Hughes amassed an incredible 1,333 wins as a boy’s high school basketball coach at Fort Worth Trimble Tech and Fort Worth Dunbar High Schools, the most by any boys’ high school coach in history. He also took home five state high school titles. Carl Jackson proved himself as a jewel of an assistant coach and offensive coordinator, mostly under Hayden Fry at Iowa, but also helping head coach George Seifert win Super Bowl XXIX as their backfield coach. He helped take his college teams to a total of 16 bowl games. Jeff Jacobs was a superstar three-sport athlete at Dallas Roosevelt High School who went on to play for winning programs at SMU and Michigan State. Benjamin Kelly was the Jackie Robinson of Texas college sports, breaking the color line at San Angelo College in 1953, becoming the first black athlete at an all-white college in Texas and most likely the entire South. Todd Scott earned a reputation as a big play man with the Minnesota Vikings and University of Louisiana-Lafayette. He intercepted three passes in one game off of Cincinnati Bengals Boomer Esiason toward helping the Vikings win the NFC Central Division title in a Pro Bowl 1992 season. “The thing that stands out with this class is how they excelled in whatever role they were called to fulfill and in many cases under very adverse circumstances,” said Gordon Jackson, a member of TBSHOF’s Advisory Committee. “They were critically invaluable to their respective programs, always performing with greatness and even courage. It’s fitting for them that we’re ‘Celebrating Athletic Brilliance.’” The Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame is an effort to chronicle the contributions African American Texans have made to the history of sports. To achieve this goal, the following objectives are being offered: -more- 1. To honor African American Texan athletes and coaches who have made outstanding contributions to sports. 2. To collect and preserve records and objects documenting the activities of African American Texan athletes. 3. To develop a permanent exhibition at the African American Museum on the African American Texan athletes. 4. To develop an educational program on African American Texas athletes using traditional methods and newer technology. The Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame (TBSHOF), housed at the African American Museum, was established to chronicle the sports history contributions made by African Americans. It was established in 1996 to honor coaches and athletes of high character and athletic achievement, who are either Texans by birth or by athletic participation (collegiate or professional), and who have made recognizable contributions to African American culture and/or history. The general public submits the nominees, and a panel of judges (including sports/media journalist) makes the final selection. The Hall of Fame includes legendary Dallas Cowboys Stars such as Tony Dorsett, Drew Pearson, Preston Pearson, Mel Renfro, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Robert Newhouse, Rayfield Wright, Billy Joe Dupree, Jethro Pugh, Everson Walls and Tony Hill. The Hall of Fame also includes other heroes and heroines such as Abner Haynes, State Senator Royce West, 1966 “Glory Road” Championship Basketball UTEP Team, Coach Hensley Sapenter, Ervin Garnett, Coach Jackie Carr, Jolanda Jones, Anthony “Spud” Webb, Rolando Blackmon, Earl Campbell, Ernie Banks, Zina Garrison Jackson, Elvin Hayes, Jerry Levias, Coach James “Bo” Humphrey (Founder TSU Relays), and William Nicks. Other luminaries include 1968 NBA number one draftee and three-time All American, Elvin “Big E” Hayes; WNBA Champion Fran Harris, NFL Hall of Famer, the late Dick “Night Train” Lane; former Negro Leaguers Bill Blair, Ernie Banks and Willie Wells (Chicago Clubs); Olympiads: Rafer Johnson (also a charter member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame), Gold Medalist Fred Newhouse, Track team Head Coach Barbara Jacket, U.S. Olympic Bronze Medalist, and a founding member of the Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR), John Carlos, first black heavyweight champion of the world Jack Johnson, outstanding game-breaking running back Greg Pruitt, five time Super Bowl champion Charles Haley, 1968 Olympic Gold medalist Jim Hines and teammate Tommie Smith, and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown are all members of the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame. The total number of Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame inductees since its founding in 1996 now stands at 228. Parrish Restaurants, LTD is the Title Sponsor of the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame Luncheon. Tickets for the luncheon are $75 per person, $750 per table of ten. The African American Museum is located at 3536 Grand Avenue in Dallas’ Fair Park. For more information, call 214-565-9026, ext. 326.
Posted on: Sat, 23 Nov 2013 11:50:53 +0000
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