1950’s & Before - Bobby Cavazos - Kingsville High School
1960’s - Brad Dusek - Temple High School
1970’s - Ken Washington - Port Arthur Lincoln High School
1980’s - Tommy Jeter - Deer Park High School
1990’s - Kliff Kingsbury - New Braunfels High School
2000’s - Johnathan Gray - Aledo High School
Eddie Joseph Coach Category - Phil Danaher - Cal Allen High School
Eddie Joseph Coach Category - Bob Shelton - Buda Hays High School
Dave Campbell Contributor to the Game - Bruce Hardy - Stadium Manager Texas Stadium
Please join us in welcoming the class of 2018 into the Hall of Fame May 5 at 6 p.m. at Baylor University’s Ferrell Center. Tickets cost $45 for adults and $15 for students. To order tickets, contact Tiffany Wilkins at txhs.footballhof@gmail.com or (210) 290-8570.
Members of the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame are selected by a statewide committee made up of sportswriters, high school football coaches and members of the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame Board of Trustees. The banquet will include presentations to the 2016 state championship coaches. The Gordon Wood Award will be presented to a deserving high school. The Texas High School Coaches Association will present the 2017 Tom Landry Award to an outstanding coach.
1950s AND BEFORE
BOBBY CAVAZOS, Kingsville High School
Star three-sport athlete (football, baseball and track) was twice named All-South Texas by Kingsville Record. Went on to star at Texas Tech, rushing for a school-record 2,278 yards with 35 TDs, including 898 and 16 in 1953 when he led the Red Raiders to an 11-1 mark and earned second-team AP All-America honors. Though Texas Tech did not gain admittance to the Southwest Conference until May 1956, many consider Cavazos the player most responsible for elevating the program’s profile among other league members when he rushed for over 100 yards against SWC title contenders TCU and Baylor as a sophomore and led Red Raiders to their first postseason victory, 25-14 over Pacific in the Sun Bowl. Capped his career by rushing for 141 yards, 3 TDs in 35-13 win over Auburn in 1954 Gator Bowl.
1960s
BRAD DUSEK, Temple High School:
Dusek was a four-year starter at Temple and a Parade All-American following his senior season in 1968. He led Temple to 19 wins during his final two seasons as the Wildcats’ quarterback. Moved on to play multiple positions at Texas A&M, and earned All-SWC first team honors in 1971 as a safety. Dusek played for the Washington Redskins for 8 seasons and earned a second-team All-NFC selection in 1979.
1970s
KEN WASHINGTON, Port Arthur Lincoln High School:
Son of longtime Lincoln coach Joe Washington and younger brother of Oklahoma all-America RB Joe Jr. made a name for himself by leading Lincoln to a 30-4-1 mark in 1971-73 and first 3 playoff appearances in school history. Three-year starter at QB threw for 4,014 career yards -- the third-highest total in history for Texas' top classification at the time -- and was named first-team all-state and a member of Texas Footballmagazine's 1973 Super Team as a senior. Though considered a blue-chip prospect, he signed with North Texas State. Missouri Valley Conference's Newcomer of the Year in 1974, named AP Co-Back of the Week after totaling 213 yards in offense against SMU in his collegiate debut. Led Mean Green to 10-1 mark in 1977, an d finished career with 4,313 total yards (3,040 passing, 1,273 rushing) and 33 TDs. Inducted into North Texas HOF in 1996.
1980s
TOMMY JETER, Deer Park High School:
In 1987, 6-foot-6 DT was first-team all-state, Texas Football Super Team member, Parade and USA Today All-American. With a 4.7 40, coach Ron Lynch said 240-pounder was fastest kid on team. Led Deer to back-to-back 23-5A titles. Rated state’s top DL recruit, No. 2 prospect overall by one service. Also hit .427 for baseball team, had straight-A average in classroom. Signed with Texas, where he was a four-year letterman. Chosen by Philadelphia in third round of 1992 NFL Draft, spent 5 years in league.
1990s
KLIFF KINGSBURY, New Braunfels High School:
After passing for 974 yards, 6 TDs as junior, Kingsbury took a 4-6 team expected to finish near the bottom of strong 5A district and drove it to 13-2 mark and trip to Division II state semifinals in 1998. Big season (3,009 yards passing, 34 TDs, 8 ints) earned scholarship at Texas Tech, where he set 39 school records as well as 13 Big 12 and 7 NCAA Division I standards to become most decorated player in Red Raider history. Three-year starter completed 1,231 of 1,883 passes for 12,429 yards and 95 TDs, making him third player in college history to complete 1,000 passes and surpass 10,000 yards passing and total offense. A unanimous all-Big 12 choice after throwing for 5,017 yards, 45 TDs in 2002, won Big 12 Offensive Player of Year vote and ear ned Sammy Baugh Trophy as the nation’s top QB. Academic all-American was named Academic Player of Year nationally.
2000s
JOHNATHAN GRAY, Aledo High School:
Gray, who led Aledo to three-straight state championships from 2009-2011, rushed for 10,889 yards, falling just 343 yards short of Kenneth Hall’s career rushing record. Gray scored 205 touchdowns, including setting a state-championship-game record by scoring 8 touchdowns in Aledo’s 69-34 victory over La Marque in 2010. Went on to the University of Texas where he finished his college career in 12th place on the Longhorns career rushing list with 2,607 yards.
COACHES CATEGORY HONORING EDDIE JOSEPH
PHIL DANAHER, Corpus Christi Calallen High School:
Starting the 2017 season, Danaher was the all time winningest coach in Texas high school football history with a total of 427 wins. He one of only two Texas high school football coaches to reach over 400 career wins. Compiled 68-37-2 mark in 10 years at Dilley (1974-77) and Hamshire-Fannett (1978-83) before going to Calallen in 1984. After 5-4-1 first season, led Wildcats to first playoff appearance in 30 years in 1985 (10-3) and hasn't missed playoffs since. Calallen reached state championship game for first time in 2005 (falling to Lewisville Hebron 28-0 in 4A Division II) and semifinals 10 times (1993-97, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2010-11). -Wildcats have won 10+ games in 24 of 30 seasons, including state-record 16 straight (1988-2003). Coached hundreds of all-district playe rs and dozens of all-staters, including son Wes, whose 8,855 career rushing yards in 1992-95 were second only to Kenneth Hall in Texas history. Wes Danaher inducted into Texas High School Football HOF in 2013.
BOB SHELTON, Buda Hays High School: One of just 10 coaches in Texas football with 300 career victories, posting a 313-187-7 record in 47 seasons, all of them at Buda. Total puts him in a tie for sixth all-time with Charlie Johnston of Childress. Had only one losing season in last 25 at Hays Consolidated before retiring in 2012 as head coach, AD. Best season came in 1996, when Rebels lost Class 4A Division I state title game to Grapevine. Hays Consolidated School District renamed its home field Bob Shelton Stadium in his honor. Inducted into THSCA Hall of Fame in 2002.
DAVE CAMPBELL CONTRIBUTOR TO THE GAME
BRUCE HARDY, Stadium Manager - Texas Stadium: Former Dallas Cowboys exec, longtime Texas Stadium GM was instrumental in turning Cowboys' home field into a go-to venue for area high school teams. Hired in 1984 to boost stadium revenue after Bum Bright purchased team, he lured some of music's biggest acts there for concerts, convinced school officials that Texas' most glamorous stadium wasn't just for state championship games. Though stadium had hosted high school games for years, expanded its prep playdates from handful to 30 or more per year. When stadium fell to wrecking ball in 2010 after 38 years, it had hosted about 700 high school football games out of 1,200 total events.
