University of Houston Athletics
Ware, Couples Named Texas Sports Hall of Famers
10/27/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 27, 2011
Waco, Texas - Former University of Houston greats Andre Ware and Fred Couples are Texas Sports Hall of Famers. The induction committee, chaired by Texas Football Magazine founder Dave Campbell, announced its Class of 2011 presented by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Companies Wednesday evening.
The banquet will be held in February 2012. The exact date, time, and ticket prices will be announced at a later date. Check www.tshof.org for updates.
A native of Dickinson, Texas, Ware was college football's top player in 1989, throwing for 4,699 yards and 44 touchdowns en route to the 1989 Heisman Trophy and Davey O'Brien awards. He set 26 NCAA records over the course of his junior season and led the Cougars to back-to-back nine-win campaigns, including a berth in the 1988 Aloha Bowl. In 1989 Ware led the NCAA in total offense at 423.7 yards per game and the club averaged an incredible 53.6 points on 624.9 yards of total offense. To illustrate Ware's explosiveness, he set an NCAA record with 517 yards passing in the first half vs. SMU on Oct. 21, 1989.
Ware was a first team All-America pick as well in 1989 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004. He left Houston following his junior season in 1989 and was a first-round pick of the Detroit Lions in the NFL Draft. He returned to UH in 1996 to earn his degree in marketing.
Couples has enjoyed an incredible professional career after starring at Houston. A two-time All-American (1979-80) under another Texas Sports Hall of Famer, Dave Williams, Couples boasts 15 career PGA Tour victories, including a Masters Green Jacket in 1992. Over his career Couples has claimed PGA wins at: the Kemper Open (1983), Tournament Players Championship (1984), Byron Nelson Golf Classic (1987), Nissan Los Angeles Open (1991), Federal Express St. Jude Classic (1991), B.C. Open (1991), Nissan Los Angeles Open (1992), Nestle Invitational (1992), Masters Tournament (1992), Honda Classic (1993), Buick Open (1994), THE PLAYERS Championship (1996), Bob Hope Chrysler Classic (1998), Memorial Tournament (1998) and the Shell Houston Open (2003).
The Seattle, Wash., native has represented the United States on five Ryder Cup and five Presidents Cup teams and was the captain of the Presidents Cup in 2009, leading the team to victory.
