Klingler Carries on Cougar Family Legacy
11/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Cougar Pride
The University of Houston Department of Intercollegiate Athletics inspires excellence today while preparing CHAMPIONS FOR LIFE by fostering a culture, which challenges student-athletes to achieve their highest academic, athletic and personal aspirations. Throughout the 2015-16 athletic season, UHCougars.com will highlight Houston student-athletes, coaches and alumni who are committed to building CHAMPIONS FOR LIFE on the field, in the classroom and throughout the community.
by Sarah Hoffman, Athletics Communications Student
Her blood is Houston Cougar red. Literally.
Courtney Klingler is the fourth member of her family to attend the University of Houston. Not only that, but she is the daughter and niece of two former star quarterbacks of the University of Houston football program and a student-athlete herself.
Football runs in the family. Her father, Jimmy Klingler, and her uncle, David Klingler, were quarterbacks at Houston in the late 80's and early 90's, who set some impressive records. Jimmy Klingler led the division in total offense, total touchdowns and passing touchdowns in 1992. Southwest Conference Hall of Famer David Klingler played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Oakland Raiders in the NFL and still holds the record for most touchdowns in a season at UH.
The football tradition continues with her cousin, Luke Klingler, a freshman quarterback at UH, and her brother, Cory Klingler, an offensive lineman at Rice University.
Klingler remembers wanting to follow in her father's footsteps and play football as a child.
"I actually begged my dad to [let me] play football when I was younger," Klingler said. "When I was eight or nine I was still bigger than most of the boys, so I begged him to let me play."
Klingler may not be playing football, but she is still living up to her name. In her first year at Houston, the junior softball player had 48 starts at first base and four as designated player, posting a .319 batting average for the Cougars, the third best on the team. She also had the second best batting average in the league during conference play (.378). Defensively, she led the team with 424 putouts, the fourth most for a single season in UH history.
"I was happy with my first season," Klingler said. "It was definitely a big adjustment going from [the league] I had been playing in to playing in such a good conference. Softball-wise we have a very deep conference. I was happy that I got to be one of the leaders on the team and help out in any way I could."
Naturally, one of her best memories at Houston so far was driving in the game-winning run in the team's first conference matchup against East Carolina.
"We were down going into the bottom of the seventh, and I batted in the game winning run," Klingler said. "I just remember Shelby [Miller] was at second, and I remember yelling at her the whole entire way she was going home to just get there. That was an awesome feeling to be able to come through for my team and be that clutch player."
Klingler still has one more season at UH. She is looking forward to her first conference championship win and the opportunity to go to regionals.
She is happy to be a Cougar after a short detour that ultimately led her back to the familiar grounds of the University of Houston. After spending two years at Campbell University in North Carolina, far away from her family, she was ready to come back home and contribute to the Klingler family legacy at Houston.
"It means the world to me [to be a Houston Cougar]," Klingler said. "I grew up around the campus. My dad would always take me to the football games, so it's nice having a place where I grew up, and actually getting to go to school here is like a dream come true."
She's following in her father's footsteps in another way as well. Her dad became an offensive coordinator shortly after his career in the Arena Football League, and in the off season, Klingler coaches the Texas Venom 18U Gold softball team. After she graduates, Klingler wants to eventually coach college softball.
Coming from a family of record setters and a Hall-of-Famer, certainly must put some pressure on Klinger to live up to the family legacy.
"I do sometimes [feel the pressure] because my uncle was in the hall of fame and my dad did good stuff here, but I feel like my worst critic is me," Klingler said. "I know that my family is going to be happy no matter what, because they know I'm working hard and doing my best. All I need to remember is to go out there and do the best that I can, and that helps because it takes off a whole lot of the pressure."
But ultimately, what does Klingler want her legacy to be?
"I would love to graduate with a ring, and to be the number one team in our conference. More than that, I'd like to have my teammates remember me as always being a hard worker and being somebody that they could always count on."
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