University of Houston Athletics
Three Cougars Inducted Into Texas Sports Hall of Fame
11/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
WACO, Texas -- Former University of Houston standouts Rita Buck-Crockett (volleyball), Flo Hyman (volleyball) and Wade Phillips (football) were named among the eight-member class of 2017 inductees for the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the organization announced on Monday.
The three Cougars join former Texas A&M and Los Angeles Rams defensive back Dave Elmendorf, Texas A&M University track & field coach Pat Henry, 2008 Olympic all-around gymnastics champion Nastia Liukin, University of Texas track and football star Eric Metcalf and former Dallas Cowboys All-Pro safety Darren Woodson. The induction class of 2017 will join a long list of Texas sport legends forever being honored as a member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
The 2017 class will be honored on Tuesday, February 21, 2017 at 6 p.m. at the Waco Convention Center in Waco, Texas. A reception will be held at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame before the banquet at 4 p.m. 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 tshof.org/buy-tickets.
RITA BUCK-CROCKETT
A native of San Antonio, Rita Buck-Crockett has been considered one of the best all-around volleyball players in history. A 1977 AIAW All-America honoree, Crockett was selected to the 1980 and 1984 U.S. Olympic teams. She joined fellow Cougars Flo Hyman and Rose Magers in leading the U.S. National Team to a silver-medal finish in 1984 â€" still tied for the best indoor finish in U.S. Olympic history. Outside of the U.S. program, Crockett played professional volleyball in Japan, Italy and Switzerland. She returned to the United States to play in the new Major League Volleyball league from 1986-87, earning the league's MVP in 1987. In 1989, Crockett teamed with Volleyball Hall of Famer Jackie Silva to win the World Beach Volleyball Championship to become the first African-American woman to earn the title. Her indoor career continued in Italy with Matera and Rome from 1988 to 1993 â€" earning the MVP of the Italian League in 1991. After her playing career ended in 1998, Crockett served as the head coach at Iowa from 1998-2004 and the associate head coach at Florida State from 2004-2005. She is currently the head coach and assistant athletic director at Florida International. Crockett, who was named to USA Volleyball's Women's All-Era Team for 1978-2003, was inducted into the University of Houston Hall of Honor in 2008 and the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2011.
FLO HYMAN (deceased)
A native of Los Angeles, Flo Hyman was the first female scholarship athlete at the University of Houston. Hyman was a three-time AIAW All-America honoree for the Cougars from 1974-76 and the 1976 AIAW National Player of the Year, leading Houston to two Top-5 national finishes. She skipped her final year to join the U.S. National Team in 1975. After failing to qualify for the 1976 Olympics and confronted with the boycott in 1980, Hyman, along with fellow Cougars Rita Crockett and Rose Magers, led the U.S. to a silver medal in 1984 â€" still tied for the best indoor finish in U.S. Olympic history. Standing at 6-5, she was the tallest outside hitter in the women's game, and her 110-mph spike was a feared â€" and revered â€" weapon. Hyman was consistently counted among the top players in the world before her death during a 1986 match in Japan, where she played professionally. Hyman was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1988 and was a University of Houston Hall of Honor inductee in 1998. In 2012, Sports Illustrated named her as one of the top 40 female athletes of the Title IX era.
WADE PHILLIPS
A native of Orange, Texas, Wade Phillips was a three-year starter at linebacker at Houston from 1966-68. The son of storied former NFL head coach Oail Andrew "Bum" Phillips, he began his professional coaching career under his father with the Houston Oilers in 1976. Since then, Phillips has held multiple NFL positions, including head coaching stints with the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys. He added to his legacy by being named the 2015 NFL Assistant Coach of Year and orchestrating a phenomenal defensive performance in Super Bowl 50 that led the Broncos to a 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. In 2008, Phillips was inducted into the University of Houston Hall of Honor.
