Genesis Moncada
Texas Sports Hall of Fame 254-756-1633
genesis.moncada@tshof.org

Texas Sports Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2025

WACO, TEXAS- The Board of Directors of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame are pleased to announce the eight selected individuals who will be inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame on February 15, 2025. In partnership with Dave Campbell Texas Football (DCTF), the 2025 Class will be revealed LIVE on the DCTF’s "Texas Football Today" show on Thursday, October 24th at noon CST.

The newest group of inductees includes a professional soccer player, a WNBA Star, a longtime college athletic administrator, three NFL players, and a Negro League and Baseball Hall of Famer. The Class of 2025 was selected by ballot through a statewide selection committee. Votes from TSHOF members, inductees, board members, and selection committee, were tabulated by Simply Voting.

The newly elected inductees for the Class of 2025 are as follows (in alphabetical order): Cedric Benson (deceased), Todd Dodge, Brittney Griner, Ed “ Too Tall Jones”, Biz Mackey (deceased) , Carla Overbeck, Chris Plonsky, and Richmond Webb.

The 64th Annual Texas Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet presented by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, will be held in the BASE at Extraco Events Center in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, February 15, 2025. Tickets and sponsorship packages for the 2025 Texas Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and Reception are on sale now and available at tshof.org/induction. For more information or questions, please contact Krista Martin at krista.martin@tshof.org / 254-756-1633.

For the latest news and updates, follow @TXSportsHOF on Twitter.

TEXAS SPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2025

Cedric Benson - Benson attended Robert E. Lee High School in Midland and finished his high school playing career with 8,423 rushing yards (the most in Texas 5A history, the largest classification at the time and the fourth-most in Texas high school football history). In 2000, he became the first high school football player to be featured on the front cover of the Dave Campbell Texas Football Magazine. At the University of Texas (2001-2004), Benson became the only player in school history and one of only 10 on NCAA record to rush for 1,000 yards in each of four consecutive seasons. He totaled 5,540 yards and 64 TDs during his career leading the Longhorns to three bowl games. As a senior in 2004, Benson won the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back and earned first-team All-America honors. Selected third overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2005 NFL Draft, Benson played eight years in the NFL (2005-12), rushing for more than 1,000 yards three times and ending his career with 6,017 rushing yards and 32 rushing touchdowns.

Todd Dodge - Current Lovejoy football coach and Port Arthur native, Todd Dodge has an impressive 23-year career as a Texas high school football coach, amassing a 233-72-0 record (before the 2024- 2025 season). His teams clinched seven state championships, ranking him 5th all-time, including three consecutive titles at both Southlake Carroll and Austin Westlake. Dodge also holds the 7th spot for most playoff wins with 70. Beyond coaching, Dodge excelled as a player, setting a state record with 3,135 passing yards as a senior at Port Arthur Jefferson High School and earning numerous accolades, including the Hertz #1 Award for the state's top athlete. He continued his success at the University of Texas, leading the Longhorns to bowl appearances in 1983 and 1984.

Brittney Griner - Griner, who played her high school basketball at Nimitz High School in the Houston area, first burst on the basketball scene in 2009 when she was named a McDonald's All-American and was rated the best high school women's basketball player in the nation. During her time at Baylor University from 2009-2013, she was named All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year three times, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year four times, brought home the AP Player of the Year award, a National Championship, and was named the most outstanding player of the final four. She helped Baylor go 40-0 and win the NCAA title in the 2012 season. Griner's efforts won her an ESPY for the best female athlete in 2013, and she is still the only women's college basketball player ever to score over 2,000 points and block over 500 shots. She was selected number one overall in the WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury in 2013 and won her first WNBA title just a year later in 2014. She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist (2016, 2020 & 2024), a ten-time WNBA All-Star (2013-2015,2017-2019,2021-2024), a two-time WNBA scoring champion (2017,2019), an eight-time WNBA blocks leader (2013-2019 and 2021), and a two-time WNBA defensive player of the year (2014 and 2015). She ranks third all-time in the WNBA for blocks (812).

Biz Mackey - Eagle Pass native, James Raleigh “Biz” Mackey is among the greatest of his era. Mackey was the premier defensive catcher of the Negro Leagues mentoring players like Roy Campanella, Monte Irvin, Larry Doby, and Don Newcombe. Mackey’s playing career lasted nearly 30 years where he earned five East-West All-Star Games and two Negro World Series Championships. His ability to guide pitchers and manage their temperament was legendary. He spent 18 winters between 1921-1945 playing in the integrated California Winter League (CWL), more seasons than any of the 104 Negro players known to have done so. His California-based Philadelphia Royal Giants participated in goodwill tours of Japan in 1927 and 1932-33.

Ed “Too Tall” Jones - In 1974, the Dallas Cowboys selected Ed Jones, a 6-foot-9 defensive end from Tennessee State University with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. This marked the first and only time a player from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) has been chosen as the top pick. For an impressive 15 years, the Jones never missed a single game, setting a team record of 244 games played, including 20 playoff games, and made 223 starts. Throughout his career, he participated in three Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro honors in 1982. When he retired, he had accumulated a remarkable 57.5 sacks.

Chris Plonsky - Chris Plonsky has worked in college athletics since 1976 and marking her 37th year at The University of Texas. From 2001- 2018 she served as UT women’s athletics director women’s teams at Texas won 64 conference championships and three national championships. Plonsky now serves as executive senior associate athletics director/chief of staff and is UT’s senior woman administrator for Conference and NCAA governance where she supervises student-athlete services staff leaders in academics, career/leadership development, and compliance/risk management. She also oversees staff leaders in sports medicine/performance. Alongside her big roles at UT, Plonksy has served on many notable committees and boards, including but not limited to the U.S. Olympic Collegiate Advisory Committee, USA Basketball Board of Directors, multiple NCAA committees, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Trustees and is the current Senior Woman Administrator for the Big 12 Conference.

Richmond Webb - Dallas, Texas native. Webb, a left tackle who lettered from 1986-89, helped lead the Aggies to Southwest Conference Championships in 1986 and 1987 and to bowl games all four seasons. A 2007 inductee into the Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Fame, Webb was a team captain and earned All-SWC honors as a senior. After the season, Webb received the Aggie Heart Award, which is the highest honor for a football player at Texas A&M. He was a first-round NFL Draft pick by the Miami Dolphins in 1990 where he became a two-time All-Pro, seven-time Pro Bowl selection and was named to the NFL 1990's All-Decade Team.

Carla Overbeck - Carla Overbeck is the current assistant coach for the Duke University women’s soccer team and has an impressive career spanning over 30 years. Overbeck grew up in Richardson, Texas and attended Richardson High School. A former college soccer player herself, Overbeck won four consecutive national championships with the University of North Carolina. In addition to her accomplished college career, Carla played for the U.S. Women’s National Team from 1988-2000, playing in three Women’s World Cups and the 1996 Olympic Games where she was captain and led the team to a gold medal. In her professional career, Overbeck also won a WUSA league title in her time with the Carolina Courage and a W-League championship with the Raleigh Wings. Carla has been coaching at Duke University since 1992 and helped lead them to the 2017 ACC Championship title. In 1999 she was named the Sports Illustrated Sportswoman of the Year and was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2006.

About the Texas Sports Hall of Fame:
With the mission to preserve the legacy of inductees and the history of sports throughout the state, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame celebrates the accomplishments of athletes, coaches and administrators who have brought fame and honor to the State of Texas. Established as the nation’s first and largest state sports hall of fame in 1951, the TSHOF is home to over 400 sports legends and 13,000 pieces of memorabilia. The museum which is located in Waco, Texas, also offers several educational tours and houses three other halls of fame: the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame, the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame and the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. For more information & updates about the museum and upcoming events, visit www.tshof.org or call 254-756-1633