The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Akers, Ford named to Texas Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2016
11.05.2015 | Men's Basketball
Former UT Football head coach and point guard are two of the eight inductees to be recognized in February.
WACO, Texas — Former University of Texas Football head coach Fred Akers and Men's Basketball point guard T.J. Ford are among eight inductees in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2016 presented by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, the Hall announced Thursday. This year's class will be honored on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 in Waco.
Joining Akers and Ford in this year's class are former Dallas Cowboys All-Pro lineman Larry Allen, PRCA World Champion Rodeo star Trevor Brazile, former Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals All-Pro lineman Ken Gray, former Texas A&M defensive end Jacob Green, former New York Yankees All-Star pitcher Andy Pettitte and former Negro League pitcher "Smokey" Joe Williams (deceased).
Akers was the head football coach at Texas from 1977-86, when he compiled an 86-31-2 record (60-19-1 in Southwest Conference play). His 86 wins rank third on the all-time UT victory list behind Darrell Royal and Mack Brown. Akers' teams won SWC titles in 1977 and 1983. He coached legendary Longhorns running back Earl Campbell during Campbell's run to the 1977 Heisman Trophy. Akers led the 1977 Longhorns to a No. 1 national ranking before losing to No. 5 Notre Dame in the 1978 Cotton Bowl. Akers' teams had three 10-win seasons along with four Top-10 rankings in final polls. He also coached two Lombardi Trophy winners and 48 All-SWC players.
In all, Akers spent 19 years on the football staff at The University of Texas. He came to Texas as an assistant to Darrell Royal in 1966. Following the 1974 season, he served two years as head coach at Wyoming before returning to Austin to succeed Royal as the Longhorns' head coach in 1977. Akers' 1981 Texas team finished 10-1-1 and No. 2 nationally following a 14-12 Cotton Bowl win over Bear Bryant and No. 3 Alabama. His 1983 team carried an 11-0 record and No. 2 regular-season ranking into the Cotton Bowl before losing to Georgia, 10-9. That team also produced a record 18 players who were selected in the 1984 NFL Draft. During the 1984 season, the Longhorns again earned a No. 1 regular-season ranking before a 15-15 tie against No. 2 Oklahoma dropped them to the No. 3. Akers was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor in September.
One of the most decorated basketball players in UT history, Ford had his No. 11 jersey retired by The University on Feb. 8, 2004. A two-year starter at point guard (2001-03), he led Texas to an appearance in the "Sweet 16" as a freshman, earning National Freshman of the Year honors by the United States Basketball Writers Association. He became the first freshman in NCAA history to lead the nation in assists (8.27 apg) and was the consensus Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
During his sophomore campaign (2002-03), Ford led the Longhorns to their first Final Four appearance since 1947 and won the Naismith and Wooden Awards as the top player in college basketball. A consensus first-team All-American as a sophomore, he led the team in scoring, assists, steals, free throw percentage and minutes played. Ford was the eighth overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2003 NBA Draft and played eight years in the NBA with the Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs before retiring during the 2011-12 season. Ford was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 2013.
The induction banquet on Feb. 2, 2016 is set to begin at 6 p.m. Central. A reception at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame will start at 4 p.m. Combination reception/banquet tickets are $200 each or $1,400 for a reserved table of eight. The banquet will be held at the Waco Convention Center. Banquet-only tickets can be purchased for $75 each, or a table of eight can be reserved for $600. Tickets can be ordered by calling the museum at 800-567-9561 or online.
