The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Trio of Longhorns selected for induction into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame
10.25.2024 | Football, T-Association
Cedric Benson (Football), Todd Dodge (Football) and Chris Plonsky (Administration) will be inducted as part of the Class of 2025.
WACO, Texas — Three University of Texas Athletics legends have been selected for induction into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the Board of Trustees of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame announced Thursday. Cedric Benson (Football), Todd Dodge (Football) and Chris Plonsky (Administration) will join the Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025.
The trio are part of a group of eight individuals who will be inducted on Saturday, February 15 in the BASE at Extraco Events Center in Waco. In addition to Benson, Dodge and Plonsky, the Class of 2025 includes: Brittney Griner, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Biz Mackey, Carla Overbeck and Richmond Webb. Both Benson and Mackey are being honored posthumously.
Benson was a standout running back from 2001-04, earning first-team All-America honors and winning the Doak Walker Award (nation's top running back) in 2004 as a senior after rushing for 1,834 yards and 19 TDs. He ranks second on the UT all-time rushing list and stands seventh in NCAA FBS history with 5,540 rushing yards, and his 64 career rushing touchdowns rank second in school history. Benson is the only Longhorn player to rush for 1,000 or more yards in four straight seasons and one of just eight players in NCAA history to accomplish that feat. A four-time All-Big 12 performer, he had 25 career 100-yard rushing games, the second-most in school history, and a UT-record 1,112 carries. Benson rushed for 1,360 yards (No. 7 on UT all-time season list) and a career-high 21 TDs (No. 3 on UT single-season list) as a junior, and 1,293 yards (No. 9 on UT all-time season list) as a sophomore. He earned Freshman All-America and Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honors after rushing for UT freshman records of 1,053 yards and 12 TDs in 2001. Benson was selected third overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2005 NFL Draft and played eight years in the NFL (2005-12), rushing for more than 1,000 yards three times (2009-11 with Cincinnati) and ending his career with 6,017 rushing yards. He passed away on August 17, 2019.
Dodge played quarterback at Texas under head coach Fred Akers from 1982-85 and led the Longhorns to a pair of bowl appearances in 1983 and 1984. He finished his collegiate career with a 9-5-1 record under center and threw for 2,791 yards and 18 touchdowns. Dodge tossed a 96-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Pitts against Rice in 1985, a mark that is still tied for the second-longest pass in program history. Dodge went on to have a highly successful high school coaching career in the state of Texas. The current Lovejoy High School head football coach, his impressive Texas high school coaching career spans 23 years and he has amassed a 233-72 record (entering the 2024 season). His teams have claimed seven state championships, ranking him fifth all-time, including three consecutive titles at both Southlake Carroll and Austin Westlake. Dodge also ranks seventh in most playoff wins with 70. Prior to his time at The University of Texas, the Port Arthur native excelled as a player as he set a state record with 3,135 passing yards during his senior year at Port Arthur Jefferson High School. Dodge earned numerous individual honors while in high school, including the Hertz #1 Award as the state's top athlete.
Plonsky has worked in college athletics since 1976 and the 2024-25 season marks her 37th year in association with The University of Texas. From April 2001-December 2017, she served as UT Women's Athletics Director. During that time span, women's teams at Texas captured three NCAA Championships and 64 Big 12 Conference titles. Plonsky currently serves as Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director/Chief of Staff and is UT's senior woman administrator for conference and NCAA governance. She supervises staff leaders in student-athlete services: academics/learning, compliance/risk management and sports medicine/health and wellness/strength performance. The latter area also includes nutrition, behavioral health and applied sports science. Plonsky assists with 4EVER TEXAS programming that pertains to student-athlete career readiness, leadership development, branding and personal development. In addition to her duties at Texas, Plonsky 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, and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Trustees.
Tickets and sponsorship packages for the 2025 Texas Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and Reception are on sale now and available at the following web site: www.tshof.org/induction. For more information or questions, please contact Krista Martin with the Hall of Fame at krista.martin@tshof.org.