The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Texas Athletics announces 2025 Hall of Honor Class
07.23.2025 | Baseball, Football, Men's Basketball, Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Basketball, Women's Golf, Women's Swimming and Diving, Volleyball, T-Association, Track & Field / Cross Country
Ten former University of Texas student-athletes are set to be inducted this September.
AUSTIN, Texas — Ten former University of Texas student-athletes will be inducted this September into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor. These 10 individuals will be recognized as the Class of 2025 in an induction ceremony on Friday, Sept. 12.
The ceremony will start at 7 p.m. Central (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) in the LBJ Auditorium and Conference Center on the UT campus (2313 Red River St.). Tickets for this year's Hall of Honor show will be general admission and are available for $25 per person at this link.
Texas Athletics Hall of Honor Inductees
The 71st Men's Hall of Honor class includes: Nate Dusing (Swimming & Diving, 1998-2001), a two-time Olympian, two-time Olympic medalist, two-time NCAA individual champion, nine-time NCAA relay champion and 27-time All-American who helped the Longhorns to back-to-back NCAA team championships in 2000 and 2001; Royal Ivey (Basketball, 2001-04), a four-year starter and one of the top one-on-one perimeter defenders in program history who led the Longhorns to three consecutive trips to the Sweet 16 including a run to the 2003 Final Four before moving on to a 10-year playing stint and a successful coaching career in the NBA; Kyle Russell (Baseball, 2006-08), a first-team All-American and Big 12 Conference Player of the Year in 2007 who led Texas to back-to-back Big 12 regular-season titles in 2006 and 2007 and still holds the program's career home runs record (57); Rodrique Wright (Football, 2002-05), a four-year starter at defensive tackle who earned first-team All-America honors and was a finalist for the Lombardi Award while helping the Longhorns win the 2005 National Championship; and Vintage Selection Bobby Mitchell (Football, 1968-70), a three-year letterwinner at offensive guard who helped anchor one of the most prolific offenses in college football history while leading Texas to a 30-2-1 overall record, including a school-record 30-game winning streak, two National Championships and three Southwest Conference titles.
The 26th Women's Hall of Honor class includes: Kirsten Wengler Burton (Swimming & Diving, 1983-86), a 21-time All-American, five-time NCAA relay champion and 11-time SWC champion who led Texas to three-consecutive NCAA team titles in 1984, 1985 and 1986; Haley Eckerman (Volleyball, 2011-14), a two-time National Player of the Year, four-time All-American, three-time Big 12 Conference Player of the Year who paced Texas to the 2012 NCAA Championship; Nicole Devonish Gilmore (Track & Field, 1994-97), an eight-time All-American and eight-time Southwest Conference champion in the long and triple jump who led the Longhorns to four runner-up and three third-place team finishes at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships; Tiffany Jackson (Basketball, 2004-07), one of just three Women's Basketball players in program history to earn All-America honors three times and the only individual in school history to achieve the combination of 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 300 steals and 150 blocks; and Nancy Ledbetter Ramsbottom (Golf, 1981-84), the 1984 Southwest Conference individual champion and SWC Player of the Year who went on to a 16-year career on the LPGA Tour. Jackson will be inducted posthumously, as she passed away after an lengthy battle with cancer in October 2022 at the age of 37.
The newest members of the Hall will receive a special salute during the Texas Football game versus UTEP on Saturday, Sept. 13.
Texas Athletics Hall of Honor Class of 2025 – Inductee Bios
KIRSTEN WENGLER BURTON
Swimming & Diving (1983-86)
A 21-time All-American and five-time NCAA relay champion, Kirsten Wengler Burton helped lead the Longhorns to three consecutive NCAA team titles in 1984, 1985 and 1986. During her time on the Forty Acres, Burton helped pace the Longhorns to top-three team finishes at the NCAA team championships all four years with a third-place finish in 1983 and four consecutive Southwest Conference team titles. She was a part of five NCAA relay championships that included the 400 free relay in 1983, the 200 free relay in 1984, the 200 free relay in 1985, the 400 medley relay in 1985 and the 400 medley relay in 1986. The 1983 free relay squad set a then-American record at the NCAA meet. Burton also captured 11 total SWC titles, including two individual crowns and nine relay titles. Her league championships included the 200 individual medley and 400 free relay in 1983, the 200 free relay, 400 free relay and 400 medley relay in 1984, the 100 free, 200 free relay and 800 free relay in 1985, and the 200 free relay, 400 free relay and 400 medley relay in 1986. Following her freshman season, Burton represented Team USA in 1983 at the Pan-American Games and Pan-Pacific Games, winning gold medals in the 400-meter and 800-meter free relays at both meets. During her junior season in 1985, Burton teamed with Debbie Risen, Ann Drolsom and Jodi Eyles to win the 200 free relay at the NCAA Championship meet in a pool-record time of 1:32.06, topping the previous mark by more than a second-and-a-half. She also teamed with Risen, Tracy McFarlane and Eyles to win the 400 medley relay at the same NCAA Championship meet in a pool-record time of 3:42.98, eclipsing the previous mark by almost three seconds. In the summer after her junior season, Burton represented Team USA at the 1985 World Championships and earned gold medals with the 400-meter free relay, 800-meter free relay and 400-meter medley relay. She served as team captain during her senior season in 1986 and paced the Longhorns to their third-straight NCAA team title and another SWC team championship while also earning the school's Jill Sterkel Leadership Award. Prior to coming to the Forty Acres, Burton was a prep phenom who shined during her high school career at Hopkins Lindbergh in Minnetonka, Minn., under coach Elmer Luke. She became the first Minnesota high school swimmer to win eight individual events at the state meet. Burton won four consecutive 200-yard freestyle titles that included three state records. She never lost a high school race, Hopkins Lindbergh never lost a dual meet, and the team won two state team championships along with a second-place finish. Burton won 12 career gold medals at the state meet at a time when competitors were limited to two individual events and one relay, set five individual and two relay state records, was a nine-time All-American, and received the Female Swimmer of the Year award for the 1981-82 school year. She earned her bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Texas in 1986. Burton is currently a Quantitative Management Associate for Principal and resides in the Minneapolis area. She is married to Patrick Burton and the couple has three daughters, Addie, Lucy and Ellie.
NATE DUSING
Swimming & Diving (1998-2001)
A two-time Olympian who claimed a pair of Olympic medals, two-time NCAA individual champion, nine-time NCAA relay champion and 27-time All-American, Nate Dusing helped lead the Longhorns to back-to-back NCAA team championships in 2000 and 2001. He also was an eight-time Big 12 individual champion and 10-time Big 12 relay champion who paced Texas to four-consecutive Big 12 Conference titles in his four seasons on the Forty Acres. Prior to coming to Texas, Dusing was an outstanding age group and high school swimmer who set multiple age group national records as a butterflier and was named the 1997 USA High School Swimmer of the Year. As a freshman in 1998, Dusing claimed three Big 12 individual titles (100 fly, 200 fly and 200 IM) and two Big 12 relay championships (400 free relay, 800 free relay) while earning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors. He then captured one NCAA relay championship as part of the 800 free relay and earned seven All-America accolades, as the Longhorns posted a third-place team finish at the 1998 NCAA Championship meet. During his sophomore season in 1999, Dusing recorded a pair of Big 12 individual championships (200 IM, 200 fly) and two Big 12 relay titles (400 free relay, 400 medley relay) en route to claiming Big 12 Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet honors. He added another NCAA relay title in the 800 free relay and tallied seven All-America accolades to pace the Longhorns to a third-place team finish at the 1999 NCAA Championship meet. As a junior in 2000, Dusing won the Big 12 individual crown in the 200 IM and posted four Big 12 relay titles (400 free relay, 800 free relay, 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay). He then helped Texas win the NCAA team championship by claiming three NCAA relay crowns (200 medley relay, 400 medley relay and 800 free relay), a pair of runner-up individual finishes in the 100 fly and 200 IM and a second-place showing in the 400 free relay. It marked the seventh NCAA team title in program history and first since the 1996 season. Dusing represented Team USA at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and earned a silver medal in the 4x200-meter free relay. During his senior season in 2001, Dusing led the Longhorns to a second-straight NCAA team championship. He was selected as the Big 12 Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet after claiming a pair of Big 12 individual crowns (200 back, 200 IM) and three Big 12 relay titles (200 medley relay, 400 medley relay, 400 free relay). Dusing then added two NCAA individual championships (200 IM, 200 back) and four NCAA relay crowns (200 medley relay, 400 medley relay, 400 free relay, 800 free relay) in addition to a runner-up finish in the 100-fly. He captured his first career NCAA individual title in the 200 IM while establishing an American and NCAA-record time of 1:42.85. In addition, Dusing helped all four NCAA Champion relay squads set American and NCAA records. For his efforts, Dusing was tabbed the 2001 NCAA Swimmer of the Year. He earned his bachelor's degree in Marketing from Texas in Spring 2002. Dusing again qualified for Team USA at the 2004 Athens Olympics and claimed a bronze medal with the 4x100-meter free relay. He later won a gold medal with Team USA in the 4x100-meter free relay at the 2005 World Championships in Montreal and also claimed gold with Team USA in the 4x100 free relay at the 2004 World Short Course Championship in Indianapolis. Dusing was inducted into the Texas Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame in 2024. Dusing currently works in the medical device industry and resides in Dripping Springs, Texas. He is married to former Texas Soccer letterwinner Michelle (Wickwire) Dusing, and the couple have two daughters, Lyla and Eva.
HALEY ECKERMAN
Volleyball (2011-14)
A two-time National Player of the Year, four-time All-American, three-time Big 12 Conference Player of the Year and member of the 2012 National Championship team, Haley Eckerman is one of the most decorated players in Texas Volleyball history. Including the National Championship in 2012, Eckerman led the Longhorns to three-straight NCAA Final Four appearances from 2012-14 and four-straight Big 12 titles from 2011-14. During her four-year career, she led the Horns to a sensational 108-15 overall record (.878) that included an incredible 61-3 mark (.953) in Big 12 play. Eckerman was named Volleyball Magazine's Co-National Player of the Year in 2012, and then was the sole winner in 2013, while also earning the publication's National Freshman of the Year recognition in 2011. Additionally, she was the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Freshman of the Year in 2011 and went on to be a two-time finalist for the Honda Sports Award for Volleyball in 2012 and 2013. She was a first-team All-American by both the AVCA and Volleyball Magazine from 2012-14, while she received second-team accolades from the AVCA and third-team honors from Volleyball Magazine in 2011. Eckerman is just the third player ever to be tabbed Big 12 Player of the Year three times, and she also was the league's Freshman of the Year in 2011. Eckerman finished her career among the top 10 in six different statistical categories at Texas, including fifth all-time in total points and total kills. In four seasons, she registered 1,662 kills, 3.85 kills per set, 144 service aces, 702 digs, 174 total blocks and 1,910 points. As a freshman in 2011, she became the second player in program history to earn National Freshman of the Year honors after playing in every match and leading the team in kills (384), kills per set (3.56), service aces (20) and points (431.5). The Longhorns posted a 28-6 record, a No. 4 final ranking and reached the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight that year. During her sophomore campaign, Eckerman led Texas to the 2012 NCAA Championship as the team completed the season with a 31-4 overall record. She started in every match that season, leading the Big 12 with 504 kills (4.38 kps) and accumulating 575.0 points and 5.0 points per set. She became the ninth player in program history to record 500 or more kills in a season, and her 1,257 attempts placed her fifth on UT's single-season list. As a junior in 2013, Eckerman started every match and again led Big 12 with 447 kills (4.14 kps) while tallying 511.0 points. Her 4.73 points per set also led the conference. The Longhorns completed the season with a 28-3 record, a No. 3 final ranking and their second-straight trip to the NCAA Final Four. The Longhorns would then advance to their third-consecutive NCAA Final Four in 2014 during Eckerman's senior season, which Texas finished with a No. 5 final ranking and 27-3 overall record. During that year, Eckerman led the team with 327 kills, and she posted a career-high 44 service aces with her 0.44 average per set ranking fifth all-time for a season at UT. That year also culminated in her earning Academic All-America honors, as she completed her career as a three-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree and earned her bachelor's degree in Applied Learning and Development. Following her dominating collegiate career, Eckerman competed at the professional level for four seasons, including stops in South Korea, Puerto Rico, Azerbaijan, Italy and Russia. She then began a career in coaching in her hometown at Waterloo West High School in Iowa in 2018 before moving to the collegiate level with assistant positions at Lamar (2019), Tarleton State (2020) and TCU (2021). In March of 2022, she was named the head coach at Kent State and continues to serve in that role. In 2018, Eckerman co-founded Team Dream, the first All-African American team to compete and win USA Open Nationals. Then in 2020, she co-founded Think Outside the Box, a volleyball coaching and athlete development company that provides resources and support while also addressing issues related to diversity within the game. Eckerman is the proud mother of her son, Cayden.
NICOLE DEVONISH GILMORE
Track & Field (1994-97)
An eight-time All-American, eight-time Southwest Conference champion and 1996 Olympian, Nicole Devonish Gilmore is one of the top long and triple jumpers in school history. Prior to her time at Texas, the Toronto, Canada native won the silver medal in the long jump at the World U-20 Championships in Seoul with a leap of 6.43m and helped Team Canada finish seventh in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:38.22. While wearing the Burnt Orange and White, she was part of a Longhorn program that left a lasting impression in both the Southwest and Big 12 Conferences, sweeping the four outdoor league titles and winning three of the four indoor league championships from 1994-97. During her collegiate career, Gilmore won eight individual conference titles, including six in the long jump and two in the triple jump. She opened her career sweeping both the indoor and outdoor long jump league titles as a freshman in 1994, before adding her third crown and first in the triple jump as a sophomore during the 1995 indoor season with a mark of 41-3. Gilmore then repeated as the league's outdoor long jump champion later that year. She swept the SWC indoor long and triple jumps for the second time in her career and won her final outdoor title during her junior season in 1996 in the long jump with a mark of 21-10.25. The jump still ranks her as the No. 4 performer in program history. Gilmore also earned individual high point performer honors at the 1996 SWC Indoor Championships. During her time at Texas, she helped the Longhorns place in the top-six during all eight NCAA Championships, including four runner-up finishes (1994 Outdoors, 1996 Outdoors, 1997 Indoors, 1997 Outdoors) and three third-place showings (1994 Indoors, 1995 Indoors, 1996 Indoors). Gilmore was also a three-time runner-up in the long jump at the NCAA meet. In 1995, she placed second with a jump of 21-3.25 inches. Gilmore also finished runner-up at both the NCAA indoor and outdoor meets as a junior in 1996 with jumps of 20-10.5 and 21-3.25, respectively. Her best indoor effort in the long jump came during her senior season when she posted a mark of 21-4. That jump still ranks her as the No. 6 performer in program history. Following her junior season, Gilmore placed third in the long jump at the 1996 Canadian Championships to earn her spot in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where she competed in the preliminary round. Gilmore earned her bachelor's degree in Journalism from Texas in Fall 1997. After her collegiate career, she went on to work for several state agencies. Her state service includes working as Chief Committee Clerk of the Rules and Resolutions Committee for the Texas House of Representatives. After 10 years of state service, Gilmore transitioned into the private sector, and she currently works as a Contracts Manager at KPMG LLP in the state and local government practice. In 1997, she married her college sweetheart, Nathion Gilmore, a former Texas Basketball player (1993-96) and proud UT graduate. The couple lives in Austin and has three children, Elijah, Naomi and Noah.
ROYAL IVEY
Basketball (2001-04)
(pronunciation: roy-AL)
A four-year starter at both point guard and shooting guard during his career at Texas, Royal Ivey left his mark as one of the top one-on-one perimeter defenders in program history. A two-time Big 12 Conference All-Defensive Team selection, he finished his collegiate career ranked first in games started (126), tied for third in games played (133) and 24th in scoring (1,036 points). Ivey helped lead the Longhorns to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including three-straight trips to the Sweet 16 (2002-03-04) and a spot in the 2003 Final Four. As a freshman in 2000-01, he played in 33 games (26 starts) and ranked third on the team in assists (57). Ivey posted a breakout performance in the Preseason NIT semifinal against No. 2 Duke in Madison Square Garden with a season-high 11 points and three steals in 23 minutes. One of the most improved players in the country during his sophomore season in 2001-02, he started all 34 games and shared the team's Most Outstanding Defensive Player honors with Fredie Williams. Ivey saw his scoring average jump from 2.8 ppg as a freshman to 10.9 ppg in his sophomore year as he ranked second on the team in scoring and third in assists (48), minutes (28.3 mpg) and field goal percentage (47.5). He hit 4-of-4 free throws in the final 24 seconds to lead the Longhorns past Mississippi State in the NCAA Second Round in Dallas, helping Texas advance to the Sweet 16. As a junior in 2002-03, Ivey started all 33 games and was tabbed the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by the Houston Chronicle while earning a spot on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. He ranked fifth on the team in scoring (7.9 ppg) and third in assists (54) and steals (31) while pacing the Longhorns to a 26-7 record and a trip to the 2003 Final Four, marking the program's first appearance in the NCAA Semifinals since the 1947 season. During his senior year in 2003-04, Ivey earned third-team All-Big 12 honors from the league's media and was selected to the USBWA All-District 7 team and the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. While serving as team captain, he started all 33 games and led the squad in steals (41) while ranking second in minutes (29.7 mpg) and third in scoring (9.4 ppg). Ivey tallied a team-high 17 points, five assists and five rebounds to lead the Longhorns to a NCAA Second Round win against North Carolina in Denver, as Texas advanced to the Sweet 16 for the third straight year. Ivey was selected as the No. 37 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. He played in 492 career games over a total of 10 seasons for four different teams in the NBA, including the Hawks (2004-07), Milwaukee Bucks (2007-08, 2009-10), Philadelphia 76ers (2008-10, 2012-13) and Oklahoma City Thunder (2010-12). Ivey earned his bachelor's degree in Applied Learning and Development with a minor in Social Work from Texas in 2011. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA Development League for two seasons (2014-16). Ivey has served for the last nine years as an assistant coach in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2016-18), New York Knicks (2018-20), Brooklyn Nets (2020-23) and Houston Rockets (2023-present). He was named head coach of the national team of South Sudan in May 2021. Over the following two summers, Ivey guided South Sudan to an 11-1 record in African qualifying to reach the 2023 World Cup, where South Sudan claimed the automatic qualifying spot from Africa for the 2024 Paris Olympics. In its Olympic debut in Men's Basketball last summer, South Sudan earned a 90-79 victory over Puerto Rico, marking just the second win for an African country at the Olympics since 1996. Ivey and his wife, Deanna, have one daughter, Rori.
TIFFANY JACKSON
Basketball (2004-07) – posthumous
One of just three Texas Women's Basketball greats to earn All-America honors three times, Tiffany Jackson had a decorated career on the Forty Acres from 2004-07 under Hall of Fame coach Jody Conradt. Prior to her time at Texas, Jackson starred at Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas, where she was a McDonald's All-American, a WBCA All-American and the consensus No. 2 national prospect in her high school class. In her senior season in 2002-03, she led Duncanville to the state championship and was the state of Texas' Gatorade Player of the Year. During her four years at Texas, Jackson played in 123 career games with 103 starts and led the Longhorns to an 83-43 overall record. Jackson's name can be found close to the top of nearly every statistical category in the Texas record books. She is the only player in program history to have accomplished the combined feat of 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 300 steals and 150 blocks, and she is one of only five players in school history to record more than 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Jackson currently ranks fifth in school history with 1,917 career points, fourth with 1,039 career rebounds, third with 313 steals and seventh with 181 blocked shots. Jackson is one of three players in program history to garner All-America honors three times (joining Linda Waggoner and Andrea Lloyd), as she earned AP All-America recognition in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and USBWA All-America honors in 2005. She was a four-time member of the All-Big 12 Conference Team, including a three-time first-team selection, and she is one of just six players in program history to earn first-team all-conference honors in three different seasons. As a freshman in 2003-04, Jackson led the Longhorns to a 30-5 record, a No. 4 final ranking in The Associated Press poll and a trip to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. She was named the National Freshman of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and ESPN.com and earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year recognition. Following her collegiate career, Jackson was selected by the WNBA's New York Liberty with the fifth overall pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft. She earned her bachelor's degree in Youth and Community Studies from Texas in Spring 2013. Jackson played 12 years overall of professional basketball, including nine seasons in the WNBA with the Liberty, Tulsa Shock and Los Angeles Sparks. She also played for Maccabi Ashdod in the Israeli Winners League from 2012-18, leading the team to the league championship each season and to the Israeli Cup in 2018 while earning Israeli Cup MVP honors four times. Jackson was playing for the Tulsa Shock in September 2015, when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. Following successful treatment, Jackson received the news in May 2016 that her cancer was in remission. She immediately began preparing for her return to the court and rejoined the professional team she was playing for in Israel, before signing with the Los Angeles Sparks in February 2017. Her return to the WNBA enabled her to share her story with a broader audience and help promote personal health care. In May 2018, Jackson retired from professional basketball and joined the Longhorns as an assistant coach. She spent one season in 2018-19 on the staff at Texas before stepping away and returned to the court as head coach at Wiley College in April 2022. Jackson passed away on October 3, 2022, from cancer at the age of 37. Led by the Dallas Wings along with the New York Liberty and Los Angeles Sparks, the Tiffany Jackson Memorial Scholarship was created in her honor. Starting in 2024, a scholarship has been awarded to a deserving senior female student-athlete from Duncanville High School. Jackson was previously inducted into the Duncanville ISD Hall of Honor and the Texas Black Athlete Hall of Fame.
NANCY LEDBETTER RAMSBOTTOM
Golf (1981-84)
The 1984 Southwest Conference individual champion and SWC Player of the Year who went on to a 16-year career on the LPGA Tour, Nancy Ledbetter Ramsbottom was a four-year letterwinner on the Forty Acres under legendary Women's Golf coach Pat Weis. Originally from Birmingham, Ala., Ramsbottom finished second in the 1980 Alabama high school state championship and earned MVP honors three straight years while at Berry High School. She learned the game of golf from her father, Robert, who had been a PGA teaching professional. As a sophomore at Texas, Ramsbottom placed fifth individually at the 1982 AIAW National Tournament while leading the Longhorns to a runner-up finish in the team standings. During her junior season in 1982-83, she recorded four top-10 individual performances including the victory at the Houston Baptist Invitational and an eighth-place showing at the Southwest Conference Championship. As a senior, Ramsbottom won the SWC individual title and paced the Longhorns to a 27-stroke victory in the team standings at the league championship. Her 54-hole score of 216 (70-73-73) at the SWC Championship ranked as the second-best three-round total at the time in program history. Ramsbottom was named the SWC Player of the Year and claimed a spot on the Coaches' All-America team, becoming the school's first All-American since the 1978 season. Ramsbottom and fellow All-SWC performer Sherri Steinhauer paced the Longhorns to three team victories on the year and an 11th-place showing at the 1984 NCAA Championship. Ramsbottom earned her bachelor's degree in Journalism from Texas in Fall 1984. She was later named to the Southwest Conference All-Decade Second Team for the 1980s. Ramsbottom went on to have a successful 16-year career on the LPGA TOUR. She finished second at the McCall's Classic in 1994, third in the JAL Big Apple Classic in 1994 and third at the Corning Classic in 1996 and still ranks among the leaders in career holes-in-one on the LPGA Tour with five. Ramsbottom coached the high school golf team at Maggie L. Walker Governor's School in Richmond, Va., from 2012-16. She resides in Richmond and has two daughters, Abbey and Sarah, and one son, Joey. Ramsbottom is an avid pickleball player and enjoys traveling with her children.
KYLE RUSSELL
Baseball (2006-08)
A first-team All-American and one of the most prolific power hitters in Texas Baseball history, Kyle Russell starred for the Longhorns from 2006–08 while helping Texas win back-to-back Big 12 Championships in 2006 and 2007. Russell was named the 2007 Big 12 Player of the Year and earned first-team All-Big 12 distinction, followed by honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition in 2008. A two-time team MVP, the outfielder was a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, the Golden Spikes Award and the Wallace Award in 2007. Russell still holds the Texas career record for home runs (57) and ranks among the top 10 in several major statistical categories, including second in career slugging percentage (.683), fourth in extra-base hits (97), sixth in total bases (402), ninth in RBI (169) and seventh in hit by pitches (25). The Tomball, Texas, native recorded two of the top five single-season home run totals in program history, notching 28 blasts in 2007— a mark that stood for 15 years — and 19 round-trippers in 2008. His 180 total bases in 2007 also rank fifth all-time at Texas. A member of Baseball America's All-2000s Team, Russell was selected in the fourth round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals but opted to return for his junior season. He was later selected in the third round of the 2008 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Russell spent six seasons in professional baseball, playing primarily in the Dodgers' system before concluding his career with the Atlanta Braves organization in 2013. He earned his bachelor's degree in Youth and Community Studies from Texas in Fall 2014. Russell is currently a medical device sales representative for Mitek Sports Medicine and resides in Houston. He and his wife, Anna, have three children, Ripken, Remi and Riggs.
RODRIQUE WRIGHT
Football (2002-05)
(pronunciation: ROD-rick)
A Longhorn football four-year starter and member of the 2005 National Championship team, Rodrique Wright was a standout defensive tackle at Texas, earning first-team All-America honors and a spot as a finalist for the Lombardi Award (nation's top interior lineman) as a senior in 2005. The three-time All-Big 12 selection has transitioned from playing to a highly successful coaching career that started at UT and is now in his 15th season as an assistant coach. During Wright's four-year stretch at UT, the Longhorns won 11 games three times, at least 10 games all four years, won three bowl games, posted an overall record of 45-6 (28-4 in Big 12) and finished in the Top 11 nationally (three times in Top Six) all four years. He started 45 of his 50 games played over the four seasons, compiling 227 tackles, 17.5 sacks, 42 TFL, 67 pressures, eight passes batted down and six forced fumbles. As a senior in 2005, he posted 46 tackles, 14 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 15 pressures, three passes batted down, one forced fumble and returned a fumble 67 yards for a TD against Oklahoma, while being tabbed first-team All-American and first-team All-Big 12. In addition to winning the National Championship, the Longhorns posted a perfect 13-0 record and won the 2005 Big 12 Championship. In 2004, Wright was tabbed second-team All-American and also was a consensus second-team All-Big 12 selection. Despite battling an ankle injury for much of that year, he posted 36 tackles, a sack, three TFL and seven QB pressures in 11 games as he helped Texas to an 11-1 record and a win over Michigan in the Rose Bowl. A consensus second-team All-Big 12 pick as a sophomore, he recorded 80 tackles, a team-leading 7.5 sacks (seventh/Big 12), 12 TFL, a team-high 30 pressures, three passes batted down and three forced fumbles in 2003. Wright began his career at Texas by earning first-team Freshman All-American honors while also being named Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. He played in all 13 games and started nine of the final 11 contests as a true freshman in 2002 when Texas went 11-2 and beat LSU in the Cotton Bowl. He posted 65 tackles, 13 TFL (T-No. 3 on UT's freshman list), 4.5 sacks (T-No. 4 on UT's frosh chart) and 15 QB pressures. Wright went on to be selected in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins and played three seasons with Miami, although he missed his rookie season with an injury. He signed briefly with the New York Jets before spending two seasons in the Canadian Football League. After his pro football career, Wright returned to Austin and launched his coaching career by spending three years on the UT football staff as defensive special assistant from 2011-13 before moving into an assistant coaching role at Sam Houston State in February 2014. He spent four years at SHSU (2014-17) and a year at East Carolina (2018) before returning to the state of Texas at UTSA for three seasons (2019-21), first as defensive line coach before being promoted to run game coordinator in 2020, then co-defensive coordinator in 2021. In 2022, he coached defensive ends at the University of Miami before his opportunity in the NFL and returning to his hometown of Houston came with the Texans. He began as an assistant defensive line coach in 2023 before being promoted to defensive line coach in 2024 and is now in his third year with the team. During his assistant coaching positions, Wright was invited to participate in the prestigious NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship during the summers of 2016 and 2017, observing and learning in camp with the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, respectively. While playing professional football, Wright returned to Austin to complete his bachelor's degree in applied learning and development in December 2011.
BOBBY MITCHELL
Football (1968-70) - VINTAGE SELECTION
A two-sport letterwinner in Football and Track and Field for the Longhorns, Bobby Mitchell was a versatile athlete who came to Texas after he and his high school teammate, Freddie Steinmark, led Wheat Ridge High School in Colorado to a state football championship in 1966. Mitchell, who earned all-state honors at fullback in high school and was a two-time state track and field champion and record holder in the shot put, played briefly as a running back as a freshman in 1967, but found a career home on the offensive line as part of one of the most prolific offenses in college football history, when Darrell Royal's Longhorns installed the Wishbone offense in 1968. Mitchell lettered three years at offensive guard between 1968-70, during which time Texas posted a record of 30-2-1, including a school record 30-game winning streak, two National Championships and three Southwest Conference titles. Playing in three straight Cotton Bowl games. Mitchell was a starting guard on a dominant Longhorn offensive line that paved the way for Texas to lead the nation in rushing and scoring offense in 1969 (363 ypg/33.8 ppg) and 1970 (374.5 ypg/41.2 ppg). The Longhorns' incredible 611 yards rushing at SMU in 1969 still stands as the school single-game record while the 3,745 rushing yards in 1970 remains the all-time program best in that category. While the winning was significant, it was Mitchell's ability to deal with adversity that would mark his maturity as a student-athlete. First, he accepted the coaches' decision to move him from a promising running back to an offensive lineman when the offense called for smaller, quicker linemen. During his sophomore year, his older brother was killed in Vietnam. And finally, in the aftermath of the team's epic victory over Arkansas in college football's "Game of the Century" in 1969, his best friend – Steinmark – was diagnosed with a cancer that would end his football career and eventually take his life. Still, he would continue to pursue his path as a successful student-athlete. He earned a letter in track in 1968 and was named consensus first-team All-SWC as an offensive guard during his senior season of 1970. Mitchell claimed second-team All-SWC recognition as a junior in 1969. He was part of offenses that still hold four of the top five best single-game rushing marks in UT history. The 1970 and 1969 teams still rank first and second, respectively, in single-season average rushing yards per game. Mitchell, who became a highly accomplished dentist after his graduation from UT and dental school, served the Dallas area in that role for more than 50 years while receiving numerous awards for his work. After graduating from Baylor/Texas A&M Dental School in Dallas, he was appointed by University of Texas Chancellor, Dr. Charles Le Maistre, to serve as the Dental Representative on the University of Texas Task Force on Tobacco Smoking for the American Cancer Society. Mitchell also served on the Texas Parents Advisory Board for four years. He has long been a critical contributor to the research of his era of Longhorn football and legend of Steinmark, his high school and college teammate as well as best friend. Mitchell's personal story played a significant part in the making of the feature film "My All-American," which chronicled the life of Steinmark and the story of that 1969 National Championship season. Mitchell is married to Dr. Honor Franklin, and their children are Hahn Franklin-Mitchell, Sullivan Franklin-Mitchell and her husband, Robert Ehrlich III.