UNT Announces 2016 Hall of Fame Class

[Harry]

Jan. 10, 2017

DENTON - The 2016 North Texas Athletics Hall of Fame class, a group that comes from four decades and three sports, will be inducted on April 8, 2017.

The induction ceremony and brunch will take place at 10:30 a.m., prior to the annual Green-White spring football game at Apogee Stadium, and will be held in Apogee's HUB Club. Tickets for the brunch and induction are $20 each or $150 for a table of eight, and are now on sale through the North Texas Ticket Office. Click here to purchase online or call the ticket office at 940-565-2527. Attendees will be able to watch the spring game from the HUB Club. The induction brunch is sponsored by UMB Bank.

The spring game will kickoff at 2 p.m. Admission to the spring game is free.

The six-person class is headlined by a pair of alumni currently playing in the NFL, Lance Dunbar and Craig Robertson. Dunbar, the leading rusher in North Texas history, is a running back with the Dallas Cowboys, while Robertson, the No. 2 tackler in school history, is a linebacker with the New Orleans Saints.

The members of the 2016 class are:

 

Lance Dunbar, football

Dunbar is the school’s all-time leading rusher, amassing 4,224 yards over his four-year career, which is also the third-best individual rushing performance in Sun Belt Conference history.

He had 41 rushing touchdowns in his career, which is also a North Texas record and ranks second in Sun Belt Conference history. He is the only North Texas running back ever to rush for three-consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Dunbar was a three-time all-conference selection and earned honorable mention All-America honors from Sports Illustrated in 2010. He is only the seventh player in NCAA history to have over 4,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving.

In his junior year, he finished sixth in the NCAA with 1,552 rushing yards and 10th with 1,885 all-purpose yards. In his final game in a North Texas uniform, Dunbar rushed for a Sun Belt Conference and North Texas record 313 yards and a school-record four touchdowns in a 59-7 win over Middle Tennessee. Dunbar was an undrafted free-agent signee with the Dallas Cowboys in 2012 and is beginning his fifth season with America’s Team.

 

 

Susan Waters, softball

Waters was on the Mean Green's first team when North Texas reintroduced softball in 2004.

In the team’s inaugural game on Feb. 4, 2004, Waters got the Mean Green’s first hit, a home run that tied the game against nationally-ranked Texas A&M. She went on to become the most prolific hitter in Mean Green softball history.

Waters was a fixture at third base and the No. 4 slot in the batting order from 2004 to 2007. She was first-team All-Sun Belt her junior and senior seasons after being one of the nation’s leaders in home runs per game. She is the author of the No. 1 and No. 2 records for most home runs in a season: 18 in 2006 and 17 in 2007. She also holds the career home run record at North Texas with 49.

She is No. 1 all-time at North Texas in career RBI, multiple-RBI games and total bases, and is also in the top five in career hits, doubles, multiple-hit games, slugging percentage and walks. Waters holds the single-season records for RBI, home runs, multiple-RBI games, slugging percentage and total bases.

 

Craig Robertson, football

Robertson is the second-leading tackler all-time for North Texas, accumulating 381 during his four-year career from 2007-10. His career tackles rank third all-time among Sun Belt Conference schools.

Robertson was a four-year starter and earned all-conference recognition in each of those years, including first team honors as a senior in 2010. His 133 total tackles in 2010 was the second-best ever by a Mean Green defender and is still the fifth-highest total ever in the Sun Belt Conference. He ranked seventh in the NCAA in tackles as a senior. Robertson twice earned the Joe Greene Award as the team’s outstanding defensive player.

He signed with the NFL's Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and played four years in Cleveland before joining the New Orleans Saints in 2016. He has played in 58 games in four NFL seasons, starting 37. He was honored as the Browns NFL Man of the Year in 2014 for his work in the Cleveland community.

 

Calvin Watson, men's basketball

In 2007, Watson led North Texas to a Sun Belt Conference championship and its second NCAA Tournament appearance, scoring a team-leading 15.7 points per game.

He was the MVP of the 2007 Sun Belt Tournament after hitting six 3-pointers in a 24-point performance in a tournament-final win over Arkansas State, and earned third-team all-Sun Belt honors that season.

In that historic season, Watson shattered the school record for career 3-pointers (208) and 3-pointers in a season (90), and finished his career ranked 13th in school history with 1,253 career points. Watson scored 533 points in 2006-07, the 17th-highest season in program history. His career best was 28 points, against UT-Pan American in 2004-05 and against Troy in 2005-06. Watson is tied for sixth-best in North Texas history with a career 3-point percentage of 39.1. He played in 95 games for the Mean Green started 84 games during his career.

 

Andrew Smith, football

Smith started 16 games at quarterback for North Texas during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. He was died in an automobile accident while returning to campus to begin his junior season in 2004.

Smith started the final 12 games in 2002, leading North Texas to eight wins, including a 24-19 win over Cincinnati in the New Orleans Bowl, the Mean Green’s first bowl win since 1946. He was awarded the Ja’Quay Wilburn Award as the team’s outstanding offensive back for 2002.

Smith started four games in 2003, but played in seven. In his two seasons with North Texas, he played in 20 games, completed 104-of-231 passes for 1,393 yards and eight touchdowns. Since his death, his No. 12 jersey has never been issued to another North Texas player.

 

Ron Miller, basketball

Miller played for the North Texas men's basketball team from 1965 to 1967 on teams coached by Dan Spike that did battle in the Missouri Valley Conference. The 1966-67 team featured road wins over Texas A&M and Oklahoma.

Miller was team captain, point guard and primary assist man during his days at NT. While assist statistics were not kept prior to 1974, Miller's assists are in evidence by the scoring of teammates Willie Davis, the No. 15 all-time leading scorer in school history, and Rubin Russell, the No. 22 scorer in program history.

One of Miller's high points came in 1967, in a televised game against Drake. With the score tied at 77-77, Miller hit a shot at the buzzer for a 79-77 win.

The HOF induction brunch and the spring game will be preceded by the #DentonMeansBusiness Fun Run and 5K run beginning at 8:30 a.m., followed by tailgating beginning at 11 a.m. and the annual surplus athletic equipment sale inside Apogee near Gate 2 at 1 p.m.

link:  http://www.meangreensports.com/sports/mg-club/spec-rel/011017aac.html

[PlummMeanGreen]

Sound like quite an extravaganza alright!✳️?✳️

[Mean Green 93-98]

Glad for Calvin, thrilled about Craig.  And Lance obviously belongs.  But Andrew Smith?

[ForneyGreen]

3 hours ago, Harry said:

He was died in an automobile accident

Not to be a grammar freak, but surely someone is proofreading this stuff?

Anyway, I like including Andrew Smith - helped lead us to one of our biggest wins in my opinion (2002 New Orleans Bowl)

[Cr1028]

2 hours ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

Glad for Calvin, thrilled about Craig.  And Lance obviously belongs.  But Andrew Smith?

I'm of the same feeling. Would Alec deserve to be in the HOF if he died on the way home from the HOD bowl? I don't want to disrespect the deceased but he started for less than a full season and only because Scott Hall got hurt. His numbers were not great, he wasn't the NO bowl MVP,  and he died while driving drunk. Shall we induct Sam Dibrell and Josh Rake as well? Makes no sense to me.

Edited January 11, 2017 by Cr1028

[shaft]

1. Don't speak ill of the dead

2. QB for a winning, conference championship season

3 Bowl win.

[Army of Dad]

8 minutes ago, shaft said:

1. Don't speak ill of the dead

2. QB for a winning, conference championship season

3 Bowl win.

And 1 is an appropriate qualification for HOF induction?

[Cr1028]

11 minutes ago, shaft said:

1. Don't speak ill of the dead

2. QB for a winning, conference championship season

3 Bowl win.

So basically if we finish above .500 next year, win conference, and win the bowl game, the qb deserves to be in the HOF regardless of performance? Or must they die too? Will cause of death matter? Simple drunk driving passes, how about drug overdose or getting shot while robbing a bank/home/automobile? I'm just trying to determine what qualifies you to get in because quite honestly, our HOF is significantly overcrowded. Perhaps we should create some sort of additional honor, other than # retiring, to honor the truly elite players of our past. 

[Aldo]

13 minutes ago, Cr1028 said:

 I'm just trying to determine what qualifies you to get in because quite honestly, our HOF is significantly overcrowded. Perhaps we should create some sort of additional honor, other than # retiring, to honor the truly elite players of our past. 

A la Rentfro, Haynes, Greene? (Hope I didn't miss anyone)

Edited January 11, 2017 by Aldo

[MeanGreenTexan]

2 minutes ago, Aldo said:

A la Rentfro, Haynes, Greene? (Hope I didn't miss anyone)

Rentfro?  The recent OL who barely played?

I think you mean Ray Renfro?

[Cr1028]

3 minutes ago, Aldo said:

A la Rentfro, Haynes, Greene? (Hope I didn't miss anyone)

I think you could include players like Lance and Cobbs. Cobbs led the nation in rushing and was our and the sunbelt all time leader in rushing until Lance took ours and Fenroy took the Belt.

[Aldo]

1 hour ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

I think you mean Ray Renfro?

Well yes obvs. Thanks. 

1 hour ago, Cr1028 said:

I think you could include players like Lance and Cobbs. Cobbs led the nation in rushing and was our and the sunbelt all time leader in rushing until Lance took ours and Fenroy took the Belt.

In HOF yes but in the same vein (or wall) as Greene/Haynes/Renfro? No. 

Dang it I am missing one retired number. 

-----------

ETA: Missed part of your comment earlier that renders my original point moot.

so like a ring of honor then? I'm sure we can find something to disqualify something for then. It's a college HOF, everyone on that list did what they could for their school and deserve to be on that list, no matter the circumstances.   

Edited January 11, 2017 by Aldo

[the green rokemi]

Yeah, the Andrew Smith inclusion doesn't make sense. He had some good moments that bowl winning season but the bowl itself belonged to that defense

[Cr1028]

9 hours ago, Aldo said:

 It's a college HOF, everyone on that list did what they could for their school and deserve to be on that list, no matter the circumstances.   

So doing what you can for the school puts you on the list? That mean Andrew McNulty belongs on that list? He did give everything he had for this school, was on a bowl win team, and scored the first touchdown in Apogee.

 

To your other point about those with retired numbers, Are those you listed in an untouchable place because of what they did at NT was far superior to anyone since or because of the NFL?

Edited January 11, 2017 by Cr1028

[MeanGreenTexan]

9 hours ago, Aldo said:

Well yes obvs. Thanks.    

Not meant as a dig or anything.  I was chuckling when I read that, picturing Ryan Rentfro being inducted into this exclusive honor club.  Thought I'd clarify.

 

Also, 
This topic has been discussed before when the class was first announced back before the season started, and there were a lot of the same comments around Smith:
 

 

[Eagle-96]

10 hours ago, Aldo said:

Well yes obvs. Thanks. 

In HOF yes but in the same vein (or wall) as Greene/Haynes/Renfro? No. 

Dang it I am missing one retired number. 

You're missing Richard Gill. All conference for 2 seasons at LB. Died after surgery for a knee injury.

 

[Aldo]

39 minutes ago, Eagle-96 said:

You're missing Richard Gill. All conference for 2 seasons at LB. Died after surgery for a knee injury.

Ah thank you.

1 hour ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Not meant as a dig or anything.

no offense taken

9 hours ago, Cr1028 said:

So doing what you can for the school puts you on the list? That mean Andrew McNulty belongs on that list? He did give everything he had for this school, was on a bowl win team, and scored the first touchdown in Apogee.

What I'm getting at is, the committee made their choice, and what a lot of folks on here are insinuating is that his death was a factor in his induction.

Maybe it was maybe it wasn't. I'm not about to argue one way or the other. That's disrespectful imo.

He led us to a bowl win and had rather average numbers. Scott Hall did the same and took us to three bowl games. How they did it shouldn't matter, it's what they did. Rare air at North Texas.

Heck, Mason Fine is already top 20 in career yards in just 10 games. Pass game at UNT has been a barrier to our success (but that's a tangent)

But my question about the ring of honor is an actual question. To distinguish between retired jerseys and HOF'ers.

9 hours ago, Cr1028 said:

To your other point about those with retired numbers, Are those you listed in an untouchable place because of what they did at NT was far superior to anyone since or because of the NFL?

Not untouchable, and it's a case by case basis. What those guys did was impactful or historic. 

Edited January 11, 2017 by Aldo
I'm a revisionist

[forevereagle]

3 minutes ago, Aldo said:

Smith won a bowl game and Hall won a bowl game. Rare air at North Texas.

I don't believe that Hall won a bowl game. We won in '02over Cincinnatti with Smith as the QB, but lost in '01 (Colorado State), '03 (Memphis), and '04 (Southern Miss) with Hall as the QB. He did lead the team to three bowl games, which is something that no other QB can claim at NT, so there is that. But unless I am remembering something wrong, no W for Hall in a bowl game.

[Aldo]

Just now, forevereagle said:

I don't believe that Hall won a bowl game. We won in '02over Cincinnatti with Smith as the QB, but lost in '01 (Colorado State), '03 (Memphis), and '04 (Southern Miss) with Hall as the QB. He did lead the team to three bowl games, which is something that no other QB can claim at NT, so there is that. But unless I am remembering something wrong, no W for Hall in a bowl game.

Yeah as soon as I posted I edited, but still got it wrong with 2.

[Cr1028]

7 minutes ago, Aldo said:

 

NVM, Hall bowl games has been addressed.

Quote

But my question about the ring of honor is an actual question. To distinguish between retired jerseys and HOF'ers.

I think it is a good idea.

Edited January 11, 2017 by Cr1028

[Green P1]

When does Casey Fitzgerald get in for his one year?

[Cr1028]

49 minutes ago, Green P1 said:

When does Casey Fitzgerald get in for his one year?

And Giovanni Vizza too.

[MeanGreenTexan]

1 minute ago, Cr1028 said:

And Giovanni Vizza too.

This quitter will never be welcomed to the HOF.

[Cr1028]

Just now, MeanGreenTexan said:

This quitter will never be welcomed to the HOF.

I'm with you there, just trying to make a point.

[aztecskin]

1 hour ago, Green P1 said:

When does Casey Fitzgerald get in for his one year?

He did have that one play.