Texas Sports Hall of Fame

The AFLAC Duck · July 20, 2003

i visited this today on my way up from camping in the hill country. If you're ever in Waco (and really I don't know why you'd want to be), you should stop by. Its just off the highway next to the Baylor campus. You won't be too happy with the amount of NT stuff they have on display (IE very little) but overall its a fine place. A good bit on Fry, hardly any on Joe Greene though. The coolest part was the wall that had all the fight songs you could listen to. Ours sounded decent, and just for curiousity i tried SMU's. The weird thing was that they didn't have a band, just the sound of cash registers going off....

eagle60 · July 21, 2003

And of course nothing about Abner Haynes! Here was one of the greatest running backs in Texas college football history and he can't get into the Hall of Fame.

Maybe we need a letter writing campaign to jump start this thing.

If you have a chance, can you rent, borrow, steal, etc. an old video showing Haynes playing for NTSC. Let me know if you have a source.

The guy was just great and his barring from the Hall of Fame is a reflection on those SWC schools who didn't want to play against him. Now its time to correct this omission.

PlummMeanGreen · July 21, 2003

And of course nothing about Abner Haynes! Here was one of the greatest running backs in Texas college football history and he can't get into the Hall of Fame.
Maybe we need a letter writing campaign to jump start this thing.
If you have a chance, can you rent, borrow, steal, etc. an old video showing Haynes playing for NTSC. Let me know if you have a source.
The guy was just great and his barring from the Hall of Fame is a reflection on those SWC schools who didn't want to play against him. Now its time to correct this omission.

Abner and your idea both have my vote, eagle60. What do we do next?

eagle60 · July 21, 2003

It's tough for me, being out of state, to participate in this but surely there is a local polit6ician, in Dallas or Denton County, who would get quoted in the DMN, FWST, DRC, and maybe others to bring the subject to the present residents. Get someone, even if you don't personally like'em, to start a groundswell. Perhaps a sports columnist or somone on TV.

People need to know the story about how this outstanding player was not recruited by SWC teams. AT NT we were'nt able to schedule games with them.

It's long overdue to put all that stuff out for the public to decide. RV or Dr. Pohl should say something to people outside the UNT "family" to get some allies. It would go a long way to addressing and dispelling old prejudices and show UNT as a leader in college integration in Texas sports.

PlummMeanGreen · July 21, 2003

The real shame of this is how easy it would be for Lamar Hunt to just pick up a phone and make a simple phone call to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and take care of getting Abner Haynes in; after all, Abner Haynes is (in deed) in the Kansas City Chief Ring of Honor which is their own version of what the Cowboys have at Texas Stadium.

You'd think the Texas Sports Hall of Fame officials would already be aware of & recognize the historical significance of Abner Haynes being in their elite circle; especially with the focus of Abner playing a pioneering and very strategic role in the integration of Texas college football in the mid 1950's when that was just not the popular thing to do in the South and among traditional caucasian colleges here in Texas.

SMU and Hayden Fry integrated only a mere "10 years" after North Texas. Without Abner Haynes and his significant chapter in our state's college football story in the Waco-based organization one might have to consider re-naming it the Texas Sports Hall of Shame?

Mr. Hunt received his first big signing as a new professional team owner (Dallas Texans aka KC Chiefs) in the end zone at UNT's Fouts Field (as the story goes) and that being the signing of one Mr. Abner Haynes; also, he found his life long partner (wife) at the University of North Texas as well. Wonder if Mr. Hunt would be interested in returning only a small favor on this matter concerning Abner Haynes?

Of course, I guess the major question would be if Mr. Hunt has ever been asked to assist in getting Abner Haynes inducted in the TSHOF? He would be the first one I would call if I were a UNT official who might take this on as a personal pet project because UNT would shine equally and receive much positive statewide publicity with the induction of former Mean Greener Abner Haynes into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

I know we all don't won't to see another Dallas Cowboy/Tex Schramm thing here where they wait too late to get him in the "Hall" when they could have done otherwise in a more timely manner with hardly any effort at all.

Edited July 21, 2003 by PlummMeanGreen

eagle60 · July 21, 2003

Exactly. Why wait til someone's dead before giving them the honors they deserve.

When you read about all the challenges Haynes had to overcome you really have to respect that he stayed at NT. What if you couldn't live on-campus, couldn't eat on campus, and had to walk from the other side of town!

When he had his football jersey retired back in '98 he showed a lot of class and accepted the recognition with class.

Let's not repeat the Tex Schramm ordeal, too late, too bad.