Former University of Houston standouts Rita Buck-Crockett (volleyball), Flo Hyman (volleyball) and Wade Phillips (football) were named among the eight-member class of 2017 inductees for the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the organization announced recently.
In addition former Texas A&M and Los Angeles Rams defensive back Dave Elmendorf, Texas A&M University track & field coach Pat Henry, 2008 Olympic all-around gymnastics champion Nastia Liukin, University of Texas track and football star Eric Metcalf and former Dallas Cowboys All-Pro safety Darren Woodson round out the class.
A native of San Antonio, Rita Buck-Crockett has been considered one of the best all-around volleyball players in history. A 1977 AIAW All-America honoree, Crockett was selected to the 1980 and 1984 U.S. Olympic teams. She joined fellow Cougars Flo Hyman and Rose Magers in leading the U.S. National Team to a silver-medal finish in 1984 – still tied for the best indoor finish in U.S. Olympic history. Outside of the U.S. program, Crockett played professional volleyball in Japan, Italy and Switzerland.
A native of Los Angeles, Flo Hyman was the first female scholarship athlete at the University of Houston. Hyman was a three-time AIAW All-America honoree for the Cougars from 1974-76 and the 1976 AIAW National Player of the Year, leading Houston to two Top-5 national finishes. Hyman, along with fellow Cougars Rita Crockett and Rose Magers, led the U.S. to a silver medal in 1984. Flo Hyman passed in 1986 while playing in a professional match in Japan.
A native of Orange, Texas, Wade Phillips was a three-year starter at linebacker at Houston from 1966-68. The son of storied former NFL head coach Oail Andrew “Bum” Phillips, he began his professional coaching career under his father with the Houston Oilers in 1976. Since then, Phillips has held multiple NFL positions, including head coaching stints with the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys.