TCU Lettermen's Association announces 2008 Hall of Fame Inductees
6/27/2008 12:00:00 AM | General
June 27, 2008
Four former standout student-athletes along with the school's first national championship team will comprise the 2008 TCU Lettermen's Association Hall of Fame Class.
On the 40th Anniversary of the TCU Lettermen's Association Hall of Fame - Becky Brill (women's swimming and diving), Beverly McDonald (women's track and field), WC Nix (football), Dr. John A. Richards (football) along with the 1938 TCU National Championship football team will have their names listed among some of the greatest athletes to ever don the Purple and White on October 2nd, 2008.
"On our 40th anniversary - we will be inducting a Hall of Fame Class of distinction that recognizes All-Americans, Olympians as well as a national championship team that had one of the greatest collegiate football players in Davey O'Brien," said Lettermen's Association President Janice Dziuk. "This year's class is one that has true representation of sports across the board for TCU and will pay tribute to these distinguished athletes who have had the privilege of competing against some of the best athletes in the world."
Becky Brill (Women's Swimming and Diving)
Brill was one of the greatest student-athletes to ever compete for the TCU women's swimming and diving team as the former standout was selected as the AIAW (Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women) Athlete of the Year following the 1981 season.
Brill was a nine-time All-American selection for the Frogs in four separate events - including the 200-yard butterfly, 400-yard individual medley, 500-yard freestyle and 1,650-yard freestyle - while posting four top-10 finishes at the AIAW National Swimming and Diving Championships during the 1982 campaign. During her senior campaign - Brill was part of an 800-yard relay team that finished fifth overall at the AIAW National Swimming and Diving Championships.
During her tenure with the Purple and White - the Frogs did not compete in the traditional conference similar to today's settings, but competed strictly on the national level. Making her accomplishments even more remarkable - Brill guided the Frogs to a third-place finish at the 1981 and 1982 AIAW National Swimming and Diving Championships.
Brill was selected to the Southwest Conference All-Decade Team for the 1980s after she held five schools records for the Frogs upon her graduation from the program. The TCU standout qualified for a record seven events at the AIAW National Swimming and Diving Championships during her freshman campaign with the Frogs.
Beverly McDonald (Women's Track and Field)
A standout on the biggest stage for track and field - McDonald has competed for the Jamaica National Team during the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics in both sprints and relays. McDonald captured a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the 4x100-meter relay while narrowly missing out on an individual medal as she finished fourth overall in the 200-meter dash.
McDonald has competed all over the world in international competitions for over a decade following her standout career with the Frogs. The former TCU sprinter ran the qualifying leg of the Jamaican Olympic Team's 4x100-meter relay gold medal team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
The newly-inducted member of the TCU Lettermen's Association Hall of Fame was a two-time All-American in the 100- and 200-meter dashes during the 1993 outdoor track and field season. Runner-up in the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the 1993 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships - McDonald was a two-time All-Southwest Conference selection and still holds the program record in both of those events.
WC Nix (Football)
A member of the 1986 National Strength and Conditioning All-American Team - Nix was invited to play on the offensive line in both the Blue-Grey Game as well as the Hula Bowl following his senior season. Nix was selected to the All-Southwest Conference Team during his junior and senior campaigns where he was the only TCU football player to be voted all-conference in those two seasons.
Nix was selected to the TCU All-Century Team by Dan Jenkins - author of Greatest Moments in TCU's History - as he was a two-time Rogers Trophy Winner for Most Valuable Player on the Frogs. Nix joined an exclusive group as a two-time Rogers Trophy Winner as only three other players (Mike Renfro, LaDainian Tomlinson and Jeff Ballard) have captured that award on two occasions.
Dr. John A. Richards (Football)
Richards was considered one of the top defensive backs as well as student-athletes in the Southwest Conference during his career with the Frogs. Following his senior season - Richards captured the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete Award as well as the CoSIDA Academic All-American honorable mention and Academic All-Southwest Conference laurels.
Selected as the Rogers Trophy award winner as TCU's Most Valuable Player following the 1966 season - Richards was selected to play in the Blue-Grey Game as well as the Hula Bowl as a defensive back. Richards led the Southwest Conference in interceptions during his junior campaign and was selected as an All-Southwest Conference pick during following his senior campaign.
1938 TCU Football Team
Led by TCU coaching legend Dutch Meyer - the 1938 Horned Frogs outscored their opponents by a 269-60 margin and held nine of their 10 regular-season opponents to seven points or less - including three shutouts. TCU had three first team All-American on that squad in quarterback Davey O'Brien, center Ki Aldrich and tackle I.B. Hale. That season - O'Brien became the first player from both TCU and the Southwest Conference to win the Heisman Trophy as college football's greatest player.
With O'Brien at the helm - the Frogs capped off their 11-0 season with a 15-7 victories over Carnegie Tech in the Sugar Bowl to become the consensus number-one team in the nation. That season - the Frogs out-polled three other undefeated teams in Oklahoma, Tennessee and Duke to claim the national championship that season.
O'Brien currently still holds the NCAA record for most rushing and passing plays in a single-season, and today, the award given annually to college football's best quarterback is the Davey O'Brien Award.
For more information - please visit the TCU Lettermen's Association website at www.lettermens.tcu.edu and Greg Blackwell at (817) 257-5471 or via e-mail at g.blackwell@tcu.edu.
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