Lettermen's Hall of Fame Induction Set
Sept. 18, 2001
The TCU Lettermen's Association will bear a very distinctive All-American glow Friday, September 21 when the 2001 class is inducted into the Lettermen's Association Hall of Fame.
Former TCU gridiron stars Kelly Blackwell '92, Doug Conaway '52, Fred Washington '90 and Stanley Washington '83 will be inducted into the Hall of Fame along with former Frog Olympic sprinter Jon Drummond '91. The evening will honor four former All-Americans and one NFL star who was headed for a Pro Bowl career before an auto accident claimed his life.
Kelly Blackwell, a Richland High School product, will be entering the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. A stand-out tight end for TCU, Blackwell lettered for the Frogs all four years of his career and has his name on nearly every receiving record list in TCU Football history. His twelve receptions against Missouri in 1990 tied him for fourth all-time in receptions in one game and his 64 receptions in both 1990 and '91 stand as the record in career receptions for one season. Blackwell also leads all Frogs in career receptions with 181, which covered 2,155 yards and included 13 touchdowns. Blackwell has two places in all-time yards receiving in one season with 832 in 1990 and 762 in 1991, third and eighth place respectively. His 2,155 yards rank fifth on TCU's career receiving yardage list and his 13 touchdowns represent fourth best all-time in a TCU uniform.
Doug Conaway represents this year's Vintage Selection inductee into the Hall of Fame. A former All-American from Hillsboro, Conaway was selected as an All-American in 1951, the same year the Frogs won the Southwest Conference. Following graduation from TCU, Conaway played briefly in the NFL, including a training camp stint with the legendary Sammy Baugh and the Washington Redskins. He served in the US Army between coaching high school football in Bynum, Texas and then in Hillsboro. A long-time supporter of TCU through the Alumni Association and Lettermen's Association, Conaway retired from the US Postal Service and is now enjoying time with his family.
Fred Washington lettered for TCU all four years he played in Amon Carter Stadium, beginning in 1986. He served as co-captain during his senior year. Selected with the 32nd pick of the 1990 draft by the Chicago Bears, Washington appeared to be an heir apparent to former Bears All-Pro defensive tackles Dan Hampton and Steve McMichael.
He was killed December 21, 1990, but not before earning playing time and respect from his Bears colleagues.
He was a coach's dream, an outstanding young man," said former Bears Head Coach Mike Ditka in a 1990 Star-Telegram interview.
Washington received the O'Brien Fighting Frog award and the NSCA All-American Athlete Award in 1989. He was selected to the Senior Bowl in 1989 as well as the Blue-Gray Game. He ranks eighth all-time in tackles for loss at TCU with 29 totaling 135 yards. Washington's mother is expected to be in attendance at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony and former teammate and best friend James "Buddy" Wyatt will accept the award in his memory.
Stanley Washington was another four-year letterwinner for the Frogs and was named to the 1983 All-American team. Stanley played in the Blue-Gray Game and the Hula Bowl his senior year before playing two years in the CFL. Like Blackwell, Stanley also has numerous entries in the record books of TCU receivers, including receptions in a season (49) and receptions in a career (125) ranking sixth in both categories. In two individual games, Stanley's 168 and 156 yards register eighth and eleventh all time in yardage for one game. Stanley has recorded the second-highest yards in one season with 854, one spot ahead of Blackwell and 2,209 yards in a career, placing him third all-time. His 16 career touchdowns receiving place him second all-time for Horned Frog receivers.
Returning to the Hall of Fame Banquet fresh off international competition, Jon Drummond has been one of the most decorated sprinters in a proud tradition of fleet-footed Frogs. Originally from Philadelphia, Drummond came to TCU after garnering national championships at Odessa Junior College in 1988. Before running in the Olympics, Pan-Am Games and World Championships, Drummond was on the 1991 NCAA Outdoor 400-meter National Champion relay team running the first leg. Individually, he finished second that same year in the 100. Drummond was an Olympic semi-finalist in 1988 and '92 and an Indoor USA Champion in the 60 in 1993. That same year, he came in fourth in the 60 in the World Indoor Championships, fourth in the 100 in the Outdoor World Championships and won gold in the 4x100 relay at the World Outdoor Championships. A member of the 1995 World Championship 400M relay team, Drummond has also placed in the top three in a number of international competitions. He won a silver medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games in the 4x100 relays and seems to age like fine wine, as he was on the gold medal team in the 4x100 relay at the 2000 Olympics.
The 2001 Lettermen's Association Hall of Fame Induction Banquet will be held at Ridglea Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Ridglea Country Club is located at 3700 Bernie Anderson Ave. Reservations are required, but the event is open to the public. Cost per person is $30. For more information, contact Mark Mourer in the Frog Club office at (817) 257-6905.
