UT Athletics Announces 2013 Men’s Hall of Honor Class
AUSTIN, Texas -- Eight distinguished and decorated former University of Texas student-athletes and staff are to be inducted into the Men's Athletics Hall of Honor later this fall.
The 57th Men's Hall of Honor class includes Brian Cisarik (Baseball, 1984-88), two-time All-Southwest Conference and current UT record holder for single-season batting average; T.J. Ford (Basketball, 2002-2003), 2003 Naismith and Wooden Awards winner; Quentin Jammer (Football, 1997-98; 2000-01), unanimous All-American and UT’s first Thorpe Award finalist; and Roy Williams (Football, 2000-03), a three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection.
Founded in 1957, the Longhorn Hall of Honor is one of the most cherished athletics traditions at The University of Texas. Its governing body - the Longhorn Hall of Honor Council - is made up exclusively of men who have lettered at UT. Each year, a selection committee nominates 16 candidates whose names are distributed to the Hall of Honor Council. To be eligible for nomination, a letterman must have completed his eligibility 10 years prior to the year of election. The four nominees receiving a majority of votes are inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor.
Vintage selections Lou Bagwell (Baseball, 1968-70), Rene Ramirez (Football, 1957-59), Julius Whittier (Football, 1970-72), and Larry Falk (Assistant AD for Operations Administration, 1981-present) round out the class.
The induction banquet for the 2013 class is scheduled for Friday, November 1, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin. The dinner ceremony begins at 6 p.m. Those interested in attending this special event can purchase tickets through the T-Association by calling 512-471-6864. Tickets are $65 each and tables are available for $650 each.
The new members of the Hall will then receive a special salute on the field during the Texas-Kansas football game on November 2.
Cisarik still holds the record for the highest single-season batting average in school history (.429 in 1987) and has the second-best career batting average ever for the Longhorns (.389). In 1987, he earned second team All-American honors as he collected 106 hits (second best ever at Texas) and was twice named all-Southwest Conference in 1987 and 1988. At one point he ranked among the top six in every batting category for the Longhorns. He was a part of teams that finished as runners-up twice (1984, 1985) and as a third place finisher (1987) in the College World Series, and on two NCAA regional finalists (1986 and1988). Following his Texas career, Cisarik played five years of professional baseball and is currently involved in real estate development and management of self-storage properties in San Antonio.
Ford is one of the most decorated basketball players in UT history and had his No. 11 jersey retired on Feb. 8, 2004. A two-year starter at point guard, he led Texas to an appearance in the “Sweet 16” as a freshman, earning National Freshman of the Year honors by the United States Basketball Writers Association. He became the first freshman in NCAA history to lead the nation in assists (8.27 apg) and was the consensus Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year. During his sophomore campaign, he led the Longhorns to their first Final Four appearance since 1947 and won the Naismith and Wooden Awards as the top player in college basketball. A consensus first-team All-American as a sophomore, Ford led the team in scoring, assists, steals, free-throw percentage and minutes played. Ford was the eighth-overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2003 NBA Draft and played eight years in the NBA with the Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs before retiring during the 2011-12 season. He currently sponsors and coaches a Houston-based AAU program, T.J. Ford Elite. Ford and his wife, Candace, reside in Houston with sons, T.J. and Austin, and daughter, Peyton.
Jammer, currently in his 12th NFL season, became UT's 14th unanimous All-American and its first Thorpe Award finalist as a senior in 2001. After four years at Texas, Jammer ranked first on the Horns career pass breakups list with 57, and first on the single-season list with 24 in 2001, both of which still currently rank second. He is a two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection, who allowed only one touchdown pass in his 28 career starts at cornerback, including none as a senior. He was tabbed Texas’ Team MVP as a senior. Jammer was selected fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2002 NFL Draft and remained with the Chargers for the first 11 years of his career and was recently voted one of the all-time 50 best Chargers. He signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos in 2013. His brother, Quandre Diggs, is a current starting cornerback for the Longhorns. Jammer has three sons, Kaden, Kaleb and Kasen, and is very active in the community through the Jammer Family Foundation, whose mission is empowering disadvantaged youth.
Williams, a three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection, set UT career records for receptions (241), receiving yards (3,866), TD receptions (36) and 100-yard receiving games (16), all of which he currently maintains with the exception of now ranking just behind Jordan Shipley in receptions. He also caught a pass in a UT-record 47 consecutive games, and 49-of-50 career contests, including bowls. As a senior he was voted UT's George "Hook" McCullough MVP, and in his junior season, he was tabbed honorable mention All-America by CNNSI.com, was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award and was consensus first-team All-Big 12. Williams was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions and spent nine seasons in the NFL with the Lions, the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Bears. Selected to the Pro Bowl in 2006, he finished his NFL career with 393 receptions, 5,715 receiving yards and 44 receiving TDs. Williams has a son, Jordan, and a daughter, Dallas. Since his retirement, he has focused his attention on the trucking company he owns and manages, RDub Trucking, in his hometown of Odessa.
Bagwell played on Cliff Gustafson’s first three teams at Texas, all of which reached the College World Series in Omaha. He was named to the College World Series all-tournament team as a sophomore in 1968. He was a two-time All-Southwest Conference infielder (1969-70), and winner of the NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship Award in 1970—when he was also chosen as a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American. He led the team in runs scored in 1969 and in stolen bases in 1970. Bagwell has been an attorney in Houston since his graduation from law school.
Ramirez was a vital building block in the construction of Darrell Royal’s program at Texas in the late 1950s. As a sophomore in 1957, he led the team in all-purpose yards and scoring as Royal’s first team went 6-3-1 during the regular season and earned a berth in the Sugar Bowl. In 1958, he had significant plays in Texas’ 15-14 victory over Oklahoma that ended the Sooners’ six-year dominance of that series, had a 52-yard TD run in the 24-6 victory over Arkansas, and scored three touchdowns in the season finale, a 27-0 win over Texas A&M. In 1959, he earned first-team All-Southwest Conference honors helping the Longhorns to a 9-1 record and tying for Royal’s first SWC title. That season Texas finished No. 4 in the nation and played Syracuse in the 1960 Cotton Bowl. After football, Ramirez worked in the insurance business in Austin and in his native Rio Grande Valley.
Whittier came to The University of Texas in 1969 as one of the first African-Americans ever to receive a football scholarship from UT, and was the first to earn a letter in the sport of football. Whittier played as an offensive tackle during the seasons of 1970 and 1971, before moving to tight end for his senior season of 1972. Following graduation, he went on to earn a degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs in 1976, and completed a law degree as well. For much of his career he has worked as a senior prosecutor in the Dallas County District Attorney’s office.
Falk became a student manager more than 30 years ago in 1981, and has been one of the most recognizable figures in Texas Longhorns athletics. In his time at Texas, he has served as a football student manager, assistant equipment manager, equipment manager and operations manager until his promotion to Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities and Operations in 2007. He now serves as Assistant AD for Operations Administration. He has accompanied Longhorn football teams to 22 bowl games and has been the point person on travel for the baseball team to ten College World Series. He has served as tournament director for almost 20 NCAA baseball regionals and super regionals in Austin, and has been assistant director of the Texas Relays 20 times. He has also helped run NCAA and national events in basketball, swimming and tennis.
EXTENDED BIOS
BRIAN CISARIK
(Baseball, 1984-1988)
Almost 25 seasons following his last year at Texas, Brian Cisarik still holds the record for the highest single-season batting average in school history, and has the second best career batting average ever for the Longhorns. Cisarik posted a .429 average in helping lead the Longhorns to a third place finish in the 1987 College World Series, and maintained an average of .389 in a career that actually included statistics for five years after missing most of one year with injury. He is one of only a few players to be named team captain twice - in 1987 and 1988. In 1987, he earned second team All American honors as he collected 106 hits (second best ever at Texas). He also led the team in doubles in 1987, in triples in 1987 and 1988, and in runs scored in 1987 and 1988. He was twice named all-Southwest Conference (1987 and 1988). At one point he ranked among the top six of every batting category for the Longhorns. Since his statistics were spread over a five year period because of injury, it makes his career batting average of .389 all the more remarkable. He was a part of teams that finished as runners-up twice (1984, 1985) and as a third place finisher (1987) in the College World Series, and on two NCAA regional finalists (1986 and 1988). Following his Texas career, Cisarik played five years of professional baseball, and is currently involved in real estate development and management of self-storage properties in San Antonio.
T.J. FORD
(Basketball, 2002-03)
One of the most decorated basketball players in UT history, Ford’s No. 11 jersey was retired on Feb. 8, 2004. Ford was a two-year starter at point guard for the Longhorns in 2001-02 and 2002-03. He led Texas to an appearance in the “Sweet 16” as a freshman, earning National Freshman of the Year honors by the United States Basketball Writers Association. Ford became the first freshman in NCAA history to lead the nation in assists (8.27 apg) and was the consensus Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year. He returned to lead the Longhorns to their first Final Four appearance since 1947 during his sophomore campaign and won the Naismith and Wooden Awards as the top player in college basketball. He also was named National Player of the Year by Chevrolet, CBS SportsLine.com, ESPN.com, The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated. A consensus first-team All-American as a sophomore, Ford led the team in scoring (15.0 ppg), assists (7.7 apg), steals (2.0 spg), free-throw percentage (.820) and minutes played (33.6 mpg). Ford finished his collegiate career in second place on UT’s all-time career assists list (527) and held the top two single-season assists marks in school history (273 in 2001-02 and 254 in 2002-03). Ford turned professional following his sophomore season and was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks as the eighth-overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. He went on to play eight years in the NBA with the Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs before retiring during the 2011-12 season. Ford currently sponsors and coaches a Houston-based AAU program, T.J. Ford Elite, which emphasizes basketball training and development along with life skills and college preparation. He also continues to be heavily involved with the T.J. Ford Foundation, an organization created in 2004 to help participants achieve their academic, personal and civil goals. Ford and his wife, Candace, reside in Houston with their three children, sons, T.J. and Austin, and daughter, Peyton.
QUENTIN JAMMER
(Football, 1997-98; 2000-01)
A big, physical, ferocious hitter and lockdown corner for the Longhorns and currently in his 12th NFL season, Quentin Jammer became UT's 14th unanimous All-American and its first Thorpe Award finalist as senior in 2001. Jammer capped his career by playing in 49 games with 41 starts. At the end of his four years at Texas, Jammer ranked first on the Horns career pass breakups list with 57, and first on the single-season list with 24 in 2001, both of which still currently rank second. A two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection, Jammer's 20 pass breakups as a junior ranked third on the UT single-season list at the time and currently rank sixth. He also only allowed one touchdown pass in his 28 career starts at cornerback, including none as a senior. In his last two seasons, Jammer started all 25 games as the Longhorns posted a 20-5 record, including the first 11-win season and Top Five finish of the Mack Brown era in 2001, which concluded with a Holiday Bowl win over Washington. He was tabbed Texas’ Team MVP as a senior. Prior to missing almost all of the 1999 season with a shoulder injury, he started all 12 games of the 1998 season, helping Texas to a 9-3 record and a Cotton Bowl win over Mississippi State, while ranking second on the team in tackles with 81. Jammer went on to be selected in the first round (fifth overall) by the San Diego Chargers in the 2002 NFL Draft and teamed with OT Mike Williams (fourth overall) to become the first duo in UT history to be selected in the NFL Draft's top five overall. He remained with the Chargers for the first 11 years of his career and was recently voted one of the 50 best Chargers of all-time. In San Diego, Jammer played in 172 games with 161 starts and started 157 of his last 158 games. He amassed 137 passes defended with 21 interceptions in San Diego prior to signing a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos in 2013. Jammer is a native of Angleton, Texas, where he attended Angleton High School. He played safety, linebacker, wide receiver and ultimately, as a senior, quarterback, during his prep career. His brother, Quandre Diggs, is a current starting cornerback for the Longhorns. Jammer has three sons, Kaden, Kaleb and Kasen, and is very active in the community through the Jammer Family Foundation, whose mission is empowering disadvantaged youth. The foundation partnered with the San Pasqual Academy in San Diego, a first-of-its-kind residential education campus designed specifically for foster teens. In March 2009, San Diego County Supervisors Greg Cox and Ron Roberts presented the Jammers with a proclamation, honoring them for their work with the Academy. And in February ’09, the Harlem Globetrotters honored Jammer during a tour stop at the San Diego Sports Arena.
ROY WILLIAMS
(Football, 2000-03)
A big, tall and athletic pass catcher, Roy Williams was one of the nation’s top receivers and one of the most dominant in UT history over his four years as a starter. A three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection, Williams played in 50 games, including bowls, and started 42 contests during his career. He set UT career records for receptions (241), receiving yards (3,866), TD receptions (36) and 100-yard receiving games (16), all of which he currently maintains with the exception of now ranking just behind Jordan Shipley in receptions. He also caught a pass in a UT-record 47 consecutive games, and 49-of-50 career contests, including bowls. As a senior, Williams was voted UT's George "Hook" McCullough MVP after recording 70 receptions for 1,079 and nine touchdowns while starting all 13 games. Despite being slowed by an injury during his junior season, Williams played in 12 games, was tabbed honorable mention All-America by CNNSI.com, was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award and was consensus first-team All-Big 12. He shared team MVP honors that year as well after catching 64 passes for 1,142 yards and a then school-record 12 TDs. He also became just the third wide receiver in UT history to record 1,000 receiving yards at the time. As a sophomore, he earned the first of three first-team All-Big 12 honors while starting all 13 games with 67 receptions for 836 yards and seven touchdowns. That was preceded by his freshman season in which he earned second-team freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News with 40 catches for 809 yards and eight touchdowns. Following his UT career, Williams went on to be selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He spent five seasons in Detroit, earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2006, followed by three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys before concluding his career playing one season with the Chicago Bears in 2011. He finished his NFL career with 393 receptions, 5,715 receiving yards and 44 receiving TDs. During his Pro Bowl season in 2006, he recorded career highs of 82 receptions and 1,310 receiving yards. Williams is a native of Odessa, Texas, where he was an all-state selection at Permian High School. Williams has a son, Jordan, and daughter, Dallas. Since his retirement, he has focused his attention on the trucking company he owns and manages, RDub Trucking, in his hometown of Odessa.
LOU BAGWELL
(Baseball, 1968-70)
Bagwell played on Cliff Gustafson’s first three teams at Texas, all of which reached the College World Series in Omaha. Bagwell was named to the College World Series all-tournament team as a sophomore in 1968. He was a two-time All-Southwest Conference infielder (1969-70), and winner of the NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship Award in 1970—when he was also chosen as a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American. He led the team in runs scored in 1969 and in stolen bases in 1970. Bagwell has been an attorney in Houston since his graduation from law school.
RENE RAMIREZ
(Football, 1957-59)
Ramirez was a vital building block in the construction of Darrell Royal’s program at Texas in the late 1950s. He came to Texas as a freshman out of tiny Hebbronville, Texas, in the fall of 1956, just in time to see Texas undergo a coaching change after the ‘Horns hit rock bottom, with a season which ended with a 1-9 record. As a sophomore in 1957, he led the team in all-purpose yards and scoring as Royal’s first team went 6-3-1 during the regular season and earned a berth in the Sugar Bowl. Originally a receiver, he brought a unique asset to Royal’s offensive attack as a halfback, who could throw left handed as well as run and catch. Ramirez was a critical part of the 1958 season, when the Longhorns went 7-3 and chose not to accept a bowl bid. That year, he had significant plays in Texas’ 15-14 victory over Oklahoma that ended the Sooners’ six-year dominance of that series, had a 52-yard TD run in the 24-6 victory over Arkansas, and scored three touchdowns in the season finale, a 27-0 win over Texas A&M. In 1959, he earned first team All-Southwest Conference honors on the Longhorn team which finished the regular season 9-1, tied for Royal’s first SWC title, finished No. 4 in the nation and played Syracuse in the 1960 Cotton Bowl. His career after football included working in the insurance business in Austin and in his native Rio Grande Valley.
JULIUS WHITTIER
(Football, 1970-72)
Julius Whittier came to The University of Texas in 1969 as one of the first African-Americans ever to receive a football scholarship from UT and, as the first black Longhorn student-athlete to earn a letter in the sport of football, he went on to become a pathfinder for African-Americans and a dramatic “game-changer” in Texas Longhorn athletics history. Whittier played as an offensive tackle during the seasons of 1970 and 1971, before moving to tight end for his senior season of 1972. Following graduation, he went on to earn a degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs in 1976, and completed a law degree as well. For much of his career he has worked as a senior prosecutor in the Dallas County District Attorney’s office.
LARRY FALK
(Staff, 1981-current)
Since the day he became a student manager more than 30 years ago in 1981, “Big Larry” has been one of the most recognizable figures for Texas Longhorns athletics. After serving as a football student manager and earning “T” letters in 1983 and 1984, he served a year as assistant equipment manager before assuming the responsibility of equipment manager in 1986. He held that position through the 1990 season, and moved to the UT facilities department in 1991, serving as operations manager until his promotion to Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities and Operations in 2007. He now serves as Assistant AD for Operations Administration. But Falk’s role in UT athletics has reached well beyond that. In many ways, he has touched student lives in almost every men’s sport at Texas. He has accompanied Longhorn football teams to 22 bowl games and has been the point person on travel for the baseball team to ten College World Series. He has served as tournament director for almost 20 NCAA baseball regionals and super regionals in Austin, and has been Assistant Director of the Texas Relays 20 times. He has helped run NCAA and national events in basketball, swimming and tennis. Larry missed much of the 2006 football season due to complications with open heart surgery, but still returned in time to work the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, and happily returned to work on July 15 after missing part of the spring of 2013 with illness as well.
#HookEm
