The state lost two icons when trailblazing Texas-El Paso basketball coach Don Haskins and Texas Christian gridiron great Sammy Baugh died. But their deaths, at the least, permitted us a pause to celebrate their accomplishments.
Baugh was a Texan through and through. He was born in Temple, attended TCU and bought a ranch in West Texas that he returned to just as soon as he could. But his retirement to ranching came only after establishing himself as one of the best pro football players in the game’s history.
Haskins was so much a Texan that he’s forgiven for being born in Oklahoma. He was an old-school coach whose team toiled in anonymity until 1966, when Haskins started five black players at what was then called Texas Western and won the NCAA title. That was a first and it was a game-changer, creating previously denied opportunities for black players everywhere.
Here’s a look at some of the top Texas sports stories in 2008:
DON HASKINS: The Bear has always insisted he wasn’t trying to make a social statement; he was simply starting his best players - and they happened to be black. But when Haskins and Texas Western won the 1966 NCAA championship with an all-black starting five, doors that had always been closed to black athletes began opening. Haskins died in September at age 78 in his beloved El Paso.
SAMMY BAUGH: Slingin’ Sammy was a cowboy and a quarterback, probably in that order. Perhaps the best all-around player in pro football history, Baugh once led the league in passing, punting and defensive interceptions in the same season. After winning a national title at TCU and two NFL championships with the Washington Redskins, Baugh retired to his Rotan ranch. He died in December at the age of 94.
BOB KNIGHT: The Indiana and then Texas Tech basketball coach did everything loud in his memorable career. He coached loud, argued loud, berated loud, lived loud. But he retired quietly on a weekday in the middle of the season. He won three national titles and more games than any other Division I men’s coach.
NASTIA LIUKIN: It took an amazing effort to steal some of the Olympic spotlight from star Michael Phelps, but Liukin did it. The Texas gymnast won the coveted all-around gold medal, helped the U.S. women’s team win silver and picked up three more medals.
BIG 12 FOOTBALL: It was a season to remember in the Big 12 Conference, and not without controversy. Texas beat Oklahoma, Texas Tech knocked off Texas and Oklahoma pounded Tech. Each team finished with one loss. How did it shake out? With the Sooners playing for the national title, the Longhorns outraged and the Red Raiders demoted to the Cotton Bowl.
JOSH HAMILTON: It was a breakthrough season for Hamilton, who returned to a sober life of crushing baseballs for the Texas Rangers after years of addiction to drugs and alcohol. The crowning moment came during the All-Star Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium, where he hit a record 28 homers in the first round, including 13 in a row and three that traveled at least 500 feet.
HIGH SCHOOL STEROIDS: It was the nation’s largest steroids testing program, aimed to root out the cheats among Texas high school athletes. The good news: After testing more than 10,000 students, the program rooted out just two steroids users. The bad news: The testing cost $6 million.
TRACK STAR: Bonnie Richardson was the only athlete from Class A Rochelle to qualify for the high school state track and field meet. So she won the team title by herself. She won the high jump and the 200-meter dash, took second in the long jump and the 100 and finished third in the discus.
