Football great Kenneth Gray, whose career as an offensive guard includes celebrated tenures at Howard Payne University and in the National Football League, has been nominated for induction into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Friends, fans and former teammates are rallying support to have Gray’s name enshrined in the hall’s roster of sports stars.
Born in San Saba in 1936, Gray went on to play high school sports in Cherokee and then Llano, earning All-District and All-Central Texas honors. As a student-athlete at Howard Payne University, he lettered in football in each of his four years, also playing his way to All-Conference, All-Texas College and Little All-American honors. Following his graduation in 1958, he went on to a distinguished 13-season career in the National Football League, playing for the Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals and the Houston Oilers. While in the NFL, Gray was a Pro Bowl selection six times and was named a First-Team All-Pro twice.
Following the NFL’s 1970 season, Gray retired from his professional football career and returned to Llano as head coach of the Llano High School Yellow Jackets. He later served as offensive line coach for the Denver Broncos.
Gray is a member of the Howard Payne University Sports Hall of Fame and the Llano High School Hall of Fame. He and his wife, Shirley, currently reside in Kingsland.
He credits HPU as a primary influence on his professional career.
“I have very, very fond memories of HPU,” Gray says. “For instance, my line coach at HPU, Coach Jack Brewer, made my career possible. He was a taskmaster, but I have the utmost respect for him. He made me a better man.”
Located in Waco, the 35,000 square-foot Texas Sports Hall of Fame seeks to honor and preserve the state’s athletic history through exhibits celebrating such Lone Star sports legends as Troy Aikman, Earl Campbell, A.J. Foyt, Zina Garrison, Tom Landry, Ty Murray, Byron Nelson, David Robinson, Darrell Royal, Nolan Ryan, Babe Didrikson Zaharias and more.
Voting for the Texas Sports Hall of Fame’s upcoming inductee class is open to the selection committee, current inductees and voting members. To become a voting member, individuals may join for a minimum of $25. To receive a ballot to vote on this year’s class, the deadline for joining is July 15, 2011. Completed ballots are due back to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame by August 1, 2011, with the announcement of the new inductees to follow in mid-to-late September. The newest members of the hall will be honored at a special banquet in spring 2012. For more information about the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and its membership and voting procedures, call 254-756-1633 or 800-567-9561 or visit www.tshof.org.
