About Hall of Fame 2024
The San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame honors those who have made an impact in the world of sports and have ties to San Antonio. The class of 2024 includes world, U.S. and state champion hurdler, Anjanette Kirkland, Utah Jazz Chief Experience Officer and Texas A&M two sport letterer Andrea Williams, former Judson High School football coach Jim Rackley, and Julius Whittier, the first Black Texas Longhorn football player to letter in the sport and one of the earliest Black recipients of a college football scholarship. They will be inducted at the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame Tribute presented by H-E-B on Thursday, May 9 in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
The San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame Tribute traditionally attracts more than 1,000 attendees, rolls out more than $500,000 worth of auction items, and serves as San Antonio Sports’ largest annual fundraiser. Proceeds from the Tribute benefit San Antonio Sports’ kids programs.
When you support the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame Tribute, you’re giving local children the chance to be healthy, fit and to fulfill their dreams. Through i play! afterschool, 1,600 kids in four area school districts have an opportunity to succeed through sports. They receive skill-based instruction in soccer, volleyball, tennis and basketball as well as nutrition, character education, leadership and team-building skills. San Antonio Sports ACTIVATE expands our kids’ fitness efforts with a fun classes in conjunction with fitness for the whole family. Your support means San Antonio Sports can continue to fulfill its mission to transform our community through the power of sport.
The San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame is a partnership between San Antonio Sports, the City of San Antonio, and San Antonio Express-News.
Anjanette Kirkland
Anjanette Kirkland won gold at the 2001 World Indoor Championships in the 60-meter hurdle and later that year won the world outdoor title in the 100-meter hurdles, defeating Olympian Gail Devers while clocking 12.42 seconds. Kirkland was one of the best hurdlers in the history of Texas A&M women’s track. She had two second-place finishes and a third in the NCAA outdoor meets. She ran 12.92 seconds in the 100 hurdles as an A&M senior in 1997. While attending Holmes High School, Kirkland won the state championship in the 100-meter hurdles in 1992. Running the 300-meter hurdles, she placed second at state in 1991 and again in 1992. She set the city record in the 300-meter hurdles in 1992 in 42.04 seconds, a record that stood through the 2009 season.
Andrea Williams
Andrea Williams was a standout athlete at Churchill High School in volleyball and basketball. She was named San Antonio Athlete of the Year in 1992 before heading off to Texas A&M University on both a volleyball and basketball scholarship and was first Aggie to ever letter in both sports in the same season. After earning her masters in sports administration, she made an impact in college sports working as associate commissioner for the Big Ten Conference, then commissioner for the Big Sky Conference, where her appointment made history as the first African American woman to assume this role at a Division I NCAA conference. In 2018 she was named chief operating officer for the College Football Playoff. In 2021, Williams was appointed chief experience officer for the Utah Jazz, a newly created position.
Julius Whittier
Julius Whittier was an historically significant figure as the first successful Black football scholarship recipient and letterman at the University of Texas (UT). He was a vital member of a team that won three straight Southwest Conference championships. Whittier was recruited by UT from Highlands High School where he was team captain. He earned a bachelor’s in philosophy, master’s from the LBJ School of Public Affairs (encouraged by President Lyndon Baines Johnson), and obtained a law degree at UT. After a distinguished career as a prosecutor and criminal defense lawyer, Whittier was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 2013 and a bronze sculpture of him stands near the north end of Darrell K. Royal Stadium. Julius passed away in 2018.
Jim Rackley
Jim Rackley coached high school football for 42 seasons and finished his career with an overall record of 173-71-21. Known for his animated, high-energy style, he spent 27 seasons at Judson High School, including the last 11 as head coach. He guided Judson to the state championship in 2002 and the state finals in 2005 and 2007. Before becoming head coach, Rackley was an assistant coach under D.W. Rutledge. Rackley coached in nine state title games, is a five-time state champion and five-time district champion.
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