Two former University of Houston standouts were nominated into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame primary ballot for the Class of 2015. Houston Volleyball star Flo Hyman and Houston Football star Wilson Whitley are two of 20 nominated members.
The selection committee, chaired by Denne Freeman and comprised of media members around the state, selects the final ballot of nominees to be voted on.
Hyman is considered to be one of the most influential volleyball players in UH history. She was a three-year letterwinner from 1974 to 1976. In 1976, she was named Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women National Player of the Year. Her accomplishments didn’t stop there — she would go on to win an Olympic Silver Medal as a member of the USA National Team in the 1984 Olympics with Houston teammates Rita Crockett and Rose Magers.
In January of 1986, Hyman passed away to a sickness that she never knew she had, after collapsing during a match in the Japanese League due to Marfan Syndrome.
Hyman was a Houston Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee in 1988. After being named a three-time AIAW All-America honoree, she was inducted into the UH Hall of Honor in 1998.
Lombardi Award winner Wilson Whitley was an All-American defensive tackle, and played for the Cougars from 1972-1976. His time here was highlighted when he helped UH to a Southwest Conference Championship.
He also was UH Hall of Honor inductee in 1998, and a member of the 2008 College Football Hall of Fame.
Whitley would go on to succeed professionally after he was drafted No. 8 by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1977. He had an admirable seven-year career in the NFL, including one year with the Houston Oilers. In 1992, he suffered a fatal heart attack.
The Class of 2015 will be officially announced in September. Members of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame will be allowed to help the selection committee in choosing the newest class. A class usually consists of six nominees from the primary ballot and two from the veteran ballot. July 15 is the deadline to become a member to be permitted to vote.
