It has been challenging and exciting to be the Sports editor this semester.
There were many late nights and early mornings, but it was worth it. As Sports editor, I’ve seen some of the most impactful events in UH history up close.
In basketball, legendary coach Guy V. Lewis was selected as a member of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. Lewis, the greatest coach in UH basketball history, will be enshrined on Sept. 6th in Springfield, Mass.
The moment wasn’t important because of Lewis’ 592 victories; it stood out because it united generations of UH sports fans.
There are some who became fans after watching Elvin Hayes swish elbow jumpers on his way to averaging 36 points and 19 rebounds per game in 1968. Others started wearing red when former greats Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler helped form UH’s most famous fraternity, Phi Slama Jama.
Many others, like me, never saw Lewis coach a game. He retired in 1991 before I was born. I never saw him pace the court clutching a checkered towel, but 27 years after he coached for the final time, I still recognize what he meant to the University and the city.
It’s a moment I never thought I would see. If you search archives, almost every Sports editor has written a column about Lewis’ Hall of Fame credentials. I did, too, earlier this semester; I’m just the lucky one who was able to write about the coronation too.
In football, cornerback D.J. Hayden went from near death to possible first-round pick in the NFL draft. Hayden, who tore the main valve that carries blood to the heart in a practice collision, has a story that inspires many who have never watched a football down.
With success this season, director of golf Jonathan Dismuke’s squad has people remembering the significance of legendary coach Dave Williams and what he meant to the golf world. The Cougars are again a top-25 program. On Tuesday, the Cougars swept the team and individual Conference USA titles.
I haven’t been able to cover a top 25 football or basketball program, but I’ll always keep the memories from this semester. I wouldn’t trade the long hours for free time because providing you information about the sports teams at UH is the job I’ve wanted since I wrote my first story for The Daily Cougar.
This job is like a puzzle where the pieces change sizes. It’s a tough job, but I’ll always take the challenge.
— Christopher Shelton, Sports editor