Nominations are rolling in to honor Odessa’s top athletes, coaches and sports teams.
For the second year, the Odessa American is hosting the Odessa Athletics Hall of Fame to honor those who have contributed to the city’s legend of athletics.
Nominations for the hall of fame are now being accepted by the newspaper. An online form is available on the newspaper’s website, www.oaoa.com, and printed forms may be obtained from and returned to the newspaper’s office at 700 N. Grant Ave., Suite 800. Nominees can be athletes, coaches and even entire sports teams.
Last year, the first class was inducted into the Hall of Fame and what a class of talent it was. Last year’s inductees included Roy Williams, football standout for Permian, the University of Texas and the NFL; Paul Chavez, Odessa College golf coach; the late Johnny Gentry, former Ector High School and Odessa College track star; Angela Braziel-Smith, former Permian High School, Texas Tech University and WNBA basketball star; John Wilkins, the legendary Permian High School football coach; and Julian Pressly, baseball coach at Odessa High School and Odessa College.
Nominate Odessa’s top athletes and sports teams at oaoa.com/oahof
Hurry up! Nominations close on Aug. 14.
The banquet last year at the Odessa Marriott and Conference Center was well attended and honorees shared their stories with the crowd. Wilkins talked about the love of athletics that Odessans have and his time at the helm of one of the most celebrated high school football programs in the country. Williams moved the crowd with his speech about his life and growing up in Odessa and his love for his family.
Braziel-Smith gave a powerful speech about how important it is to support your family and how little gestures go a long way to forming who people become as they grow up and how important athletics can be.
“Odessa has such an incredible and rich history in sports, and we believe the people who have contributed to this legacy should be recognized for all they have done,” OA Publisher Patrick Canty said. “If ever there were a place so right for an Athletics Hall of Fame program, Odessa is it.”
Deadline for nominations is Aug. 14. Canty said a committee of newspaper and community leaders will select honorees from the nominations and celebrate the second class of inductees at a dinner and ceremony Nov. 3rd at the Odessa Marriott Hotel & Conference Center.
Canty explained the honor will not be limited to local athletics.
“To be sure, through the years we have had incredible athletes, who either distinguished themselves while in Odessa as students or later as professionals,” he said. “We’ve had high school stars, but we have also been the springboard for the likes of professional football, basketball and baseball players, golfers, world champion cowboys, and Olympians.”
If you go
- What: 2022 Odessa Athletics Hall of Fame.
- Where: Odessa Marriott Hotel & Conference Center.
- When: 7 p.m. Nov. 3.
