Bagwell, Biggio headline ’21 class
Legendary Astros tandem will be joined by Texans star Johnson and late UH coaching greats Lewis, Yeoman
Astros greats Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio and longtime Texans star Andre Johnson headline the 2021 Houston Sports Hall of Fame class announced Thursday.
The trio will be joined by two University of Houston coaching legends, Guy V. Lewis (basketball) and Bill Yeoman (football), who will be inducted posthumously.
The inductees will be feted at the fourth annual Houston Sports Awards scheduled for April 26 at the Carlton Woods Creekside Fazio Golf Course.
Bagwell and Biggio were Astros teammates and franchise cornerstones from 1991 to 2005. Both were inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Biggio in 2015 and Bagwell in 2017, as the first two players with Astros caps on their plaques.
“They’re all great people,” Bagwell said in a statement from the Harris County Houston Sports Authority. “Andre was obviously a great player here for so many years. And Craig? It goes without saying. If you’re going to go in (to a Hall of Fame) in Houston, it should be Craig and I together. I’ve been associated with him my entire career, and I couldn’t think of a better guy to go in with. It’ll be exciting.”
Bagwell holds Astros franchise records with 449 career home runs and 1,529 runs batted in, was the 1991 National League Rookie of the Year and a unanimous 1994 NL MVP, and was a four-time All-Star, threetime Silver Slugger winner and one-time Gold Glove recipient.
Biggio leads the Astros in games played (2,850), hits (3,060) and doubles (668), ranks second in RBIs (1,175) and is third in home runs (291).
“Baggy and I were always hand-in-hand, so that’s part of the deal,” Biggio said. “It’s going to be a fun night. It means a lot.
“When you start thinking about the number of great athletes in Houston … you look at the first (class with) Earl Campbell, Nolan Ryan and the Dream (Hakeem Olajuwon). It was unbelievable to be part of that one. And to be part of that group with these guys, I’m truly honored.”
Johnson played 12 seasons for the Texans after being drafted third overall in 2003. He is the only player in the Texans’ Ring of Honor and was selected to seven Pro Bowls while being the only player in NFL history to have 60-plus receptions in each of his first eight seasons. He leads the franchise in every significant receiving category, including receptions (1,012), yards (13,597) and touchdowns (64).
“It’s a great,’’ Johnson said. “It speaks to the accomplishments I’ve had during my career. I’m very surprised, and I’m excited about it.’’
Lewis, who died in November 2015 at age 93, was a trailblazing coach who helped integrate college athletics in the South. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
He coached the Cougars from 1956-86, leading them to five Final Four appearances, and gained national prominence by beating UCLA in the famed “Game of the Century” in 1968 at the Astrodome. His UH record was 592-279, with six Southwest Conference championships and 14 NCAA Tournament appearances.
Yeoman, who died at age 92 in August, was UH’s head football coach from 1962-86 and the Cougars’ only inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame (in 2001). The father of the Veer offense, he led the Cougars to four Southwest Conference championships while amassing a 160-108-8 record. He also helped integrate the program by recruiting Black running back Warren McVea in 1964.
Previous Houston Sports Hall of Fame inductees are Earl Campbell (2018), Hakeem Olajuwon (2018), Nolan Ryan (2018), Jackie Burke Jr. (2019), A.J. Foyt (2019), George Foreman (2019), Dan Pastorini (2019), Carl Lewis (2020), Mary Lou Retton (2020), Bob McNair (2020) and Rudy Tomjanovich (2020).