HALL OF HONOR RELEASE VIDEO

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State "T" Association has announced its 2018 Athletics Alumni Hall of Honor Class, as voted on by the "T" Association Board of Directors. This year's five-member class features CJ Carroll (football), Greg Gilcrease (football), James Ortiz (Track and Field/Cross Country), Darwin Pennye (baseball) and Ricky Sanders (football). Induction into the Hall of Honor is the highest athletics accolade to be bestowed upon Texas State athletics alumni.
 
The 2018 Induction Ceremony will be held Nov. 23 in the J. Garland Warren Room at Bobcat Stadium. Each recipient will also be recognized during halftime at the Nov. 24 Bobcat football game against Arkansas State. To purchase tickets for the Hall of Honor Banquet, please contact the Texas State Athletics Department at 512-245-2114.
 
Texas State University Athletics would like to congratulate the 2018 Hall of Honor inductees.
 
Clayton (CJ) Carroll
Clayton (CJ) Carroll was a four-year letterwinner at defensive back for the Bobcat football team from 1997-00. Named the Southland Conference Player of the Year in 2000, his accomplishments are scattered throughout the Texas State football record books.
 
The team captain helped the Bobcats to a 7-4 record his senior year – their best record since joining the Southland Conference in 1987 – while also leading the Bobcats to a No. 25 national ranking. That same year, Carroll was unanimously chosen as the Southland Conference Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference. Carroll also received the J.C. Kellam Award – given to the top male student-athlete at Texas State – and was named the team's defensive player of the year and team MVP. He was also given national recognition while being named first team All-American by several news outlets, including the American Football Coaches Association, The Sports Network, The Associated Press, The Football Gazette, and Teamlink.com. Carroll was also named to the All-Southland Conference First Team during his junior season.
 
Carroll finished his career as the Bobcats all-time leader in sacks with 32. He remains Texas State's sacks leader, while also holding school records for career fumble returns (3), career fumble return yards (182) and single-season fumble return yards (97). He is fourth all-time in tackles for loss (38), third all-time in fumbles forced (10), seventh all-time in fumbles recovered (6), and is sixth in unassisted tackles (195) and quarterback hurries (23).
He is tied for first with single-game school records for fumbles forced and recovered with two each, while remaining tied for second with 7.5 tackles for loss in a single game. He is also fifth in school history with 73 unassisted tackles in a single season. He led Texas State in tackles for loss and sacks in both 1999 and 2000 and his 15 tackles for a loss in 2000 and 13 in 1999 are both top 10 single-season records. He is third overall for most forced fumbles in one season with five in 1999. He is also third overall for most sacks in one season with 11, a feat he accomplished in both 1999 and 2000. He is sixth all-time for yards from tackles for a loss with 59 and holds two-top ten records for most quarterback hurries in a season with 12 in 2000 and 11 in 1999.
 
Carroll also obtained a handful of academic honors during his time as a student-athlete. One of Carroll's most notable honors during his collegiate career was being selected as the Texas State Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2000. That same year, he also received the AD Association Academic All-Star award and was named a Verizon Academic All-American. Throughout his playing career he was also consistently recognized as a Southland Conference All-Academic honoree (1998-00).
 
Carroll graduated from Texas State in 2000 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and achieved his Master of Business Administration in 2001.
 
Today, Carroll works as the CFO for Performance Equipment Service, a heavy highway contractor in San Antonio. He stays connected with Texas State through the Bobcat Club's annual Bobcat Bonanza. He also stays active in his community by coaching youth sports at the YMCA and as a member of the San Antonio North Chamber of Commerce. Carroll resides outside San Antonio in Cibolo, Texas, with his wife Rebekah (also a Texas State graduate), and four children, Caitlyn, Cannon, Kaylie, and Ryker.
 
Greg Gilcrease
Dr. Greg Gilcrease was three-year letterwinner for the Bobcat football team football team from 1979-81. An offensive lineman at the guard position, Gilcrease was a two-time academic All-American in 1980 and 1981.
 
As a two-year starter for the Bobcats, he won both a national championship and Lone Star Conference Championship his senior year, while also winning a Lone Star Conference Championship his junior season. He was a three-time Lone Star Conference All-Academic Team member in 1979-81. He also was named to the All-Texas Colleges Academic Team in 1980 and 1981. This award comprised players that were selected from all four-year institutions playing football in the state of Texas.
 
As a part of one of the best offensive lines in college football, Gilcrease helped anchor a front five that contributed to the Bobcats 13-1 record in 1981, 8-3 record in 1980 and 7-4 record in 1979. During his time on the line, the Bobcats experienced tremendous offensive success, including multiple Bobcat records from running backs, quarterbacks and wide receivers. During Gilcrease senior year, the Bobcats compiled the most rushing yards in a season in Bobcat history with 3,205. They also had the highest rushing average ever recorded in a season with 293.2 rushing yards per game. The Bobcats also scored in droves, averaging 37.5 points per game, the highest average in Bobcat history.
 
While at Texas State, he was also a member of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, the Dean's list, a Gallardian Nominee, and served as the Vice President of the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity.
 
He graduated from Texas State in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry. He then went on to receive his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Texas Dental Branch in 1987.
 
After graduating from dental school, Dr. Gilcrease began a long career in San Marcos with a history of giving back to his community and the Bobcats. He has practiced dentistry in San Marcos for most of his 31 years in the profession and was fortunate to work for 22 of those years alongside his father, the late Dr. Lewis Gilcrease. Greg has been the team dentist for Texas State Athletics since 1999. In his role as team dentist, he works directly with the Texas State Athletics training staff on both general and emergency dental procedures for student-athletes. He also provides the fitting and making of molds and mouth guards for TXST football and men's and women's basketball.
 
Gilcrease is the owner of Gilcrease Dental and specializes in cosmetic and family dentistry, including orthodontics.  He is active in several professional dental associations, including membership in the American Dental Association and the International Dental Implant Association. He is also a member of the Texas Dental Association and served as a delegate to the Texas Dental Association House of Delegates from 1996-02. He also served as president of the River District Dental Society from 1999-02 and was voted Best Dentist in Hays County by the San Marcos Daily Record readers in 2001.
 
Gilcrease is also involved in several civic activities. He is the current president of the Navarro ISD Board of Trustees and chairman of the Guadalupe Appraisal District Board of Directors. He spent numerous years coaching youth league sports and has also spent more than 20 years officiating high school football games with the Austin Football Officials Association.
 
In addition to being the Bobcats Team Dentist, Gilcrease is a member of the Bobcat Club and both the men's and women's basketball booster organizations. He is also both a board member for the "T" Association and the University Alumni Association, where he is also a Life Member.
 
Gilcrease has two children, Grayson and Garrett. Induction into the Hall of Honor is a family affair for the Gilcrease Family. His father, Dr. Lewis Gilcrease, was a standout men's basketball player and was inducted into the Hall of Honor in 1978.
 
James Ortiz
James Ortiz was a four-year letterwinner for the Texas State Cross Country team and a three-year letterwinner for the Bobcat Track and Field team during the 2002-05 seasons. Specializing in distance events, Ortiz was a member of four Southland Conference Championship teams and holds the school record in the 1500-meter run.
 
Ortiz was a two-time All-Southland Conference selection, being named first team all-conference in both indoor and outdoor track and field during his junior season in 2005. During that same year, Ortiz set the school record in the 1500-meter run with at time of 3:48.35 at the Michael Johnson Classic. He also holds the third, fifth and 10th best times in program history in the 1500, with times of 3:51.91, 3:52.01 and 3:54.88.
 
He set the second-best mark in school history in the indoor mile in 2005 with a time of 4:11.51 at the Tyson Invitational and ran anchor leg on the program's 10th fastest distance medley relay team. He finished fourth in the indoor mile (4:17:09) and third in the 5000-meter run (15:05.47) and the conference championship. He also had the top 3000-meter run of the year for the Bobcats with a time of 8:41.47.
 
Ortiz was captain of the cross country team in 2004 and 2005. During his senior year, he won meets hosted by Texas State and Rice, and was the top finisher for the Bobcats at the SLC Cross Country Championships. He was twice named the Southland Conference Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Week for his accomplishments.
 
Ortiz was a Dean's List recipient in 2004 and 2006 and was awarded the Oak Farms Dairy Athletic 3.0 or Higher GPA Academic Achievement Award three times from 2004-06.
 
After an accident prior to his senior season in track and field resulted in the amputation of his lower right leg, he returned to the track in 2013 to set the current T-44 1,500-meter world record for below the knee amputees with a time of 4:33.46. In 2015, Ortiz set the current American record of 4:29.04. He also has participated in the USA ParaTriathlon National Championships with his best finish of fourth in 2015. Ortiz was selected to represent Team USA as part of the USA Worlds Team for the 2013 ITU London ParaTriathlon World Championships in London.
 
Ortiz graduated from Texas State with a Bachelor of Science degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2007. He later completed his Master of Education degree in sports administration at East Central University and earned an Associate of Science degree in general business degree from Colby Community College.
 
After graduation, Ortiz began an extensive coaching and teaching career. He served as head coach for two years at the University of the Southwest Mustangs in Hobbs, New Mexico, where his female and male athletes (combined) earned 11 Red River Athletic Conference Championships and 23 All-Red River Athletic Conference Awards. Nationally, he produced five NAIA track & field national qualifiers and recruited the school's first ever NAIA individual national champion.
 
Ortiz spent six seasons as head coach for the Colby Community College men's track & field and cross country programs from 2009-15. He led the men to record-setting team finishes at the NJCAA Championships. During the 2013-14 season, the cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field teams successfully completed the Region VI "Triple Crown", winning region championships in all three running sports. The season was also highlighted by a second-place finish at the NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. In 2012, his men earned national team finishes of fourth place in cross country and eighth place in outdoor track & field. At Colby, he coached 41 Region VI champions, 64 All-Americans, 15 Academic All-Americans and five national champions. In 2014, he was named the NJCAA Indoor Track National Men's Coach of the Year. Ortiz was also voted the 2012, 2013, and 2014 Region VI Cross Country Coach of the Year. He was named the Region VI Men's Head Coach of the Year for indoor track & field in 2012, 2013, and 2014. In his last season with the Trojans, Ortiz was named the 2015 Region VI Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year and the Inaugural USTFCCCA (U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association) Central Region Coach of the Year.
 
He is currently the head coach of the boy's and girls cross country programs at Giddings High School and teaches at the middle school level. He has helped six athletes qualify to the UIL state track & cross country meet. In 2017, his boy's cross country team had its best UIL State meet finish since their moving to class 4A.
 
Ortiz is an active member of his community, volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America, Trial Life Troops and the Special Olympics. He is also a member of the Texas State Bobcat Club, a donor to the "T" Association, football and baseball season ticket holder and regularly attends athletic alumni reunions and events. Both of his children are also members of the Bobcat Kids Club.
 
He is married to Tenley (Determan) Ortiz, who was also a former Texas State Track Athlete. They have two boys, Jameson and Tejay.
 
Darwin Pennye
Darwin Pennye was a two-year letterwinner at centerfield for the Bobcat baseball team from 1987-88. A two-time conference batting champion and first team all-conference selection, Pennye is the Bobcats all-time career batting average leader and was selected to the Southland Conference All-Decade Team.
 
Pennye made the most of his two seasons as a Bobcat after transferring from Blinn College, leaving his individual mark on several Bobcat records and earning numerous accolades. Pennye still holds the Texas State record for highest batting average in a season at .419 during his junior year in 1987. His senior year batting average of .398 ranks fourth all-time for the Bobcats. Collectively, his career batting average of .409 is the best in the history of the program.
 
He was named to the All-Southland Conference First Team his senior year. He was also honored as the SLC Hitter of the Year and was crowned the conference batting champion. He was a team captain that year, was named team MVP and was a member of the 1988 Converse All-Star All-Region Team. He led his team in at bats, hits, runs scored, RBIs and stolen bases. He was also named conference player of the week once during both his senior and junior seasons.
 
As a junior in 1987, he was named to the All-Gulf Star Conference First Team, while also being named the GSC Newcomer of the Year. He was the conference batting champion, team MVP and Bobcat Newcomer of the Year. He dominated statistically, leading the team in at bats, hits, runs, doubles, triples, stolen bases and batting average. He was also second on the team in home runs and third in RBIs. He helped lead his team to a record of 39-21-2, the 39 wins by the Bobcats is still the third-most in program history.
 
Despite only playing two seasons, after his senior year he held career records for at bats, runs, hits, stolen bases, total bases and average. He is still first in career and season average, 10th all-time in career triples with eight, 14th in career runs scored with 113, 14th in stolen bases with 30, tied for ninth all-time in single season triples with five and is tied for 5th all-time in single season hits with 88.
 
After his senior year, Pennye was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft. He spent is rookie season with the Watertown Pirates of the New York-Penn League, where he was named team MVP and selected as a league all-star. He was the Pirates minor league leader in hits in 1989 and was named the Pirates Minor League Player of the Month in April. In 1990, as a member of the Pirates advanced Class A team, he was again named the minor league player of the month in May. He was also honored as a Carolina League All-Star and promoted to Double A later in the season. During his five-year professional playing career, he enjoyed stints with the Pirates, Chicago Cubs and Montreal Expos.
 
After his playing career ended, Pennye pursued a career in coaching and athletic administration. He began his coaching career in 1998, first in the minor leagues with the Houston Astros from 1998-00 where he won a New York-Penn League Championship in 1998. In 2003, he began his high school coaching career in Houston as an assistant baseball coach at St. Pius X High School where his team won the TAPPS 5A State Baseball Championship. He served as the head baseball coach and director of athletics at Bay Area Christian School from 2004-15, while also serving as head football coach in 2008, 2009 and 2013. He led the baseball team to two district titles, four area titles and was named the 2009 District Coach of the Year. During his three-year stint as football head coach, he won three district and area titles, one regional championship and was named the 2008 District Football Coach of the Year. He also served one year as the director of athletics and head baseball coach at the Logos Preparatory Academy where he won an area championship. He also spent 15 years from 2000-15 as an instructor with the Proway Baseball Academy.
 
Pennye is currently employed with the Kansas City Royals as the Executive Director of the Royals Urban Youth Academy. The Urban Youth Academy is a non-profit organization with the mission to empower Kansas City's underserved youth through baseball and softball, academic and social opportunities to be the leaders of tomorrow.
 
Pennye is a licensed and ordained minister in the Baptist Church, and in 2003 he graduated from the College of Biblical Studies-Houston with a degree in Organizational Leadership. He is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and has been active in several Texas High School Coaches Associations. Pennye served as the Houston TAPPS District President from 2008-2016 and was a member of the Houston Touchdown Club's Private School's Committee from 2011-2015. He currently serves on the Historic 18th and Vine District's Customer Service and Experience Advisory Committee. He is also a Bobcat Club and "T" Association member.
 
He is married to Maria Rodriguez Pennye, also a Texas State Bobcat.
 
Ricky Sanders
Ricky Sanders was a four-year letterwinner at running back for the Bobcat football team from 1980-83. Sanders, a two-time Super Bowl Champion, holds bountiful records both throughout his collegiate career with the Bobcats and his professional career in the National Football League.
 
Sanders was a member of the back-to-back NCAA Division II National Championship teams in 1981 and 1982, helping the Bobcats to 13-1 record in 1981 and a 14-0 record in 1982. He was named MVP of the NCAA Division II National Championship in 1982 and was also named All-Lone Star Conference Second Team. During his senior season, Sanders was elected team captain and earned All-LSC First Team honors. He was also selected as the team's offensive player of the year.
 
Sanders holds several individual and team records for the Bobcats. He was the team's scoring leader in 1983 with 10 touchdowns, while also leading the maroon and gold in punt return yards (166) and average yards per punt return (11.9). He ranks in the top 10 in school history with 2,461 rushing yards and 3,126 all-purpose yards. He was the Bobcats leading rusher in both 1982 and 1983. He also led in touchdowns, punt returns and punt return yards in 1983.
 
After leaving his legacy at Texas State, Sanders joined the United States Football League with the Houston Gamblers from 1984-1985. He teamed with Jim Kelly and finished with 101 receptions for 1,370 yards and 11 touchdowns in his two seasons.
 
He then went on to play in the National Football League for a total of 10 years, the first eight with the Washington Redskins (1986-93) and the remaining two with the Atlanta Falcons (1994-95). Sanders joined Washington in 1986 to form the trio of wide receivers (Art Monk, Gary Clark, Sanders) to become known as "The Posse".
 
Sanders was a standout performer in Super Bowl XXII after catching nine passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns, while also returning three kickoffs for 46 yards in Washington's 42-10 victory over Denver. He set Super Bowl records for most receiving yards, most total yards (235), most touchdowns in a quarter (2), most receiving yards in a quarter (168), and tied another record for longest touchdown reception (80 yards).
 
Sanders won his second Super Bowl in 1991, as Washington defeated the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI. That same season he recorded 45 catches for 580 yards.
 
He had arguably his best season in 1988 as he finished fifth in the NFL in receiving yards with 1,148 and second in receiving touchdowns with 12, a Redskins record. In 1989 he had 80 receptions for 1,138 yards. He finished his 10 NFL seasons with 483 receptions for 6,477 yards and 37 touchdowns. He also rushed for 94 yards and one touchdown, returned a punt for 12 yards, and gained 636 yards on 33 kickoff returns.
 
Today, Sanders works in the freight business for the petro-chemical industry and remains active in the NFL and USO where he volunteers to go overseas to entertain our troops. He has made trips to Naples, Spain, Italy, and Germany in service to our country. He also remains active as a Bobcat as a member of the "T" Association.
 
Sanders currently lives in Houston, Texas with his wife Sharon. He has three daughters, Ashlynn, Kayla and Chase, and one son, Ricky, Jr. Ricky also has five grandkids.
 
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