Texas State "T" Association To Induct Four Members Into Hall Of Honor
Oct. 15, 2008
San Marcos, Texas- Texas State Athletics Director Larry Teis has announced that the "T" Association will induct four new members into its Hall of Honor on November 14 at the annual Hall of Honor banquet in the Sac N Pac Room at Bobcat Stadium.
The 2008 Class consists of former Bobcat men's tennis player and athletics trainer Joe Ammerman, football player Scott Forester, men's basketball player Richard Lynn McDonald, along with football and track star Lew Simmonds.
The evening will begin with cocktails starting at 5:30 p.m., followed by the induction dinner at 6:00 p.m. Tickets to the dinner are $20 for all letter-winners. Previous Hall of Honor inductees receive two complimentary tickets upon request.
Each Hall of Honor inductee is nominated by Bobcat letter-winners and chosen by the "T" Association Board of Directors at their annual summer meeting. Induction into the Hall of Honor is the highest honor given to former Texas State letter-winners.
Ammerman was a three-year letterman for the Texas State men's tennis team from 1952-54, and served as an athletic trainer during that period.
Forester was a standout All-America center for the Bobcat football team from 1981-1984, and a member of the 1981 and 1982 National Championship teams.
McDonald was a four-year letterman for the men's basketball team from 1973-77 and an Academic All-Conference selection in 1976 and 1977, as well as an Honorable Mention All-Conference player in 1977.
Simmonds was a standout running back for the Bobcat football team and a member of the track and field from 1962-65. He played on Texas State's undefeated football team in 1964 when he was an All-Conference selection and a member of Texas State's 4x440-yard relay team that won a Lone Star Conference championship in 1964 as well.
Below are more extended bios of each new member:
AMMERMAN, JOE Joe Ammerman was a three-year letterman for the Bobcat tennis team from 1952-54. He also served as an athletic trainer during that span as well. Ammerman is the first nominee ever to be inducted into the Hall of Honor based on both his athletic accomplishments and accomplishments in athletic training. After his career at Texas State, Ammerman was a jet and multi-engine pilot as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force from 1955-1959. Then, he began a long career in athletics training and education. He served as head athletics trainer for the San Marcos Independent School District, Permian High School and North Texas University before being named an assistant trainer for the Dallas Cowboys. In addition, Ammerman held numerous educational positions, serving as the assistant principal at Uvalde High School, the director of federal programs for Uvalde CISD, principal at Uvalde Junior High, assistant superintendent for Uvalde CISD and assistant superintendent at Rockdale ISD where he ended his career. He has been active in several civic organizations including being named the director of the Uvalde Chamber of Commerce, president of the Uvalde Lions Club, and coordinator for Campus Crusade for Christ. Ammerman was a member of executive committee at Texas State Teachers Association in Austin, TX from 1967-1968. He is a lifetime member of the Texas Association of School Administrators, National Athletic Trainer Association and Texas State University Alumni Association.
FORESTER, SCOTT Scott Forester was a four-year letterman and standout center for the Bobcat football team from 1981-1984. A member of the 1981 and 1982 National Championship team, Forester earned First-Team NCAA I-AA All-America and All-Lone Star Conference First Team honors in 1984. That same year he was also named the team's offensive Player of the Year and was awarded the J.C. Kellam Outstanding Player of the Year award. Off the field, Forester was a Who's Who Among Students of American Universities and president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes from 1982-1984.
After graduation, Forester entered a career in coaching and real estate. He currently works for the Comal Independent School District as a Prevention Educational Specialist and is also a licensed real estate agent with Prudential Classic Realty in New Braunfels. Prior to taking the position in the CISD, Forester was the assistant head coach football coach and offensive coordinator at Brewer High School from 2006-07, where he also taught biology.
His previous coaching experience included stops in the Abilene Independent School District, the New Braunfels School District, Hardin-Simmons University, John Tyler High School, Ellison High School and TCU. Forester also was the head football coach and athletic director for the Marion Independent School District from 2003-2004.
Forester is a member of several Baptist churches including Normandale Baptist, Beltway Baptist, Oakwood Baptist and Southside Baptist where he is an ordained deacon. He has been active in coaches outreach bible study, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, as well as New Braunfels Little League baseball and youth basketball.
He was preceded into the Hall of Honor by his father, Don, who inducted into the Hall of Honor in 2004.
MCDONALD, RICHARD LYNN Richard Lynn McDonald was a four year letterman and two-year starter for the Texas State basketball from 1973-1977. He was an Academic All-Conference selection in 1977 and named an All-Conference Honorable Mention player that season. He also was a member of the Dean's List in 1975, 1976 and 1977.
McDonald is one of two Bobcats being inducted this year into the Hall of Honor who have been preceded in induction by their fathers. Richard is the son of Vernon McDonald, who was inducted into the Hall of Honor in 1977.
After graduation, McDonald followed in his father's footsteps and has become one of the top high school basketball coaches in the state of Texas. McDonald is currently in his 13th season as the head basketball coach at Clear Lake High School and has received numerous accolades throughout his coaching career. McDonald was named Coach of the Year in District 24-5A during the 1997-1998, 1999-2000, 2001-2002, 2003-2004 and the 2006-2007 seasons. In 1997 he was the Clear Lake High School nominee for the Texas Excellence Award for Outstanding Teachers, and in 2007, he received the most prestigious coaching award in state and was named the State of Texas Class 5A High School Coach of the Year.
McDonald is an active contributor to the Clear Creek Education Foundation, the Bob Neil Scholarship Fund, the University of Central Arkansas Student Mobilization Foundation, The Dream for Africa Foundation and is a member of the board of directors for the Vernon McDonald endowed scholarship fund. McDonald also serves as the chair for the Clear Lake High School Health and Physical Education Department.
SIMMONDS, LEW Lew Simmonds was a standout in both football and track and field for the Bobcats from1962-1965. He was a running back on the 1963 Texas State football team that went undefeated with a perfect 10-0 record, and was a Lone Star All-Conference selection in 1964 before serving as team captain in 1965. In addition, he ran for Texas State's 440-yard relay team that was the 1964 Lone Star Conference champions and served as president of his junior and senior class and vice-president of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Simmonds was named Gaillardian in 1963.
Following his collegiate career, Simmonds has been a member of the Texas High School Coaches Association for the past 36 years serving as the senior director, by laws-committee chairman and track advisory committee representative for Region VIII. He has served in numerous coaching roles, including assistant football coach and track coach at Rockdale High School from 1973-1979. While at Rockdale he helped coach two bi-district teams, two quarterfinals teams, and one state champion football team. In addition, the Tigers won seven straight district championships, one regional championship, and one state championship in track during his tenure.
After his stint in Rockdale, Simmonds served as both an assistant and head football coach, and head track coach at New Braunfels High School. While he was an assistant coach from 1980-89, the Unicorns had the highest winning percentage among 4A football teams in Texas. As head coach from 1990-1995, he led the Unicorns to a bi-district championship in 1991 and district championship in 1992. As head track coach, he led the Unicorns to several district track championships and the 1987 Region IV championship. Simmonds was named Comal County Coach of the Year 1992.
He is a former member of the New Braunfels Rotary Club, former president of the Comal County Emergency Children's Shelter, former business department chairman at New Braunfels High School, and is a member of the Oakwood Baptist Church and sponsor of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In 2007, Simmonds was awarded the Silver Unicorn Award, which is the highest award given by the New Braunfels Independent School District for distinguished service to the boys and girls of New Braunfels.
Simmonds is currently retired, but works part-time as an on-site coordinator for Staff Development for Educators, a company that provides seminars, conferences and training for teachers and administrators across the nation. |
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