Texans Credit Union Walk of Fame

The Texans Credit Union Walk of Fame is situated just north of Pizza Hut Park Stadium and runs directly through the center of the youth soccer fields immediately south of Technology Drive. This stretch of soccer history spans approximately 1,400 linear feet. Various commemorative markers are located within this area, each recognizing members of the soccer community who have been instrumental in helping build the sport  in Texas. Formal nomination applications are accepted from the general public via the Internet, fax and mail. Thereafter, the Nomination Committee and then the Selection Committee review and vote on all nominations to select the inductees.

The 2010 nomination period is now over and this year's inductee will be enshrined October 9, 2010.

NOMINATION CRITERIA

A coach, player, soccer administrator or other soccer contributor who has made extraordinary contributions to soccer in Texas which have significantly enhanced and grown the sport.

Eligibility

Male and female nominees will be considered. All eligible candidates will be considered whether living or deceased. No person on the Nominating or Selection Committees may be considered for enshrinement.

1. Coach: A coach does not have to be retired to be eligible.

2. Player: A player must be fully retired for at least two years from professional soccer before being eligible for enshrinement. He/she may then be considered for enshrinement in the third year of retirement.

3. Contributors/Administrators: A person is eligible for enshrinement as a contributor or administrator at any time for significant contributions to the game of soccer. What constitutes “significant contributions” shall be determined by the Nominating and/or Selection Committees.

 

Texans Credit Union Walk of Fame

2005 Inaugural Class:

Lamar Hunt
--  Lamar Hunt has been a soccer pioneer for four decades. In 1967, as one of the original investors of the North American Soccer League, he founded the Dallas Tornado Soccer Club. Almost 30 years later he became a charter investor of Major League Soccer. Regarded as the father of modern professional soccer and soccer-specific stadiums in the United States, he is a member of the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame, a recipient of the National Soccer Hall of Fame Medal of Honor and the U.S. Soccer Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award.

Gordon Jago -- Gordon Jago’s life has been devoted to the game as a player, coach and administrator. He came to Dallas as head coach of the Dallas Sidekicks, leading the team to three indoor championships and earning three Coach of the Year honors. Thereafter, he became Commissioner of the WISL and Executive Director of the highly regarded Dallas Cup.

Carla Overbeck -- A native of Dallas, Carla Overbeck was the captain and MVP of the 1999 US Women’s National Team that captured a second World Cup. She played in a record 63 consecutive international soccer games, more than any U.S. male or female player, and had 168 total appearances. She retired in 2000 as a leader of the most dominant team in the history of American team sports.

Bill Kinder -- In 1973, Bill Kinder formed the Sting Soccer Club in response to increasing interest in the women’s game and went on to coach numerous Sting teams to regional and national championships over several decades. His contributions significantly impacted women’s soccer not only in North Texas, but throughout the United States.

Kyle Rote, Jr. -- While many were watching the NASL’s international stars, Kyle Rote, Jr. was proving that Americans could play the game, too. In 1973, he was the NASL's scoring leader with 30 goals. In seven years (six with the Dallas Tornado and one with the Houston Hurricane), he scored 128 goals. He was equally famous for his domination of the “Superstars” show on TV, consistently topping athletes from other sports.

Tatu -- Antonio Pecorari, or Tatu, emigrated from Brazil and signed with the Dallas Sidekicks in 1984. Nearly two decades later, he retired from the indoor game after recording a phenomenal 736 goals, 672 assists and 1,408 points in 557 games. He won league MVP awards six times, and after retirement he went on to also earn a Coach of the Year award.

2006 Class:

Ron Newman -- A distinguished coach who led the Dallas Tornado to the NASL Championship in 1971, Ron Newman coached the Tornado for seven years from 1969 to 1975, claiming Division titles in 1973 and 1974. Before he began coaching, Newman had an illustrious playing career in England and the NASL. He won a total of 13 championship rings as a head coach and was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1992.

Jeff Agoos -- Jeff Agoos was an area high school soccer legend who later went on to earn 134 caps for the National Team and represent the U.S. at the 2002 World Cup. He starred at J.J. Pearce High and went on to become a four-time All-American at the University of Virginia before becoming a marquee player in MLS. He won the MLS Cup a record five times - three with D.C. United and two with San Jose.

2007 Class:

Kenny Cooper, Sr. -- A former Dallas Tornado goalkeeper, Kenny Cooper, Sr. has contributed to the growth of soccer as both a player and coach. His nine-year career with the Tornado produced a team record 52 shutouts and an NASL Championship in 1971. He went on to a 15-year MISL coaching career that included a championship with the Baltimore Blast before returning to Texas to serve as an ambassador for the sport of soccer.

Schellas Hyndman -- As a college coach, Schellas Hyndman assumed the reigns of the SMU soccer program in 1984 and went on to become the winningest coach among all sports at SMU. In more than two decades on the Hilltop, he proved to be one of the all-time great collegiate soccer coaches, never having a losing season and ranking second in career victories among men’s Division One soccer coaches. Hyndman assumed the FC Dallas reigns in 2008 and has already established himself as a coach committed to bringing a championship to Pizza Hut Park.

2008 Class:

Neil Cohen -- Neil Cohen was a Dallas-born graduate of Bryan Adams High School and first-team Texas High School All-American who played eight seasons in the NASL, including five with the Dallas Tornado. He earned one cap with the U.S. National Team and became the first player to represent his country at all three levels: Youth, Olympic and National Teams. He also played six seasons in the MISL, including one with the Dallas Sidekicks. 

Bobby Moffatt -- Bobby Moffatt started his professional career with Portsmouth FC in England in 1961 before spending nine years with the Dallas Tornado, winning the NASL Championship in 1971. Moffatt became a seminal figure in the development of youth soccer in North Texas after moving to Dallas permanently in 1970. His camps have helped thousands of young players develop their skills.

2009 Class:

Jimmy Benedek -- The first head coach in SMU men’s soccer history, Jimmy Benedek led the Mustangs to four NCAA tournament appearances.  An All-American player at Ithaca College, he logged four caps with the U.S. National Team and was a member of the 1968 U.S. Olympic Team and Pan American Team.  Benedek played six seasons in the NASL, including four with the Dallas Tornado, and also coached the women’s team at North Lake College from 1999-2008.

Additionally, four more markers were installed in 2005 recognizing key events in Texas soccer history. The historical monuments included the acknowledgment of the following events:

The 1987 Dallas Sidekicks MISL Championship -- Known forever in Dallas as the “Never Say Die” season, the Dallas Sidekicks defeated a heavily favored Tacoma Stars squad to win the 1987 MISL Championship. Down three games to two in a best-of-seven series, the Sidekicks won the final two games 5-4 and 4-3 respectively, both in overtime and both in front of sold-out arenas in Tacoma and Dallas.

The 1997 Dallas Burn U.S. Open Cup Championship -- In October 1997 the Dallas Burn won their first title as they topped DC United to win the US Open Cup Championship. After 120 minutes of scoreless soccer, which featured dazzling saves by Burn goalie Mark Dodd, the Burn claimed a 5-3 penalty kick victory. Jorge “Zarco” Rodriguez clinched the win with the Burn’s fifth consecutive penalty kick tally.

The August 6, 2005 opening of Pizza Hut Park -- August 6, 2005, marked a historical day in soccer as the largest, most comprehensive soccer facility in United States history – Pizza Hut Park – made its debut. Featuring a 20,000 seat state-of-the-art stadium, coupled with 17 regulation size, tournament grade soccer fields, this 140-acre facility officially opened its doors as FC Dallas battled the MetroStars to a 2-2 draw.

The Tornado's 1971 NASL Championship -- Despite losing the first game 2-1 in overtime to the Atlanta Chiefs, this best-of-three Championship series was far from over. The Dallas Tornado dominated the second game at home 4-1, and captured the third and decisive game in Atlanta, winning 2-0. The Tornado’s NASL Championship marked the first professional Championship ever won by a Dallas team.

This unique landmark is not only a tribute to those who have dedicated much of their lives to the sport of soccer, but is also a point of historic interest for all fans visiting the facility.