H-TOWN HEROS

Local sports legends shine at second annual Houston Sports Awards

Local sports legends shine at second annual Houston Sports Awards
Alex Bregman was a big hit. Photo by Paul Muth.

Originally appeared on CultureMap Houston.

From Olympic gold medalists to World Series champions, heavyweight boxing greats to football and basketball MVPs, the blue carpet at the second annual Houston Sports Awards was a veritable line of legends at the Hilton Americas Downtown.

The Houston Sports Awards were created last year to celebrate and recognize the accomplishments of Houston's own sporting community, both past and present. Last year featured the first round of inductees: Hakeem Olajuwon, Earl Campbell, and Nolan Ryan.

This year's awards dinner was hosted by longtime Houston Sports commentator Bill Worrell, and featured A-list award presenters such as Calvin Murphy of the Houston Rockets, Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans, and former Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, fresh from his Super Bowl appearance with the Los Angeles Rams.

The Houston Sports Authority inducted Hall of Fame golfer Jack Burke, Jr., racing legend AJ Foyt, hometown hero and heavyweight champion boxer George Foreman, and Houston Oilers quarterback (and man about town) Dan Pastorini.

"This is extra special to me," Foreman told CultureMap on the red carpet. "These are legends, can you believe? I didn't even know that I'd meet them one day."

As one of the late arrivals, Astros third baseman Alex Bregman was greeted to massive cheers from frenzied fans. Upon learning mid-interview that the crowd was composed of mostly students from tragedy-stricken Santa Fe High School, Bregman pulled away from the media, slid off the blue carpet and spent roughly five minutes taking selfies and signing autographs for the students.

"I'm happy to have them here," Bregman told us.

This year's Coach of the Year award was accepted via satellite from Sacramento — Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni won out over fellow nominees AJ Hinch of the Houston Astros, Bill O'Brien of the Houston Texans, and University of Houston men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson.

The Moment of the Year award was a tight field among the professional sports, but it was the late additional nomination of North Shore High School's State Championship-clinching Hail Mary reception that took home the hardware.

"It's an incredible experience, and one that I don't think people understand unless you're in the Houston area," Head Coach Jon Kay told CultureMap. "This trophy's going to be in the field house, right next to our state championship."

Houston Texans star defensive end, JJ Watt received his second consecutive Sportsmanship Award for his selfless work with the victims of the Santa Fe High School shooting. Watt took the trophy from the former SFHS students presenting and handed it right back to the students to keep.

The evening continued as High School Athlete of the Year was presented to Woodlands High School track and football standout Kasean Clark, while University of Houston quarterback D'Eriq King received the College Athlete of the Year.

"It's been a lot of hard work since my high school days," King explained after receiving the award. "It's very humbling, and I'm excited that I get to play in my hometown in front of my family and friends. It's just been a wild ride."

The evening reached its peak when the Athlete of The Year segment began. The Houston Sports Authority was tasked with choosing between breakout Astros' Alex Bregman, Rockets (and NBA) MVP James Harden, Texans first team All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and gold medal gymnast phenom Simone Biles.

To find out who won, read the rest of the story on CultureMap.

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
Christian Walker had three hits in Game 1. Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Astros continue their road trip Wednesday night in Denver, looking to stay red-hot against a struggling Rockies team that can’t seem to buy a win at Coors Field.

Houston enters the second game of the series with a 51–34 record, sitting atop the AL West and riding a stretch of eight wins in their last ten games. Their offense hasn’t exactly been overpowering during this run — the team is hitting just .228 over that span — but timely power and elite pitching have carried the load. They’ll lean on both again Wednesday as right-hander Hunter Brown takes the mound.

Brown has emerged as one of the most dominant starters in baseball this season, posting an 8–3 record and an eye-popping 1.74 ERA with 118 strikeouts. His efficiency and command (0.89 WHIP) have kept opponents off balance all year, and he’ll face a Rockies lineup that’s shown occasional pop but little consistency. Colorado is just 19–66 overall, with only eight wins in 41 games at home.

Austin Gomber gets the ball for the Rockies in what will be just his fouth start of the season. The lefty owns a 6.14 ERA and has managed only five strikeouts in limited action, which could open the door for Houston’s power bats to do damage early. The Astros are 18–5 when they hit multiple home runs in a game.

Colorado will hope to build on the lone bright spot from Tuesday’s loss, a five-hit effort from rookie Jordan Beck, while Hunter Goodman continues to show some spark with five homers in his last ten games.

With the Astros heavily favored (-258) and looking to build further separation in the division, all eyes will be on Brown as he tries to keep the momentum rolling, and give Houston its 52nd win of the season.

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -258, Rockies +208; over/under is 11 runs

Roster moves

Luis Guillorme (hamstring) is headed to the 10-day injured list and Zack Short will replace him on the roster.

Thoughts on tonight's lineup

The first thing that jumps out is Christian Walker is hitting fifth after a three-hit game on Tuesday. Cooper Hummel is hitting seventh and playing left field, with Altuve playing second base again. Shay Whitcomb is in the DH spot, and hitting eighth, followed by Mauricio Dubon. Clearly, Houston's depth will be tested with this lineup. But at least they're playing the lowly Rockies.

Image via: MLB.com/Screenshot.


___________________________

*ChatGPT assisted.

Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!

https://houston.sportsmap.com/advertise

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome