Well, I kind of ventured out a little bit this weekend. I went to the Howard Payne Athletics Hall of Fame Celebration which I haven’t done in many years. I guess the main reason was because it hasn’t been about me and that’s about as simple as I can put it. I got the invitation and it was featuring the induction of Lowell Bishop, James Hall, and Dr. Larry Nickell into the Howard Payne Hall of Fame. I really wasn’t interested in this one but my wife insisted that we go and so we went, and low and behold it was a wonderful event!

A lot of athletes from the past, past I say, and I really had a ball. I got to talk to many of them and several I hadn’t seen in years and years and years. The induction ceremony banquet was held in the new Brownwood Event Center. It was the first time I had been in that thing. It’s a gorgeous facility! I mean a gorgeous facility and Howard Payne did it right this year. I’m not real sure what’s been going on in years gone by but this year was really special. It’s the first time they held the banquet in the Brownwood Event Center.

It was done in three phases really. There was a brunch planned to be held in the Welcome Center but they had the air conditioner go out so it was moved to the Jackson Room on campus. We got all in there and following the brunch the Hall of Fame members there were presented a beautiful Hall of Fame lapel pin.

The second phase was the coliseum! I got to see the coliseum in the morning session and if you haven’t seen it lately, go up stairs, go down stairs, go anywhere and it is absolutely fabulous. The Hall of Fame used to be in the athletic department at Howard Payne. They have moved it to coliseum and by moving it you can see it individually and you have more room. It is absolutely mind boggling. I am now very, very proud of it and I’m glad I got to share it with you.

Saturday evening we went to the Event Center and it was just beautiful.

It was really spectacular. We saw Lowell Bishop, James Hall and Dr. Larry Nickell be inducted into the Hall of Fame. You ask, “What’s so special about those guys? But, I’m telling you, it was really special.

Lowell Bishop, from Bangs, Texas was inducted and the things that he did were probably only known by a few people because he was a track star. People, let’s face it, don’t keep up with track like they do football, basketball, whatever. James Hall was the second best basketball player I think I’ve ever seen at Howard Payne, second only to Fred Davis. He was an absolutely great player. Larry Nickell, back late in the century, was Athletic Director at Howard Payne and there were a lot of people there that supported him or knew about him. So, it was a big deal.

Howard Payne, I think wanted this to be good and “better” could be written all over it as far as next year is concerned. I’ll guarantee there will be more people next year. It’s as simple as that – it’s going to be good again! That would be filled to overflowing. The one I remember most was when there were like nine people going in the same year. I was sitting with Gordon Wood and he dozed off during the ceremony and that’s what you get with nine people.

I am glad to see it back! I’m glad to see it’s being done by people who know what they are doing.

Until next time, so long everybody!

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‘Out of the Box’ with Dallas Huston is published each Monday morning at BrownwoodNews.com. Dallas was the radio voice of the Brownwood Lions and Howard Payne Yellow Jackets for more than 55 years. He currently is Pastor of Center City Baptist Church and hosts a Men’s Bible Study in Brownwood on Monday evenings. Your comments are welcome at [email protected].