Four All-Americans, an NFL Head Coach and the Undefeated 1922 Football Team will Join the TU Athletic Hall of Fame in April
1/24/2023 1:00:00 PM | Tulsa Hurricane
TULSA, Okla. –– Four All-Americans – volleyball athlete Tyler Henderson, track and cross-country star Alex Becker, tennis' Arnau Brugues and football punter Rick Engles – are joined by former NFL head coach Ray Rhodes and the 1922 Undefeated Football Team as The University of Tulsa's 2023 Athletic Hall of Fame Class, it was announced today.
The induction ceremony is set for Saturday, April 29, at the Lorton Performance Center on the TU campus as part of Hall of Fame Weekend. More details will be announced at a later date.
A three-time All-American, Tyler Henderson (Volleyball, 2009-12) led Tulsa to three straight NCAA tournament appearances. She began her career earning Conference USA and AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year honors in 2009 and was selected as the C-USA Player of the Year for her final three seasons. Henderson was also a four-time AVCA all-Midwest Region first team selection.
In 2010, Henderson tallied an unforgettable 45-kill match against SMU en route to helping Tulsa post a school-best 31-3 overall record and 20-0 Conference USA mark.
Henderson is the school's career record-holder with 2,525 kills, 750 more than second place. She also still holds the record for career hitting percentage at .328. Henderson has four of the top-5 marks for kills in a season with the top mark of 710 coming during her sophomore season.
Henderson's jersey No. 7 has been retired.
A 12-time letterwinner, Alex Becker (Women's Cross Country & Track, 2005-10) was a six-time All-American, winning honors in cross country once, as well as for indoor and outdoor track. For indoor, she was an All-America performer in both the 3,000-meters and 5,000m, while earning the award twice in the 10,000m and once in the 5,000m during the outdoor season.
Becker was an eight-time Conference USA individual champion and 16-time all-C-USA performer. She was named the 2007 C-USA Female Athlete of the Year in cross country, indoor and outdoor track. Becker still holds six school records.
Off the track, Becker earned second-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors during the 2010 season, was and Academic All-District selection in 2007 and 2010 and was a four-time C-USA All-Academic Team member.
Arnau Brugues (Men's Tennis, 2005-09) was a four-time All-America selection, a two-time Academic All-American and four-time Conference USA Player of the Year. He compiled a career 116-23 singles record, the most all-time singles victories in school history.
As a senior, Brugues was ranked as the No. 1 singles player in the nation a total of five times by the ITA. He became the first player in Tulsa and C-USA history to earn a No. 1 national ranking. Brugues also won the 2006 Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Tennis Championship, marking the first national title won by a Tulsa tennis player and a C-USA tennis athlete.
Brugues claimed the 2008 ITA Central Region Singles Championship and was honored as the C-USA's Men's Tennis Scholar Athlete of the Year in the 2006-07 campaign.
In 2019, Brugues and Henderson were each named to Conference USA's inaugural Hall of Fame Class in the 25th year of the league's existence.
Rick Engles (Football, 1972-75) was an All-America punter in 1975 as he earned second-team honors by The Sporting News. Engles also received all-Missouri Valley Conference accolades his senior season.
Engles led Tulsa in punting for three straight years. He averaged a career-best 46.5 yards on 37 punts with a long of 70 yards as a senior. Engles had a 40.5-yard average on 56 punts in 1974 and punted 59 times for a 36.8-yard average in 1973.
A third-round draft choice by the Seattle Seahawks in 1976, Engles spent three seasons in the NFL with the Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles.
Following a playing career that brought him to Tulsa from TCU and then into the NFL, Ray Rhodes (Football, 1972-73) had a long NFL coaching career that included head coaching stops at Philadelphia and Green Bay.
In 1972, Rhodes transferred to Tulsa from TCU and played tailback that first season, where he rushed for 640 yards and a 4.1 average. He moved to flanker in the middle of the '72 campaign and caught 18 passes for 199 yards and two TDs.
As a senior in 1973, Rhodes caught 25 passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns, while also returning 19 kicks for 501 yards with a long of 91 yards. He completed his career with 43 receptions for 558 yards, a 12.9 average and five TDs.
Rhodes was drafted in the 10th round of the 1974 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, where he was moved to the defensive secondary. He played six years with the Giants before completing his playing career in 1980 with the San Francisco 49ers. He began his coaching career with the 49ers a year later and spent 11 seasons there, while earning five Super Bowl rings.
He served as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, where he spent four seasons, and was named The Associated Press Coach of the Year in 1995. He was the Green Bay Packers head coach in 1999.
Rhodes was also on the coaching staffs for the Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns.
This year's Hall of Fame Honor Team is the 1922 Football Team, the first to bear the nickname of Golden Hurricane. The '22 team posted a perfect 8-0 record and won the Oklahoma Collegiate Conference with a 4-0 mark under first-year head coach Howard Acher.
The Hurricane team outscored its opponents 157-60 and compiled wins over Texas A&M 13-10, TCU 21-0 and Arkansas 13-6.
The University of Tulsa Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is set for Saturday, April 29, at the Lorton Performance Center (LPC) on the TU campus. Hall of Fame Weekend will also include the "Blue & Gold Champions Night" on Friday, April 28. More details on Hall of Fame Weekend will be released at a later date.
The University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2023
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
RAY RHODES
Football, 1972-73
Transferred to Tulsa from TCU … played tailback as a junior in 1972 and rushed for 640 yards and a 4.1 average … moved to flanker in the middle of the 1972 campaign and caught 18 passes for 199 yards and two TDs … as a senior in 1973, he caught 25 passes for 359 yards and three TDS … also returned 19 kicks for 501 yards with a long of 91 yards as a senior …. had career totals of 43 receptions for 558 yards, a 12.9 average and five TDs … went on to play professional football as a defensive back … coached for a number of seasons in the NFL as an assistant coach, and also had head coaching stints at Philadelphia and Green Bay.
RICK ENGLES
Football, 1972-75
A punter … was a 1975 second-team Sporting News All-America selection ... named to the all-Missouri Valley Conference team in 1975 … led Tulsa in punting for three straight years … had 37 punts for a 46.5-yard average and long of 70 yards as a senior in 1975 … averaged 40.5 yards on 56 punts in 1974 and 36.8 yards on 59 punts in 1973 … was a third-round draft choice by the Seattle Seahawks … spent four years in the NFL.
ARNAU BRUGUES
Men's Tennis, 2005-09
A four-year letterwinner … was a four-time All-America selection and a four-time Conference USA Player of the Year ... was a Third Team COSIDA Academic All-American selection as a junior and was named Second Team ESPN The Magazine/COSIDA Academic All-America as a senior … compiled a career 116-23 singles record, the most all-time career singles victories in school history … was ranked as the No. 1 singles player in the nation a total of five times by the ITA during his senior season … became the first player in Tulsa and C-USA history to earn the No. 1 national ranking … won the 2006 Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Tennis Championship, marking the first national title won by a Tulsa tennis athlete … claimed the 2008 ITA Central Region Singles Championship … was honored as the C-USA's Men's Tennis Scholar Athlete of the Year in the 2006-07 season … was named to the C-USA All-Academic team three times.
ALEX (ALEXANDRA) BECKER
Women's Cross Country/Track & Field, 2005-10
A 12-time letterwinner … was a six-time All-America performer (Cross Country, Indoor- 3,000m, 5,000m, Outdoor- 5,000m twice, 10,000m), the most All-America honors for any Tulsa female student-athlete … earned second-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors during the 2010 season after earning first-team all-district accolades in 2007 and 2010 … an eight-time Conference USA individual champion … a 16-time all-C-USA selection … named the 2007 C-USA Female Athlete of the Year in cross country, indoor and outdoor track … a four-time C-USA All-Academic Team member … holds six school records.
TYLER HENDERSON
Women's Volleyball, 2009-12
A four-time letterwinner … was a three-time All-American, earning 2nd team honors in 2010, 2011 and 2012 … was a four-time AVCA all-Midwest Region first team selection … named the AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year in 2009 … led Tulsa to 3 straight NCAA tournament appearances, advancing to the second round in 2010 and 2011 … was the 2009 Conference USA Freshman of the Year … was the C-USA Player of the year for three years – 2010, 2011 and 2012 … had her jersey #7 retired.
HALL OF FAME HONOR TEAM
1922 UNDEFEATED FOOTBALL TEAM
Went undefeated with an 8-0 record and won the Oklahoma Collegiate Conference with a 4-0 record … it was Howard Acher's first season as head coach, and it was the year that the nickname "Golden Hurricane" was born, due to Acher's persistence … Tulsa tallied a 13-10 win over Texas A&M and posted a 13-6 win at Arkansas and 21-0 victory against TCU … Tulsa outscored its opponents 157-60 that year.
Monday, April 27
Friday, April 10
Wednesday, May 07
Tuesday, April 08