Published: March 27, 2008 07:08 pm            

Restaurant’s wall of fame honors athletes

Memorabilia displayed in shadowboxes

Few high school or college athletes continue to excel in sports beyond school. That’s why several men have decided to honor those who have gone on to become great athletes and leaders.

Cleburne businessmen Dewey James, who is also an honoree, Howard Dudley and Scott Dudley have created a wall of fame for former Cleburne High School athletes at Caddo Street Grill.

“In talking with Dewey we thought this idea sounded good,” said Scott Dudley, owner of the restaurant. “Between Dewey and [Pat] Culpepper, they looked back at Cleburne athletes and selected the outstanding ones.”

The 12 selected athletes are showcased in individual shadowboxes.

Culpepper is also an honoree.

A light shines down on each box, and each box contains newspaper articles, photographs and other memorabilia about the athlete.

“All of them participated in sports and carried on with their careers in sports,” James said. “Beyond that they were leaders and coordinators. Every one of these has accomplished quite a bit in sports.”

Many of the athletes on the wall excelled in multiple sports, such as Hugh Higgins, who was inducted into the Hardin-Simmons University Hall of Honor for football and boxing.

It’s been a group effort, selecting the athletes and creating the shadowboxes, Scott Dudley said. James spent a year collecting information on each chosen athlete.

“It’s real nice for Cleburne to have a sports center with these people here,” James said. “All of them have progressed.”

Jimmie Lynn Burt, wife of the late Delmar Burt, said she thought her husband deserved the honor because he played well.

“Someone asked me if I minded if they put some things of my husband’s up, and I said ‘No, not at all,’” Burt said. “I thought it was a really nice. He never tooted his horn. When the reporter wrote about him he would say, ‘You know I’m not the only player out there.’”

Burt is honored on the wall for being the first full-time high school trainer in Texas.

Derrell Palmer, the starting tackle for the champion Cleveland Browns team, said through his wife he felt honored to be a part of the wall.

“I think it’s really nice, and I’m glad that they chose him to be on there,” said Barbara Palmer, Derrell’s wife.

Space at the restaurant allows for more athletes to be added.



Cleburne Sports Stars

• Dewey C. James — proclaimed lifetime captain of all sports for Cleburne ISD and the city of Cleburne by CISD Superintendent Robert Damron and Mayor Ted Reynolds in April 2005.



• Boyce Gatewood — inducted into the University of Texas Hall of Honor and a world champion All-American track star.



• Kimberly Lummus Crabtree — named Texas 4A basketball player of the year, inducted into the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005, and the only Cleburne High School female to have a retired jersey, No. 32.



• Guy N. James — Sixth-degree black belt and world champion in black-belt fighting in 1994.



• Bentley M. Jones — All-State guard at Cleburne High School in 1940 and 1941, All-Southwest Conference guard at Baylor University in 1948, and inducted into Texas High School Association of Coaches Hall of Honor in 1999.



• Derrell F. Palmer — Texas Christian University All-American football player and starting tackle for the world champion Cleveland Browns.



• Brooks Conover — Coached the 1959 Cleburne High School Yellow Jackets to the Class 3A state title and inducted into the Texas Coaches Hall of Honor in 1989.



• Hugh Higgins — inducted into the Hardin-Simmons University Hall of Honor for football and boxing and assistant coach for the 1959 Cleburne High School state champions.



• Tommy Doerr — All-district and All-state quarterback at Cleburne High School, member of the 1962 University of Texas national champion football team and football coach at the University of Texas.



• Pat Culpepper —started 33 straight games for the University of Texas from 1960 to 1962, coached at the University of Texas, Colorado, Tulane, Baylor and Memphis State and was head coach at Midland, Lufkin, Galveston Ball and Westfield high schools and Northern Illinois University.



• David McWilliams — Tri-captain and center for 1963 national champion University of Texas football team and head coach at Texas Tech University and the University of Texas.



• Delmar Burt — 1944 All-State halfback for Cleburne Yellow Jackets. Held first full-time high school trainer position in Texas.

        

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