Former Ohio State head football coach John Cooper addressed the 2009 Sportsmanship Luncheon, telling players that coaches are just as smart when they lose as when they win. Cooper was one of the top speakers of the 2008-2009 TD Club series of luncheons. Atascocita won the 2009 award for the 2008 season.

Texas A&M football coach Mike Sherman, center, addressed the TD Club in late April, acknowleding that 2008 was a tough year. Sherman refused to make excuses, saying that the Aggies will work harder this year and will have a better season. With him are the TD Club's A&M Board members, E.J. Chromcak, left, and William Wade.

University of Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain subbed for Nick Saban in May when Saban had a death in his family and needed to attend services in another state. McElwain was excellent, telling insdie stories about the 'Bama team. Saban will return on another date.

University of Houston football coach Kevin Sumlin wowed the crowd with his one-liners and inside information about his squad as well as what coaches look for in recruiting. A rising star in the coaching circles, Sumlin has the Cougars as one of the top pre-season selections to win Conference USA in 2009.

Mike Gundy, center, talks with TD Club president Chad Clay, left, an OSU grad, and event emcee Sean Pendergast of 1560-AM, The Game. The Cowboys are a trendy pick to be in the national Top 10 this season, and Gundy went over what each position has coming back for the fall -- and sounded optimistic.

Houston Texans football coach Gary Kubiak spoke for 30 minutes, and had the crowd in stitches with his one-liners and stories about when he coached in Denver and Houston. Kubiak is a former All-Greater Houston quarterback from St. Pius X who went on to set records at Texas A&M.

Baylor head football coach Art Briles talks about the Bears before the TD Club. Optimism is high for Baylor, as many think the Bears will go to a bowl after the 2009 season.

More than 550 came and heard LSU football coach Les Miles, in the photo on the left with young fans, and baseball coach Paul Mainieri, in the photo on the right, wow the crowd. Also attending was former football coach Paul Dietzel, whose 1958 Tiger football team won the national championship. In the Mainieri photo on the right, the baseball coach saw Strake Jesuit High School pitcher and cancer patient Bucky Ribbeck, second from end, and gave Ribbeck a baseball signed from the College World Series. With Mainieri are Bucky's father, Phil, on the left far end, and TD Club executive director Neal Farmer, black tie.

Thurman Thomas, left, receives the Touchdowner of the Year plaque from last year's award winner, Bruce Matthews. The Touchdowner is given annually for extraordinary contributions and outstanding achievements reflecting honor and sportsmanship to football over a lengthy period of time. At right, Thomas is surrounded by Eddie Joseph, Touchdowner winner in 2000, and former University of Houston coach Bill Yeoman, Touchdowner winner in 1987. Joseph formerly ran the Texas High School Football Coaches Assocation and Yeoman invented the triple option while at UH, which was called the Houston veer.

Texas Southern-Prairie View A&M Luncheon, sponsored by Frenchy's Chicken, A-Rocket Moving and Storage, Dixie Hardware Plaumbing and Electrical, and GlennLock Construction

TSU coach Johnnie Cole, in the photo on the left, and PVAMU coach Henry Frazier III admire the Durley-Nicks Trophy, which is given on the field immediately after the annual contest to the winning team by the TD Club. TSU president John Rudley, right, addresses the audience at the annual TSU-PVAMU luncheon that the TD Club puts on. More than 260 attended this year's luncheon.

Jonathon Fisher of Katy High School was named the top Scholar-Athlete for 2009 by the Touchdown Club. His mother, Kathiann, left, and his father, Steve, stand with Jonathon immediately after winning the title.

Special guest speaker at the luncheon was Dr. Rod Paige, the seventh U.S. Secretary of Education. A former coach, Paige said that each kid in public schools should write and read on level, and that education comes before athletics. With him is emcee Giff Nielsen, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Speakers for the Texas-Texas A&M Luncheon on Nov. 24 at the House of Blues in downtown included Aggie Yell's Brian Perroni, left, and Matt Malatesta, who is a TD Club Board member as well as the editor of VYPE high school magazine for Greater Houston and an editor for Rivals.com.

Speaking at the annual Rice-UH Bayou Bucket Luncheon on Nov. 25 are UH head coach Kevin Sumlin, UH athletic director Mack Rhoades, as well as Rice head coach David Bailiff and interim athletic director David Sayler. The TD Club created the Bayou Bucket, seen in the center of this photo, which is awarded on the field to the winning team immediately after the annual contest between the two Houston universities.

The Chronicle's David Barron, left, received the Ron Stone Award for excellence in the media. He has worked with Dave Campbell’s Texas Football for 30 years and is the magazine’s senior contributor, including 17 years as high school coordinator and 15 years as managing editor. He has covered more than 30 state or division championship games and, in 17 years ranking teams for Texas Football, 33 of his preseason No. 1 teams went on to win a state title.

Cinco Ranch head football coach Don Clayton, center, was named the John Kelley Greater Houston High School Coach of the Year. On the left is Trey Hopkins of North Shore, who was the Offensive Player of the Year. On the right is Shane Sobnosky of Santa Fe, who was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Hopkins, who also was a finalist for the TD Club's Scholar-Athlete of the Year, has committed to the University of Texas. Sobnosky is undecided about where to attend college.