Justin Springer of the Houston chapter of the Texas Association of Sports Officials talks about the referee's decision to participate in the TD Club's Sportsmanship Luncheon, as well as the scholarship program that TASO has in place.
Sportsmanship emcee Todd Freed of Channel 55 conducts a mock interview of Memorial player Tyler Hoffman and Seven Lakes coach Kevin O'Keefe at the 2007 Sterling Bank High School Sportsmanship Luncheon.
Enjoying the Oklahoma State Day event are, from left, TD Club Board member John Kelley, OSU coach Mike Gundy, TD Club executive Neal Farmer, and OSU assistant coach Joe DeForest, who recruits the Houston area.
LSU football coach Les Miles shares a joke with luncheon emcee John Granato. Granato's new radio station, 1560-AM, The Game, will broadcast LSU football games this fall. The Houston stop was one of 12 cities that the Tiger Athletic Foundation sponsors on the annual "Tiger Tour."
TCU football coach Gary Patterson, whose Horned Frogs have won 11 games in three of the last four seasons, points out that the team has a chance to be good again in 2007 at the TD Club luncheon in July.
Touchdown Club Board member Chris Gilbert, right, congratulates Jerry LeVias as the 2007 Touchdowner of the Year. The Touchdowner has been given annually since 1966 for extraordinary contributions and outstanding achievements reflecting honor and sportsmanship to football over a lengthy period ot time. Both men are members of the College Football Hall of Fame, LeVias with SMU, and Gilbert with the University of Texas, which the National Football Foundation runs. The TD Club is the Houston chapter of the NFF.
Texas A&M football coach Dennis Franchione, left, wows the crowd with a story about Liz Taylor, and then has a post-game talk with two former A&M star players, right, with Larry Kelm (on Fran's right) and Fred Caldwell (on Fran's left).
TSU AD Alois Blackwell introduces Tigers coach Steve Wilson, left, while singer Darrell Luckett, right, draws enthusiastic support from emcee George Thomas of KTSU-FM, PVAMU AD Charles McClelland, and guest speaker Kirbyjon Caldwell of Windsor Village United Methodist Church.
University of Houston football coach Art Briles addresses the audience for the 28th Rice-UH Bayou Bucket Luncheon. UH AD Dave Maggard listens intently to Briles. The TD Club created the Bayou Bucket to promote the contest, which began in 1972. The trophy, which is on the podium in front of Briles, is awarded on the field immediately after the contest to the winning team.
LEFT: Stratford quarterback Andrew Luck enjoys the moment after being names the TD Club's Scholar-Athlete of 2007. With Andrew are his family -- Kathy, his mom, and Oliver, his father. Andrew was No. 1 in his class and also has committed to play football at Stanford next year. RIGHT: Houston lawyer and former SMU football player Rufus Cormier wows the crowd with his words of wisdom about how scholarship and athletics mix.
Maroon and White Report's Billy Liucci, left, and True Orange owner Jerry Scarborough, talked to the crowd about this year's recruits at each school, next year's recruiting, and how many players each team had coming back next year at the 42nd Annual Texas-Texas A&M Luncheon.
