Javelina Hall of Fame
The Javelina Hall of Fame is established to pay tribute and give recognition to former athletes, coaches and others making exceptional contributions and/or meritorious service to the advancement of Texas A&M-Kingsville/Texas A&I.
Membership consists of athletes, coaches and others making exceptional contributions and/or providing meritorious service to Javelina Athletics.
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The Javelina Hall of Fame was organized in 1972, long before many of the other colleges and universities had initiated such an honors court. Some of these newer Halls of Fame have been established, using the Javelina Hall of Fame as a model.
The Javelina Hall of Fame now has 144 members.
Class of 2011
Three individuals and two national championship football teams will be inducted into the New York Life/Javelina Hall of Fame Friday night in the Texas A&M-Kingsville Memorial Student Union Building.
A social will be held beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the dinner is set for 7 p.m. The induction ceremony will follow the meal.
Individuals being inducted are former head football coach and defensive coordinator Richard Cundiff, former player and coach Neal LaHue and former basketball player Michael Robins.
The 1969 and 1970 football teams will be inducted. Both won national titles and they compiled a 22-2 record.
Cundiff was on the Javelina staff for 22 years. He served as head football coach in 2000-06 and had been the defensive coordinator in 1985-99.
During his seven years as head coach, the Javelinas won four Lone Star Conference championships and participated in the NCAA Division II national playoffs four times.
The 2002 and 2003 teams advanced into the national semifinal round, winning two playoff games each season.
As a defensive coordinator, he was on the staff of teams that won nine LSC championships and advanced into the NCAA Division II playoffs on nine occasions.
The 1994 Javelinas reached the national championship game and the 1988, 1993, 1995 and 1998 teams advanced into the semifinal round.
Cundiff was named the Lone Star Conference coach of the year in 2003 and 2004.
He was the American Football Coaches Association assistant coach of the year in 1997 and was selected as the national defensive coach of the year by American Quarterly Magazine in 1996.
Cundiff coached 47 All-LSC first-team selections and five first-team All-America players in his 22 seasons with the team.
A native of Blackstone, Va., he was an all-state performer in football, basketball, baseball and track and field in high school.
He received a bachelor’s degree from Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) where he lettered in baseball and basketball. He was an all-conference performer in baseball.
Cundiff received his master’s degree from Grambling (La.) State. His first coaching position was at Denbigh High School in Newport News, Va.
He coached two years at Grambling under Eddie Robinson and he served an internship at the NFL office in New York City.
Cundiff was on the Baylor staff for three years and was offensive coordinator at Jersey Village High School in Houston two years before joining the Javelinas.
He has been on the football staff at San Antonio Warren High School since 2007.
Cundiff is married to the former Pam Harris of Kingsville and they are the parents of a son, Parker, and daughter, Caitlin.
LaHue, from Austin, was a four-year letterman in 1981-84.
He was a quarterback and placekicker and made the American Football Coaches Association All-America team as a kicker.
LaHue was All-Lone Star Conference for three seasons and was an LSC all-academic honoree.
He holds the school records for most consecutive extra points in a season (35) and most consecutive extra points in a career (51).
LaHue kicked 19 of 28 field goals in his career and had 109 of 115 extra points.
He had two coaching stints with the Javelinas. He served as a graduate assistant coach in 1985-87 and returned as the offensive coordinator in 2002-05.
LaHue played high school football at Austin Lanier.
He started his coaching career at Ingleside High School where he was running backs and secondary coach for two seasons.
LaHue was the wide receiver coach at Calallen High School for two years and served as offensive coordinator at Seguin High School for one year.
He was the offensive coordinator at Austin Westlake High School for four years and during that time the team won a Class 5A state championship and was state runner-up another season.
LaHue coached Drew Brees, now with the New Orleans Saints, at Westlake.
He moved to Kerrville Tivy High School and was there for five seasons. The team reached the Class 4A state playoffs each year.
After his coaching span with the Javelinas, he became the head coach at San Antonio Roosevelt
High School and has been there for the past five years.
His teams, competing in District 26-5A, one of the toughest football districts in the state, have made the Class 5A state playoffs the past three years.
LaHue is married to the former Margaret Hunter of Kingsville and the couple has two daughters, Claire and Anais, and a son, Micheal.
Robins played one season for the Javelinas but he contributed greatly to the team accomplishing numerous “firsts” during that campaign.
Robins was a member of the 1991-92 Javelina squad that became the first to win a Lone Star Conference championship for the school.
It also became the first squad to advance into the NCAA Division II national playoffs, finishing third in the regional tournament in Topeka, Kan.
The Javelinas, under head coach Bill Carter, a Javelina Hall of Fame member, compiled a 21-12 season’s record and a 10-1 LSC mark.
Robins was named the most valuable player in the Lone Star Conference and was All-LSC first team. He made the LSC all-tournament squad.
Robins, from Paris, traveled throughout Mexico with the CBA all-star basketball team after finishing with the Javelinas.
He signed a contract with a team in Delicious, Mexico, for one year.
Robins returned to Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1995 and received his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology.
He worked with the Santa Gertrudis School District in 1995 and coached eighth grade boys and girls sports.
The Javelina center signed with the Namekia basketball team in Turku, Finland, in 1996 and played there for a season.
He returned to the United States and worked three years for CompUSA as a corporate internal help desk supervisor.
In 2000, he went to work for Computer Science Corp. as a workforce management manger, overseeing two technical call centers and a international center in Montreal, Canada.
Robins joined MillerCoops in 2008 and current has a position in packaging as the draft line manager.
He is working on his master’s degree at the University of Texas- Dallas.
Robins is married to the former Andrea Harmon, a member of the University of Iowa Final Four team in 1993-94.
They are the parents of two children: Reese (6) and Michael Brent (4). Robins lives in Arlington.
The 1969 and 1970 football teams become the third and fourth squads to become members of the Hall.
The 1959 and 1976 football teams have been inducted over the past two years.
The 1969 and 1970 teams won NAIA national championships as well as Lone Star Conference titles. Each squad had an 11-1 record.
Gil Steinke was the head coach of the teams and was the head coach of the 1959 and 1976 clubs.
The 1969 team had a 21-7 victory over Long Beach State of California and in the NAIA championship game defeated Concordia (Minn.), 32-7. It beat New Mexico Highlands, 28-23, in a semifinal playoff game.
The 1970 team defeated Wofford (S.C.) in the NAIA title game and had beaten Wisconsin- Platteville in the semifinal round.
Many of the same players were on each of the squads, and there are several of the squad members who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame individually.
Quarterback Karl Douglas was on both of the teams. He was an NAIA All-America first team honoree in 1970 and was named the outstanding back in the 1969 and 1970 national championship games.
Defensive lineman Margarito Guerrero was an Associated Press Little All-America first team member in 1970 as well as NAIA All-America. He was the most valuable lineman in a 1969 semifinal playoff game.
Linebacker Robert Young was NAIA All-America in 1970 and was named the outstanding lineman in that year’s national title game.
Wideout Dwight Harrison was AFCA All-America in 1970 and defensive back Alvin Matthews was on the NAIA All-America first team in 1969.
All-Lone Star Conference first team honorees in 1969 were Guerrero, Young, Matthews, defensive back Ed Scott, end James Respondek, offensive lineman Andy Browder and offensive lineman Ronald Fielding.
All-LSC first team players in 1970 were Douglas, Guerrero, Young, Harrison, wideout Eldridge Small, defensive lineman Claude McMillon and offensive lineman Jim Brown.
Young was named the LSC outstanding lineman in 1969 and McMillon received the same honor in 1970.
Matthews was a second round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers after the 1969 season and Harrison was drafted in the second round by Denver, Douglas in the third round by Baltimore and Browder in the 11th round by Buffalo.
Leroy Deanda, Respondek and Gene Walkoviak were captains of the 1969 team and Brown and Douglas were captains in 1970.
Members of Steinke’s coaching staff in 1969 were Fred Jonas, Ken Kelley, Frank Kelly, Don McDonald, Pete Murray and Pat Walker.
And on the 1970 staff were Bob Caskey, Willie Crafts, Ron Gentry, Jonas, Kelley and McDonald.
The inductees will be introduced at the Javelina football game Saturday night in Javelina Stadium.