By Christina Krenek
Baylor alumnus and football star Jerod Douglas ’98 was honored at the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame on Friday, February 18, at the Alamodome.
Every year, the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame honors local individuals who have demonstrated outstanding athletic achievements. It is one of the biggest events of the year for top business and civic leaders in the city.
Candidates are first nominated by the public and include high school, college, and professional athletes and coaches from the San Antonio area. The final selection is made by representatives from the San Antonio Sports organization, the City of San Antonio, and the San Antonio Express-News.
According to Mary Ullman Japhet, director of external affairs at San Antonio Sports, inductees are chosen based on strong individual athleticism. “Obviously Jerod is an amazing, amazing football player,” she said, “and still holds the city record for the 200-meter dash.”
Douglas, a former Baylor running back, was recognized for his outstanding high school and college football career. He is remembered for his great speed and record-setting performance.
He graduated from Judson High School in 1994 as one of the top rushers in the nation. During his high school career, he rushed a total of 6,188 yards, scored eighty-five touchdowns, and led his high school team to two state championships in 1992 and 1993. He was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 2003.
Maxey Parrish, Baylor’s sports information director at the time and now a lecturer in journalism, recalled how Douglas was highly recruited. “He could have gone anywhere in the country,” Parrish said. Douglas was recruited by former Baylor football coach Chuck Reedy and signed to play for the Baylor Bears in 1994.
At Baylor, Douglas was the Bears’ star running back from 1994 to 1997. He had a solid college career with a total of 2,967 yards rushed. Parrish remembered how Douglas worked hard, was a team player, and had some great games.
One of the most memorable games was against Texas in 1994. Douglas finished the game rushing 210 yards and setting the school’s single-game rushing record. “Great things happened when he was able to get in the open field,” Parrish said. Douglas was named an All-Southwest Conference running back in 1995 for his incredible speed.
At the end of Douglas’s first season at Baylor, the Bears tied for the 1994 Southwest Conference Championship and went on to play at the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. Now, Douglas is back at the Alamodome with a place in San Antonio’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Douglas was inducted into the Hall of Fame with four other individuals. He also joined fellow Baylor alumnus Cody Carlson, who became a member of the Hall of Fame in 2009.
