Von Miller and Zack Martin part of Texas Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026

WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Some of the greatest athletes in Texas history have their impact recognized as the Class of 2026 for the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

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Former Aggie legend and Super Bowl MVP Von Miller is part of the class and spoke on his earliest football memory.

"My very first memory of football was my dad screaming in the room, and I didn't know what was going on. I ran back there in the room. I heard my dad screaming. I looked at him, he was yelling at the TV, and I see this blue star...he's watching the Cowboys game and he was screaming. I don't know what happened. But that was my earliest memory of football, and I just wanted to make my dad scream like that, and that's how it all started for me," Miller said.

Speaking of the Dallas Cowboys, former offensive lineman for the Star, Zack Martin joins the class.

Martin recently retired and leaves behind a history career in Dallas and he recalls the expectations with wearing the Star.

"Eyes are on us at all times. We could be 3-10 and everyone's still talking about us. The great part of playing in a place like that is it brings out the best in you and I'm very fortunate to play it, not only Notre Dame, but with the Dallas Cowboys. I think it really brought out the best in me on the field," Martin said.

The game of soccer also represented in the class — former Premiere League soccer player Clint Dempsey represented Team USA in three world cups — scoring a goal in each one.

With the USA awaiting the World Cup games, could it raise the game's popularity?

"What's going to happen next? I don't know, but I'm looking forward to this summer and seeing how they perform and hopefully they'll inspire this country like the team in '94 did, and soccer will be something that's talked about every year instead of waiting every four years to do so," Dempsey said.

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