Cedric Benson, Todd Dodge, Chris Plonsky selected for induction into Texas Sports Hall of Fame

Brittney Griner, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Biz Mackey, Carla Overbeck and Richmond Webb are also being inducted. Mackey along with Benson will be honored posthumously.

Benson, a Midland product, was a first-team All-American and won the Doak Walker Award to cap a sizzling career in burnt orange from 2001-04. He rushed for 1,834 yards and scored 19 touchdowns as a senior. Benson ranks second on UT’s all-time rushing list and currently stands seventh in FBS history with 5,540 yards.

Benson was the third overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft, and he played eight seasons and rushed for more than 1,000 yards three times. Benson died in a motorcycle accident in Austin on Aug. 17, 2019.

Dodge, a Port Arthur native, played quarterback for Texas coach Fred Akers from 1982-85 and led the Horns to back-to-back bowl appearances. He finished with 2,791 passing yards and 18 touchdowns. But Dodge is best known for his sensational career as a high school football coach.

Dodge, currently coaching at Lovejoy, had a 233-72 record coming into the 2024 season. His teams have won seven state championships, which ranks fifth all-time. He won three straight at Southlake Carroll and three more in consecutive years at Westlake.

Plonsky, who hails from Greensburg, Pa., and played basketball at Kent State, has worked in college athletics since 1976 and was UT’s women’s athletic director from 2001-17. During her time as women’s AD, the Longhorns won three NCAA national titles and 64 Big 12 titles.

But Plonsky is best known as an icon for women’s sports, pushing advancements and opportunities for female athletes to make sure they were on par with what men’s athletes received. She has served on just about every NCAA board imaginable along with the U.S. Olympic Collegiate Advisory Committee, USA Basketball Board of Directors and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Trustees.

Plonsky currently serves as the Chief of Staff within Texas Athletics working with athletic director Chris Del Conte. She supervises leadership in athlete services, academics, compliance, sports medicine and wellness.

The Hall of Fame ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 15 in the BASE at Extraco Events Center in Waco.