In Memory

Arnett Sears Weeks, Jr. (Lawn Longhorns) - Class Of 1942

8/13/2008 5:06:02 PM

BROWNWOOD, Texas – The Howard Payne Sports Hall of Fame Committee announced today that it will induct Dale Byerly, Fred Davis, Kevin Hill, and Arnett Weeks in a ceremony to be held during the 2008 Howard Payne Homecoming.

The Howard Payne Sports Hall of Fame comprises 105 male and female HPU athletes and supporters and inducted its first members in 1986. This year’s induction ceremony will be on Saturday, October
4, 2008 at 7:00 pm in the Bullion Suites of the Mabee University Center. Tickets can be purchased through the Howard Payne Alumni office. 

Dale Byerly graduated from Coleman high school in 1958 as Valedictorian of his class. There he was an All-State quarterback, All-Region in basketball, and won the state championship in the one-mile three years in a row.

Byerly attended Howard Payne in the Fall of 1958 where he was a four-year starter at quarterback for the Yellow Jackets. During his time on the football field for Howard Payne he led the Lone Star Conference in total yards and earned Second-Team All-Conference and Honorable Mention Little All-American honors.

Byerly also excelled of the field being named to the Alpha Chi National Honor Society, Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society, and Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.

After graduation from Howard Payne in 1962 he had coaching stints in Brownwood and Quanah high schools in Texas. He then began work with the Cancer Society in Texas before becoming the assistant Director of the Heart Association of Texas. He then went on to become the state director of the Indiana Heart Association. Today he lives in Dayton, Tennessee with his wife, Lynn and is a member of the Rotary Club and his local church.

Fred Davis is a 1962 graduate of Castlemont high school in Oakland, Calif. After taking a year off he spent one year a New Mexico State University. He transferred to Howard Payne in 1967 and went on to be an All-American in 1969 and 1970. Fred Davis still to this day is the all-time leading scorer in Howard history (2,026) and still holds five Howard Payne and four Lone Star Conference basketball records. In 2006 he was named one of the top 75 male and female basketball players to ever play in the Lone Star Conference.

After leaving Howard Payne, Davis played professionally in Philippines and then seven seasons in Belgium. In Belgium, Davis led the league in scoring three seasons. He when on to coach in that same league for four years before going to work for a beverage distributer in California for20 years Davis now owns a janitorial service in Oakland, Calif.

Kevin Hill is a 1989 graduate of Albany high school where he was a multiple all-district selection in football. A four year letterman on the Yellow Jacket football, he was a two-time All-Conference wide receiver helping Howard Payne to two conference titles. In his senior year of 1992 he led the nation in receiving with 99 catches, at the time setting a school and conference record. That season he also earned NAIA All-American honors.

Hill also was a member of the Howard Payne tennis team his junior and senior years. His senior year was apart of the conference championship team and was names 2nd-team All-Conference

Before graduation he was honored on the Howard Payne Dean’s List his senior year.

After graduation from Howard Payne in December of 1993, Hill went on to coach football at Early, Dalehart, Comfort, Coleman, Baird, and Albany, also serving as high school principal at Coleman, Baird, and Albany. He was also honored to helped coach the Big Country FCA All-Star football game in 2008. He is currently the high school assistant principal at Albany high school and lives there with his wife Kim and there four kids.

Arnett Weeks is a 1942 graduate of Lawn high school. He attended Howard Payne College just one year before leaving school to enlist in the Navy in 1943. Weeks participated in three invasions in the Pacific, received two Bronze Stars, and a Presidential Unit Citation. In the fall of 1946, Arnett returned to Howard Payne to continue his education and to play football.

Playing offensive and defensive tackle, Weeks was a two-year starter and was named Second-team All-Texas Conference in 1947. Also during his time at Howard Payne, he was involved with student government as student body treasurer and class president. Weeks was named twice to the Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities list.

Arnett went on to coach in high school in Texas at Grandview, Beaumont French, Granbury, Rosebud, Jim Ned, Anson, and Bangs high schools. He also spent time at Cisco Junior College as Athletic Director and football and track coach and was named National Junior College Coach of the Year in 1957. While at Cisco he helped make Cisco the first Texas higher education institute to accomplish racial integration by the recruiting of several African American athletes. At Rosebud high school, he was elected Teacher of the Year and Central Texas Coach of the Year in 1959. It was at Jim Ned, Anson, and Bangs where he moved from teaching to administration.

Arnett finished out his career at Bands ISD serving as Superintendent and girls track coach. Later on he worked as a volunteer track coach and helped with basketball stats at Howard Payne. The endowed Arnett and Patsy Weeks Scholarship for physical education major bares his name. Now retired, he resides in Bangs with his wife Patsy.