Terrell ISD is proud to announce the Class of 2023 Hall of Fame and Honor inductees. The individuals selected for the Hall of Fame are recognized based on their athletic achievements, character, and overall contribution to the Terrell Independent School District. This year's honorees are: Juan Abundis, Willie Coulter, Jamie Foxx, Antonio Harris, Carnell Horn, Jr., Mark Hudson, Darrius Johnson, Rick Jones, Brandon Kennedy, Charressa Kennedy, Shawn May, Arthur McCullar, Nicole Davis-Miles, Mat Pierson, Stephanie Pierson, Dawonya Tucker, Adrain Turner and Gilbert Willie, Jr.
The Hall of Honor recognizes Terrell High School or Burnett High School alumni who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the arts, athletics, or academic activities that have made a positive impact on the community. This year's honorees are: Mayor Rick Carmona, Judge B. Michael Chitty, Benny Lampkin, Peggy Wieland and Dr. Bruce Wood.
The Class of 2023 honorees will take part in an induction ceremony on Friday, October 13. Read on below to learn more about each Hall of Fame and Hall of Honor honoree.
HALL OF FAME
Juan Abundis Juan Abundis is a proud member of the Terrell High School Class of 2006 where he was a leading member of the school’s soccer team his junior and senior year.
As a junior, he scored 15 goals which made him one of the leading scorers in the DFW metroplex. He also earned All-District honors and was named Offensive Player of the Year. During his senior year, he was one of the top five DFW scorers having scored 32 goals – a Terrell High School record. That year he helped to win the program’s first-ever tournaments, the Ennis Invitational and the Terrell Winter Classic. He was named MVP in both tournaments. One of his most storied victories is when the team won two of three games against the powerhouse Highland Park soccer team. That year Abundis earned 1st team All-District Honors and he had 47 goals and 19 assists during his high school soccer career,
Today, Mr. Abundis works for the City of Terrell as a member of the Maintenance and Operations crew. For the past 11 years, he has mentored and coached the Terrell youth soccer community. Abundis and his wife, Roxana, have been married for sixteen years and have three sons, Juan Jr, Julian and Josiah.
Willie Coulter Willie Coulter was the proud head basketball coach for the Terrell Tigers from 2000 - 2014. During his 14 years as head coach, the team was a powerhouse, making the playoffs 11 out of 14 seasons. He led the team to double digit wins in twelve of the fourteen seasons and took his team to the sweet sixteen twice in five years.
The 6’6” athlete graduated from Clarksville High School and attended Paris Junior College before transferring to Henderson State University on a full basketball scholarship. While there, he became a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity in 1975. He led the Reddie basketball team to the best record in school history with 29 wins and 3 loses as they finished #2 in the nation in 1976. He was named an All-American basketball player in 1976 and was inducted into the HSU Hall of Fame in 2003.
Throughout his 41 year coaching career, Coach Coulter has served as a coach, athletic director and administrator in various places including DeKalb ISD, Mt. Pleasant ISD, Mexia ISD, Ennis ISD, Detroit ISD and Clarksville ISD. He has received multiple district coach of the year awards, has produced numerous college basketball players, several of which have been inducted into the Terrell ISD Hall of Fame. Over his entire coaching career, he recorded 658 wins.
Jamie Foxx Eric Bishop, known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an actor, comedian, and singer, and a proud member of the Terrell High School Class of 1986. He was a member of the football, basketball and track teams all four years of high school. As a junior and senior, Foxx was the starting quarterback and passed for 550 and 1,000 yards respectively. During his junior year, he was named defensive player of the week for six weeks in a row on the varsity basketball team. His highest athletic honor came as a senior when he placed fifth in the state track meet for high jump with a jump of 6 feet seven inches.
After his classmates voted him “Class Favorite” and “Most Talented", Foxx went on to attend the San Diego School of Performing Arts and his career in the entertainment industry began. Foxx has appeared in numerous TV shows and movies, with his 2004 portrayal of Ray Charles in the film Ray earning him an Academy Award, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. He is also a Grammy Award Winning musical artist having won a Grammy for his single “Blame It” on the studio album Intuition. Foxx is also an author, having released his memoir Act Like You Got Some Sense: And Other Things My Daughters Taught Me in 2021.
Always proud of his roots, Foxx continues to support the community of Terrell. He recently donated more than $170,000 to upgrade the basketball courts at Breezy Hill Park, and he has funded multiple youth football and Special Olympic teams in Terrell.
Antonio Harris Antonio Harris graduated from Terrell High School in 1991 and was a three- year member of the football and track team. As a junior, Harris was the back-up quarterback and was the starter his senior year. That year he earned All-District Honorable mention.
As a junior member of the Varsity track team, Harris ran the 440M dash and was a regional qualifier. He was also a member of the state champion 4x440M relay team who took home the District, Regional and State Championship trophies. During his senior year, Harris was the 440M dash district champion and was a regional qualifier. He was also a member of the 4x440M relay track team who took home the district championship and qualified for regionals.
After high school Harris attended Coffeyville Community College in Kansas where he played football. He then transferred to Trinity Valley Community College in Athens.
Today, Harris is the Director of Transportation for Star Transit where he has been for the past 14 years. Harris is the proud father of five children and two grandchildren.
Carnell Horn, Jr. Carnell Horn, Jr. is a proud member of the Terrell High School Class of 2012. While in high school, Horn was a four-year member of the track and field team. He also served as a Special Olympics volunteer and was a member of the National Honor Society and high school band.
As a freshman, Horn was on the varsity track team and a regional qualifier alternate for the 4x200M relay. During his junior year, he was a second place district medalist and regional qualifier for the 400M, served as team captain and had a season best of 48.76. As a senior, Horn took home first place district honors, was the regional champion for the 400M, was a state qualifier and had a season best of 48.03. He was also a member of the 4x400M relay team who took home third place at the district meet. He was named the team’s Most Valuable Player.
After high school he attended the University of Texas at El Paso where he had a successful collegiate career competing in both indoor and outdoor track and field competitions.
He was a four-year member of the 4x400M relay team where he and his teammates took home numerous championships. During his junior year the team recorded a time of 3.06.59 which earned the team a gold medal at the Conference USA Championship. His junior and senior year saw Horn clock a career best time of 46.91 and a split time of 44.85 in the outdoor 400M dash. His final year he placed fourth in the 400M dash at the 2016 Conference USA Championship and qualified for the NCAA West Preliminaries.
Horn has been an active member of the Terrell Lions Club since 2017 and this past June was named Club President. He has volunteered hundreds of hours with the Lions Club and with local summer track programs in Terrell since 2021. He coached 2 AAU Junior Olympic Qualifiers in 2022 and 7 AAU Junior Olympic Qualifiers in 2023 with one being a 5th place medalist. Horn currently works for the City of Terrell as a project manager in the Public Services Department.
Horn has been married to his wife, Danell, for five years.
Mark Hudson Mark Hudson was the proud basketball coach of the Terrell Tigers from 1973 to 1978. After having four different coaches four years in a row, Hudson was responsible for rebuilding the program and giving it stability. In his third year as head coach, the team began to win and was ranked second in the district. By 1976, the team was tied for first in the north zone and made their first playoff appearance.
The 1977-78 season saw the team win the district championship after winning 20 games in a row. Some highlights include beating Ennis in a thriller and beating defending state champions, Dangerfield ISD, in the regional championship The team made a state tournament appearance, but lost to Mineral Wells by six in the semi-finals. That year, five members of Coach Husdon’s team were named to the All-District team and he was named District Coach of the Year.
Hudson coached basketball for 12 years and coached at San Antonio McArthur, Terrell and Killeen-Ellison. Coach Hudson has also served as an assistant principal, principal and Deputy Superintendent. He retired from education in 2014.
Coach Hudson and his wife, Nancy, have been married for 52 years and they have two sons, Christopher and Joel, and four grandchildren.
Darrius Johnson Darrius Johnson was a 1991 graduate of Terrell High School where he participated in football, basketball, and track. He was an honor roll student, a member of Who's Who and was voted Best All Around and Most Athletic his senior year.
As a freshman and sophomore, Johnson scored a total of 21 touchdowns and had 18 interceptions. He was a standout on the basketball court averaging 15 points and six rebounds per game. He earned numerous first place medals in track and field in the 100M, 200M, 4x100M relay and long jump.
His junior year saw Johnson named to both the 1st team defense and 2nd team offense All-District teams. In basketball, he averaged 12 points per game and was the Defensive Player of the Week for 6 weeks. In track he took home six first place medals in the 100M, six first place medals in the 200M, five first place medals in the Sprint relay, six first place medals in the Long Jump and five first place medals in the triple jump.
In his final year, Johnson was both the football and basketball captain. He was the 2nd leading rusher in the state of Texas, the Dallas Morning News Defensive Back of the Week and was named to the All-Area team. In basketball, he was named 1st team All-District. In track he brought home five medals at the district track meet in Long Jump, Triple Jump, 200M, and 4x100M and 4x400M relay and qualified for regionals. At the state track meet he placed third in the 200M dash and earned a 5th place finish in the 4x100M relay.
After graduation, Johnson attended the University of Oklahoma on a full football scholarship where he was Team Captain, an Academic All- American his Freshman year and 1st team All-Regional defensive back for three years straight. He was also a member of the 4x100M relay National Championship team. Johnson was selected in the fourth round of the NFL draft and played for the Denver Broncos where he was a two-time Super Bowl Champion in 1997 and 1998. He ended his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Mr. Johnson suffered from stage 3 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE, and passed away in 2021.
Rick Jones Rick Jones was a proud member of the Terrell High School Class of 1965. He was a four-year member of the football, basketball, and track teams. He also played baseball his sophomore and senior year. As a member of the football team, he was named All-District Honorable Mention his senior year. Jones was a track standout and was a regional qualifier his junior year, a state qualifier his senior year and took home the bronze medal in the pole vault competition. Jones was a member of the Athletic Club and Key Club and was a Song Leader. He was voted Class Favorite his freshman year and Most Athletic his senior year.
After high school, Mr. Jones served in the U. S. Navy from August 1966 to April 1969. He was stationed aboard the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk and spent time as the Captain of a riverboat, aboard refueler 132-1 as a part of the river assault squadron while serving in Vietnam. He was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal for Heroism and Valor in combat.
Mr. Jones was a land surveyor for many years until he went to work for Coca Cola as a route delivery driver. He retired from Coca Cola in 2012.
Rick and his wife, Holly, were married for 35 years and had four children and eight grandchildren. Mr. Jones passed away in November of 2021.
Brandon Kennedy Brandon Kennedy graduated from Terrell High School in 2000 where he played basketball and football all four years. As a three-year member of the varsity football team, he played defensive end and tackle. During his junior year, he had an incredible 96 tackles, including 18 for a loss. He earned 1st team All-District and All-State Honors and was named the District Defensive Player of the Year.
As a senior, Kennedy had 123 total tackles, including 25 for losses, 27 quarterback sacks and caused eight fumbles. In one of his most impressive single games against Wilmer-Hutchins, he had 19 tackles including four for a loss and five sacks. That year he earned 1st team All-District honors, was named the Dallas Morning News Defensive Player of the Year and was unanimously selected as a 1st team All-State pick by the Associated Press. He was also listed as a state top 100 recruit by the Dallas Morning News and was the #8 recruit in Texas on the Texas Top 100.
After high school, Kennedy attended the University of North Texas where he was one of the most dominant interior lineman to play for the Eagles. Kennedy was the 2002 and 2003 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and a three-time, first-team all conference player from 2001-03. In 2002, he finished No. 3 in the nation with 24 tackles for a loss and was named third team All-American by the College Football News and first-team All-American by the Associated Press. Kennedy is the school’s all-time leader in tackles for a loss totaling 61 tackles and is one of only four players in school history to be a four-time All-Conference player. In 2012, he was inducted into the North Texas Athletics Hall of Fame.
Charressa Kennedy Charressa Kennedy is a proud member of the Terrell High School Class of 1997 where she was a four-year member of the volleyball, basketball, track and cheer team.
As a freshman member of the varsity basketball team, Kennedy received Honorable Mention and Academic All-District and was named Freshman of the Year. During her sophomore year she was named 2nd team All-District and Offensive Player of the Year for volleyball. She earned 1st team All-District, Academic All-District, and was named Defensive Player of the Year for basketball. She was also a regional qualifier in the 4x400M relay as a member of the track team.
The accolades continued her junior year as a member of the varsity volleyball team where she earned 1st team All-District honors and was named Most Valuable Player. During basketball season, she earned 1st team All-District, Academic All-District and was named Most Valuable Player.
During her final year at THS, Kennedy served as team captain of the volleyball team, earned 1st team All-District and Academic All-State honors and was named Most Valuable Player. She also played for the World Sports Exchange volleyball team in Australia. As a member of the basketball team, she was a Texas Top 100 Recruit, led Terrell to its first-ever regional playoff game, and scored the first triple-double in school history. She was also named District 12-4A Most Valuable Player.
Academically, she was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated top ten percent of her class. She was a member of the Homecoming Queen Court, a Class Favorite Nominee, and she was named Miss THS, Best All Around,and Most Athletic.
After high school she played basketball and volleyball at Collin County Community College where she earned her Associate of Science degree. She then transferred to the University of Colorado at Denver where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology and graduated Magna Cum Laude. She is currently pursuing a master’s in Medical Science at the University of North Texas Health Science Center.
Shawn May Shawn May graduated from Terrell High School in 1989 where he was a four-year member of the football, basketball, cross country and track teams.
May was a starter on the varsity football team his sophomore year where he played both strong safety and cornerback. During his junior year, he was an All-District Honorable Mention in football, basketball, and track. As a senior, May set three Terrell High School individual track records in the 800M, 1600M, and 3200M dash. That year, he was ranked in the top ten in the state of Texas.
After graduation, May attended Prairie View A&M University on a track scholarship and was a starter his freshman year. After Prairie View, May went to work for Walmart as an Assistant Manager for 12 years. He currently works for Ft. Worth ISD as a Maintenance and Custodial supervisor.
May and his wife, Tracie, have been married for fifteen years and have two children, Shawn May II and Savannah.
Arthur McCullar Arthur McCullar is a proud member of the Terrell High School Class of 1980 where he was a four-year member of the football and track team.
As a freshman McCullar was a member of the varsity track team where he placed second in the district for the 200M dash. He was also a member of the 4x100M and 4x400M relay team.
As a sophomore, McCullar was a member of the varsity football team where played the position of wide receiver and was named All-District Honorable Mention. As a member of the track team, he was the 200M district champion and represented the Tigers at the regional meet.
During his junior year, he placed fourth in the 200M dash at the state track meet. As a senior, McCullar was both an All-District receiver and defensive back having scored 10 touchdown receptions and seven kick returns for touchdowns. That year he received the Dennis Tankersly Award. During track season, he was the District and Regional champion in the 4x100M relay and district, regional and state champion in the 200M dash and 4x400M relay. He was also the champion of the 200M dash in the Golden West Invitational Meet. As a senior, he was ranked #1 in the nation for the 200M dash and #9 in the world; he was the first high school All-American in Terrell. He currently holds the 200M record for Terrell High School.
After high school, McCullar attended Baylor University and was a member of the 1980 Southwest Conference Champion Baylor Bears. He played in the 1980 Cotton Bowl versus Alabama. As a member of the college’s track and field team, he was named an All-American in the 200M, 4x100M and 4 x 400M relay in both 1981 and 1982.
McCullar also served in the U.S. Army, in the 82nd Airborne Division. He was a paratrooper, credited with 53 jumps. In October of 1983 his Division served in the war with Grenada.
Mr. McCullar currently manages O'Reilly Auto Parts in Terrell and is actively involved at his church. McCullar and his wife, Rose, were recently married in August. Mr. Mccullar is the proud father of five sons and 16 grandchildren and is the father of Terrell High School Hall of Fame members Jarrod and Jammal McCullar.
Nicole Davis-Miles Nicole Davis-Miles is a member of the Terrell High School Class of 1988. During her high school career, she participated in the girls’ volleyball, basketball, and track teams.
Nicole was a valuable member of the volleyball and basketball teams and was often one of the top scorers. Her most notable achievements were in track. During her freshman year, Davis-Miles was part of the 400M relay, 800M relay and 1600M meter relay. During her sophomore year, she began training for the 100M hurdles and qualified for regionals. She continued excelling in the relays, and assisted her team in qualifying for district, regionals, and helped the team place 5th in the state in the 800M relay in 1986.
After an injury during her junior year, she was only able to compete in the 1987 District meet. During her senior year, she was a part of the 400 and 800M relays that qualified for regionals. She earned the District Champion title, placed second overall in regionals, and was the state champion for the 100M hurdles. She then received the title MVP for Track and Field in 1988. Nicole still holds the Terrell High School record for the 100M hurdles with a time of 14.41.
After high school, Davis-Miles attended Prairie View A&M University. She currently works as a Lead Property Tax Researcher for CoreLogic Tax Services.
Nicole has been married to her husband, Jamont Miles, for 23 years and together they have two children, Malcolm and Kamarie.
Mat Pierson Mat Pierson graduated from Terrell High School in 1982 where he was a letterman in football, baseball, basketball and track. A member of the varsity baseball team all four years of high school, he earned All-District honors every year as an outfielder and pitcher. As a senior, Mr. Pierson was scouted by the New York Mets baseball club.
A three-year letterman on the track team, he was also a member of the 1980 sprint relay state track team. As as a member of the varsity basketball team, Pierson earned All-District honors his junior and senior year.
Pierson played running back as a three-year member of the Terrell Tiger varsity football team. As a junior, he earned All-District and All-Area honors. During his senior year, he totaled 1,747 total yards from scrimmage, scoring 18 touchdowns, and averaging 9.8 yards per carry. Among his highlights was a 250+ yard rushing performance against #2 ranked Rockwall. That year, he earned All-District honors, was named the 7-A Offensive Player of the Year and was selected as the All-Area Most Valuable Player.
After graduation, he attended the University of Oklahoma before transferring to the University of Houston where he was a three-year starter as a running back. Following his college career, he was invited to camp by the Cincinnati Bengals and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Canada.
Pierson currently works for the Dallas Housing Authority and lives in Richardson, Texas. He has been married to his wife Sonya for six years and is the proud father of seven children - six girls and one boy.
Stephanie Pierson Stephanie Pierson is a proud graduate of the Terrell High School Class of 2001. While in high school she was a four-year member of the volleyball, basketball, softball and track teams. She was also a member of the band and was inducted into the National Honor Society.
As a freshman member of the varsity basketball team, Pierson was named Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year. Her sophomore year saw her win the Most Valuable Player Award and Outstanding Offensive Player Award for her efforts on the basketball court once again.
As a junior, Pierson excelled in volleyball and received the Tiger Heart Award. That year she earned 1st team All-District honors and was voted Most Valuable Player once again for basketball.
As a senior, Pierson was named the team’s Most Valuable Player, was given 1st team All-District and Academic All-District honors, was named as the East Texas All Stars Most Valuable Player and was a Who’s Who in Sports All Star. In her senior year, she averaged a quadruple double and was the number one leading scorer and number one in assists for the DFW metroplex.
After high school she attended Hill Junior College and transferred to the University of Texas at Tyler her junior year. On both teams she received a full basketball scholarship, was a starting point guard and served as team captain.
Pierson is a 12 year physical education teacher and coach. She has coached volleyball, basketball, track and soccer and served in both San Marcos CISD and Austin ISD. She is currently the head track coach at Lasa High School in Austin ISD. In her spare time, she is a personal trainer for youth.
Dawonya Tucker Dawonya Tucker graduated from Terrell High School in 2016 where he was a four-year member of the football, basketball and track team. As a freshman, he was a member of the varsity basketball team and participated in powerlifting. During his sophomore year, he earned 2nd team All-District honors as a running back and was the team's Offensive MVP.
As a junior, Tucker rushed for 1,403 yards and was the District 12-5A Offensive Most Valuable Player. That year the team saw its first playoff berth in seven years winning the Bi-District Championship. As a senior, Tucker rushed for 2,163 yards - the second most yards in one season - and scored 26 touchdowns. He also had the single game rushing record of 390 yards and single game touchdown record with six touchdowns in the first round of the playoffs. He became an All-Time Leading Rusher with 622 carries, 41 touchdowns and broke the school rushing record by rushing 3,979 yards. He was named an All-State Running Back and was the District 12-5A Most Valuable Player.
After high school, Tucker attended Prairie View A&M University on a full football scholarship where he had an extremely successful collegiate career. His freshman year he led the team in carries (83), and was second in rushing yards (406). As a sophomore he had a career best 119 all-purpose yards against Sam Houston State and was recognized on ESPNs Top Ten Plays of Week. In his junior year, he was an ALL-SWAC Running Back and for half the season he was the lead rusher in all of college football. That year he had 1,030 yards on 153 carries and six rushing touchdowns. In a single game against North Carolina Central, Tucker rushed for 248 yards and one touchdown, which was the single game rushing record at the time. The following week, Tucker played against Sam Houston State and rushed for 245 yards and two touchdowns earning the title of NCAA College Football Hero of the Week.
In his final year, he led the team with 180 carries, 1,121 yards and 15 touchdowns. Tucker was one of only two running backs to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. He had a single game rushing record of 263 yards vs Grambling State in the State Fair Classic, breaking his own rushing record from the previous year.
Tucker currently serves as the Physical Education teacher at Terrell High School and is the assistant track coach and the running back coach for all running backs grades 7-12. During the 2022 season under his direction, Terry Davis and Chase Bingmon rushed for 3,000 yards and earned All- State Honors - a Terrell Tiger first. You can see him on the field each Friday under the Friday Night Lights coaching our current and future Terrell Tiger running backs.
Adrain Turner Adrain Turner is a proud member of the Terrell High School Class of 2003 where he was a four-year member of the football and track team. As a freshman, he was a member of the varsity football team and ran the 4x100M and 4x400M relay and the 200M dash as a member of the varsity track team.
During his sophomore year, Turner was a starting defensive back on the varsity football team and earned 1st team All-District honors. He also ran for 300 yards as a running back and scored two touchdowns against Athens. He was a track and field regional qualifier in the 4x100M relay and the 200M dash. That year, the 4x100m relay team had a top ten finish with a time of 41.7.
During his junior year, Turner was a Nike Camp invite and a Texas Top 100 recruit. He garnered 141 tackles and four interceptions in one season and rushed for 300 yards in a single game against Jacksonville where he was nominated for Area Player of the Week. He was unanimously named a 1st team All-District safety and was ranked as the #27 safety in the nation by Rivals.Com.
As a senior, Turner was the starting running back and rushed for 1500 yards. In week two against Poteet, with three seconds left on the clock Turner ran a kickoff return for 85 yards to score the winning touchdown. For his efforts he was named the Area Player of the Week. He was the 69th ranked player in the country and earned All-District and All-State Honors, was named the Offensive Most Valuable Player and was a Rivals.Com 3-star rated player. As a member of the varsity track team, he was a regional qualifier in the 4x100M and 4x200M relay and the 200M dash.
After high school, Turner signed with the University of Nebraska on a full football scholarship and was a member of the team for three years.
Today, Turner works for Martin Marrietta as a mixer driver and has been there for the past 11 years. He is the proud father of three sons Adrain, Josiah, and Elijah.
Gilbert Willie, Jr. Gilbert Willie, Jr. is a proud graduate of the Terrell High School Class of 1986. He was a four-year member of the football, basketball, and track teams and a two-year member of the baseball team. Wilie served as editor of the high school newspaper, The Tiger Track, was a member of the choir, earned the Who’s Who Distinguished Service Award all four years, was voted Best All Around his senior year and had perfect attendance his junior and senior year.
As a freshman, Willie was an all-around athlete with six interceptions in football, averaging 16 points per game in basketball, and scoring eight home runs during the baseball season. During his sophomore year, he scored six touchdowns in football, averaged 15 points per game in basketball and was Defensive Player of the Week eight times
As a junior, he earned 2nd team All-District Cornerback and Wingback honors as a member of the varsity football team. He also averaged 15 points per game, had an 80% free throw percentage and was named Defensive Player of the Week six different times during basketball season. During his senior year, Willie averaged 26 points per game during the basketball season, had a 90% free throw percentage and earned 1st team All-District and 1st team All-Region honors. As a member of the varsity track team, he recorded a 23’10” long jump qualifying him for the regional meet where he was ranked #6 in state. He was also the first leg in the sprint relay at the state track meet taking home sixth place honors.
After graduation, Willie attended East Texas State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. After graduation, Willie came back home to Terrell where he taught PE and coached 8th grade football, basketball and track and served as head coach of the JV basketball team. Today, Willie is a custom home builder and has built custom homes for the past 27 years. He also owns several real estate and rental properties across the metroplex. He continues to give back to the Terrell community; and, through the Gilbert Willie Foundation he invested, planned, and designed the basketball court at Breezy Hill Park.
Willie and his wife, Chassordee, have been married for 20 years and have two sons, Tre’ and Kamron.
HALL OF HONOR
E. Rick Carmona A lifelong resident of Terrell, E. Rick Carmona graduated from Terrell High School in 1982. After attending the University of Texas at Arlington, he returned to Terrell to open Carmona’s Tex-Mex and Cantina in 1984, where he worked alongside his mother “Mama” for many years.
Mayor Carmona has served on the Terrell State Hospital Volunteer Services Council, the Kaufman County United Way Board and the Terrell Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He is also a past board member of the Terrell ISD Excellence Foundation, the Terrell ISD Educational Improvement Council and the North Central Texas Council on Governments Executive Board. Mayor Carmona was named the chairman of the Terrell Economic Development Corporation in 2005. In 2017, he received the Community Service Award from the Rotary Club of Terrell. A two-term City Council member for District 5, and a former Mayor Pro Tem, he was seated as Mayor in 2019 and was re-elected in 2022 to another three-year-term.
Mayor Carmona and his wife Lisa have three children, Alicia, Cece and Drew and two grandchildren Lilly Belle and Mason.
Judge B. Michael Chitty Judge B. Michael Chitty graduated from Terrell High School in 1966 where he was a member and officer of the Student Council and National Honor Society, student body president, and salutatorian. He is an honor graduate of Southern Methodist University receiving BBA and JD degrees. While at SMU, he served on the Student Senate, All Men's Judiciary, the Law School Admissions Committee, and was a Hatton W. Sumners Scholar.
From l973 to 2004, he was engaged in the general practice of law representing plaintiffs and defendants in a broad variety of cases. In January 2004, Governor Rick Perry appointed Judge Chitty to serve as the first Judge of the newly created 422nd Judicial District Court of Kaufman County, Texas, and he was subsequently elected in November 2004, and re-elected in 2008, 2012, and 2016. During his time on the bench, Judge Chitty presided over more than 17,000 family, civil, and criminal court proceedings. Judge Chitty also established his court as a mental health and drug diversion court to provide treatment in lieu of incarceration for those suffering from mental illness and substance abuse. He served as President of the Texas Association of Specialty Courts and as Chairman of the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority, and he is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. Judge Chitty retired in 2020 and is presently serving as a visiting senior district judge for the State of Texas.
Judge Chitty is a member of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Terrell and has an extensive community service record, including being President of the Terrell Athletic and Recreation Association, President of the Terrell Alliance for Education and the Arts, Chairman of the Downtown Advisory Board, President of Terrell Rotary Club, and Chairman of the Terrell Public Library, among many others.
Judge Chitty is married to Elise, his wife of 46 years, and they have three children, Lauren, Katie, and Michael, and eight grandchildren.
Benny Lampkin Benny Lampkin is a proud 1981 graduate of Terrell High School. He was a member of the varsity football team where he was a starter his freshman, sophomore, and junior years. After an on field injury that left him temporarily paralyzed for two weeks, Mr. Lampkin was unable to play his senior year; however, he continued to support his teammates from the sideline every Friday giving pep talks, keeping up the team spirit, and making sure everyone stayed hydrated.
Later in life, Mr. Lampkin was able to make a return to the football field as a member of the Dallas Outlaws, a semi-professional football team. Mr. Lampkin served the students of Terrell ISD for thirty years as a paraprofessional at W.H. Burnett, John F. Kennedy - now Gilbert Willie - and later as a security guard at Terrell High School. He also served as a referee for the Terrell ExCEL. In the evenings, Mr. Lampkin would work at the Walmart Distribution Center, and he continued to do so for 16 years.
Lampkin was known as a father figure to many of the youth in our community. He was a lifeguard at the Terrell Public Swimming Pool, and he coached a Tigers youth football team for sixteen years from 1983-1999. His team won several championships and had numerous players that played football in high school and received college scholarships and several that went on to play in the NFL.
Peggy Wieland Peggy Wieland’s career in education spans four decades and includes 42 years in Terrell ISD. She made the district her educational home in 1960 when she became a third grade teacher at Langwith Elementary. In 1961, she moved to the high school to teach Health and Physical Education, and later served as the Supervisor and Principal at the Child & Adolescent School from 1984-2002.
Perhaps most notably, Peggy Wieland is the longest tenured and most influential Director of the Terrell Tigerettes, serving continuously as Tigerette Director from 1961-1982. Later in her life, she would fill in as Director, Assistant Director and mentor, when needed. With her stipend incentive of $5 per month, Ms. Wieland grew and "modernized" the Tigerettes, transforming them from a group that marched along with the band, to a separate drill team that performed their own unique dance routines. Ms. Wieland introduced the ladies to drill team and officer camps at SMU, North Texas and East Texas State and looked for ways to showcase the Tigerettes locally and nationally, eventually taking the teams to Honolulu and New York to perform.
Under Ms. Wieland, the first Tigerette Spring Show, titled "Around the World", was held on March 8, 1968, at the Terrell High School Auditorium. Other notable traditions that began under Ms. Wieland, that current Tigerette fans would immediately recognize, include entering the field on Friday nights to "Everything's Coming Up Roses", and ending the Tigerette Spring Show with the performance of "Hooked on Classics".
She has impacted the lives of thousands of young men and women, including generations of Terrell Tigerettes. Ms. Wieland and her husband, Charles, were married for 40 years. They have two children, Janna and Shuck, five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Dr. Bruce Wood Dr. Bruce Wood attended Terrell High School from 1962-1965 where he was class president all four years. He was a class favorite and member of the student council. After high school, Dr. Wood received his bachelor’s (1968), master’s (1971) and doctorate degrees (1994) from East Texas State University - now Texas A&M Commerce.
A lifelong resident of Terrell, he served in public education for 40 years beginning as a school bus driver, and then teaching government and economics. As a high school government teacher, he always encouraged his students to become a part of the process, to study and support candidates, vote, and become an active participant in the political and public service process.
He later moved into administration, serving 13 years as Terrell ISD Superintendent, retiring in 1997. Upon his retirement, the Terrell ISD school board voted unanimously to name Wood Elementary School in his honor. Later, he returned to serve as Kaufman ISD superintendent for an additional seven years. Dr. Wood has also served as an Adjunct Professor for many colleges & universities.
After learning that Kaufman County Judge Wayne Gent would be retiring, Wood decided to run for Gent’s seat. He was elected in 2010 and served from 2011 - 2019. During his first election, Wood ran against one opponent and was unopposed for his second election.
He has served on boards of numerous non-profit and civic organizations including the Terrell ISD Excellence Foundation and the Terrell Economic Development Corporation, where he has served as Board Chairman since 2019. Dr. Wood was also instrumental in bringing Buc-ee’s to Terrell. For the past 66 years, he has been a member of the First Baptist Church of Terrell having served on every church committee.
Dr. Wood and his wife Susie have been married for 54 years and have three daughters, one son, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.