Sports Briefs

A place to call home

Charline Dauphin Pro Locker Room coming to Baylor’s Simpson Athletics and Academic Center

Baylor announced in September a $500,000 gift from Silsbee, Texas, philanthropist Charline Dauphin that will create a space where Baylor’s NFL pro players will “always have a home” when they come back to Baylor.

Construction is expected to begin later this fall on the Charline Dauphin Pro Locker Room within the Simpson Athletics and Academic Center at the Alwin O. and Dorothy Highers Athletics Complex on the Baylor campus.

“We are grateful and humbled by Charline Dauphin’s generous gift to provide a locker room for Baylor’s NFL players in the Simpson Center,” said Baylor head football coach Art Briles. “It is important that all of our players stay connected with our program after they leave Baylor, because they are an important part of our football and University family.

“Charline’s generosity and vision will allow our NFL players to have a place to call their own when they return to Waco to train in the off-season,” Briles added. “We want our players, past and present, to always feel the family atmosphere—this locker room will keep us connected.”

The Dauphin family has a history of investing in athletic programs and values the athletic experience, where students learn discipline as an important part of the educational experience at both the high school and collegiate levels.

“Baylor’s program is impressive, and coach Briles absolutely impressed me with his charm and enthusiasm,” Mrs. Dauphin said.

Jim Willis, executive director of the Silsbee Chamber of Commerce, Dauphin Family Estate Manager and close friend of the Dauphin family, said he and the Dauphin family are excited to be a part of a program and University where many of their local students study.

“The Baylor story is inspirational, and we all fell in love with Art and his drive for excellence,” he said.

Baylor Athletes Care For The Hungry Through FMSC

Baylor student athletes turned out en masse for the third straight year Sept. 22 to pack meals for the hungry children around the world in support of the Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) program. The numbers were staggering. All told, 443 student athletes packed 108,864 meals for the program—enough to provide 283 children with a meal a day for an entire year. All 19 sports at Baylor were represented, with players and coaches working in assembly line stations throughout the Ferrell Center.

FMSC works with major global distribution non-profits and embedded missionaries to feed children in more than 70 countries.

Walker Represents USA In Ryder Cup

Baylor alum and PGA Tour golfer Jimmy Walker added another milestone to an impressive array of accomplishments in the last year when he was named in August to participate for the USA Team in the prestigious Ryder Cup competition. As one of 15 American golfers selected, Walker became the first Baylor alum to represent the United States in the legendary biennial competition between the United States and European teams, held this year in Scotland in September.

His selection to the Ryder Cup team is a fitting reward for a stellar year. When Walker won the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, he became just the fourth golfer in the last 20 years to win three of his first eight starts in a season.

At Baylor from 1998-2001, Walker was a star in the making, earning All-Big 12 honors each of his four years. He turned pro in 2001 and earned his PGA Tour card three years later. In addition to all-conference honors throughout his college career, Walker never missed a tournament during his four years in green and gold.

Men’s Golf Claims Tournament In Coach McGraw’s Baylor Debut

The Bears ran away with the Gopher Invitational in Minnesota in September, finishing 16 strokes ahead of California in head coach Mike McGraw’s Baylor debut.

The tournament title was Baylor’s first since claiming the UTSA Oak Hills Invitational Championship on Feb. 11 last season.

McGraw came to Baylor following one season as an assistant coach at the University of Alabama, where he helped guide the Crimson Tide to a national championship. He spent nine seasons as head coach at Oklahoma State, winning a national title as head coach there in 2006.