San Antonio ISD celebrated a group of legends yesterday, as five new honorees found their place in the SAISD Athletic Hall of Fame. Hosted at the Alamo Convocation Center, the event marked the 10th annual induction ceremony, expanding the storied hall with a mix of accomplished athletes and a trailblazing team from the district's rich sports history.
Among the Class of 2024 was Theresa Diane Acosta, a 1994 Fox Tech graduate, who rose to prominence as an athletic trainer and has been at the helm of medical care for WNBA's New York Liberty since 2019. "Terri" Acosta, heralded for also taking her talents to the USA Basketball Women's National Team as an athletic trainer, broke new ground as the first Hispanic head athletic trainer in the women’s professional league, KSAT reported.
Joining Acosta was Wade Key, an NFL veteran who after a standout football career at Edison High School in the '60s, transitioned his game from the University of Texas at Austin to Texas State before a decade-long tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. His significant contributions to the Eagles earned him a spot on the franchise’s 75th anniversary team. Although not often in the limelight, Key's efforts in the trenches made him an effective force against NFL luminaries during his 121-game stretch, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
Orlando Mendez-Valdez, hailing from Lanier High School's 2004 class, also scored a spot in the hall. Known for his sharpshooting and leadership on the court, Mendez-Valdez made waves during his varsity years and continued making a splash in college basketball and in the international arena. His pinnacle moment came when he aided the Mexico National Team in clenching the gold medal in the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship, according to KSAT.
Baseball legend and Tuskegee Airman, John "Mule" Miles was inducted posthumously. A Wheatley High School alum, Miles didn't just excel at baseball — he also earned his place in history as a mechanic among the famed 'Red Tails' during World War II. After the war, and despite the racial segregation of the era, Miles became a powerhouse hitter for the Chicago American Giants in the Negro League. His indelible mark on the sport includes an impressive streak of 11 home runs in consecutive games, the San Antonio Express-News highlighted.
Not to be overlooked, the 1979 Wheatley/Brackenridge High School Football Team made their historic return, capturing the city championship in the state's top classification at the time. Their season, culminating in a record of 9-3-1, saw the team breaking through barriers and leaving an unmatched legacy with five All-City first-team players, a testament to their prowess on the gridiron. KSAT relayed, "SAISD had been knocking at the door," as recounted by offensive coordinator Charlie Pena, "But couldn't break the lock that North East and Northside had. (In 1979) we busted both locks."
