Pro Athletes

Despite Trinity’s demanding academics, some Tigers still make time to excel in sports. Darrell Hogan ’49 was the first Tiger to make the leap from Trinity football to the National Football League. Right after graduation, Hogan signed on with the Pittsburgh Steelers, played during the early ’50s, and was selected for NFL First Team All-Pro Defense.

As Trinity transitioned to Division III, it became harder for players to break into pro football, but Tigers continued to bridge the gap. Jerheme Urban ’03 competed in football and track before going into the NFL as a wide receiver shortly after graduation. 

After a nine-year career at the Arizona Cardinals, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Kansas City Chiefs, Urban returned to Trinity as the head football coach.

Under Urban, Trinity has made game-changing adjustments to support the academic life of its players, resulting in the football team’s GPA reaching an all-time high.

Urban’s classmate Josh Smith ’03 turned to pro soccer after graduating as an NCAA All- American player. Smith has played with a number of professional soccer teams. Johnny Lawson ’15 played soccer all across the country before returning to his hometown to sign on with the San Antonio Scorpions as a forward.

Trinity’s nationally ranked baseball program continues to produce pro players. In his two-decade career, head coach Tim Scannell has seen 27 of his players sign professional contracts. In the past year alone, Taylor Hoesen ’17 joined the Wichita Wingnuts and pitcher Brendan Meyer ’18 signed onto the Cleveland Indians. After the Tiger baseball team’s 2016 NCAA championship victory, Carter McEachern ’16 returned to his native Canada after graduation to play with the Winnipeg Goldeyes, and Nick Jewett ’16 stayed in Texas to play for the Laredo Lemurs.

Quite a few Trinity tennis players have gone pro, too. Louise Allen ’84 retired from pro tennis in 1993 with five singles and eight doubles titles to her name. Paul Gerken ’72 turned pro right out of Trinity and achieved world ranking before his career ended. After graduation, Austinite Anne Smith ’78 became one of the best doubles players in the world, capturing 34 doubles titles, including 10 Grand Slam championships. Smith won the 1984 French Open Mixed Doubles title with fellow Tiger Dick Stockton, who was ranked 8th in the world and played on the U.S. Davis Cup team five times. Stockton played alongside his sister, Donna Stockton Roup ’76, in the 1972 U.S. Open Mixed Doubles.