There must be something in the water in the Texas Hill Country because the towns and cities located in and around it have produced some iconic figures over the years. Texas Hill County boasts dozens of legendary figures among its current and former residents, including former President Lyndon B. Johnson, Oscar-winning actors Matthew McConaughey and Tommy Lee Jones, and country singer-songwriter Willie Nelson.
The Texas Hill Country also has a rich sporting history, with some athletes writing their names into their respective sports’ history books. Over the following few hundred words, you will learn about three sporting greats forever linked to the Texas Hill Country.
Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick may have been born in Omaha, Nebraska, but Texas Hill Country is where his heart lies. Roddick’s family moved to Austin, Texas, when he was only four years old, way before anyone knew he would become a tennis icon and a favorite with people sports betting in Texas. He lived in Austin until the age of 11 and then moved to Boca Raton, Florida, in the interest of his brother’s tennis career. Roddick has since returned to Austin, where he is raising a family.
Roddick was a promising young tennis player but rarely made it onto the professional circuit. A string of junior losses nearly resulted in Roddick quitting competitive tennis. However, his coach convinced him to give the sport four more months of his undivided attention. It is a good job his coach did that because Roddick finished 1999 ranked sixth in the U.S. junior standings and world junior number one a year later.
Roddick turned professional in 2000 and was ranked as the world number one within three years. In 2003, Roddick reached the semi-final stage of the Australian Open, a feat he achieved again in 2005, 2007, and 2009. He won the 2003 US Open and navigated his way to the final of Wimbledon in 2004, 2005, and 2009. Unfortunately, Roddick couldn’t get the job done in any of those Wimbledon finals.
He retired from professional tennis in 2012 with a fantastic singles record. Roddick won 32 singles titles, $20,640,030 in prize money, and had a record of 612-213 (74.2% winrate). Unsurprisingly, the International Tennis Hall of Fame inducted Roddick in 2017.
Since retiring, Roddick has returned to Austin, where he married Brooklyn Decker in 2009. The couple have two children, Hank and Stevie.
Johnny Manziel
Every college football player dreams of winning the Heisman Trophy, the annual award given to the most outstanding player in college football. Some excellent players have won the Heisman Trophy since its inception in 1935, including Hall of Famer Barry Sanders and current NFL stars Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Joe Burrow. However, none of those players mentioned achieved what Johnny Manziel did.
Born in December 1992 in Tyler, Texas, Manziel played several sports growing up before focusing on football while attending Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas. Manziel’s skills as a quarterback were evident from an early age, with local sportswriters and coaches comparing him to seasoned NFL stars Drew Brees, Brett Favre, and Michael Vick.
Manziel developed rapidly during high school, winning several awards and becoming the only quarterback in America to be named Parade All-American in his senior year. He also won the Mr. Texas Football Award in 2010.
The Texas A&M University offered Manziel an athletic scholarship, which he accepted. Manziel redshirted in 2011 but broke into the team in 2012, putting up some impressive figures. His incredible performances during his debut 2012 college season saw Manziel win the coveted Heisman Trophy, the first-ever Freshman to do so. Only Jameis Winston in 2013 has achieved the same feat since. During his two seasons as the team’s starting quarterback, Manziel threw 7,820 yards and 63 touchdowns while rushing 2,169 yards and scoring 30 touchdowns.
Manziel announced he would forgo his junior season and enter the 2014 NFL Draft. Football experts predicted Manziel would be selected as a top-five pick, but he had to wait until the 22nd overall pick, which the Cleveland Browns used to secure his signature. Injuries plagued Manziel’s rookie season, while some Browns insiders questioned his work ethic. He played only five games, starting two, as a rookie.
In 2015, Manziel played ten games, starting six, for the Browns. He threw 1,500 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed 230 yards. More injuries followed, ultimately resulting in the Browns releasing him in March 2016.
Surprisingly, no other NFL teams clambered for Manziel’s signature, and he eventually headed north of the border to the Canadian Football League, playing for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Montreal Alouettes. He has also played in the Alliance of American Football League for the Memphis Express. Manziel currently plays for the FCF Zappers of the Fan-Controlled Football League.
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Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt may not be a name that sports fans are too familiar with, but she is highly regarded in women’s basketball circles. Born in Goldthwaite, Texas, in May 1941, Conradt played basketball for Goldthwaite High School, where she averaged 40 points per game. Conradt played collegiate basketball for Baylor University, averaging 20 points per game while earning a degree in physical education. She went on to earn a master’s degree from Baylor six years later, in 1969.
Conradt embarked on a basketball coaching career, serving as coach for the Sam Houston State University and the University of Texas at Arlington. She coached for 38 seasons, achieving a remarkable 900-306 record; only Pat Summitt had more wins than Conradt at the time. Twenty-eight players Conradt coached went on to play professionally, in addition to four US Olympians.
The Basketball Hall of Fame inducted Conradt into its Class of 1998.
