Press release from NM SPORTS HALL OF FAME
The Temple of New Mexico Sports Fame will induce the class of 2024 on Sunday, June 29 at the Albuquerque Convention Center, in Albuquerque, New Mexico at 6 p.m.
Former star of the Rodeo Roy Cooper, the Paralympia of gold medal Alana Nichols, the former Greyhound football player of the EMU and the Bowler NFL Mike Sinclair, the former football player Nmsu Aggie and the former golf player, the golf officer of the EMU Grayhound, the former golf coach, and the golf agent golf Loy.
Roy Cooper -The former native of Hobbs, in New Mexico, which passed in the spring of 2025, is a former cowboy of American professional rodeo which participated in professional events of the Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) for more than two decades.
Indked in the temple of renown of the Colorado Springs pro rodeo, Colorado, in 1979, Cooper was part of the inaugural class of the room devoted in the category of liaison places. For his veal rope skills, he acquired the nickname “Super Looper”. The renowned temple of the Pro Rodeo calls Cooper “one of the most dominant cords in the history of sport”.
Cooper also won the Recra of the year of the 1976 PRCA, the 1976 and 1980-1984 CALF World Championship, the PRCA World Championship of 1983, the PRCA versatile world championship in 1983 and the PRCA Texas Circuit Circuit Circuit Championship.
ALANA NICHOLS-Originally from Farmington, in New Mexico, Nichols is a world class athlete passionate about herself and the others. From a young age, his passion for sport and the adventure led him, and regardless of the life of an obstacle that challenges him. After undergoing a spinal cord injury at the age of 17 while trying a backflip on his snowboard, Alana quickly went to adaptive sports. She is the first American woman to win gold medals at the same time at the Olympic / Paralympic Winter Games (Racing Alpine).
Nichols’ impressive career includes a gold medal in 2008 summer paralympic games in basketball, two gold downhill and giant slalom medals, a silver medal in the Super G and a bronze medal in the super combined with 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
She continued her success as a national champion of the 2011 NWBA, a female recognition of 2011 Colorado Sports Woman of the year, the Paralympic athlete of the year 2011, the 2011 world champion in the Downhill Super G, and the 2014 silver medalist in descent at the Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia. In May 2014, Nichols was inducted at the Warner Bros. “Superman Hall of Heroes” in the inaugural class of real heroes.
Michael Sinclair-Graduated in 1991 from the East University of the New Mexico, Sinclair was a member of the AP Little All-American 1990 team and a member of the 1989 and 1990 All-Lone Star team. He ended his career in Ecu with 279 plated, 45 plated for a defeat and 30 bags, which led to his enthronement to the athletics room of the Honnieurs in 1996.
Sinclair was drafted in the 6th Round of the 1991 NFL draft by Seattle Seahawks. He played 10 seasons with the Seahawks and a season with the Eagles of Philadelphia, with 353 plated, 73.5 QB bags, nine escaped and two affected recovery. Sinclair ended his career as the second bag artist in the history of the Seahawks, having the most bags of any other member of the 1991 draft class and the leader of the NFL in bags in 1998 with 16.5, which led him to be a defensive player of the defensive year of the NFL in 1998.
Sinclair was recognized during his career with three pro Bowl selections, as the largest choice of CBS recovery from the modern NFL in # 155 and was one of the four largest NFL draft choices in the history of Seattle Seahawks. He was also selected as being in the goat team of all time of Seahawks, the team of all time of Seahawks, and was appointed one of the ten best defensive players of the Seahawks of all time.
Fredd Young – 1984 graduate from New Mexico City University. Young was a member of the All-Missouri conference of 1981, 1982 and 1983, an All-Missouri Valley team, an All-American team of Honorable Associated Mentime in 1983, and an honorable member of the All-American team from 1983, while amazing 400 plated during his four-year career at the NMSU. These statistics led him to be inducted into the renowned temple of the NMSU in 1991 and the Ring of Honor Aggie Legend in 2007.
Young was drafted in the 3rdRD Round of the NFL draft of 1984 with the 76th overall choice. Young made his name as a special team player at the start of his career in the NFL, making the NFL Pro Bowl in 1984 and 1985 as a special team player. He continued his impressive career with consecutive pro-corks in 1986 and 1987 as second. Young has completed his career with the Indianapolis colts, amassing 601 plated, 21 quarter bags and three interceptions.
Young was recognized after his career concluded by the Seahawks by being appointed in 2010 35th The birthday team, and in 2016 was honored as one of the 40 best players of all time in the history of the Seahawks.
Steve Loy – Loy, originally from Albuquerque, graduated from the East University of New Mexico in 1974 and was a team captain in the Grayhound football teams of 1972 and 1973.
After university, Loy began a successful career as a college golf coach and sports administrator. Loy began his career at the Scottsdale Community College as a golf course and professor. He continued his career as a associate sports director and golf coach at the University of Arkansas and finally moved to Arizona State University as a chief golf course. Since 1992, he has been president of Gaylord Sports Management, Lagardere Unlimited and Sportfive (currently the largest golf sports agency in the world, operating in 41 countries on five continents).
As a university coach, Loy was three -year national coach of the year, coach of three NCAA National Championship teams, and his male and women teams from the 1990 Arizona University were the only teams to win the national championships together during the same year. The two team victory is the only time it was accomplished in the history of the NCAA.
Loy has resulted in or managed more than 40 All-Americans, eight Ryder Cup players, seven national champions, four American amateur champions and two number one professional golfers in the world, including the temple of Phil Mickelson and Davis Love.
The gala of the enthronement of the Temple of Fame of New Mexico sports will also offer special recognitions for individuals and the teams that have honored the state of new-mexic in the past year.
In addition, the Temple of New Mexico sports renown will grant three scholarships to secondary school athlete students, as well as donations to New Mexico SLA, to the Boys and Girls Club of the New Mexico Center, and to the MSA Coach Papa Brown Coach’s Coach’s Coach’s Coach’s Coach Fund during the ceremony.
Limited tickets are still available for the gala on Sunday June 29 at 6 p.m. at the Albuquerque Convention Center and can be purchased today by visiting www.nmshof.org/events.