I am a huge fan of accolades. I am a huge fan of power rankings. I am a a huge fan of recognition. Really, anything that creates more debate and discussion, in a way where we can both subjectively and objectively rank things or people, I am a full supporter of these mechanisms.
Naturally, I was thrilled when, nearly a decade ago, the Harris County Houston Sports Authority decided to create a Houston Sports Hall of Fame. There are not many cities with a more rich tradition of team success, individual characters, and intriguing stories than the city of Houston.
After eight star-studded Hall of Fame classes, the Harris County Houston Sports Authority unveiled the latest class, the Class of 2026, over the last couple weeks. The three man class is headlined by Texans legend J.J. Watt. He is joined by former Dynamo star Brian Ching and former Astros closer Bill Wagner, who himself went into his sport’s actual Hall of Fame last summer.
Let’s relive the accolades and accomplishments of each of the three very deserving inductees into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame:
J.J. WATT
Of the three inductees in the 2026 class, Watt is the one inductee who has a legitimate claim to the title of “Greatest Houston Athlete of All Time.” There are a select few who belong in that conversation, and Watt is one of them. Watt’s NFL career is highlighted by three Defensive Player of the Year awards over a four season span (2012, 2014, 2015). He eclipsed the 20 sack mark twice in his career (20.5 each in 2012 and 2014), and in 2014, he scored five total touchdowns (two on defense, three as a tight end on offense) in finishing runner up to Aaron Rodgers for the 2014 MVP award. In 2017, Watt won the most hallowed NFL individual award, the Walter Payton Man of the Year, for his efforts in raising tens of millions to benefit families affected by Hurricane Harvey. Currently, he is a rising star on CBS’ coverage of the NFL.
BRIAN CHING
Brian Ching took the long road to Houston, before cementing his status as a city icon. Growing up in Hawaii, Ching dreamed of becoming a surfer in his younger years. However, soccer took him to Gonzaga University collegiately, and eventually to MLS, where he joined the San Jose Earthquakes, where he helped lead the club to the 2033 MLS title. In 2006, the team moved to Houston, where Ching helped lead the club to back to back titles in their first two seasons in Houston, in 2006 and 2007. Ching remains the Dynamo’s all-time leading scorer, including 56 MLS regular season goals. During his playing career, Ching was also a frequent member of the U.S. National team (45 caps). Ching is fittingly the first MLS player inducted into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame.
BILLY WAGNER
Known for his bulldog mentality and wicked fastball, “Billy the Kid” was one of the most dominant closers int he history of the sport. Over his 16 Major League seasons, Wagner tallied 422 saves (eighth all-time), a 2.31 ERA, and 1,196 strikeouts in just 903 innings pitched. When he retired, nobody ion the sport had struck out more batters per nine innings (11.92) than Wagner. No pitcher held batters to a lower batting average (.187) than Wagner, among pitchers who’d thrown at least 900 innings. Wagner made the All Star Game seven times in his career, and was named the best reliever in the sport in 1999, winning the Roland’s Reflief Man Award. In 2025, Wagner was finally inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
