The sports writers unanimously agreed with Johnson and in 1951 baseball great Tris Speaker was the inaugural inductee and Texas became the first state to honor its athletes with a hall of fame.

In 1999, Allen was also inducted into the San Diego Hall of Champions, Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface.

In May 2006 the Cadets performed at the White House at the invitation of President George W. Bush for an event to honor America's returning athletes from the 2006 Winter Olympics.

In Europe and most countries they have ways of honoring their actors and their athletes.

Each year, Lester B. Pearson High School is proud to honor their athletes with a wide variety of awards from individual sport awards, Athletes of the Year, Service and Inspiration Awards and the new White, Red, Gold and Patriot levels of participation.

But he said the United States Olympic Committee intended to honor its affected athletes in some fashion.

The National Sportsmanship Awards honor the nation's top athletes and administrators who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship, citizenship, ethical conduct and community service.

Like many sports teams, Syracuse University retires jersey/uniform numbers as a way to honor its athletes.

Rogers High School's Athletic Hall of Fame was instituted in 2003 to honor the school's notable athletes and coaches through its 50 year history.

In 1979, Johnson was inducted by the San Diego Hall of Champions into the Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes.