Dayton Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

Betty Roberts – Volleyball and Track

The Dayton Sports Hall of Fame inducted former Dayton Bronco standout athlete Betty Roberts on June 12 at the Dayton ISD Performing Arts Center. The following is from the induction speech by Larry Wadzeck.

Our next inductee’s brother was inducted in 2019 – Gene Roberts. This year we welcome Betty Roberts to the Hall of Fame.

In volleyball Betty was a three-time All-District and All-Region player. She played left-side hitter and was known for her leaping ability. She helped lead the Broncos to the district championship her Senior year and finished that off by being named District MVP.

In track and field, being Gene’s younger sister, the coaches said she was running track! Betty ran on the 400 and 800 relay teams winning multiple district championships. In field events she competed in the long jump and triple jump. But it was in a new event – the 330 meter intermediate hurdles that Betty excelled. She won both the district and regional titles her Junior and Senior years qualifying for State where she earned a 6th place.

Betty graduated from Lamar University with a business degree and has worked in the oil and gas industry the last 25 years.

Brandon Payne – Basketball and Football

The Dayton Sports Hall of Fame inducted former Dayton Bronco standout athlete Brandon Payne on June 12 at the Dayton ISD Performing Arts Center. The following is from the induction speech by Larry Wadzeck.

I drove a school bus for Dayton ISD for about four years back in the 1980’s. One of the other drivers was Agnes Payne. Ms. Agnes let everyone of us know all about her grandson – we knew how many hits he got in baseball, number of points he scored in basketball, and how many touchdowns he made in football. She always ended by saying, “You just watch – he’s gonna be special in sports.”

Brandon was a three-year letterman in basketball for the Broncos, but he really excelled on the football field where again he was a three-year letterman, earning All-District honors on defense, All-Region honors, named District Defensive MVP his Senior year and making some All-State teams.

After graduation, Brandon played football at Blinn Jr. College before transferring to the University of New Mexico where he starred in the defensive backfield for the Lobos. His Senior year he was named to the first team All-Mountain West Conference, named to the Walter Camp All-American Team, led the NCAA in pass breakups, and was a semi-finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award for most outstanding defensive back in college ball.

After graduation Brandon was in the pro camps of the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. He also played in the Arena League and in 2006 was a member of the Canadian Football League Champion B.C. Lions.

Now for over a decade, Brandon has dedicated his talents to coaching at the high school and college levels. He is the new head coach at Papago Junior College in Arizona. He is using his talents to train young men in their sports and to mentor and serve as a positive role model for them.

Ms. Agnes was right – her grandson was going to be special – it’s an honor to welcome Brandon Payne to the Dayton Sports Hall of Fame.