Brenham Football Hall of Honor Class of 2025 officially inducted

Four of Brenham football’s great 21st century athletes received their green jackets Friday as the newest Cubs in the Hall of Honor.

Donyell Jones, Michael Walker, Malcom Brown and Ty Schlottmann were officially inducted to the Brenham Football Hall of Honor at the annual hall of honor banquet in front of a packed house at the Blinn College Student Center.

Brown was the first inductee to take the stage. He made his mark for the Cubs as a two-way superstar from 2009 to 2011.

He accumulated 125 tackles, 66 tackles for loss, 91 quarterback hits, and 24 sacks on the defensive side and recorded 159 yards on 10 catches for three touchdowns as a tight end his senior year and powered the Cubs to a 34-5 record during his three seasons.

Brown was an All-American, two-time all-state and three-time all-district performer on the defensive line and was rated as a five-star recruit by Rivals. He collected district MVP honors in 2011 and district defensive MVP honors in 2010.

He played for the University of Texas and played with the Longhorns for three seasons. He was a consensus All-American as well as an Outland Trophy and Bronki Nagurski Trophy finalist during his junior year in 2014 and forgoed his senior season to play in the National Football League, where he won two Super Bowl championships with the New England Patriots.

Brown kept his induction speech short Friday, thanking his Brenham coaches for motivating him as a Cub.

“That was what drove me to be the player I was and what set the foundation for everything I have done throughout my whole career,” he said.

Jones is the oldest of this year’s inductees as a 2002 Brenham High School graduate.

He stood out in 2001 with 1,921 rushing yards, the fourth-highest single-season mark in program history. Jones earned a place on the Texas Sports Writers Association Class 4A All-State Team in his senior season, when the Cubs reached the regional semifinals.

His 3,225 career rushing yards ranks fourth in Brenham history.

Jones delivered an emotionally-charged induction speech, thanking his family and Brenham coaches. He particularly thanked Glen West, Brenham head coach from 1998 to 2017.

“Sometimes it was hard to see your coaching style, but after practicing (and) those real conversations we all saw the side of you that truly cared,” Jones said.

He added that he tries to coach his own kids the same way he was taught by West.

“My only regret, Coach, is not being able to play for you for more years,” he said.

Jones also thanked his family for making a three-hour drive to Brenham to be with him to see him be inducted into the Brenham Hall of Honor.

Walker transformed into one of the state’s most feared defenders over the 2008 and 2009 seasons, leading the Cubs to the 2009 Class 4A Division II state championship game.

He earned 236 tackles over his two years as a varsity Cub, including 130 tackles and 38 tackles for a loss during his senior year in 2009. Walker collected district defensive player of the year and First-Team All-Brazos Valley honors as well as a place on the TSWA Class 4A All-State team.

He played college football at the University of Utah, where he recorded 97 tackles, one sack and one interception in his collegiate career.

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Walker’s buzzword for his speech was “acknowledgement” as he thanked his family and coaches.

“Being acknowledged as one of the best to come from Brenham with so many good football players, I am grateful and I am blessed to actually be acknowledged,” he said.

He extended a message to Brenham’s current captains, who attended Friday’s banquet along with their coaches, on how much his teammates valued being Brenham Cubs. This year’s captains in attendance were seniors Caleb Espinoza, Andre Mojica and Mason Seeber along with junior and Ledrick Walker Jr.

“We wore that pride of Cubs on our jersey with a lot of pride because it meant something to us and me being here today pretty much shows what it meant,” Walker said.

Schlottmann played under center through one of Brenham’s best eras in program history from 2008 to 2010.

He came off the bench in his sophomore year in 2008 before leading the Cubs to the 2009 4A Division II state title game. Brenham played an undefeated regular season in 2010 with Schlottmann earning the district MVP award.

Schlottmann ranks second in all-time passing yards for the Cubs, throwing for 4,958 yards with 57 touchdowns on 393 completions. Brenham went 30-6 during his three seasons.

He went on to pitch for Texas A&M after his Brenham High School days, which included a 2009 baseball state championship.

Schlottmann congratulated his fellow inductees while also thanking the hall of honor committee for selecting him.

“It is an honor to play with two guys in this room and I know, Donyell, I was not able to play with you, but I have heard stories and each of your guys are more than well deserving of being a part of this group as well, so congratulations,” he said.

His entire family, including his wife Jessica and children Nora and Eli, eventually joined him on stage during his induction speech. He showed gratitude that his family could be with him on Friday, especially for his two children.

“I hope Eli and Nora are able to grow up in a community that supports their sport programs like Brenham does and get to be a part of a program as special as this one,” Schlottmann said.

He also thanked his coaches for instilling lifelong lessons in him as well as his teammates for making his three years as a Brenham Cub unforgettable.

Schlottmann said being a Brenham football player taught him the value of devoting time to a vision greater than any one person.

“Cub football taught me that when you buy into something bigger than yourself, that is where true success comes from and getting to experience that as a Brenham Cub, that tops any wins or awards,” he said.

Before the four inductees gave their speeches, Brenham coach Danny Youngs spoke to the attendees prior to Brenham’s game against Belton. He congratulated the inductees, introduced the captains in attendance and gave credit to all of Brenham’s coaches from the junior high programs up to the high school level.

He also commented on the community built through Brenham’s schools.

“You really become bonded from elementary on up because everybody wears kelly green and white and everybody is part of the same system coming through,” Youngs said. “Brenham is a very, very special place and I really do appreciate being a part of it and being able to coach here.”