Editor’s note: The following column from the Best of West Collection was originally published in the Port Arthur News on Aug. 9, 2006.

Watching the inductions of Troy Aikman and Warren Moon in the National Football League Hall of Fame stirred many fond memories for a guy lucky enough to cover both quarterbacks in their prime. It also served as a subtle reminder that my 2006 ballot from the Texas Sports Hall of Fame is due next week.

Halls of Fame, in fact, have been in and out of my stream of consciousness more this year than any time I can recall. That’s a good thing because it means people I’ve written about during 35 years at the Port Arthur News are being celebrated at the highest levels for their accomplishments.

It started with former TJ schoolboy All-America Todd Dodge and former Beaumont French defensive tackle Louie Kelcher going into the Texas High School Sports Hall of Fame in May. Aikman and Moon followed at the NFL level last weekend.

This weekend, in South Bend, Ind., former Lincoln great Little Joe Washington officially becomes a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. It will be Little Joe’s fourth HOF induction, as he previously was welcomed into the Texas High School Sports HOF, the Oklahoma Sports HOF and the Texas Sports HOF.

Hopefully, the names of Beaumont golfing great Bruce Lietzke and TJ’s Austin “Goose” Gonsoulin will soon join the HOF party. They were my nominees for the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in June and both made it to the final ballot.

Lietzke won 13 times on the PGA Tour and has added six titles on the Senior PGA Tour. He was especially dynamic in Texas events, winning the Colonial in Fort Worth twice and the Byron Nelson in Dallas twice. Among modern day Texas golfers, only Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite have accomplished more.

Gonsoulin, who starred at TJ in the mid 1950s, went on to play collegiately at Baylor, then became one of the all-time greats in the American Football League. He was an original Denver Bronco and played so well he wound up being a charter member of the Broncos Ring of Fame and earned a spot in the Colorado Sports HOF.

For Goose, who is on the veteran’s ballot, it’s time for him to be honored in his home state.

His toughest competition will come from football standouts Abner Haynes, Don Perkins and Johnny Roland, baseball’s Wally Moon and one-time LPGA great Marilynn Smith. Two of the 12 veteran’s nominees make it.

Lietzke’s competition is much tougher on the regular ballot. Cowboy owner Jerry Jones and Warren Moon headline a group that includes football types like Billy Sims, Tommy Kramer, Jack Mildren, Bill Bradley, Spike Dykes and Kelcher.

Others bound to get serious consideration are executives Tal Smith, Deloss Dodds and Donna Lopiano, basketball’s Cynthia Cooper and Abe Lemons and golfer Dave Marr.

The six top voter getters make it.

My dilemma with the ballot, as I’ve thrown open to discussion on Sportsrap, is what to do with Jones. As readers of this column know, Jethro’s not one of my favorite people. That said, I’m leaning toward listing him pretty high on my ballot because, personal feelings aside, it’s probably the right thing to do.