St. Stephen’s Administrator Inducted into UT Athletics Hall of Honor

Lawrence Sampleton joined the elite group of 2026 honorees recognized for outstanding athletic achievement and legacy beyond the Forty Acres.

During a special ceremony on The University of Texas at Austin campus, Lawrence Sampleton, St. Stephen’s associate head of school for enrollment management and financial aid, was recently inducted into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor — one of the highest achievements an alumni can receive. Recipients are recognized not only for their athletic accomplishments but also for outstanding leadership, character and sportsmanship in their post-college careers.

Sampleton, a native of Seguin, Texas, was a successful three-sport high school athlete before influential UT head football coach Fred Akers recruited him to the legendary Longhorns football team in 1978. During his 36-game career as a Longhorn tight end, Sampleton broke team records for receiving yards, receptions and touchdown receptions. More than four decades later, those records are still among the top 10 for all UT tight ends. After his senior season with the Longhorns, Sampleton joined the NFL as a second-round draft pick for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1982, and later played for the Miami Dolphins.  

“It is such an honor, and such a privilege to be selected,” Sampleton said of the Hall of Honor award.

During the Hall of Honor ceremony at the LBJ Auditorium and Conference Center, UT Vice President and Athletics Director Chris del Conte congratulated the 2026 class of 12 former UT student-athletes and one coach.

“There are 8,500 student-athletes that have had the privilege of wearing burnt orange and white, [but] only 500 inducted into the Hall of Honor in its history,” he said. “You are the very best of the best.”

After his professional football career, Sampleton joined St. Stephen’s as a coach in the late 1980s and has held many roles on The Hill since, from football coach to dorm parent to his 37-plus years with the admission team. In 2025, he received the Enrollment Management Association’s William B. Bretnall Award, a national award given to educational leaders who have made significant contributions to the admission field.

The lessons he learned from UT’s Akers and Pro Football Hall of Fame coaches Dick Vermeil and Don Shula often inform his work at St. Stephen’s, Sampleton said. 

“Akers trained us on how to really visualize what outcomes we wanted to see, not only on the field but also in life. If you talk to my team [at St. Stephen’s], they will tell you there are a lot of outcomes that we've visualized all year.” 

Philadelphia Eagles coach Vermeil impressed upon Sampleton the dedication required to achieve those outcomes (his motto: “Nobody drowns in sweat”). The Dolphins’ Shula taught him the importance of building meaningful relationships with teammates on and off the field. 

“These are all things I’ve brought to The Hill,” said Sampleton.

After receiving his Hall of Honor award in front of an auditorium packed with current and former Longhorns, Sampleton sat for a brief onstage interview with emcee Roger Wallace, longtime sports anchor for KXAN and UT football radio analyst. Wallace noted Sampleton’s long career in education and asked him what advice he would give current Longhorn student-athletes. 

“Put in the work every day, and treat everyone with respect and dignity,” Sampleton replied. “Understand that you’re at one of the best universities in the world. Take advantage of the relationships that you have with faculty. … Make friends with people from different walks of life. … Maintain those valuable relationships you develop when you’re here.”

The advice delivered on the Forty Acres resonates just as deeply for Sampleton’s community on The Hill.

View Sampleton’s Hall of Honor display at the Denius Family University of Texas Athletics Hall of Fame in the north end zone lobby of Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.