Five former TCU athletes will be honored as inductees into the TCU Letterman’s Association Hall of Fame at halftime during tonight’s football game against Utah.Current NBA player Kurt Thomas, former MLB player Tim Mauser and former TCU football players John Nikkel, Jim Lucas and Dan Sharp have been chosen from more than 100 applicants to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, said Letterman’s Association member and former TCU athletics director Frank Windegger.

TCU Letterman’s Association President Ed Laswell said, “It’s an extremely hard process to narrow down (Hall of Fame candidates). We discuss each person.”

Each of the men was nominated by teammates and fellow athletes based on their support of TCU, their community support and, most importantly, their athletic ability at TCU and beyond, Windegger said.

Director of Sports Medicine Chris Hall said, “Whoever narrowed this down did their homework. This group’s a great representation of what the Hall of Fame and TCU are all about.”

The candidates each received the honor warmly.

“This is an unexpected and most appreciated honor,” said 70-year-old Nikkel, a former left end.

During his time as a student-athlete at TCU, Nikkel participated in two Cotton Bowls in 1956 and 1957, was an Academic All-American for those two seasons and was an honor student who graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in geology and mathematics in 1958.

Lucas, 80, who graduated in 1948, said he came to TCU to follow in the footsteps of his idol, Frank Medanich, who was a legend in Lucas’ hometown of Pecos. Medanich played a key role in TCU’s 14-7 victory over Texas in 1941.

Lucas left his own legacy as one of the few quarterbacks to rush for 100 yards in a game three times. After his first two years, Lucas left TCU to serve on a naval destroyer during World War II, but returned after two years of service to finish his college career.

After graduating from TCU in 1948, Lucas was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, but he turned down a career in the NFL to become a high school coach before pursuing a 42-year career in insurance.

One inductee needed a bit of convincing to earn his degree.

When Thomas, 32, was first drafted into the NBA in 1995, he was unable to play because of a strike, said Thomas’ former academic adviser, associate athletics director Jack Hesselbrock.

“Kurt needed six hours to graduate, so we called his mom,” Hesselbrock said. “He said, ‘You got my mom after me!’ and I said, ‘You’ll do well in (the NBA), but you should finish your education.’ He later told me it was important to him.”

Out of the top 15 draft picks for the NBA in 1995, Thomas was one of two who completed his degree, Hesselbrock said.

Hesselbrock remembers Thomas fondly.

“He would never turn down anything – autographs, pictures,” Hesselbrock said. “But those who saw him on the court wouldn’t know it. He always played with a scowl.”

During his time at TCU, Thomas set many records and became the third player in NCAA history to lead the nation in both scoring and rebounding in the same year.

Hall said he remembered telling the NBA scouts that in spite of Thomas’ history of injuries, “he would be a good investment because he has a great work ethic and is a great person off the court.”

Thomas graduated from TCU in 1995 with a degree in psychology. He will play for the Phoenix Suns this season after stops with the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat. He could not be reached for comment.

Not all of the inductees have left TCU.

Described by Windegger as “a real attribute to TCU,” Sharp, 43, is a TCU football assistant coach in charge of special teams and tight ends.

“Dan Sharp is a tremendous athlete, very well respected by his teammates, who has been a real attribute to TCU,” Windegger said.

Laswell said Sharp is “very mild-mannered and very easy-going. He would do anything for anybody.”

Sharp, a former tight end, served as a team captain during the 1984 season when he won numerous leadership awards after playing in the Bluebonnet Bowl.

Sharp graduated from TCU in 1985 with a degree in education and received his master’s in 1986.

He went on to play for two seasons for the Atlanta Falcons before returning to TCU.

“I love the feeling here at TCU,” Sharp said in an e-mail. “Also, I bleed purple!”

Mauser, 38, “was the ultimate athlete,” said former TCU catcher and designated hitter Clayton Odom.

“He not only had the talent to play, but he also had a strong knowledge of the game,” Odom said.

Hall said he remembers Mauser with a big smile.

“He broke the tense situations,” Hall said. “He was there to work, but if you gave an inch, he took a yard.”

Mauser set the TCU pitching record for most strikeouts in a single season, 120, which stood for 17 years until it was broken by Lance Broadway last season.

Mauser was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies, who he played for until he was traded to the San Diego Padres in 1993.

Mauser could not be reached for comment.