EL PASO, Texas –

Emmitt Berry (track & field), Randy Culpepper (men’s basketball), Ja’Net Esparza (soccer), Thomas Howard (football) and Jordan Palmer (football) form the 22nd induction class into the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame. This year’s class will be inducted on Friday, Nov. 7, at the Larry K. Durham Sports Center, and will be honored at the Miners’ football game versus Jax State on Saturday, Nov. 8.

Berry (1975-78) was the 1976 NCAA indoor champion in the 35-pound weight throw (65-8) and a five-time All-American. He took third in the weight throw in 1977, and was runner-up in the hammer outdoors in 1976, 1977 and 1978. Berry was also a four-time Western Athletic Conference champion (weight throw indoors 1978, hammer outdoors 1976, 1977 & 1978). He was a member of five NCAA championship teams and eight WAC championship teams. He was the 1977 USA Hammer Throw Champion. Berry was ranked number one in the USA in 1977, 1978 and 1979. He was the United States Olympic Sports Festival Champion in 1978.  He is a member of the UTEP Track and Field Hall of Fame.

One of the most dynamic players in UTEP basketball history, Culpepper (2007-11) racked up 2,338 points, making him the no. 2 scorer in the school record book. He was the 2010 Conference USA Player of the Year and the 2008 Conference USA Sixth Man of the Year. He is UTEP’s all-time leader for three-point field goals made (318), and ranks second in field goals made (782) and fourth in free throws made (456). He is also second in steals (251).  In 2009, he became the first Miner to join the 1,000-point club during his sophomore season. Culpepper is tied for third place in school history with nine 30-point games. He ranks fourth on the all-time CUSA scoring list and third in steals. He has enjoyed a long professional career playing overseas.

Esparza (1996-99) was a member of the first UTEP soccer team, but to this day she remains one of the top players in program history. She is one of two individuals at the school to earn all-conference accolades in all four years. Esparza was first-team All-WAC in 1996, 1997 and 1999, while landing on the second team in 1998. She was also the 1996 WAC Mountain Division Freshman of the Year. Overall, she started all 74 matches of her career, tallying 24 goals (tied for seventh at UTEP), including 10 game winners (tied for third at UTEP) and 14 assists for 62 career points (tied for eighth at UTEP). Esparza was awarded the Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar Athlete Award in 1999 and was a two-time academic all-conference pick.

Howard (2002-05) came to UTEP as a 190-pound walk-on defensive back, but developed into a 240-pound linebacker and was chosen by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft – UTEP’s highest selection in 37 years. He posted 34 tackles for losses (fifth in school history) and 13.0 sacks (tied for 10th) in a Miner uniform. While leading UTEP to back-to-back eight-win seasons, Howard totaled 147 tackles, 21 tackles for losses and 11.0 sacks from 2004-05.  He was second team All-Conference USA as a senior in 2005, and second team All-WAC as a junior in 2004.  A three-year starter at UTEP, he would go on to play eight years in the NFL prior to his untimely passing in a car accident at the age of 30.

Palmer (2003-06) concluded his career as UTEP’s record-holder in every passing and total offense category. He currently ranks no. 1 in passing efficiency (136.26), completion percentage (.596), and 300-yard passing games (16); he is no. 2 in total offense (11,041 yards), total offense yards per game (240.0), touchdowns responsible for (95), passing yards (11,084), passing yards per game (241.0) and touchdown passes (88). He led the Miners to the 2004 Houston Bowl and the 2005 GMAC Bowl with a combined 16 wins during that two-year stretch. He was selected by the Washington Redskins in the 2007 NFL Draft and also spent time in the league with the Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans.

Further details for the UTEP Hall of Fame festivities will be announced soon.


Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.