Two W.T. White alumni and standout athletes were recently inducted into their respective collegiate Halls of Fame. Jason Smith, a 2004 graduate of W.T. White and a former first-round NFL draft pick from Baylor University, is one of eight inductees into Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame. Meanwhile Texas Christian University’s Letterman’s Association welcomes 2006 W.T. White graduate and acclaimed TCU catcher Bryan Holaday into its 2020 class of inductees.

Jason Smith as the no. 2 draft pick from Baylor by the Rams in 2009 (photo from Waco Tribune-Herald).

Jason Smith

Coming out of W.T. White, Smith was not initially the most sought-after recruit. During his time growing with the Baylor football program, Smith was voted Baylor’s Most Improved Player as a redshirt freshman in 2005. For his next three seasons, he started in 30 straight games and garnered All-America honors for his work on Baylor’s offense, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported. After graduating in 2008, the St. Louis Rams drafted Smith as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He signed a superlative rookie contract with the Rams ($61 million) and then finished his career with the New York Jets in 2012, Baylor reported.

pitcher Bryan Holaday (photo by Eric Espada from Getty Images).

Bryan Holaday

During his senior season at W.T. White, Holaday was named to the Class 5A All-State Third Team by the Texas Sports Writers Association. In 2010 at TCU, Holaday earned the 2010 Johnny Bench Award as the nation’s top catcher. He also earned All-America honors while he led TCU to its first appearance in the College World Series. As a three-time recipient of all-conference honors, Holaday played in 68 games, totaled 99 hits and 176 bases. He began his professional career with the Detroit Tigers in 2012 moved to the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, and signed a contract with the Miami Marlins in 2012. As of January 2020, Holaday signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles.