NMSHF News:
ALBUQUERQUE — The New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame announced Friday, Dec. 6, that it will release a series of press releases over the coming weeks highlighting the distinguished individuals selected for its 2024 Hall of Fame Class.
This is the second announcement of three, concluding Dec. 20, with each announcement featuring a detailed profile of two newly inducted members.
The second in the series of press releases welcomes former Eastern New Mexico University Greyhounds Steve Loy and Michael Sinclair.
Steve Loy – Loy, a 1970 Sandia High School Graduate, was a two-year letterman on the football team, a 1969 NM Associated Press Honorable Mention all-state defensive back, and a 1969 Albuquerque Tribune First Team All-City Defensive Back. Loy also was the state runner-up in golf in 1969.
Loy came to Eastern New Mexico University in 1970 as a member of the football and golf teams. At ENMU, Loy was the team captain for the 1972 and 1973 Greyhound football teams, was an intercollegiate all-American in golf, and graduated from ENMU in 1974.
After college, Loy began a successful career as a collegiate golf coach and athletic administrator. Loy started his career at Scottsdale Community College as the head golf coach and a professor. He continued his career as an associate athletic director and head golf coach at the University of Arkansas and finally moved to Arizona State University as their head golf coach. Since 1992, he has served as the president of Gaylord Sports Management, Lagardere Unlimited, and SportFive (presently the largest golf sports agency in the world, operating in 41 countries on five continents).
Steve Loy
Steve Loy – As a college golf coach, Loy was a three-time national coach of the year, coached three NCAA National Championship Teams, and his 1990 Arizona State University Men’s and Women’s teams were the only teams to win the National Championships together in the same year.
When Loy moved into his management career, he owned and operated multiple golf properties throughout Arizona and is an avid investor in several businesses. He has coached or managed over 40 All-Americans, eight Ryder Cup players, seven national champions, four US Amateur champions, and two number-one professional golfers worldwide, including Hall of Famers Phil Mickelson and Davis Love. Additionally, Loy has represented some of the game’s superstars, including Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, and Davis Love, among others.
Loy has been inducted into several halls of fame throughout his career, including the ENMU Athletics Hall of Honor, Scottsdale Community College Hall of Fame, NJCAA Coaches Hall of Fame, NCAA Coaches Hall of Fame, Arizona State and University of Arkansas Hall of Fame, and the Sandia High School Hall of Fame.
“As a former student-athlete at Sandia High School and Eastern New Mexico University and a true New Mexican at heart, my family and I are truly honored to receive this recognition,” said New Mexico Sports Hall of Famer Steve Loy. “We look forward to the upcoming celebration around the New Mexico Bowl at the end of this month.”
Michael Sinclair
Michael Sinclair – Sinclair, originally from Galveston, Texas, came to ENMU and became an All-Lone Star Conference All-Decade Player, earning consecutive first-team All-LSC selections in 1989 and 1990 and was named the LSC defensive lineman of the year as a senior in 1990 as well as being named to the 1990 Associated Press Little All-American team for Division II. He concluded his ENMU career with 279 tackles, 45 tackles for a loss, and 30 sacks.
Drafted in the sixth round of the 1991 NFL Draft, Sinclair went on to a stellar career with the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles, registering 353 tackles, 73.5 QB sacks, nine fumble recoveries, and two touchdowns over his 11-year NFL career.
Sinclair’s distinguished career with the Seahawks included being named as an NFL Pro-Bowler three times; his 73.5 career sack total ranks second all-time in Seahawks history, and Sinclair has the most sacks of anyone in the entire 1991 draft class.
After his career, Sinclair has had several recognitions, including being elected to the ENMU Hall of Honors, being named to the Seahawks all-time GOAT team, being ranked as one of the Seahawk’s top ten defensive players of all-time, and being named to the Seahawks all-time team.
“I sincerely appreciate and am incredibly thankful for the chance to be called one of many great athletes who contributed to the state of New Mexico’s sports landscape,” said New Mexico Sports Hall of Famer Michael Sinclair. “I would like to thank Coach Carthel and his staff for helping me mature into a responsible young man and a good football player. I’m also grateful to my teammates, who helped me see that it’s more about the journey than the destination. Being selected into this pool of greatness is awesome, but also a responsible mantle of representing my family, ENMU, and my professional endeavors.”
The New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame will host a press conference to welcome the new members of the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame on December 28th at 9 a.m. at the Pit on the campus of the University of New Mexico, followed by a recognition of new inductees at the New Mexico Bowl during the game.
The induction ceremony for the new inductees will be on the weekend of June 27-29, 2025, with the induction ceremony being at the Albuquerque Convention Center at 4:30 p.m., Sunday, June 29.
For more information on the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame and the schedule of events for the induction weekend, visit www.NMSHOF.org.
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