Curtis “Sonny” Davenport of Ballinger was an All-Texas Conference quarterback for Howard Payne in 1950 and 1951. He was voted the Most Valuable Player in the Texas Conference in 1951, when the Yellow Jackets were conference tri-champions. Following his graduation in 1952 with a bachelor’s degree, he earned a master’s degree in education and mathematics. He worked as a football, track and golf coach at several Texas High Plains schools and returned to Howard Payne to coach from 1957-59. Davenport became principal of Abernathy High and later superintendent of the Jim Ned Consolidated School District. After retirement to Lake Brownwood in 1987, he continued to teach math part time in junior colleges. He died in 2019.