Three sports stars from Coral Springs inducted into the Broward Sports Hall of Fame

Coral Springs, Florida – There were a lot of people from Coral Springs at the 2024 Broward County Sports Hall of Fame induction event last week.

The Broward Education Foundation put on the event to celebrate seven people who have made important contributions to sports and athletics in Broward County. Three of them have long-time ties to Coral Springs.

The following people with ties to Coral Springs are among the inductees:

—Eliot Bonner has lived in Coral Springs since 1977 and has been a football and baseball teacher in Broward County Public Schools for more than 50 years.

A statement from the Broward Education Foundation says, “From starting programs at Mullins Park to his long coaching career at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, he taught his players the values of hard work and dedication, shaping not only athletes but also good people in the community.”

Coral Springs Charter School is where Darius Butler went to school and played quarterback and safety on the football team. He ran track and played basketball. During high school, he scored more than 1,000 points and was named to both the All-County team and the All-State honorable mention team.

Butler played football at the University of Connecticut. In 2009, the New England Patriots picked him in the second round of the NFL draft. He then played in the NFL for nine years. Now he is a sports personality who regularly appears on “The Pat McAfee Show” and co-hosts the show “Man-to-Man” with Antoine Bethea.

– Lexi Thompson, who was born in Coral Springs, is one of the youngest players to ever make it to the U.S. Women’s Open.

Thompson has since had a successful career on the LPGA Tour, where she has won 11 times and played for Team USA in two Olympics. She is known for her charitable work and attempts to get young women interested in golf when she’s not on the course.

Thompson said earlier this year that she would be leaving the LPGA Tour at the end of the season.

They are Abbas Karimi, Diana Nyad, Steve Shapiro, and the Hollywood Hills High School football team that won the 1973 State 4A championship.

On the Broward County Sports Hall of Fame Honor Wall at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, the names of the seven new members will be honored.