2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
2014 Induction Celebration Official Program
Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Welcome from Gov. Bobby Jindal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Welcome from Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Welcome from Natchitoches Mayor Lee Posey . . . . . . . . . . 6 Welcome from NSU President Dr. Randy Webb . . . . . . . . . . 7 Welcome from LSWA President Jim Kleinpeter . . . . . . . . . . 8 Welcome from La. Sports Hall of Fame Foundation President & CEO Lisa Babin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Tracing the History of the Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Hall of Fame Selection Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 2014 Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism . . . . 12 Joe Macaluso Recipients of the Distinguished Service Award in Journalism . . 13 2014 Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award . . . . . . 14 Tynes Hildebrand & Wright Waters Hall of Fame Artist Chris Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Remembering Clif & Carolyn Thorn, Hall of Fame Artists . . . . 17 Members of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame . . . . . . . . . 18 Members in other Halls of Fame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Future LA Sports Hall of Famers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Louisiana Sports Writers Association Parent Organization of the Hall of Fame President: Jim Kleinpeter, New Orleans Time-Picayune Executive Vice President: Brent St. Germain, The Houma Courier Vice President/Sports Information: Michael Bonnette, LSU Sports Information Treasurer: Kent Lowe, LSU Sports Information Secretary:
Paul Letlow
Hall of Fame Chairman: Doug Ireland, Northwestern State Sports Information HOF Foundation President & CEO: Lisa Babin
2014 Hall of Fame Inductee Profiles
Tom Benson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Pete Boudreaux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Richard “Moon” Ducoté . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Alan Faneca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Venus Lacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Shane Reynolds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Beryl Shipley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Lionel Washington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Members of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame . . . . . . . . . 84 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation 500 Front Street • Natchitoches, LA 71457 Telephone (318) 238-4255 Email - lisababin@lasportshall.com Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum 800 Front Street • Natchitoches, LA 71457 Telephone (318) 357-2492
The 2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame program was designed and produced by Matthew Bonnette. Printing was done by Port Printing in Lake Charles, La.
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
The dream is finally a reality as the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame museum celebrates one year There’s finally a destination, with doors and walls and halls and so much more, for those seeking the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. This is the one-year anniversary of opening weekend for the worth-the-wait museum that has been the stuff of dreams since Harry Truman was president, Earl K. Long was governor of Louisiana, and Billy Cannon was a fast young teenager in Baton Rouge. The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum is a sparkling, stunning $23 million state-funded shrine, an architectual marvel and a showcase for a main artery of our state’s heartbeat. The greatest accomplishments in Louisiana’s sports history, and the most remarkable sports figures, are celebrated. With a gripping theatrical-style “Great Moments in Louisiana Sports History” film projected on pristine white curved stone walls, a collection of priceless memorabilia, storylines that evoke powerful emotions, and the ability to trace the constantly evolving panorama of Louisiana’s athletic landscape, the Hall of Fame Museum will match the credo of a great sports columnist – to provoke a strong reaction. The museum goes far past commemorating the careers of the elite who have been elected to the Hall. It embraces the state’s fantastic sports culture, unique and fascinating to outsiders, a way of life for Louisianans. /LaSportsHall
In these walls, we celebrate excellence in Louisiana, from Lake Providence to Lake Charles, from Ida to Grand Isle, in this sensational structure facing beautiful Cane River Lake in the cradle of Bayou State history, the Cooperstown of our state, Natchitoches. The Hall of Fame itself has the featured gallery on the first floor of the new museum, with the second floor showcasing Louisiana’s Sports Paradise, a blend of sports history and culture, along with half of the second floor housing the Northwest Louisiana History Museum, formerly the state-run Old Courthouse Museum in Natchitoches. Also on the first floor are the Changing Exhibit Gallery, which currently features an exhibit on the Tricentennial Celebration of Natchitoches. It will also serve as a prime location for special events, with an adjoining classroom/orientation area used for monthly museum programming. The Hall of Fame collection providing materials which will be on display includes color portraits of the 310 members and a continually growing collection of items such as baseballs, footballs, bats, gloves, jerseys, golf clubs, helmets, shoes and other memorabilia contributed to the shrine by Hall of Fame members and their families. It also includes the Grits and Mary Gresham Collection showcasing hunting, fishing and the outdoors. Items representative of major events in state sports history, such as the 2007 LSU football national champi-
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration onship and the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl XIV title, have also been donated to the Hall. Not all of the collection is on display at any given time, but as the museum develops with private funding pivotal, technology will allow for every item to be accessed and seen by guests. It is an extraordinary showcase. The building is the first of its kind in the world. There are 900 tons of individually cast stone, shaping curved walls on the interior of the museum cascading up to a spectacular skylight. The structure is a renowned piece of architecture that has take a place in conversations reaching around the globe, not just around the state and region. Azure Magazine ranked it the top new architecture project in the world in 2013, the only one on the North American continent, with an addition to the Louvre in Paris as the second-place listing on the top 10. That level of grand achievement was a goal as state officials grasped the opportunity forged officially in March 2003 when the Hall of Fame partnered with the Louisiana State Museum System with the goal to build a museum in Natchitoches that housed the sports shrine and gave a much-needed new home for LSM’s Old Courthouse Museum in downtown Natchitoches. The vision was heartily embraced and expressed by then-Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu. At the January 2008 groundbreaking cere-
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monies for the museum, just as he had passionately done at Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in recent years, Landrieu outlined a grand vision for the museum: a spectacular building, featuring state of the art technology, and world class exhibits. He explained that Louisiana has sports figures and history second to none, and the nation’s greatest sports fans, so our state’s sports museum must be built and run in a most extraordinary way. The ball was long since in motion. Four years earlier, Trahan Architects began developing an innovative design for a 27,500-square foot building. Exhibit concepts followed from the internationally-renowned New York Citybased firm of Thinc Design, whose other concurrent projects were the Nelson Mandela National Museum in South Africa, and The 9/11 Memorial Museum on the site of the World Trade Center twin towers. Work on site began in 2008-09 with site demolition and preparation, continued with utility relocation and drainage work along with the pilings and foundation work, and hit full bore in August 2011 with construction of the actual building. That was completed in March 2013 and soon afterward, exhibit installation began. The state museum staff’s professionalism endured transition in its leadership as three different directors departed during the course of the project, with veteran assistant director
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Museum Facts Cost: $23 million Size: 27,500 square feet Architect: Trahan Architects, New Orleans/Baton Rouge Construction: VCC, Dallas/Little Rock Managed by: Louisiana State Museum System Robert Wheat stepping to the fore each time to steer the project. In January 2013, the system was steadied with the appointment of Mark Tullos to the LSM director’s post. Even in times of transition, a constant dialog with the Louisiana Sports Writers Association assured that dreams hatched in the years after World War II were finally taking shape, at a level no sportswriter ever dared to imagine. The state’s investment ultimately approached $22 million, with another $1.1 million privately raised by the Hall of Fame Foundation under the leadership of President/CEO Lisa Babin, greatly bolstered by Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne’s active engagement in all aspects of the project. For that pricetag, you’d think it’s hallowed ground. And it is, in look, in feel, and the experience. The Hall of Fame Museum revives great memories and creates more of them.
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
June 21, 2014 Dear Participants and Friends: Greetings from the City of Natchitoches and welcome to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony! On behalf of the City of Natchitoches, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to our city, established in 1714 as the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase. As we celebrate our Tricentennial, we are honored to serve as host city for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony which highlights the best of Louisiana’s athletes, coaches, and sports enthusiasts. The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame has a tremendous wealth of talent from which to choose and showcases some of the state’s brightest and shining stars. New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans owner Tom Benson, women’s basketball Olympic gold medalist Venus Lacy, and nine-time NFL Pro Bowl selection Alan Faneca headline a sparkling 2014 induction class. The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum has become an integral part of our community. The presence of this first-class museum facility, located in Natchitoches’ National Historic Landmark District, continues to set Natchitoches apart as a premiere tourist destination. The City of Natchitoches is also fortunate to be home to Northwestern State University, the finest higher-learning institute in the state of Louisiana. Our community is also home to the Cane River National Heritage Area, the Cane River Creole National Historic Park, and a National Historic Landmark District, one of only three in the state of Louisiana. We hope that you enjoy your stay in our great city and look forward to meeting you. If we can be of further service to you, please do not hesitate to contact my office at City Hall. For more information on the City of Natchitoches, please visit our website at www.natchitochesla.gov.
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
June 21, 2014 Dear Inductees and Guests: On behalf of the Northwestern State University family, welcome to the City of Natchitoches. The faculty and staff, alumni and friends of Northwestern State are happy that you could join us for this special event honoring the 2014 inductees into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Congratulations to the inductees along with their family and friends. Those who have earned membership into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame represent some of the best Louisiana has to offer. Over the years, I have enjoyed watching many Hall of Fame members perform on the field and court and have been amazed by their abilities. It has also been a pleasure to have the opportunity to meet the inductees and get to know them. Northwestern State is honored to be a part of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. We are proud of the 15 alumni who are members of the Hall of Fame. Throughout its history, Northwestern State has produced outstanding graduates that have gone on to successful careers in education, public service, health care, business, law, the performing arts and professional sports. Nearly 9,000 students from throughout Louisiana, across the United States and throughout the world study at Northwestern State. Thank you for your support of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. I look forward to welcoming you back to Northwestern State and Natchitoches in the future. Sincerely,
Randall J. Webb President
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Writers Association President JIM KLEINPETER The Times-Picayune
Dear inductees and friends: It is a great honor and privilege for me as president of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association to welcome the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame 2014 induction class.
Executive Vice President BRENT ST. GERMAIN One year after the unveiling of our gleaming jewel on the Cane River, the luster hasn’t faded in the slightest. It is, in The Houma Daily Courier fact, shining brighter, winning awards around the world and housing the histories of some of the finest athletes and
sports figures in American history. This latest class kicks it up yet another notch.
Vice President SIDs MICHAEL BONNETTE After so many years of residing in understated fashion in this fair city, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame is now helpLSU ing to spur future growth in the state’s oldest settlement. Treasurer KENT LOWE LSU
Because Natchitoches has forever embraced the Hall, it was only right for this dream of ours to reside and be unveiled here. The future appears to be ripe for continuing development, both within and near the walls of the museum. We get helping hands from all corners. Governor Bobby Jindal’s continued support has been vital. Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne leads the way with his sincere concern and diligence in furthering our dreams. Robert Wheat and the Louisiana State Museum system staff helped shape the vision and make it a reality, and the new LSM leadership Mark Tullos is providing gives us great faith in the future as our 27,500-square foot baby turns 1 year old this weekend. Natchitoches and especially Northwestern State University have made countless contributions to allow the Hall to survive, grow and prosper. Former mayor Wayne McCullen grasped the potential of our project and the dogged patience to remain committed throughout. Current mayor Lee Posey has been an active sponsor and participant over the years, and is as good a promoter for the museum as we could want. The work of Lisa Babin, President and CEO of the Hall of Fame Foundation, cannot be overlooked. Her efforts continue to spread the word and with the help of a dynamic Foundation Board of Directors, pursue the necessary funding supporting our state-of-the-art museum down the street. Last year we made a splash with a sparkling gala to open the building and open a new era for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Tonight the momentum continues with another special group of heroes taking their places alongside the titans of this state’s athletic heritage. We stand in awe of their accomplishments to honor and cheer them in their most recent achievement. The finest home in America for some of the finest athletes in America gets just a little bit fuller and starrier. Welcome to the Class of 2014. Jim Kleinpeter, President Louisiana Sports Writers Association
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
500 FRONT STREET • NATCHITOCHES, LOUISIANA 71457 BOARD MEMBERS L.J. Mayeux MD Chair Malcolm Myer Vice Chair Joe Tumminello Treasurer Sharon Gahagan Secretary Lisa Babin, President / CEO Waynette Ballengee Louis Bonnette Gerald Boudreaux Brian Cheramie Ronald Corkern Barbara Hammerman Charles Herold III Doug Ireland Harold Kaufman Jim Kleinpeter Kent Lowe Barry Mendelson Lyn Rollins Tag Rome Bart Schmolke
Inductees and Guests, th Welcome to the 55 celebration honoring Louisiana’s most accomplished athletes, coaches, sports administrators and journalists. What a grand idea the Louisiana Sports Writers Association had back in 1951 to honor and preserve the incredible sports legacy of our state. Each year the induction class seems to take on a unique attribute and this year’s attribute is LOVED. Over and over this year, friends, family and co-‐workers have shared with me how they LOVE or LOVED one of our 2014 inductees. Hearing what these inductees have meant in the lives of others has made being involved in honoring them even more profound. After months of anticipation, work and planning, the time has come to applaud those we admire and in some cases those we love. So to the inductees, know that every dollar a sponsor so generously gave, every mile driven by a friend to make your night special, every volunteer, board and staff member who gave more than they thought reasonable – it was all for a common goal of showing respect for your accomplishments and to create an evening that yields fond memories for many years to come. I thank those of you who have been so supportive of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation and ask for continued support as we strive to continually improve the Induction Weekend and to increase funding for updating museum exhibits and in raising awareness of our inductees and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum. Know that every gift is deeply appreciated and wisely invested. I extend a special thanks to the Foundation Board of Directors who are so supportive and deeply passionate about the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum. These bright and busy individuals drive all over the state to attend meetings on their own dime and personally contribute to the LSHOF Foundation setting the standard for board service and dedication. To each of you, thank you for sharing in the 2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Celebration. Sincerely,
Lisa S. Babin
Honorary: Archie Manning
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President
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Tracing the History of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame More than a half-century after inducting its first class of sports legends, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame has realized its fondest dreams and greatest aspirations. Last June, the doors opened on the stunning $23 million Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum, a 27,500-square foot structure at 800 Front Street in the National Historic District of Natchitoches. The vision of a true museum home for the state’s all-time greats was outlined well before the state Hall of Fame was created in 1958. The first formal discussion came in a 1950 writers’ meeting in Lake Charles, and although those plans didn’t immediately take off, a standard was advanced that still abides today in Hall of Fame selection philosophy. “An organization with a membership so exclusive that nobody may immediately qualify to be tapped will open for business this weekend as a going concern,” wrote Otis Harris, sports editor of the Shreveport Journal, in a Dec. 11, 1950 column. “It is the Louisiana Hall of Fame – a hall of fame for the The Hall of Fame was once housed in Prather Coliseum on the campus of Northwestern State. state’s greatest athletes, men or women, amateur or the university PR man and now a vice president, Gov. and future Gov. Kathleen Blanco, then-Lt. Gov. professional, living or dead.” made a compelling pitch to the LSWA membership Mitch Landrieu, and other state officials. Their inter Selection would require 90 percent approval with the support of Northwestern President Dr. est, along with leadership by Natchitoches Mayor from the voting writers, with no more than two ini- Arnold Kilpatrick, himself a former championship Wayne McCullen, and former local legislators state tial inductees, and just one in succeeding years, “if basketball coach at Jonesboro-Hodge High School Rep. Taylor Townsend and state Sen. Mike Smith, anyone qualifies,” offered Harris. and then Northeast Louisiana on the college level. along with Rep. Billy Montgomery, combined with “The purpose,” he explained, “is to make the Pierce and Shreveport sportswriter Jim McLain were the continuing support provided by Northwestern hall of fame mean something and limit the roll to tabbed Hall of Fame co-chairmen and served in that State University, led to quantum leaps forward for athletes, past or present, who have become figures capacity for 19 years. the Hall. of national or international renown in the general Portraits of a few of the members had been dis- The Hall of Fame was accepted into the Louisiana sports pattern. Only the state’s immortals in the played in Shreveport for a brief period, but the estab- State Museum system in the 2003 state legislative sphere of athletes will be enshrined.” lishment of exhibit cases for the Hall of Fame at NSU’s session, setting the stage for the state and city of The three charter members of the Hall – LSU Prather Coliseum was the first formal version of the Natchitoches to collaborate with the LSWA to defootball All-American Gaynell Tinsley, boxing great Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Football legend Y.A. velop the long-awaited shrine. Tony Canzoneri and baseball slugger Mel Ott – were Tittle was the first Natchitoches inductee in 1972. In preparation for the beginning of planning, all elected eight years later, when the LSWA was for- When Pierce was promoted to university vice of the artwork and memorabilia which was on dismally created, and they were enshrined during the president in April 1990, he handed the Hall of Fame play at Prather Coliseum was turned over to the state 1959 Ark-La-Tex Sports Award Banquet in Shreve- chairmanship to NSU sports information director museum system after the 2005 induction celebraport. Doug Ireland, who has steered the ship since. In July tion. Gov. Blanco was set to recommend state bond Three honorees were selected annually for sev- 2010, Shreveport businesswoman Lisa S. Babin was commission approval for a $7.6 million museum eral years and were inducted during the Shreveport named President and CEO of the Louisiana Sports building in September 2005 – but the devastating banquet. Later inductions were held in different Hall of Fame Foundation, which conducts the fi- strike of Hurricane Katrina in late August shelved the areas of the state, including Baton Rouge and New nancial operations of the Hall. Marksville resident concept. Remarkably, Townsend and Montgomery Orleans. and 2012 Hall of Fame inductee L.J. Mayeux, a Dave spearheaded its quick return to the state budget Several members of the Hall of Fame were in- Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award winner, is agenda, with well over twice the level of financial ducted at LSU football games and televised basket- Foundation Board president. commitment. ball games, and others were taken into the shrine From 2000-2002, the Hall of Fame induction Today’s local and state government leaders during the VFW Sports Awards Banquets in New activities shifted to Shreveport-Bossier City, due played crucial roles in advancing the project. RecentOrleans. in large part to the support of then-mayors Keith ly retired Mayor McCullen and city officials including In his 1950 column, Harris also foreshadowed the Hightower and George Dement, administrative of- current Mayor Lee Posey, local legislators Sen. Gerlong-term future for the state’s sports shrine. “Until a ficers Ken Antee and now Bossier City Mayor Lorenz ald Long and former Rep. Rick Nowlin, along with home is found for the hall of fame, it will exist only Walker, local businessman Jimmy Patterson and the current Rep. Kenny Cox, partnered with Gov. Bobby on paper and in skeletonized form,” he wrote. Horseshoe Casino & Hotel. Hall of Fame member Joe Jindal, former Lt. Gov. Landrieu, and dynamic current Although LSWA members presented plaques to Profit and Mitton Management Co. played important Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne along with legislators around 41 Hall of Fame honorees and conducted induction roles in the success of the three-year stint in Shreve- the state to help the 60-year-old dream of a Hall of ceremonies for the shrine members each year, there port-Bossier. Fame Museum come to life. was no permanent display, no location to develop, The expansion of Hall of Fame induction activities until 1971, when Natchitoches and Northwestern drew attention from then- Gov. Mike Foster, then-Lt. State embraced the concept. NSU’s Jerry Pierce, then 10 • LaSportsHall.com • 10 /LaSportsHall #LSHOF2014
2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Selection Process Demanding for Election to the Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame members gather on stage as the 2005 induction banquet ceremonies, the last to be held in Prather Coliseum, comes to a close.
The 30-member Hall of Fame Selection Committee of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association annually conducts a two-month review process before electing eight new members of the Hall of Fame. A standing ballot, typically including more than 100 candidates, is supplemented each year by new nominees. Nominations can be made by the public as well as by members of the LSWA. Athletes, coaches and other sports figures are selected according to categories and criteria established long ago, and slightly modified since, by the LSWA. To be eligible for consideration, athletes must have competed for at least two years at the varsity level in high school or college in Louisiana. Athletes who gain fame in Louisiana at the college or professional level are also eligible candidates. Coaches and nominees in other categories such as sports administration are eligible for membership if they are Louisiana natives who gain fame outside the state, or if they are out of state but gain fame while working in Louisiana. Other basic criteria require sports figures to be retired or inactive in their discipline for at least three years before they can be considered. Athletes in lifetime sports, such as golf, become eligible when they reach the age of 50, even if they remain active. With rules refined in 2003, coaches and administrators become eligible once they turn 60, even if they remain active. Rules prevent a majority of the selections coming from any one sports category. The discussion of Hall of Fame candidates never stops among LSWA members, especially among the selection committee members. It’s a common topic in press rooms and on road trips for the state’s sports media, with the formal process now beginning with a committee meeting at the annual /LaSportsHall
LSWA convention held in conjunction with Hall of Fame inductions each June. The selection process moves forward with confirmation of credentials for new nominees. Then the selection committee’s screening panel reviews the entire list of candidates, new and returning, and using electronic mail and teleconferences, pares them down to semifinalists. The full selection committee reviews all candidates, and if there are any nominees who have not made the semifinalists lists, they may become finalists if seven committee members request their addition to the final ballot. The finalists are set and the entire committee will gather on a late August Sunday for a spirited discussion and election process. The elections for the Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism and the Dave Dixon Sports Leadership Award, both also rewarding recipients with Hall of Fame membership, are conducted electronically after opening discussion at the selection committee meeting. Announcement of the induction class is made during the holiday season. If you have a candidate to nominate, it’s easy to do. Biographical material on nominees should be mailed to Doug Ireland, Chairman, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, 500 Front St., Natchitoches, LA 71457, or sent to DougIreland@ LaSportsHall.com via email. The deadline to nominate new candidates each year is July 15. Supporting materials, especially for nominees not in high-profile sports categories, are very helpful. Samples of nominations are available with additional information on the “Nominate a Candidate” button on LaSportsHall.com.
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
2014 Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism
Joe Macaluso
Acclaimed Baton Rouge- Macaluso’s first byline story came in March 1970 in
based outdoors writer and broadcaster Joe Macaluso, in his fifth decade of colorful and insightful coverage for the Baton Rouge Advocate, has won the 2014 Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Joe Macaluso One of the state’s most respected and admired outdoors writers, Macaluso has also covered a wide array of sports beats, served as a TV show host and correspondent, and has been the longtime official scorer for LSU baseball. The Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism is the most prestigious honor offered to sports media in the state. Recipients are chosen by the 30-member Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame selection committee based on their professional accomplishments in local, state, regional and even national arenas, with leadership in the LSWA a contributing factor and three decades of work in the profession as a requirement. Macaluso was selected from a 17-person pool of outstanding nominees. Distinguished Service Award winners are enshrined in the Hall of Fame along with the 302 current athletes, coaches and administrators chosen since 1959. Only 53 leading figures in the state’s sports media have been honored with the Distinguished Service Award since its inception 31 years ago, in 1982. “Joe is one of the most recognized and more importantly, respected and admired sports writers in Louisiana history,” said LSWA president Jim Kleinpeter. “Versatility and creativity are among the hallmarks of his remarkable career that continues today. He is a beloved figure among our state’s journalists, and especially to his readers and the people in the Baton Rouge area.” /LaSportsHall
the Baton Rouge Advocate covering LSU baseball. Macaluso worked parttime for the Advocate and Baton Rouge State-Times until hired as a full-time State-Times sports staff writer on Sept. 1, 1974. He moved over to the Advocate sports staff when State-Times ceased publishing in October 1991. Just over three months later, he was named The Advocate’s outdoors writer in January 1992. “Joe Mac” has been awarded/recognized more than 70 times as a top three finisher for his work by state, regional and national professional organizations -- notably winning Associated Press national honors for a series, then the game story on Eddie Robinson (breaking Bear Bryant’s career win record); and a series of stories on the devastating effects of Hurricane Andrew on the Atchafalaya Basin and surrounding waters Named to the Louisiana American-Italian Sports Hall of Fame in the media category in 2011, Macaluso is a recipient of the Governor’s Conservationist of the Year in the Communicator Category. He received the Arthur Van Pelt Lifetime Achievement Award from the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association in 2010 Macaluso conceived the idea, then was director/ co-host for the award-winning “Paradise Louisiana,” a groundbreaking one-hour outdoors magazine TV show airing on Louisiana cable systems. The show ran weekly for nearly 10 years and missed only one weekly edition, that due to Hurricane Gustav. He was a weekly, then more recently bi-monthly, outdoors reporter for WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge from 2006-2013. Macaluso was the Louisiana contributor to the World Encyclopedia of Fishing, and served as a correspondent for Sports Illustrated from 1977-85. He was also a contributing writer for Baseball America from 1988-90.
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Members of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Distinguished Service Award The most prestigious honor offered to sports media personnel in Louisiana by their peers is the Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism. The Louisiana Sports Writers Association presents the award each year during the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame ceremonies. Recipients are chosen by the 30-member Hall of Fame selection committee each year after the annual winter meeting. Nominees are drawn from the ranks of LSWA based on their professional accomplishments and impact in local, state, regional and even national arenas. Candidates must be 60 years old, or have three decades of journalism credentials, reflecting a lifetime of service in the profession. Names of the Distinguished Service Award winners have been displayed in the Hall of Fame. In the newly constructed museum, there will be a “writers and broadcasters display” in the Hall of Fame much as there is in the Baseball Hall Of Fame at Cooperstown. Bob Anderson . . . . . . Bernell Ballard . . . . . . Louis Bonnette . . . . . . Roger Brandt . . . . . . . Ron Brocato . . . . . . . Bill Bumgarner . . . . . . Jerry Byrd . . . . . . . . Bill Carter . . . . . . . . . Ted Castillo . . . . . . . . Mike Cook . . . . . . . . Bill Curl . . . . . . . . . . O.K. “Buddy” Davis . . . . Fred Digby . . . . . . . . Buddy Diliberto . . . . . . Pete Dosher . . . . . . . John Ferguson . . . . . . Peter Finney . . . . . . . Jack Fiser . . . . . . . . Norm Fletcher . . . . . . Hap Glaudi . . . . . . . . Bob Griffin . . . . . . . . Dan Hardesty . . . . . . . Bob Henderson . . . . . . Larry Hymel . . . . . . . Bud Johnson . . . . . . . Connie Kaplan . . . . . . Bill Keefe . . . . . . . . . Sam King . . . . . . . . . M.L. Lagarde . . . . . . . Hal Ledet . . . . . . . . . Ted Lewis . . . . . . . . . Joe Macaluso . . . . . . Paul Manasseh . . . . . . Bob Marshall . . . . . . . Paul Martin . . . . . . . . Ed McHale . . . . . . . . Bill McIntyre . . . . . . . Jim McLain . . . . . . . . Bud Montet . . . . . . . . Butch Muir . . . . . . . . Marty Mulé . . . . . . . . Al Nassif . . . . . . . . . Collie Nicholson . . . . . Jerry Pierce . . . . . . . Joe Planas . . . . . . . . Keith Prince . . . . . . . Gerry Robichaux . . . . . Bob Roesler . . . . . . . Arthur Schott . . . . . . . Truman Stacey . . . . . . R.L. Stockard . . . . . . . George Sweeney . . . . . Austin Wilson . . . . . . . Jim Wynn . . . . . . . . .
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Northeast Louisiana/ULM Sports Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1994 Baton Rouge Advocate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1994 McNeese State Sports Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2002 Opelousas Daily World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1997 New Orleans Item, Times-Picayune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2011 New Orleans Times-Picayune, States-Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2012 Bossier Press-Tribune, Shreveport Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1996 Alexandria Daily Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1988 Baton Rouge Advocate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1987 Baton Rouge Advocate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1992 Tulane, The Louisiana Superdome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2003 Ruston Daily Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2009 New Orleans Item, Sugar Bowl Classic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1991 WWL-Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005 Louisiana Tech, Grambling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007 LSU and New Orleans Saints radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1984 New Orleans Times-Picayune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1989 The Shreveport Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1983 Broadcaster, Northwestern State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2010 WWL-Radio/TV, New Orleans Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1990 Shreveport Sportscaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2009 Baton Rouge State Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1985 Univ. of Southwestern Louisiana/ULL Sports Information . . . . . . . . . 1999 Southeastern Louisiana Sports Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2011 Southeastern Louisiana, LSU, Tulane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2001 The Kaplan Herald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1992 New Orleans Times-Picayune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1982 Baton Rouge Advocate/State-Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2000 Tulane University Sports Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1993 L’Observerteur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1998 New Orleans Times-Picayune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2010 Baton Rouge Advocate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2014 LSU Sports Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1986 New Orleans Times-Picayune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2013 Monroe News-Star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1982 Associated Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2008 The Shreveport Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1991 The Shreveport Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1995 Baton Rouge Morning Advocate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1982 Baton Rouge Advocate, States-Item, Monroe Morning World . . . . . . . 2012 New Orleans Times-Picayune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2006 Alexandria Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1999 Grambling State Sports Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1990 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, Northwestern State . . . . . . . . . . . . 2000 The Catholic Commentator, Baton Rouge Advocate . . . . . . . . . . . 1996 Louisiana Tech Sports Information, Monroe News-Star . . . . . . . . . . 2004 The Shreveport Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2000 New Orleans Times-Picayune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1989 New Orleans Times-Picayune, States-Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007 Lake Charles American Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1982 Southern, SWAC, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2008 New Orleans Times-Picayune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2002 Associated Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1993 McNeese State, Abbeville Mericonal, Alexandria Town Talk, LSWA President . . 2006
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1982: 1983: 1984: 1985: 1986: 1987: 1988: 1989: 1990: 1991: 1992: 1993: 1994: 1995: 1996: 1997: 1998: 1999: 2000: 2001: 2002: 2003: 2004: 2005: 2006: 2007: 2008: 2009: 2010: 2011: 2012: 2013: 2014:
Year-by-Year Inductee Class
Bill Keefe, New Orleans Times-Picayune Paul Martin, Monroe News-Star Bud Montet, Baton Rouge Morning Advocate Truman Stacey, Lake Charles American Press Jack Fiser, The Shreveport Times John Ferguson, LSU and Saints radio Dan Hardesty, Baton Rouge State Times Paul Manasseh, LSU Sports Information Ted Castillo, Baton Rouge Advocate Bill Carter, Alexandria Town Talk Peter Finney, New Orleans Times-Picayune Bob Roesler, New Orleans Times-Picayune Collie Nicholson, Grambling Sports Information Hap Glaudi, WWL-Radio/TV, N.O. Item Fred Digby, N.O. Item, Sugar Bowl Classic Bill McIntyre, The Shreveport Times Connie Kaplan, The Kaplan Herald Mike Cook, Baton Rouge Advocate M.L. Lagarde, Tulane Sports Information Austin Wilson, Associated Press Bob Anderson, NLU/ULM Sports Information Bernell Ballard, Baton Rouge Advocate Jim McLain, The Shreveport Times Jerry Byrd, Bossier Press-Tribune, Shreveport Journal Joe Planas, The Catholic Commentator, BR Advocate Roger Brandt, Opelousas Daily World Hal Ledet, L’Observerteur Bob Henderson, USL/ULL Sports Information Al Nassif, Alexandria Town Talk Sam King, Baton Rouge Advocate, State-Times Jerry Pierce, LASHOF,Northwestern State Gerry Robichaux, Shreveport Times Bud Johnson, SLU/LSU/Tulane Louis Bonnette, McNeese St. Sports Information George Sweeney, New Orleans Times-Picayune Bill Curl, Tulane, The Louisiana Superdome Keith Prince, Louisiana Tech SID, Monroe News-Star Buddy Diliberto, WWL-Radio Marty Mulé, Times-Picayune Jim Wynn, McNeese State, Abbeville Meridional, Alexandria Town Talk, LSWA President Pete Dosher, Louisiana Tech, Grambling Arthur Schott, New Orleans Times-Picayune, States-Item Ed McHale, Associated Press R.L. Stockard, Southern, SWAC, New Orleans O.K. “Buddy” Davis, Ruston Daily Leader Bob Griffin, Shreveport Sportscaster Norm Fletcher, Broadcaster, Northwestern State Ted Lewis, New Orleans Times-Picayune Ron Brocato, States-Item, Times-Picayune Larry Hymel, Southeastern La. Sports Information Bill Bumgarner, N.O. Times-Picayune, States-Item Butch Muir, Baton Rouge Advocate Bob Marshall, N.O. Times-Picayune Joe Macaluso, Baton Rouge Advocate
#LSHOF2014
2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
2014 Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award
Tynes Hildebrand • Wright Waters Northwestern State and NCAA basketball administrator Tynes Hildebrand and longtime Sun Belt Conference commissioner Wright Waters are the 2014 recipients of the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award presented by the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Hildebrand was Northwestern’s head basketball coach for 16 seasons, and was the Demons’ innovative athletic director from 1983-96. He has been one of the NCAA’s four regional officiating advisors for Division I men’s basketball since 2006, after spending nine years as an officials observer for several major conferences. His ties to college athletics at NSU trace back to his freshman basketball season in 1950-51. Waters has been a key figure in NCAA Division I sports, most notably as commissioner of the New Orleans-based Sun Belt Conference for almost 14 years until his retirement in the summer of 2012. Since then, he’s remained influential across the country as executive director of the Football Bowl Association, continuing a 40-year Tynes Hildebrand career in collegiate athletics that included administrative roles at UL-Lafayette and Wright Waters Tulane. The Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award is presented annually by the LSWA’s 30-member Hall of Fame selection committee to an individual who has played a decisive role as a sports leader or administrator benefiting Louisiana and/or bringing credit to Louisiana on the national and international level. Dixon Award winners are enshrined as Hall of Fame members and are featured in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum. The award is named in honor of Hall of Famer Dave Dixon, the driving force behind bringing the NFL to Louisiana with the creation of the New Orleans Saints franchise. Dixon, who passed away in 2010, is also considered the “father” of the Mercedes-Benz Louisiana Superdome, developing the concept for the innovative domed structure and pushing state officials for its construction in the late 1960s. Hildebrand, a native of Florien in Sabine Parish, won 191 games as head coach at Northwestern State from 1965-80 and served as athletics director from 1983-96. A year later, he began his current role as an NCAA officials observer in the SEC, Big XII, Conference USA, Western Athletic, Southwestern Athletic, Southland and Sun Belt conferences. Hildebrand works as a presenter, evaluator and instructor during the offseason at numerous officiating clinics. When the NCAA reorganized its basketball officiating administrative structure in 2006, Hildebrand was chosen as one of four regional representatives who helps select officials to work each round of the NCAA Tournament. Each season, he travels across much of the South and Midwest to personally observe officials working Division I games and spearhead the selection process of March Madness officiating. As a coach, he ranks third in career wins at NSU behind current coach Mike McConathy and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame member H. Lee Prather, his college coach. Hildebrand led the Demons into NCAA Division I and made national tournament appearances at the NAIA level. He assisted with the training camp of the 1972 United States Olympic Team at the invitation of legendary coach Henry Iba, working alongside Bob Knight and developing friendships with coaching legends John Wooden and Don Haskins. One of his players at Northwestern was current Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey, who credits Hildebrand, Duke coach Mike Kryzewski and DeMatha (Md.) HS legend Morgan Wooten as his primary coaching influences. Hildebrand led the Demons to four NAIA playoff appearances, two Gulf South Conference championships, and also guided Natchitoches High School to a 1958 state championship. He began his playing career at Northwestern under Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame basketball coach H. Lee Prather in 1950. As athletics director at Northwestern, Hildebrand steered NSU into the Southland Conference in 1987, amidst challenging budget situations. His tenure was marked by unprecedented competitive and fundraising success, and a steady stream of young athletics administrators who continue to impact to/LaSportsHall
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#LSHOF2014
2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
2014 Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award
day’s intercollegiate and professional sports scene. Hildebrand became a traveling evaluator for the initial round of the NCAA’s Division I Certification process that every Division I institution must undergo each decade. He served on numerous NCAA committees, including the Division I-AA (now FCS) selection panel, until retiring as AD in 1996. Waters served as a Division I conference commissioner for two decades as part of a 40-year career in collegiate athletics. Before moving to the conference level, Waters served as associate athletic director at UL-Lafayette prior to a four-year stint at Tulane as both associate athletic director and interim athletic director. He left Tulane for the Southern Conference, where he was commissioner for seven years and helped that league to unprecedented growth including two league expansions and increasing sports opportunities. He left the Southern Conference in 1998 to take over as only the fourth commissioner of the Sun Belt. Two years later, he became one of only two commissioners in modern-day NCAA history to oversee the addition of football as a league sport in a currently-existing FBS league when the Sun Belt added football, effective in 2001. During his stint with the Sun Belt, the league became a Bowl Championship Series conference, one of only 11 in the country, and Waters helped the league gain a permanent seat on the NCAA Board of Directors, giving the Sun Belt a crucial voice on all important issues in Division I athletics, and negotiated the most expansive television agreement in league history. But it was in football that the league made its greatest strides in his tenure, with Waters integral in convincing many league schools of the benefits of moving to Division I and forming a football league, one that now has two automatic bowl tie-ins. One of those is the New Orleans Bowl, which Waters was the guiding force behind its founding and which now is a fixture in the New Orleans December sports calendar. During his stint, the league added five members and increased its sports sponsorship by five, and Waters was also the driving force behind the league maintaining its headquarters in New Orleans after the ravages of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, despite many league members pushing for a move.
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Dave Dixon Award Recipients
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Randy Gregson U.S. Tennis Association Emmanuel “Boozy” Bourgeois, Jr. Louisiana Special Olympics Don Landry Nicholls State, SLC Doug Thornton Louisiana Superdome Dr. James Andrews Sports Medicine George Dement Youth Sports Activist Benny Turcan Mr. Softball Gerald Boudreaux NCAA Basketball Official SEC Coordinator of Officials Elmo Adolph Boxing Official Billy Montgomery Louisiana State Legislature Dr. L.J. Mayeux Ducks Unlimited Milton Retif New Orleans Baseball Advocate Tynes Hildebrand Northwestern State University Wright Waters Sun Belt Conference
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
From Fastballs to Paint Brushes • Our Hall of Fame Artist
Chris Brown
Former Northwestern State and minor league baseball pitcher Chris Brown has completed his sixth set of striking portraits of the 2014 Induction Class in his capacity as the artist for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Brown’s work has enriched the Hall’s tradition and is a compelling part of the new inductee display cases in the year-old Hall of Fame Museum. It’s a natural fit, said Hall of Fame chairman Doug Ireland. “We love the fact that he’s been a high school, college and professional athlete. As the Hall of Fame museum opens, this is a very fascinating time for us and that is reflected in his portraits,” said Ireland. “We’re proud of what we hope will be a very long association with Chris Brown as the official artist of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.” Brown, a native of McCook, Nebraska, assumed the role as the organization’s artist for the 2009 Induction Class after long-time artist, Carolyn Thorn, passed away in July 2008 after an illness. “The loss of Carolyn Thorn tremendously saddened everyone associated with the Hall of Fame,” said Ireland. “Her passing closed a remarkable chapter. She and (late husband) Clif produced an amazing body of work that for many people was the defining visual image of the Hall and was certainly a key part of our identity. It was quite daunting for us to consider how to move forward and identify our new artist. “The work Chris has done is dynamic. He has honored the legacy of the Thorns and added his own distinctive style. Like them, he pours his heart and soul into these portraits and it shows in the finished product. Without writing or saying a word, he tells the story of each inductee.” Clif Thorn became the Hall of Fame artist when the shrine, created in 1958, found a permanent home in Natchitoches at Northwestern State in 1972. He drew 144 of the magnificent color portraits of Hall of Fame inductees until 1995, when Parkinson’s disease forced him to retire and to teach his wife, Carolyn, an acclaimed watercolor artist, the techniques of portrait work in pastels. Mrs. Thorn matched her husband’s style from 1995-2008. After graduating from Northwestern State with a degree in art education, Brown has been active in the art world. He currently teaches art at Fossil Ridge High School in Keller, Texas, and coaches at a baseball academy, “Cooperstown Cobras,” in Haslett, Texas. As a player at NSU, Brown was a member of the back-to-back Southland Conference championship teams in 1997 and 1998. In his two-year career as a member of the Demon pitching staff, Brown compiled a 13-9 record in 35 games with a 3.94 ERA. In 1997, he set a school single-season record with 110 strikeouts - a record that still stands today.
Sampling of Brown’s work from previous induction ceremonies
Ben McDonald 2010 Inductee /LaSportsHall
Buford Jordan 2011 Inductee
Following his senior season, Brown was drafted in the 33rd round by the Chicago Cubs. Before NSU, Brown attended Cowley County (Kan.) Community College where he compiled a 17-5 record over two seasons and earned All-Conference honors as well as the league’s Most Valuable Player. He earned All-Region and first team Junior College All-American honors his sophomore season. He was also an All-American Scholar as a freshman. Brown got started as an artist after a strong push from high school art teacher Jim Steinke, but it was the inspiration from close friend and retired NSU art professor Fred Gianforte of Natchitoches that has made him what he is today. “Artistically, I consider my mentor to be Fred Gianforte of Natchitoches,” said Brown. “Fred has been a strong influence in my Christian path as well as an artist I have learned many techniques from. We continue to bounce ideas off one another and enjoy sharing each other’s work. I owe many thanks to Fred.” Brown and his wife, Paula, reside in Newark, Texas. His work can be enjoyed online at ChrisBrownSportsArt.com.
Chanda Rubin 2013 Inductee 16 • LaSportsHall.com • 16
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Remembering the Thorns • Always our Hall of Fame Artists
James C. & Carolyn Thorn
James C. Thorn
Carolyn Thorn
Just as all the Hall of Fame members have memorable stories, so does the artwork - rooted in the lives of the longtime official artists for the Hall, James C. and Carolyn Thorn of Natchitoches. With the passing of Mrs. Thorn in July 2008, a defining era in the history of Hall came to a close. Since 1972, the husband and wife team produced an iconic series of portraits of each year’s inductees. The late James Clifton Thorn, retired associate professor of art at Northwestern State University, was responsible for 144 of the magnificent, hand-drawn color portraits of Hall of Fame members which from 1972-2005 appeared in the Hall of Fame showcases in Prather Coliseum. In 1995, four years after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Clif grudgingly realized he was no longer able to produce the Hall of Fame portraits. When the disease left him unable to continue his artwork, Thorn taught his wife Carolyn, an acclaimed watercolor artist, the techniques of portrait work in pastels. She assumed the role as the Hall of Fame artist, matching her husband’s style down to the distinctive “Thorn” signature on each portrait. Carolyn was also an award-winning artist and a professor of art. She had never done portrait work, doing mostly watercolors with a paint brush, prior to stepping in for her husband and working with pastels for the first time on the Hall of Fame portraits. With Clif ’s instruction and Carolyn’s talent, the portraits continued in the striking style that Thorn originated more than a quarter-century earlier. Said Thorn in an Alexandria Daily Town
Talk feature on the teamwork between him and his wife on the Hall of Fame project: “I’d do them for $10 apiece if I could. I loved it that much.” To establish the first Hall of Fame display when the facility was established in Natchitoches in 1972, Clif drew 35 portraits in a three-month period to provide the shrine with portraits of all athletes and coaches that had been inducted since 1959. Clif passed away in early April 2003 at the age of 73. Mrs. Thorn, a member of the art faculty at Northwestern for 23 years, earned her master’s degree at NSU and her Ed.D from the University of North Texas. She had been painting since retirement in 1986 and won numerous awards with paintings in many collections. She was a member of the Hoover Watercolor Society of Natchitoches. A graduate of Baylor University, Mr. Thorn earned his master’s degree in painting from Texas Christian University. He also studied at the State University of Iowa and Louisiana State University and taught art for 25 years at Baylor, the University of Texas-Arlington and Northwestern. Widely acclaimed for his portrait work, Thorn supported his graduate studies by painting children’s portraits and was commissioned to produce portraits of prominent individuals across Louisiana and Texas. He won numerous awards in art competition, and his works appear in private collections in several states. His artwork was displayed in more than 30 exhibitions.
Previous work of James and Carolyn Thorn
Mel Ott 1959 Inductee /LaSportsHall
Billy Cannon 1976 Inductee
Willis Reed 1981 Inductee
Lou Brock 1983 Inductee
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Kim Mulkey 1990 Inductee
Sue Gunter 2005 Inductee #LSHOF2014
2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Members of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
Danny Abramowicz . . . . . . . . . . Pro Football, New Orleans Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1992 Joe Adcock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Coushatta, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1975 Joe Aillet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football Coach, Louisiana Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1973 Charles Alexander . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1993 Billy Allgood . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coach, Louisiana College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1999 John Altobello . . . . . . . . . . . . High School Basketball Coach, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1994 Morten Andersen . . . . . . . . . . . Pro Football, New Orleans Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2011 Ronald Ardoin . . . . . . . . . . . . Horse Racing, Jockey, Carencro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2013 Alex “Greek” Athas . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Track & Field, Tulane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1992 Carrice Russell Baker . . . . . . . . . Basketball Coach, Jena, Winnsboro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2009 Bill Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Tulane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1978 Gary Barbaro . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, New Orleans/Nicholls State/NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2000 Leon Barmore . . . . . . . . . . . . Women’s Basketball Coach, Louisiana Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2004 Albert Belle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005 Tom Benson . . . . . . . . . . . . . Owner, New Orleans Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2014 Skip Bertman . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baseball Coach, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2002 Bernie Bierman . . . . . . . . . . . . Football Coach, Tulane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1967 Buddy Blair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Track, Baseball, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1981 Mel Blount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Southern University, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1989 Vida Blue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Mansfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1990 Tommy Bolt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Professional Golf, Shreveport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1974 Zeke Bonura . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1989 Pete Boudreaux . . . . . . . . . . . . High School Coach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2014 Sid Bowman . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track and Field, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1976 Warren Braden . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Southern University, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1998 Terry Bradshaw . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Louisiana Tech, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1988 Frank Brian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, LSU, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1986 Lou Brock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Southern University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1983 Michael Brooks . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Ruston, LSU, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2009 Marty Broussard . . . . . . . . . . . Sports Medicine, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2009 Billy Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track and Field, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1969 Charlie Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . High School Football Coach, Neville-Monroe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2001 Dale Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball Coach, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1999 Gernon Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . High School Coach, Jesuit-New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1990 James E. “Big Fuzzy” Brown . . . . . High School Football Coach, Istrouma-Baton Rouge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1992 Joe Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Professional Boxing, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1976 Willard Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Negro League Baseball, Shreveport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007 Willie Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Grambling, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1985 Pat Browne Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . U.S. Golf Champion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1998 Queen Brumfield (Nard) . . . . . . . Women’s Basketball, Southeastern Louisiana University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2002 Buck Buchanan . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Grambling, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1986 Chris Cagle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Merryville, USL, Army . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1960 Billy Cannon . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, AFL, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1976 Tony Canzoneri . . . . . . . . . . . . Professional Boxing, Slidell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1959 Harold Carmichael . . . . . . . . . . Football, Southern University, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1989 Roger Carr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Louisiana Tech, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2012 Mark Carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Nicholls, Church Point, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2010 Tommy Casanova . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1985 Jim Cason . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2003 Don Chaney . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, McKinley-Baton Rouge, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1991 Jimmy “Chick” Childress . . . . . . . High School Football Coach, Ruston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2001 Will Clark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2004 Hollis Conway . . . . . . . . . . . . Track and Field, Shreveport, Louisiana-Lafayette, USA Olympic Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2004 Jim Corbett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Athletic Director, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1985 Clifford Ann Creed . . . . . . . . . . Professional Golf, Alexandria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1985 John David Crow . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Springhill, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1976 J.T. Curtis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . High School Football Coach, River Ridge, John Curtis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2010 Jerry Dalrymple . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Tulane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1964 Alvin Dark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Lake Charles, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1976 Willie Davenport . . . . . . . . . . . Track and Field, Southern University, USA Olympic Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1988 Tommy Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1988 Willie Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Grambling, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1977 Fred Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Louisiana Tech, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1995 Joe Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Athletic Director, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2001 Eddie Delahoussaye . . . . . . . . . Horse Racing Jockey, New Iberia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2002 Joe Delaney . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Northwestern State University, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1996 Bill Dickey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Bastrop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1981 Mel Didier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baseball, Baton Rouge, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2003 Paul Dietzel . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football Coach, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1988 Dave Dixon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Entrepeneur, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1999 Dr. Jack Doland . . . . . . . . . . . . Football Coach, McNeese State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2002 Atley Donald . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Choudrant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1982 Richard “Moon” Ducoté . . . . . . . . Football, Official . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2014 A.J. Duhe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2001 Joe Dumars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Natchitoches/McNeese State/NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2003 Warrick Dunn . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Baton Rouge, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2012 Ralph Dupas . . . . . . . . . . . . . Professional Boxing, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1994 Mark Duper . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Northwestern State, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005 Billy Joe Dupree . . . . . . . . . . . Football, West Monroe/NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2003 Tom Dutton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1969 Eddie Dyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Morgan City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1966
/LaSportsHall
18 • LaSportsHall.com • 18
Year-by-Year Inductee Class 1959: Tony Canzoneri, Mel Ott, Gaynell Tinsley 1960: Chris Cagle, Pete Herman, Ted Lyons 1961: Jack Torrance, Steve Van Buren 1962: Slats Hardin, Sparky Wade 1963: Bernie Moore, Al Moreau, Mel Parnell 1964: Jerry Dalrymple, Larry Gilbert, Bo McMillin 1965: Ed Head, Willie Pastrano, Jimmy Perrin, H. Lee Prather 1966: Eddie Dyer, Cal Hubbard, Biff Jones 1967: Bernie Bierman, Paul Geisler 1968: Doc Fenton, Peggy Flournoy, Tad Gormley, Dana Jenkins 1969: Billy Brown, Tom Dutton, Monk Simons, Red Thomas 1970: Ken Kavanaugh, Jimmy McGonagill, Abe Mickal, Harry Rabenhorst, Clark Shaughnessy 1972: Bill Lee, Y.A. Tittle 1973: Joe Aillet, Bob Pettit, Tank Younger 1974: Tommy Bolt, Rolland Romero, Jimmy Taylor, Harry Turpin 1975: Joe Adcock, Johnny Lynch, Eddie Price, Don Zimmerman 1976: Sid Bowman, Joe Brown, Billy Cannon, Alvin Dark, John David Crow, J.D. Mooney, John Pennel 1977: Willie Davis, Bobby Spell, Dave Styron, Don Styron 1978: Bill Banker, Freddie Haas, Jake Hanna, Charlie Hennigan, Bob Hopkins 1981: Buddy Blair, Bill Dickey, Faize Mahfouz, Tommy Mason, Howie Pollet, Willis Reed, Glynn Saulters, Jerry Stovall, Emmett Toppino 1982: Atley Donald, Jay Hebert, Lionel Hebert, Dub Jones, Charles McClendon 1983: Lou Brock, Hank Lauricella, Lester Lautenschlaeger, Bob Love, Ham Richardson, Jackie Smith 1984: Eric Guerin, Dwight “Bo” Lamar, Max McGee, Pete Maravich, Jackie Moreland, A.W. Mumford, Johnny Robinson 1985: Willie Brown, Tommy Casanova, Jim Corbett, Clifford Ann Creed, Ralph Garr, Matt Gordy, Eddie Robinson 1986: Frank Brian, Buck Buchanan, Bert Jones, Maxie Lambright, Carl Maddox, Dutch Reinhardt 1988: Terry Bradshaw, Willie Davenport, Tommy Davis, Paul Dietzel, Lenny Fant, Elvin Hayes, Archie Manning, Rod Milburn, Greg Procell, Bill Reigel, J.R. Richard 1989: Mel Blount, Zeke Bonura, Harold Carmichael, Stan Galloway, Grits Gresham, Johnny Morriss, Rusty Staub 1990: Vida Blue, Gernon Brown, Charlie Joiner, Fred Miller, Kim Mulkey, Leo Sanford, Rags Scheuermann 1991: Don Chaney, Gary Johnson, Charlie Tolar, Raymond “Buddy” Parker, Ralph Ward, Roy “Moonie” Winston 1992: Danny Abramowicz, Alex “Greek” Athas, James E. “Big Fuzzy” Brown, Bob Groseclose, Ron Guidry, Richie Petitbon, Andrew Toney 1993: Charles Alexander, Charles “Cotton” Nash, Calvin Natt, Connie Ryan, Edna Tarbutton, Doug Williams 1994: John Altobello, Ralph Dupas, Joe Ferguson, Fred Hobdy, Rich Jackson, Pam Kelly (Flowers), Ernie Ladd
#LSHOF2014
2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Members of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
Ken Ellis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Southern, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2000 Ronnie Estay . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2006 Alan Faneca . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2014 Marshall Faulk . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, New Orleans, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2009 Lenny Fant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball Coach, Northeast Louisiana University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1988 Doc Fenton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1968 Joe Ferguson . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Shreveport, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1994 Jim Finks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Administrator, New Orleans Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2000 Chuck Finley . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baseball, ULM, MLB, Monroe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2006 Peggy Flournoy . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Tulane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1968 Steve Foley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Tulane, Jesuit-New Orleans, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2002 Alton “Red” Franklin . . . . . . . . . High School Football Coach, Haynesville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2004 John Franks . . . . . . . . . . . . . Horse Racing Thoroughbred Owner, Shreveport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1995 Eddy Furniss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baseball, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2012
Stan Galloway . . . . . . . . . . . . Football Coach, Southeastern Louisiana University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1989 Lin Gamble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Women’s Basketball, Grand Cane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2001 Ralph Garr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Grambling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1985 L. J. “Hoss” Garrett . . . . . . . . . . High School Football Coach, Ruston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1997 Leslie Gaudet . . . . . . . . . . . . . High School Basketball Coach, Pine Prairie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1997 Paul Geisler . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Centenary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1967 Larry Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baseball, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1964 Matt Gordy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track and Field, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1985 Tad Gormley . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coach, Tulane, LSU, Loyola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1968 Hoyle Granger . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Mississippi State, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005 Mike Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Louisiana Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1996 Grits Gresham . . . . . . . . . . . . Outdoorsman, Natchitoches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1989 Bob Groseclose . . . . . . . . . . . . Track & Field Coach, Northeast Louisiana University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1992 Eric Guerin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Horse Racing Jockey, Maringouin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1984 Mark Guidry . . . . . . . . . . . . . Horse Racing Jockey, Lafayette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2012 Ron Guidry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Lafayette, USL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1992 Sue Gunter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Women’s Basketball Coach, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005 Freddie Haas . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amateur Golf, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1978 Kyla Hall (Holas) . . . . . . . . . . . Softball, ULL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2011 Darryl Hamilton . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Baton Rouge, Nicholls State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2008 Jake Hanna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Centenary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1978 Billy Hardin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track and Field, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1998 Slats Hardin . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track and Field, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1962 James “Shack” Harris . . . . . . . . Football, Monroe, Grambling, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1999 Gayle Hatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weightlifting Coach, Baton Rouge, Northwestern State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2008 Joel Hawkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . High School Basketball Coach, Southern Lab, Lake Providence, G.W. Griffin . . . . . . . . . 2007 Elvin Hayes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Rayville, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1988 Ed Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Selma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1965 T.P. “Skipper” Heard . . . . . . . . . Athletic Director, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2011 Bobby Hebert . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Cut Off, Northwestern State, NFL, New Orleans Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2000 Jay Hebert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Professional Golf, Lafayette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1982 Lionel Hebert . . . . . . . . . . . . . Professional Golf, Lafayette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1982 Lee Hedges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . High School Football Coach, Shreveport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2010 Charlie Hennigan . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Northwestern State University, AFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1978 Tommy Henry . . . . . . . . . . . . High School Administrator, Alexandria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2008 Pete Herman . . . . . . . . . . . . . Professional Boxing, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1960 Dalton Hilliard . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, New Orleans Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1997 Tom Hinton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Louisiana Tech, CFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005 Fred Hobdy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball Coach, Grambling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1994 Tommy Hodson . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2013 Sonja Hogg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball Coach, Louisiana Tech, Alexandria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2009 Bob Hopkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Grambling, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1978 Cal Hubbard . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football & Baseball, Centenary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1966 Stan Humphries . . . . . . . . . . . Football, ULM, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007 Luke Jackson . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Olympic & NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1998 Rich Jackson . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Southern University, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1994 Rickey Jackson . . . . . . . . . . . . Professional Football, New Orleans Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1999 Aaron James . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Grambling, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2012 Dana Jenkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track and Field, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1968 Ervin Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, NBA, UNO, Jonesville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2013 Gary Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Grambling, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1991 Kathy Johnson (Clarke) . . . . . . . . Gymnastics, Centenary College, USA Olympic Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1996 Vaughan Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . Pro Football, New Orleans Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2011 Charlie Joiner . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Grambling, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1990 Bert Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1986 Biff Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football Coach, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1966 Dub Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Tulane, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1982 Esther Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007 James Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Grambling, ABA, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2013 Buford Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Iota, McNeese State, New Orleans Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2011 Ken Kavanaugh . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1970 Pam Kelly (Flowers) . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Louisiana Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1994 Anna Koll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tennis, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2013 Kenny Konz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2000 Venus Lacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Louisiana Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2014 Ernie Ladd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Grambling, AFL, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1994 Dwight “Bo” Lamar . . . . . . . . . . Basketball University of Southwestern Louisiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1984
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19 • LaSportsHall.com • 19
Year-by-Year Inductee Class 1995: 1996: 1997: 1998: 1999: 2000: 2001: 2002: 2003: 2004: 2005: 2006: 2007: 2008: 2009: 2010: 2011: 2012: 2013: 2014:
Fred Dean, John Franks, Walter Ledet, Bobby Lowther, Ron Maestri, James Silas, Sammy White Joe Delaney, Mike Green, Oliver Marcelle, Kathy Johnson (Clarke), Isiah Robertson, Rosey Taylor, Earl “Moose” Wilson L.J. “Hoss” Garrett, Leslie Gaudet, Dalton Hilliard, Emmett Paré, Harold Porter, Gary Reasons, Scotty Robertson, Joyce Walker Warren Braden, Pat Browne Jr., Billy Hardin, Luke Jackson, Eun Jung Lee (Ok), John Petitbon, Everson Walls Billy Allgood, Dale Brown, Dave Dixon, James “Shack” Harris, Rickey Jackson, Joe Profit, Pat Studstill Gary Barbaro, Ken Ellis, Jim Finks, Bobby Hebert, Kenny Konz, Michael Sanders, Audrey “Mickey” Patterson (Tyler) Charlie Brown, Jimmy “Chick” Childress, Joe Dean, A.J. Duhe, Lin Gamble, Sam Mills, Robert Parish Skip Bertman, Queen Brumfield (Nard), Eddie Delahoussaye, Dr. Jack Doland, Steve Foley, Nick Revon, Johnny “Red” Robertson Jim Cason, Mel Didier, Joe Dumars, Billy Joe Dupree, Dick McCloskey, Jim Mora, Lee Smith Leon Barmore, Will Clark, Hollis Conway, Alton “Red” Franklin, Albert Lewis, Tony Sardisco, Neil Smith Albert Belle, Mark Duper, Hoyle Granger, Sue Gunter, Tom Hinton, Rudy Macklin, Janice Lawrence (Braxton), Randy Romero Ronnie Estay, Chuck Finley, Frank Lewis, Eric Martin, Craig Perret, Rick Robey, George “Bo” Strickland, Sheila Thompson (Johnson) Willard Brown, Joel Hawkins, Stan Humphries, Esther Jones, Brian Mitchell, Warren Perkins, Kim Perrot, Pat Swilling Darryl Hamilton, Gayle Hatch, Tommy Henry, Karl Malone, Leonard Marshall, Jelly Pigott, Barbara Fay White, Aeneas Williams Carrice Russell Baker, Michael Brooks, Marty Broussard, Marshall Faulk, Sonja Hogg, Willie Roaf, Freddie Spencer, Hal Sutton Mark Carrier, J.T. Curtis, Lee Hedges, Ben McDonald, Mike Vining, Teresa Weatherspoon, Larry Wilson, Orlando Woolridge Morten Andersen, Kyla HallHolas, T.P. “Skipper” Heard, Vaughan Johnson, Buford Jordan, Don Shows, Todd Walker, Donald “Slick” Watts Roger Carr, Warrick Dunn, Eddy Furniss, Mark Guidry, Aaron James, Deuce McAlllister, Pete Richardson, Terry Robiskie Ronald Ardoin, Tommy Hodson, Ervin Johnson, James Jones, Anna Koll, Kevin Mawae, Shaquille O’Neal, Chanda Rubin, Edward “Skeets” Tuohy Tom Benson, Pete Boudreaux, “Moon” Ducoté, Alan Faneca, Venus Lacy, Shane Reynolds, Beryl Shipley, Lionel Washington
#LSHOF2014
2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Members of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Maxie Lambright . . . . . . . . . . Football Coach, Louisiana Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1986 Hank Lauricella . . . . . . . . . . . Football, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1983 Lester Lautenschlaeger . . . . . . . Football, Football Coach, Tulane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1983 Janice Lawrence (Braxton) . . . . . Pro Basketball, Louisiana Tech, USA Olympic Team . . . . . . .2005 Walter Ledet . . . . . . . . . . . . Track & Field Coach, Northwestern State University . . . . . . 1995 Bill Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Plaquemine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1972 Eun Jung Lee (Ok) . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Northeast Louisiana University . . . . . . . . . . . 1998 Albert Lewis . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Mansfield, Grambling, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2004 Frank Lewis . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Grambling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2006 Bob Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Southern University, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1983 Bobby Lowther . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Track & Field, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1995 Johnny Lynch . . . . . . . . . . . . Football Referee, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1975 Ted Lyons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Lake Charles . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1960 Deuce McAllister . . . . . . . . . . Football, New Orleans Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2012 Charles McClendon . . . . . . . . . Football Coach, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1982 Dick McCloskey . . . . . . . . . . . High School Football Coach, Hanson Memorial-Franklin . . . . 2003 Ben McDonald . . . . . . . . . . . Baseball, Denham Springs, LSU, MLB . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2010 Max McGee . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Tulane, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1984 Jimmy McGonagill . . . . . . . . . Amateur Golf, Shreveport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1970 Bo McMillin . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football Coach, Centenary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1964 Rudy Macklin . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, LSU, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005 Carl Maddox . . . . . . . . . . . . Athletic Director, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1986 Ron Maestri . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baseball Coach, University of New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . 1995 Faize Mahfouz . . . . . . . . . . . High School Football Coach, Eunice, New Iberia . . . . . . . . 1981 Karl Malone . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Summerfield, Louisiana Tech, NBA . . . . . . . . .2008 Archie Manning . . . . . . . . . . . Football, New Orleans Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1988 Pete Maravich . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, LSU, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1984 Oliver Marcelle . . . . . . . . . . . Negro Leagues Baseball, Thibodaux, New Orleans . . . . . . . 1996 Leonard Marshall . . . . . . . . . . Football, Franklin, LSU, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008 Eric Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, New Orleans Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2006 Tommy Mason . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Tulane, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1981 Kevin Mawae . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, NFL, Leesville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2013 Abe Mickal . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1970 Rod Milburn . . . . . . . . . . . . Track and Field, Southern University, USA Olympics . . . . . . 1988 Fred Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1990 Sam Mills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, New Orleans Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2001 Brian Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, ULL, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007 J.D. Mooney . . . . . . . . . . . . Horse Racing Jockey, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1976 Bernie Moore . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Track Coach, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1963 Jim Mora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football Coach, New Orleans Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2003 Al Moreau . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track and Field, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1963 Jackie Moreland . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Louisiana Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1984 Johnny Morriss . . . . . . . . . . . Track & Field, University of Southwestern Louisiana . . . . . . 1989 Kim Mulkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Louisiana Tech, USA Olympic Team . . . . . . . . . 1990 A.W. Mumford . . . . . . . . . . . Football Coach, Southern University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1984 Charles “Cotton” Nash . . . . . . . Basketball, Baseball, Lake Charles High School . . . . . . . . 1993 Calvin Natt . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Northeast Louisiana University, NBA . . . . . . . . 1993 Shaquille O’Neal . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, LSU, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2013 Mel Ott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1963 Emmett Pare’ . . . . . . . . . . . . Tennis Coach, Tulane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1997 Robert Parish . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Woodlawn-Shreveport, Centenary, NBA . . . . . . . 2001 Raymond “Buddy” Parker . . . . . Football, Centenary, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1991 Mel Parnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1963 Willie Pastrano . . . . . . . . . . . Professional Boxing, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1965 Audrey “Mickey” Patterson (Tyler) . Track and Field, New Orleans, USA Olympics . . . . . . . . . .2000 John Pennel . . . . . . . . . . . . Track & Field, Northeast Louisiana University . . . . . . . . . 1976 Warren Perkins . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Tulane, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007 Craig Perret . . . . . . . . . . . . Horse Racing Jockey, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2006 Jimmy Perrin . . . . . . . . . . . . Professional Boxing, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1965 Kim Perrot . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, ULL, WNBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007 John Petitbon . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Notre Dame, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1998 Richie Petitbon . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Tulane, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1992 Bob Pettit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, LSU, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1973 Jelly Pigott . . . . . . . . . . . . . High School Basketball Coach, Jena . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008 Howie Pollet . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1981 Harold Porter . . . . . . . . . . . . Track & Field, University of Southwestern Louisiana . . . . . . 1997 H. Lee Prather . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball Coach, Northwestern State University . . . . . . . . 1965 Eddie Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Tulane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1975 Greg Procell . . . . . . . . . . . . High School Basketball, Ebarb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1988 Joe Profit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Monroe, Northeast Louisiana University . . . . . . . 1999 Harry Rabenhorst . . . . . . . . . . Coach, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1970 Gary Reasons . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Northwestern State University, NFL . . . . . . . . . . 1997 Willis Reed . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Grambling, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1981 Bill Reigel . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, McNeese State University . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1988 Dutch Reinhardt . . . . . . . . . . Basketball Coach, University of Southwestern Louisiana . . . . 1986 Nick Revon . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2002 Shane Reynolds . . . . . . . . . . Baseball, Bastrop, MLB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2014 J.R. Richard . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Vienna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1988 Ham Richardson . . . . . . . . . . Tennis, Tulane University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1983 Pete Richardson . . . . . . . . . . Football Coach, Southern University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2012
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Willie Roaf . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Louisiana Tech, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2009 Isiah Robertson . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Southern University, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1996 Johnny “Red” Robertson . . . . . . High School Football Coach, Ferriday . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2002 Scotty Robertson . . . . . . . . . . Basketball Coach, Louisiana Tech, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1997 Rick Robey . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2006 Eddie Robinson . . . . . . . . . . . Football Coach, Grambling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1985 Johnny Robinson . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1984 Terry Robiskie . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, NFL, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2012 Randy Romero . . . . . . . . . . . Horse Racing Jockey, Erath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005 Rolland Romero . . . . . . . . . . Track and Field, Loyola, U.S. Olympic Team . . . . . . . . . . 1974 Chanda Rubin . . . . . . . . . . . Tennis, Lafayette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2013 Connie Ryan . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1993 Leo Sanford . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Louisiana Tech, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1990 Michael Sanders . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, DeRidder, UCLA, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2000 Tony Sardisco . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Shreveport, Tulane, AFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2004 Glynn Saulters . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Northeast Louisiana University . . . . . . . . . . . 1981 Rags Scheuermann . . . . . . . . . Baseball Coach, Delgado, Loyola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1990 Clark Shaughnessy . . . . . . . . . Football Coach, Tulane, Loyola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1970 Beryl Shipley . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball Coach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2014 Don Shows . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football Coach, Farmerville, Jonesboro-Hodge, Pineville, West Monroe . . 2011 James Silas . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Tallulah, ABA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1995 Monk Simons . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Tulane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1969 Jackie Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Northwestern State University, NFL . . . . . . . . . . 1983 Lee Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Castor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2003 Neil Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, New Orleans, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2004 Bobby Spell . . . . . . . . . . . . . Professional Softball, Lake Charles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1977 Freddie Spencer . . . . . . . . . . Motorcycle Racing, Shreveport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009 Rusty Staub . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1989 Jerry Stovall . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1981 George “Bo” Strickland . . . . . . . Baseball, New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2006 Pat Studstill . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Shreveport, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1999 Dave Styron . . . . . . . . . . . . Track & Field, Northeast Louisiana University . . . . . . . . . 1977 Don Styron . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track & Field, Northeast Louisiana University . . . . . . . . . 1977 Hal Sutton . . . . . . . . . . . . . Golf, Centenary, Shreveport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009 Pat Swilling . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, New Orleans Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007 Edna Tarbutton . . . . . . . . . . . High School Basketball Coach, Baskin . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1993 Jimmy Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1974 Rosey Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Grambling, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1996 Red Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Northwestern State University . . . . . . . . . . . 1969 Sheila Thompson (Johnson) . . . . Basketball, Louisiana College, Pitkin . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2006 Gaynell Tinsley . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1959 Y.A. Tittle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1972 Charlie Tolar . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Northwestern State University, AFL . . . . . . . . . . 1991 Andrew Toney . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, University of Southwestern Louisiana, NBA . . . . . 1992 Emmett Toppino . . . . . . . . . . Track and Field, Loyola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1981 Jack Torrance . . . . . . . . . . . . Track and Field, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1961 Edward “Skeets” Tuohy . . . . . . . High School Football Coach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2013 Harry Turpin . . . . . . . . . . . . Football Coach, Northwestern State University . . . . . . . . . 1974 Steve Van Buren . . . . . . . . . . Football, LSU, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1961 Mike Vining . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball Coach, Louisiana-Monroe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2010 Sparky Wade . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, LSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1962 Joyce Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, LSU, Harlem Globetrotters . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1997 Todd Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . Baseball, Airline HS, LSU, MLB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2011 Everson Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Grambling, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1998 Ralph Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball Coach, McNeese State University . . . . . . . . . . 1991 Lionel Washington . . . . . . . . . Football, Tulane, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2014 Donald “Slick” Watts . . . . . . . . Basketball, Xavier, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2011 Teresa Weatherspoon . . . . . . . . Women’s Basketball, Louisiana Tech, WNBA . . . . . . . . . . 2010 Barbara Fay White . . . . . . . . . Golf, Shreveport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008 Sammy White . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Grambling, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1995 Aeneas Williams . . . . . . . . . . Football, New Orleans, Southern, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008 Doug Williams . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Grambling, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1993 Earl “Moose” Wilson . . . . . . . . Major League Baseball, Ponchatoula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1996 Larry Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Nicholls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2010 Roy “Moonie” Winston . . . . . . . Football, LSU, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1991 Orlando Woolridge . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Mansfield, NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2010 Tank Younger . . . . . . . . . . . . Football, Grambling, NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1973 Don Zimmerman . . . . . . . . . . Football, Tulane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1975 Married Names of Women Members of the Hall of Fame Janice Lawrence Braxton . . . . . . Pro Basketball, Louisiana Tech, USA Olympic Team . . . . . . .2005 Kathy Johnson Clarke . . . . . . . . Gymnastics, Centenary College, USA Olympic Team . . . . . . 1996 Pam Kelly Flowers . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Louisiana Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1994 Kyla Hall Holas . . . . . . . . . . . Softball, Louisiana-Lafayette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2011 Sheila Thompson-Johnson . . . . . Basketball, Louisiana College, Pitkin . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2006 Queen Brumfield Nard . . . . . . . Basketball, Southeastern Louisiana University . . . . . . . . .2002 Eun Jung Lee Ok . . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Northeast Louisiana University . . . . . . . . . . . 1998 Audrey (Mickey) Patterson Tyler . . Track and Field, New Orleans, USA Olympics . . . . . . . . . .2000
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Members in other Halls of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame Cooperstown, New York Lou Brock Willard Brown Bill Dickey Cal Hubbard (Umpire)* Ted Lyons Mel Ott
Pro Football Hall of Fame Canton, Ohio
Mel Blount Terry Bradshaw Wilie Brown Buck Buchanan Willie Davis Fred Dean Marshall Faulk Jim Finks
Cal Hubbard * Rickey Jackson Charlie Joiner William Roaf Jackie Smith Jim Taylor Y.A. Tittle Steve Van Buren
Boxing Hall of Fame Canastota, New York
Joe Brown Willie Pastrano
College Baseball Hall of Fame Lubbock, Texas Skip Bertman Ralph Garr (2013 Inductee) Lou Brock Ben McDonald Will Clark Todd Walker Eddy Furniss Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Springfield, Massachusetts College Football Hall of Fame National Museum of Racing & Hall of Fame South Bend, Indiana Saratoga Springs, New York Leon Barmore Pete Maravich Joe Aillet Lester Lautenschlaeger Joe Dumars Robert Parish Eddie Delahoussaye Randy Romero Bill Banker Charles McClendon Sue Gunter Bob Pettit Eric Guerin Charles Alexander Bo McMillin Elvin Hayes Willis Reed Bernie Bierman Archie Manning Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Karl Malone Terry Bradshaw Abe Mickal Knoxville, Tennessee NBA 50 Greatest Players Buck Buchanan Bernie Moore Leon Barmore Kim Mulkey Chris Cagle A.W. Mumford Sue Gunter Edna Tarbutton Billy Cannon Eddie Price Elvin Hayes Bob Pettit Sonja Hogg Teresa Weatherspoon Tommy Casanova Gary Reasons Karl Malone Willis Reed Janice Lawrence Braxton John David Crow Willie Roaf Pete Maravich Jerry Dalrymple Eddie Robinson Robert Parish National High School Hall of Fame Fred Dean Clark Shaughnessy Indianapolis, Indiana National Softball Hall of Fame Joe Delaney Monk Simons Joe Ferguson Kim Mulkey Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Doc Fenton Jerry Stovall Red Franklin Edna Tarbutton Cal Hubbard * Gaynell Tinsley Bobby Spell Leslie Gaudet Gary Johnson Doug Williams Tank Younger National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame National Track & Field Hall of Fame Ken Kavanaugh Hank Lauricella Kansas City, Missouri New York, New York Dale Brown Shaquille O’Neal * - Only person inducted into Pro Football Hall of John Pennel Joe Dumars Robert Parrish Fame, National Baseball Hall of Fame, and College Elvin Hayes Bob Pettit Football Hall of Fame Pete Maravich Willis Reed
Future Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Candidates
Danielle Scott-Arruda, Volleyball, active/TBD Seimone Augustus, Basketball, active/TBD Alana Beard, Women’s Basketball, active/TBD Kenta Bell, Track and Field, 2015 Calvin Borel, Horse Racing, 2017 Drew Brees, Football, active/TBD P.J. Brown, Basketball, 2015 Roger Cador, Baseball Coach, active/TBD Ryan Clark, Football, active/TBD Marques Colston, Football, active/TBD Walter Davis, Track and Field, 2016 Jake Delhomme, Football, 2015 Kent Desormeaux, Horse Racing, 2021 Jahri Evans, Football, active/TBD Kevin Faulk, Football, 2015 Sylvia Fowles, Basketball, active/TBD Yvette Girouard, Softball Coach, 2015 /LaSportsHall
Danny Granger, Basketball, active/TBD Pat Henry, Track and Field Coach, active/TBD Avery Johnson, Basketball Player/Coach, 2015 Lolo Jones, Track & Field, active/TBD Rick Jones, Baseball Coach, active/TBD Terrence McGee, Football, 2016 Paul Mainieri, Baseball Coach, active/TBD Eli Manning, Football, active/TBD Peyton Manning, Football, active/TBD Les Miles, Football Coach, active/TBD Paul Millsap, Basketball, active/TBD Mewelde Moore, Football, 2016 Sean Payton, NFL Coach, active/TBD Juan Pierre, Baseball, 2017 Ed Reed, Football, active/TBD Nick Saban, Football Coach, active/TBD Angelle Sampey, Motorsports, 2015 21 • LaSportsHall.com • 21
Ben Sheets, Baseball, 2016 Chris Shivers, Professional Bull Riding, active/TBD Leonard Smith, Football, 2015 Brandon Stokley, Football, 2017 Matt Stover, Football, 2015 Patrick Surtain, Football, 2015 Ike Taylor, Football, active/TBA David Toms, Golf, 2017 Reggie Wayne, Football, active/TBD Jim Wells, Baseball Coach, 2015 **This is a partial list of future candidates. Competitors in lifetime sports such as golf and horse racing become eligible when they are 50 as of Jan. 1 of that year.
#LSHOF2014
2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Tom Benson • Tom Benson • Tom Benson • Tom Benson
Benson’s impact is unquestionably immense for NOLA
Tom Benson
By Lori Lyons Written for the LSWA
Known for his ownership of the New Orleans Saints since 1985 which saved the NFL franchise from perhaps moving to Jacksonville, Fla., the New Orleans native has been at the forefront of sports in the Crescent City for nearly 30 years. In 2012, he became owner/ chairman of the board of both of New Orleans’ major league sports teams when he purchased the NBA’s New Orleans franchise. In 1985, Benson bought the Saints from John Mecom and quickly hired Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Finks as general manager and Jim Mora as head coach, who two years later helped deliver the club’s first winning season and playoff appearance since its inception in 1967. He also presided over the team’s first division title (1991), first playoff victory (2000) and first NFL title (2009) after the Saints took a 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV on Feb. 7, 2010. He has also been instrumental in helping bring five Super Bowls to the city, including Super Bowl XLVII which was played on Feb. 5, 2013. He also owned and operated the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League from 2002-08 and in March 2012 surprised the entire region when he paid $338 million to buy the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets, now renamed the Pelicans. Benson and his wife, Gayle, are active philanthropically in New Orleans. He has been a member of numerous NFL committees as an owner, including three stints as chairman of the powerful Finance Committee. A World War II veteran who served in the Navy, Benson was born in 1927 in New Orleans.
There are many paths to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, and each visitor must find his or her own way. Some take the Expressway, the swift and direct route, never detouring off the beaten path. Others take the back roads, enduring the potholes, the bumps and the hazards. Eventually, however, all reach their destination in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The same is true for the Hall of Fame inductees. Some get there swiftly and surely, while others have to find their way. And some have to make their own way. Such is the case of Tom Benson. Over the course of three decades, the Louisiana sports icon went from humble car salesman to hugely successful businessman to somewhat improbable sports mogul and, now, to Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer. Once best known for his wheeling and dealing as the owner of several automobile dealerships in the New Orleans area, as well as in San Antonio, Texas, in 1985 he began his journey to becoming the patriarch of Louisiana’s two biggest sports franchises – the Saints and the Pelicans. For a while he also owned the city’s Arena League team, The Voodoo. In between, he also became a beloved figure to New Orleans sports fans (although not without some bumps along the way) and a generous philanthropist. While is no record of Benson ever claiming to be an athlete, not even in his youth, he is one of the world’s best-known cheerleaders, infamous for his post-Saints victory dances on the sidelines with Saints coaches, staff, players and fans, complete with his ubiquitous black-and-gold umbrella. But he also has showed that he knows how to build a winning team. For more than 20 years, New Orleanians had faithfully followed their beloved Saints, win or lose. And, at the time, there was quite a bit more losing than winning. The team had never had a winning season by the mid-1980s. When then-owner John Mecom put the team up for sale in 1985, fans were horrified by the idea that the team – loveable losers that they were – might be sold and shipped out of state. At the urging of some of the state’s heavy power-hitters, including former Governor Edwin Edwards, Benson was convinced to buy the Saints and keep the franchise in New Orleans. The May day the deal was signed, Benson promised Saints fans that he would, one day, bring a championship to the city. But he had some work to do. First he had to put the right people in place to turn the team around. Among his first moves was to hire the late Jim Finks as his general manager, then Jim Mora as the coach of the team. Together, in 1987, Benson’s leadership team steered the Saints to their first winning season, then their first playoff appearance. The team notched its first playoff win in 2000. While Benson’s head for business proved to be just as successful in football as it was in car sales, Benson said he had a lot learn about the game itself. “When I hired Jim Finks as general manager,” Benson said in a 2009 interview. “Jim became my teacher. I was fortunate to learn from the best. Jim had come up through the ranks -- player, coach, GM. He was old school. I learned from Jim, and I’m still learning.”
New Orleans Administrator NFL
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Tom Benson • Tom Benson • Tom Benson • Tom Benson “From the get-go, he was smart enough to surround himself with good people,” said former Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert, “and not letting his ego ever get in the way of what he needed for the team.” Benson was determined to build a winner for the city of New Orleans. “(Winning) is a big part of his life,” said Gayle Benson, Tom’s wife of 10 years, a woman who knew virtually nothing about football when she met her future husband at church. “He and I have a lot of long talks about that. It’s important to him because he feels the passion about the city, the state and the welfare of the people. It’s really about those people. A lot of those people spend their last few dollars just to go to these games and it means a lot to him to see the team winning. Tom is very competitive and he wants to win.” The road got rocky both for Benson and for the Saints after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005. The Superdome, the team’s home field and the landmark of the city’s skyline, took a horrific hit both from the storm and from the thousands of people who used the building as a shelter of last resort. Damages were in the millions of dollars, and there was speculation that only recourse was demolition. While the Saints training facilities, located in the suburb of Metairie, suffered only minimal damage, rumors began to fly that Benson was looking to use the hurricane as an excuse to take his team and move it to Texas. The Saints endured a nomadic season in 2005, playing several games on the road – including one at LSU’s Tiger Stadium, as repairs to the Superdome got underway. The team limped to a 3-13 finish. But Benson regained the city’s favor by announcing that the Saints would be back for the 2006 season and that the Superdome would be ready. The team also would have a new coach in Sean Payton and a new (albeit slightly used) quarterback in Drew Brees. The team promptly sold out its entire 2006 season for the first time in franchise history. “He gave me the opportunity,” said Brees. “He brought in Sean Payton. You can say, ‘unproven coach Sean Payton.’ He basically said, whatever we need to do to create a winner, we need to do.” Benson, Payton and Brees proved to be keys of the ultimate winning combination for the Saints. In 2006 the team won its third division title, its first NFC South title and earned a first-round bye in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The team also won a coveted ESPY Award for its emotional Superdome-reopening win against the Atlanta Falcons, sparked by Steve Gleason’s now-legendary blocked punt, in a game that signaled to the rest of the world that New Orleans was back. Then the Saints showed that they were better than ever, winning Super Bowl XLIV 31-17 over the Indianapolis Colts in Miami on Feb. 7, 2010. Benson also has been instrumental in helping bring five Super Bowls to the city of New Orleans, providing a global spotlight for the city and state, let alone major economic impact.
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In April of 2012, Benson added to his New Orleans sports Monopoly board corner when he agreed to purchase another floundering franchise, the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets, to keep pro basketball in the city. In 2013 he announced the team would change its mascot to a Louisiana and New Orleans iconic figure, the Pelicans, with a new color-scheme and logo designed, in part, by his wife Gayle. “The nickname Hornets didn’t mean anything to this community,” Benson said at the time. “The pelican represents New Orleans, just like the Saints. They have incredible resolve. If they can to that, the team can do the same.” Gayle Benson said her husband has worked tirelessly to create the empire he has built. “He’s come from nothing,” Gayle Benson said. “He’s a self-made man and in a unique spot. Owning two franchise teams in this level in the same city is just phenomenal. And he’s always looking for another deal. He loves the chase. He’s very humble. He doesn’t spend a lot of time making sure his legacy is intact and in place. He doesn’t worry about what his legacy is going to be. I think people in New Orleans are going to remember him for a very long time.”
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#LSHOF2014
2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Congratulations! to Mr. Tom Benson on his induction into the
Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame From your biggest fans at
Mr. Benson, You have made us all come to realize that people with good habits usually have lots of good luck. Well deserved honor.
John Jay and Bonnie New Orleans, Louisiana
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
The Board of Trustees and President of Oblate School of Theology, join the students, faculty, staff and administration, in congratulating Tom Benson on his induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Pete Boudreaux • Pete Boudreaux • Pete Boudreaux • Pete Boudreaux
Humbling start sent Boudreaux to title torrent
Tommy Hodson Pete Boudreaux
By Robin Fambrough Baton Rouge Advocate
Boudreaux has been head track coach at his alma mater, Catholic HighBaton Rouge, since 1968 and also served as athletic director through 2011. In the early 1970s, he added head cross country coach to his list of duties. His teams have won 41 state titles (14 outdoor, 11 indoor, 16 cross country through 2014). His teams also finished as the state runner-up 11 times at cross country, seven in outdoor track and four in indoor track. Boudreaux’s track teams have recorded the four highest (best) scores ever by a championship team in Class 5A track and field and the three lowest (best) scores recorded in 5A cross country. His 2013 track team scored a record 116 points, breaking a mark by his 2010 squad (104), while the 2009 team had 101 points. The Bears’ 2009 cross country team had the low winning score of 33 points. Boudreaux’s 1991 squads became Louisiana’s first to sweep cross country, indoor track and outdoor track titles in the same calendar year. His 2008-09 and 2009-10 squads pulled off sweeps in the same school year, winning six straight titles and becoming the first school to sweep state crowns two years in a row. Boudreaux was inducted into the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 and served as president of the Louisiana High School Coaches Association in 1981. He has received state Coach of the Year honors 14 times and regional honors four times. In 2010, Boudreaux was voted the national high school coach of the year for boys track by USA Track & Field. He has also worked as an official at SEC and Big 12 track and field championships and at the Olympic Trials. In 2002, Boudreaux was comeet director for the NCAA Championships. He graduated from Catholic High in 1959 and has spent his entire coaching career at his alma mater.
Getting to coach at his alma mater, Baton Rouge’s Catholic High, was a dream come true for Pete Boudreaux. The Bears were second in the district in track and field in his first year, 1969. It was the school’s best finish ever. What happened next would have baffled some and discouraged many others. Instead it helped launch a Hall of Fame career. “The first year I coached, we had a couple of kids who were pretty good. I inherited them. I just cared about them,” Boudreaux recalls. “I laugh about it now because I thought it (coaching) is not that hard. “The next year we were dead last in district and the following year, I think we scored something like seven points. That’s when I really started learning. I knew I’d better get a grasp on how to coach all the events.” Boudreaux didn’t just get a “grasp” on coaching track and field and cross country. He has mastered it like no other high school coach in Louisiana history. Now he is the first high school track coach to be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. With the addition of Division I indoor and Class 5A outdoor state titles in track in 2014, and a runner-up finish in cross country in 2013, Boudreaux has a total of 41 state titles and 21 runner-up finishes. Plenty of things have changed during Boudreaux’s 46-year tenure as head coach of the Bears. His philosophy that melds teaching and learning remains the same. First came Boudreaux’s desire to compete and the lessons that go with it. “We had a vacant lot next to our house the entire time I was growing up,” Boudreaux said. “It was the only vacant lot in the entire neighborhood. In the fall, it was a football field; in the summer it was a baseball field and in the spring we built a little track. As we got older, we’d all bring our little brothers along. “And we dug a hole. One of the parents would take us downtown in a truck or van to a lumber company and load it up with sawdust. That was the pole vaulting pit. We just played all the time.” Pole vault champions from two college conferences and the first Louisiana high school pole vaulter to clear 14 feet eventually came from Boudreaux’s Southdowns neighborhood. Playing all the time didn’t translate into immediate success. “I didn’t start playing sports at Catholic right away because my brothers and I all had to work to earn money for our tuition,” Boudreaux said. “I only weighed about 115 pounds when I was in high school. “I got cut from the basketball team. But believe it or not, that was a great experience for me because I learned how devastating something like that could be and that it doesn’t mean your life is over. It means you go try something else. So then I started in track in my junior year.” As a senior, Boudreaux competed in four events, including the pole vault, to complete what he calls an “average” career. Interestingly, he missed out on going to the state meet in the pole vault that year based on a coin flip after tying at the same
Coach High School
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Pete Boudreaux • Pete Boudreaux • Pete Boudreaux • Pete Boudreaux
height with two other competitors. After a stint in the Army, Boudreaux returned to Baton Rouge and enrolled at LSU, where he joined the track team. He competed one year for legendary coach Al Moreau and went on to become a record-setting Southeastern Conference champion in the pole vault in 1965. “I was so proud being an LSU athlete,” Boudreaux said. “Growing up, every kid in Baton Rouge wanted to go to Tiger Stadium and play football. As I got older, I thought maybe I’d be able to pole vault there and I was able to do that. To this day I’m so proud of it. I never dreamed of being a SEC champion or setting a record.” Transitioning from athlete to coach made sense for Boudreaux, but he knew he had a lot to learn and went to work. “I sought out as many people as I could who coached track,” Boudreaux said. “I went to clinics and I asked questions. I know there were some people who were tired of seeing me or answering my questions. “And for me, that’s the thing … you always have to keep on learning. To this day I still know there are things I can learn.” Boudreaux’s ability to convey a sense of caring, while also teaching what he knows, is as much a part of Catholic’s success as is any specific strategy. “I’ve worked with Pete for a lot of years and his energy and enthusiasm haven’t ever changed,” Catholic High assis/LaSportsHall
tant coach Don Hood said. “He’s always treated me so well as an assistant. Now that’s not to say we agree on everything, because we don’t. But there’s a respect and you work things out. “It’s the same way with the kids we have. Over the years, the numbers have grown and that changes some things. Pete has a way of relating to them and getting the most out of them. And it doesn’t matter whether one guy is fast and the other isn’t. He encourages them to be the best they can be.” Episcopal coach Claney Duplechin has an impressive string of championships of his own. Duplechin developed his core coaching values as an assistant at Catholic from 197577. “When I came to Catholic, I was an assistant football coach and I really wanted to work with baseball,” Duplechin recalls. “I was told that I’d be working with track instead. I competed in track, but I wasn’t sure about coaching it. “A lot of things that became the foundation of the program at Episcopal came from what I learned working with Pete. We were both pole vaulters and back then we’d vault after practice. “One of the biggest things I learned is that you’re there to coach the child, not the sport. Never berate or humiliate a kid in public. The overall goal is to make the kids better people, not just better athletes.” Boudreaux’s wife of 48 years, Pat, works track and cross country meets year in and year out and has her own views on what makes her husband’s approach work. “I had one coach tell me this year he’d wish Pete would tell everybody what his secret is … how can he get the kids he has to run fast,” she said. “The answer to that is he never tells them they can’t.” Pat Boudreaux, a breast cancer survivor, offers her own personal take: “I know Pete’s a great coach. He was there for me at all but one of my chemo treatments. He coached me through it and I couldn’t have done it without him.” Former Florida State and NFL running back Warrick Dunn, already a Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame member, was a star sprinter for Boudreaux at Catholic in the early 1990s. “He (Boudreaux) is a terrific individual, not just a coach,” Dunn said. “He is committed to young people and teaching them. “I remember one day we weren’t working hard and he called us out at practice because some guys weren’t working hard. You always knew he wanted the best for you and the team.”
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Congratulates Pete Boudreaux
Catholic High School Athletic Department
on his Induction into The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Richard “Moon” Ducoté • Richard “Moon” Ducoté • Richard “Moon” Ducoté • Richard “Moon” Ducoté
Broad legacy is defining trait of remarkable Ducoté
Richard “Moon” Ducoté
By Bob Tompkins The (Alexandria) Town Talk
A football legend at Auburn and in the early days of pro football, Ducote’ was a Cottonport native who later coached at LSU and Loyola and became a highly regarded football official. At Auburn from 1915-17, he played end, halfback and fullback and was a sensational kicker, making game-winning field goals of 48 and 51 yards to beat Georgia and Vanderbilt. In 1918, he provided all the scoring for the Great Lakes Cleveland Naval Reserves team to a 10-9 upset of Pop Warner’s mighty Pitt team, unbeaten for three years and the greatest collegiate team of the era. Warner said he had never seen a better player. A Cleveland sports writer wrote Ducote’ “simply battered the life out of the Pitt defense and ... must be rated as one of the greatest backs of all time.” Football legend George Halas compared him to Jim Thorpe and other greats of the early days of pro football in a 1971 letter. He served as an assistant football coach at LSU for two years and was head basketball coach for one season, later becoming athletic director at Loyola. Ducote’ was on the officiating crew for the 1935 Rose Bowl game pitting Alabama against Stanford. He died in 1939.
Richard “Moon” Ducote’ of Cottonport became nationally famous in 1918 for kicking a field goal. It wasn’t just any field goal, nor was “Moon” Ducote’ just any player. It was a 41-yard field goal for a Cleveland naval reserve team that beat the mighty Pittsburgh Penguins, 10-9, ending a six-year unbeaten streak by the fabled professional football team of that era. News of that feat, in addition to Ducote’s football prowess from 1915-17 at Auburn University, prompted Glenn “Pop” Warner to call Ducote’ “the greatest football player I ever saw.” Yet, the man’s acclaim in his short life transcended football – a game that changed one of its rules because of him -- as he was also a college coach in multiple sports at multiple schools, an athletics director, a college football official, a professional baseball player and an excellent golfer. More than all those things, he was evidently an extraordinary man. Ducote’ is among eight sports legends being inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches. He goes in posthumously. When Ducote’ died of Bright’s disease, a kidney disease, at age 39, the Rev. Percy A. Roy was the faculty athletics director at Loyola University of New Orleans, where Ducote’ had served as a backfield coach in 1935 and as athletics director in ’36. Roy was quoted in a column the next day by Hall of Fame sportswriter William Keefe of the Times-Picayune as saying that Ducote’s “entire life could be used as a model for any youth to try and mold his own life after. I don’t think I have ever known a man for whom his friends had such a profound regard. And the better Moon was known, the more he was loved.” “I used to hear my mother say how much fun Moon was, that it was always a pleasure to be around him,” said Madeline Jeansonne of Alexandria, Moon’s niece, whose grandmother raised Moon and who used to talk from time to time about Moon with her aunt Catherine, Moon’s widow. “Bright’s disease ran in the Lemoine family,” said Sheldon Roy of Marksville, Ducote’s grand nephew, referring to Moon’s mother’s family. Moon’s mother, Norma, died of the disease at age 32 when Moon was just 10 years old. The 60-year-old Roy, a professional fund-raiser who was a Catholic priest for 20 years, including 10 in Natchitoches, is the Ducote’ family historian. “Richard always had close relationships with Jesuit priests,” he said, noting his uncle’s early years (age 9-17) at Spring Hill College Boarding School to his later years as a football coach and athletics director at Spring Hill in Mobile, Ala., and at Loyola of New Orleans. “He was a man with a lot of character and integrity apparently, and an honest and good-natured person.” It’s uncertain when he got the nickname “Moon,” but Roy suspects he got that tag because of his round face while he was at the boarding school, where he was a football and baseball star as well as the valedictorian of his senior class. He was a virile, athletic youth, and by age 18 he was a 6-foot, 192-pound end at Auburn University under coach Mike Donahue. He was twice named to the All-Southern Conference team at Auburn, in 1916 and ’17, and was one of the first people to receive that honor for two straight years. He kicked a 48-yard field goal off the top of his helmet to beat Georgia in 1916, 3-0, and after he kicked a 51-yard field goal against Vanderbilt that season in the same fashion (in a 20-9 loss), the NCAA changed its rules to limit placekicks from the ground only. Ducote’ played at guard and fullback at Auburn, in addition to his early time at end, but his best work was at fullback. He and LSU’s first great football player, quarterback George Ellwood “Doc” Fenton (1907-09) were described by the Times-Picayune as “two of the greatest football players ever produced in the South” in a Dec. 31, 1922 story about them being named assistant football coaches at LSU
Cottonport Coach • Official
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Richard “Moon” Ducoté • Richard “Moon” Ducoté • Richard “Moon” Ducoté • Richard “Moon” Ducoté under Donahue, the Tigers’ head coach from 1923-27. Ducote’ was also a three-year letterman in baseball at Auburn and later took those skills to the professional level when he played for the Mobile Bears minor league team in the Southern Association from 1919-21, playing 300 games as an outfielder and batting .250. He also had shorter minor league stints playing for the Portsmouth Truckers and Charlotte Hornets. When professional football was in its infancy, Ducote’ played a single game in 1920 for the Cleveland Tigers of the American Professional Football Association, which eventually became known as the NFL. This was just two years after his ballyhooed winning field goal against Pittsburgh, but he was married and he and Catherine had their first child, Joseph, and he chose to get into coaching at Spring Hill (1921-22). He was the head basketball coach at LSU for one season, 1924, when the Tigers went 8-12 and 0-7 in the SEC, and he was the head baseball coach that same season, when LSU went 4-9. Although he would come out of retirement as an athlete to play pro football in 1926 for the Southern All-Stars for just one season, he made an impact. George Halas, who coached the Chicago Bears to a 14-0 victory over the Southern All-Stars that season, signed a letter to Spring Hill in 1971 regarding Ducote’s induction into the Spring Hill Sports Hall of Fame, comparing him to some of the great professional players of that era like Jim Thorpe. Needing to provide for his family at a time when the pay wasn’t good in pro football, Ducote ran a cleaning service in New Orleans from 1927-33, during part of the Great Depression. Yet, he returned to Spring Hill as head football coach and athletics director (1933-34). Then he switched to another Jesuit school, spending time at Loyola as a backfield coach and athletics director until shortly before his death. With six years of experience (1929-34) as an official in the Southern and Southeastern Conferences, Ducote’ was a field judge for the 1935 Rose Bowl between Alabama and Stanford in Pasadena, Calif. He was such a respected official he was voted chairman of the Southern Football Officials Association, and his grandson, Richard Ducote’ III, has the whistle used at the Rose Bowl. In his tribute column to Ducote’ after his death, Keefe remembered a vignette from Moon’s time in Mobile when he had been appointed as athletics director of the school system. He wrote that John Rush, the school superintendent at the time, got a call from a man who said he didn’t think Ducote’ should have been appointed because he was a Catholic and most of the schools were Protestant, and he asked if Rush knew that Ducote’ was a Catholic. Rush answered that he was not a Catholic but didn’t care about Ducote’s race, creed or religion. “He’s as fine a man as you or I could ever hope to be,” Rush reportedly lectured, “and if you or anybody else have any objections to him you can just forget ’em. Because he’s in and in to stay as long as he wants or as long as I have anything to say about it.” Marksville resident Peter Roy, Moon’s 84-year-old nephew, said even though his uncle was famous for his football feats, “he advised my mom not to let my two (older) brothers (Don and Van) play varsity football at LSU, I think because of the injuries that might come out of it.” He said he was 6 years old when Moon died on
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Good Friday morning, March 28, 1937, at his residence at 8510 Pear Street in New Orleans. His funeral Mass was at the church on the Loyola campus on Easter Sunday, followed by a cortège to St. Mary’s Assumption Cemetery in his tiny hometown of Cottonport. “I enjoyed reading and hearing that Moon was a great athlete, and when my (since deceased) Mama was getting in her upper 80s, I recommended him to be in the (Louisiana) Sports Hall of Fame,” said Roy. “I thought he deserved to be, and what a joy for her it would have been to have him recognized in that way. She loved her brother.” Peter Roy said he remembers one occasion when he got to visit with Ducote’ in the last year of his life. Although he doesn’t remember the conversation, he cherishes a memory when he was 6 and Moon had come to visit his mother, he and Moon sat together in a glider on the front porch for a while. “That it’s finally happening,” he said of Ducote’s induction, “makes us all very happy. Actually our relations as a family have improved. I didn’t know, for instance, about his grandson (in Atlanta, another Richard Ducote’) also nicknamed ‘Moon.’ This has brought us together. It started a revival of the family and makes us all very happy.”
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Congratulations! Mr. Benson
You have done a tremendous amount for our state when it comes to our sport’s culture.
For the Cintas location nearest you please visit: www.cintas.com /LaSportsHall
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Alan Faneca • Alan Faneca • Alan Faneca • Alan Faneca
Marathon feat adds to Faneca’s legendary story
Alan Faneca
By Jim Kleinpeter New Orleans Times-Picayune
One of LSU’s all-time great offensive linemen from 1995-97, Faneca was a second-team All-American pick in 1996 and a first-teamer in 1997 when he was a finalist for the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top lineman. A guard who overcame epilepsy, he started his final 36 college games and allowed only one sack as a junior before declaring for the NFL draft. He was chosen in the first round with the 26th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers and went on to play 10 years with them, two with the New York Jets and one with the Arizona Cardinals. He was voted to nine consecutive Pro Bowls (2001-09) and was a sixtime Associated Press All-Pro first-team pick (2001-02, 2004-07). He started 201 of 206 games he appeared in and started all 16 games in his final nine seasons in the league. He played on the Steelers team that won Super Bowl XL and helped spring Willie Parker for a 75-yard TD run, the longest run in Super Bowl history, on the second play of the second half to give Pittsburgh a 14-3 lead over the Seattle Seahawks. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-2000s team and was chosen to the Steelers’ 75th anniversary all-time team in 2007. Faneca does extensive charitable work with the Epilepsy Foundation of America. Born 12-7-1976 in New Orleans.
An exceptional college and pro football career put offensive guard Alan Faneca on the fast track to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. As if to remove any doubts about his worthiness, the former LSU Tiger and Pittsburgh Steeler slipped in one more extraordinary accomplishment between election and induction. Nine-times an NFL Pro Bowler, six times an All Pro and a consensus Tiger All-American in 1997, Faneca switched sports after ending his football playing days. On a whim last fall he began training for a marathon, having dropped more than 100 pounds from his playing weight. On the same day Seattle devoured Denver for the Super Bowl title, Faneca ate up the 26.2 mile course at the New Orleans Rock and Roll Marathon in 3 hours, 56 minutes and 34 seconds, an amazing clocking for a man his size in his first try. Faneca’s already prodigious Hall of Fame biography may require some future editing if his running career stays on track. But even before his latest exploits, he was an easy pick for the 30-member Louisiana Sports Writers Association panel that elected him last summer, the second consecutive year a former Tiger offensive lineman was chosen. “It’s a great honor and it took me completely by surprise,” Faneca said in a recent interview in his Metairie home. “It’s a tribute to all the teammates I’ve played with. I remember (former LSU center) Kevin (Mawae) being elected last year, but this came out of left field.” So did the news of his marathon run, for most of his fans. Faneca, a burly 320-pounder during his college and pro playing days, was nearly unrecognizable after changing from his 4,000 calorie per day diet to 1,800 upon his retirement following the 2010 season. He also stopped his one-hour a day cardio workouts and weight lifting sessions. On a beautiful day last fall he decided to join his wife, Julie, for a run around New Orleans’ City Park, which got him back in exercise mode. On a future run, he took a notion to go straight for the long way around the park rather than turning right for the shorter route and it fired his desire. “That’s how it started,” he said. “I ran about seven miles and remember thinking ‘That was fun’ and I got into it. I started thinking about running a half marathon. I was winging it, didn’t know anything about running.” On a visit to Pittsburgh, Faneca confided in some of the Steelers’ trainers that he was thinking of doing a half marathon and when they offered him encouragement, he took it as a challenge. “They told me, ‘Oh, you got this; that’s going to be easy for you’,” Faneca recalled. “I thought to myself that I wasn’t looking for ‘easy.’ So I came home and started training for the full deal. I got some coaching help and I was able to finish. “I never imagined I would do this. Even when I started training I was thinking I would ‘try’ to do a marathon. It was fun, exciting, painful. The last couple miles were interesting on a multitude levels. But it’s exciting, a new chapter in my life.” It is still just a budding chapter for the former LSU star who grew up on the West Bank but left the state for his four years of high school at Lamar Consolidated in Houston. He had attended John Curtis Christian School from fifth grade until eighth grade and his room was adorned in purple and gold gear. Even with his Louisiana roots he committed to Alabama a day before national signing day in 1994 but changed his mind the next morning. He redshirted his freshman year but then started every game at right guard the next three years, 36 straight, as LSU changed coaches from Curley Hallman to Gerry DiNardo. “He was one of the guys who was a great student of the game and his technique,” DiNardo said. “He broke the game down more coach-like than player-like. It was really important to him. Alan bought into the ‘a 6-inch step is better than an 8-inch step’ and a 3-inch step isn’t good enough’.” “He was a quiet guy, not a vocal leader. Everyone looked at him and really respected how hard he worked, how attentive to detail he was.”
New Orleans Football LSU • NFL
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Alan Faneca • Alan Faneca • Alan Faneca • Alan Faneca Said LSU line mate Ben Bordelon, with whom Faneca played two seasons: “You could tell from the first day of practice he was going to be something special. In walk-through you could tell from his strength, footwork. . . he was athletic and a hard worker. He always led by example. He would teach the upperclassmen how to do it.” With Faneca up front and Kevin Faulk in the backfield, LSU became known for its physical style running game. He was a second team All-America pick as a sophomore and a consensus All-American as a junior. He was one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy in 1997. After the 1997 season he and Faulk, who became LSU’s all-time rushing leader, had to decide whether or not move on to the NFL. Most fans and even the LSU coaching staff expected Faneca to stay and Faulk to leave, but the reverse happened. Faneca made his tearful farewell at a press conference after learning from the NFL Advisory Committee he would undoubtedly become a first-round pick. “It tore me up to leave friends and take that big of step and leave the comfort zone of LSU,” Faneca recalled “I equate it to the decision to retire. It was a lot of little things, my recruiting class and core buddies had already moved on. Felt like the right thing to do.” The Steelers made Faneca the 26th player picked in the draft and he paid immediate dividends when injuries hit the Steelers’ offensive line in 1998. He received the franchise’s Joe Greene Award for the top rookie and by 2001 was named to his first of nine consecutive Pro Bowls. He was an All-Pro in 2001-02 and 2004-07. Faneca was as durable as he was talented. He started 201 of 206 games he appeared in and started all 16 games in his final nine seasons in the league. He helped the Steelers to win Super Bowl XL, providing the key block to spring teammate Willie Parker for a 75-yard TD run, the longest carry in Super Bowl history, on the second play of the second half to give Pittsburgh a 14-3 lead against Seattle. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-2000s team and was chosen to the Steelers’ 75th anniversary all-time team in 2007. “I was immediately drawn to him because of how great a player he was,” said Steeler teammate Brett Keisel. “He was always working, even after consecutive Pro Bowls. Not only did he work hard in practice but in games you always saw Alan hustling and making plays down field, which is why we had such a great rushing attack when he was here. “The Steelers fans loved him. They were drawn by the way he plays the game, a no-nonsense player. When media or anyone would address him, he wouldn’t sugarcoat anything. He would usually speak his mind on what he thought, which would sometimes cause controversy.” Faneca loved the Steelers fans back, saying it was the closest thing to playing college ball than for any other team in the NFL. His enduring memory was a picture he dug up that showed him holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy aloft while the team celebrated at Ford Field in Detroit. Pittsburgh had to win its final four games in 2005 to make the playoffs and then won four consecutive playoff games to take its fifth Super Bowl title. “Our backs were to the wall,” he said. “If we lost one it was over. We snuck in. I was an older guy, we had been close a couple times. Core group of guys fighting to find a way in, an accumulation of all those years of work. It was special. “You talk about a team coming together for two weeks. I don’t know if I ate a meal with my wife that week, maybe one.” Faneca left the Steelers as a free agent after the 2007 season and played two years with the New York Jets. He was cut and then picked up by Arizona, coached by former Steeler offensive coordinator Ken
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Whisenhunt and Faneca was reunited with his old offensive line coach Russ Grimm. He played one season there, but retired despite the fact that the Cardinals wanted him back. “It took me a month to decide to retire,” he said. “You’ve been doing something since the 4th grade to think about not lining up, going to training camp and doing football the next year was a hard thing to grasp. You still love the game. “I had a lot of friends on the staff, we loved it out there. I was close to playing again. It was time. I didn’t want to be one of those guys stretching it out.” Faneca is far from being a full-time distance runner now. His offfield contributions are many, including extensive work with the Epilepsy Foundation of America. Faneca himself was diagnosed with the disease at age 15, and has controlled it since with medication. His 9-year-old daughter, Anabelle, has also been diagnosed with a form of the disease called Sturge-Weber Syndrome. Faneca is moving his family, which includes 3-year-old son Burton, to the Washington D.C area to be nearer to Anabelle’s specialist. He has at least one more appearance in Louisiana on June 21. “It’s going to be exciting to have friends and family there, and to be in that group of (inductees),” Faneca said. “It’s truly an honor.”
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
The Pittsburgh Steelers Congratulate
Alan Faneca
Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2014 /LaSportsHall
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Bolton
2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Real ty
Tom Benson • Shane Reynolds • Pete Boudreaux • Venus Lacy Richard “Moon” Ducote • Beryl Shipley • Alan Faneca • Lionel Washington
Congratulates the Inductee Class of Louisiana Sports Hall “Bringing You Home”
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2014 the of Fame
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NEW ORLEANS SAINTS and PELICANS
CONGRATULATE ALL OTHER LOUISIANA SPORTS HALL of FAME HONOREES
Pete Boudreaux
Richard “Moon” Ducote
Alan Faneca
Tynes Hildebrand
Venus Lacy
Joe Macaluso
Shane Reynolds
Beryl Shipley
Lionel Washington
Wright Waters
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Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration The Allstate Sugar Bowl is2014a Proud Supporter of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
CONGRATULATIONS
TO ALL OF TONIGHT’S HONOREES
Wright Waters
FBA Executive Director
Billy Cannon
1959 Sugar Bowl MVP
Warrick Dunn
1995 Sugar Bowl MVP
Including Sugar Bowl Legends Billy Cannon and Warrick Dunn Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Inductees & Wright Waters, Executive Director of the Football Bowl Association Dave Dixon Award Recipient
JANUARY 1, 2015 @SugarBowlNola
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Congratulations Lionel Washington The Arizona Cardinals congratulate Lionel Washington on his 2014 Induction into The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
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Hall of Fame Induction The Allstate Sugar Bowl2014 is aLouisiana ProudSportsSupporter of theCelebration Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
THE PLAYOFF IS COMING Be a Part of the First College Football Playoff in History
JANUARY 1, 2015 @SugarBowlNola
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
AMERICA’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL GAMES
ST. PETERSBURG
CONGRATULATES
WRIGHT WATERS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FOOTBALL BOWL ASSOCIATION
ON HIS INDUCTION INTO THE LOUISIANA SPORTS HALL OF FAME
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Congratulations 2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Coach Shipley SLI/USL and ULL 1957-‐1973
David Adams Douglas Adkins Don Anderson Bobby Andrews Kenneth Antee Shelby Aulds Phil Barber Edmond Bentley Charles Bisbano Ronald Boesch Tom Boesch Bruce Bolden Bob Bornscheuer Larry Boullion Don Boyne Chuck Bramlet Gale Breaux Joe Breyel Richard Britton Stephen Caldwell Jim Champagne Dale Chimento Dean Church Don Church Larry Clanton Larry Cobb Joe Courtney James Culotta Bob Cutrer Leon Davis
Don Donaldson Frank Donaldson Rudy Dossett Paul Ducrest Derwood Duke Jimmy Dykes Roy Ebron Charles English Jerry Flake Jack Fleming Calvin Fluit Larry Fogle Ronald Fox Don Frailey Percy Francis Joseph Francois Marty Friedman Jerry Fultz T.J. Gaspard Larry Gibbons William Goldey Steven Greene Edwin Griffith David Hall Michael Haney Ray Haney Mike Hargraves Bob Heckler Wayne Herbert Bill Delcambre
Shipley’s Boys Bob Hilton Brian Hirsch Tom Holmer Harold Howard Robert Hughes Howard Humphreys Galen Husser Elvin Ivory Ray Jarboe David Kessler Frank Kluz Randall Kyker Ernest Lancon Dwight "Bo" Lamar Chris Landry Wilbert Loftin Kenneth Marsh Max Mays Bill McHorris Lanrick McKellar Jerry Meaux Larry Miller Cain Moncla James Moreau Marl Morgan Ronnie Moulard Terry Morrison Edward Mouton
Donald Muller Richard Tate Michael Olivier Sam Thomas Russell Page Tim Thompson Sam Parker Payton Townsend Steve Payne Charles Trahan Perry Penton Allen Van Winkle Henry Perret, Jr Bob Verlander Charles "Mac" Price Richard Vernotzy Jim Vice Randy Price Gerald Reaux Charles Wallace John Reding Jinks Welch Jeffery Rhodes Garland Williams Bob Rigo Fred Wilson Daniel Roy Marvin Winkler Rocke Roy Dennis Wright Andy Russo Vlado Zavich Fred Saunders Jack Savoie Honorary Shipley's Boys C.J. Scheufens Ed Dugas Leslie Scott Karren Hays John Sheputis Craig Cowand Larry Simon Stephen Snyder Melvin Stacy Nick Stamatis Marion Stewart Jack Strauss Tim Sutton
“You helped mold us into the men we are today” /LaSportsHall
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On behalf of our Board of Directors, staff and volunteers, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation thanks you, Mr. Benson, for your leadership, support, and the invaluable role you have played in the resurgence and renaissance of our great American city.
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Tom Benson Congratulations on your induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame from your UIW family
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Congratulations Tom Benson! St. Aloysius Class of 1944 2014 Inductee to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Thanks for a lifetime of service to the City of New Orleans. From Brother Martin High School and the Brothers of the Sacred Heart
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Congratulations
2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
TOM BENSON
on your induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame! OWNER OF THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AND NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
BETHANY RETREAT HOUSE A gift of Gayle and Tom Benson With deep gratitude to Gayle and Tom Benson for their generosity in making possible this place of retreat for the spiritual benefit of clergy, religious and laity.
We congratulate you on this prestigious and well-deserved honor. May God continue to bless you, Gayle, your family and all those you encounter through your work and life. ~ Mother Ann Marie, O.P. and the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, Nashville, Tennessee /LaSportsHall
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PASSION
CHANGES THE WORLD The National Basketball Association congratulates our friend Tom Benson as he is inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
For more information visit NBACares.com
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DRS. KAMRAN2014KHOOBEHI AND Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction CelebrationSEAN R. WEISS
WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE
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SMOOTHIE KiNG CONGRATULATES MR. TOM BENSON FOR THE OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT OF BEING INDUCTED INTO THE
LOUISIANA SPORTS HALL OF FAME
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When
3.2 million people call
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Acadian responds.
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Ballengee The
Inductees Tom Benson Shane Reynolds Lionel Washington Venus Lacy Pete Boudreaux Richard “Moon” Ducote Beryl Shipley Alan Faneca
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Congratulates all 2014 Inductees Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award Tynes Hildebrand Wright Waters
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Venus Lacy • Venus Lacy • Venus Lacy • Venus Lacy
Childhood trials didn’t deter Lacy from stardom
Venus Lacy
By Jim McClain Written for the LSWA
A star center for the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball team from 1988-1990, Lacy played on the 1996 U.S. Olympic team that won a gold medal after starting at center on Tech’s 1988 national championship team, the last Techsters’ team to capture an NCAA title. Lacy was a 1990 Kodak All-American and was also named the national Player of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association. She is No. 1 in scoring average (20.0) in Tech history and is also is in the top five for career points (2,004), field goals made (793), field goals attempted (1,125) and blocked shots (164). She played in the old ABL, Europe and spent two seasons with the New York Liberty of the WNBA before retiring in 1998. Born 2-9-67 in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Venus Lacy is a huge fan of “Forrest Gump” because the early life of the hero in the 1994 Academy Award Best Picture so closely resembles her own. Like Gump, played by Tom Hanks in the movie, Lacy had to wear leg braces as a child, but once they came off, both the movie character on the football field and Lacy on the Louisiana Tech basketball court blasted off to sports stardom. Lacy will culminate a remarkable journey when the Class of 2014 is inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches. Lacy, 47, had a brilliant college career, leading the Lady Techsters to the 1988 national title and two other women’s Final Fours before earning more honors on the 1996 USA Olympic team and in professional leagues in Japan, Europe and here at home in America. Growing up in Chattanooga in the 1970s, a sports career seemed as far away as Mars for Lacy, who was one of 10 children in her family. “My knees were almost turned backwards,” she recalled. “I couldn’t run and play like the rest of the kids. I wore braces, even at night. My mom and my grandfather would massage my knees for me. “Then one day I was watching TV and saw a show on Wilma Rudolph. I said I want to be like that.” Rudolph, also a Tennesseean, was a gold-medal winning sprint star in the 1960 Olympics who had to wear braces as a child. “I was probably in the fourth grade before I could take the braces off. I wish I could have burst out running like she and Forrest Gump did,” Lacy said. Instead, what she did was grow and get stronger -- a lot stronger. When she arrived at Louisiana as a raw redshirt transfer from Old Dominion, she stood 6-foot-4 and weighed 190 pounds. “From start to finish, she was maybe the most improved to ever come through Tech,” said ex-Techsters coach Leon Barmore. “She became the biggest, strongest and most powerful Tech post player ever.” Her Tech statistics prove that. Twenty-four years after last putting on a Columbia blue and white uniform, Lacy is still the school’s all-time leader with a 20 points per game career average. She had 1,125 rebounds in just a three-year stay at Tech. As a senior she had a monster 1989-90 season, averaging 24.2 points and 12.7 rebounds per game as Tech went 32-1. Despite getting into early foul trouble, she recorded game-highs of 26 points and 15 rebounds in the Final Four semifinals upset loss to old nemesis Auburn. A possible second national title eluded Lacy and the Techsters when starting point guard Pam Wells went down with a knee injury. Still,the Techsters lost by only five points. Lacy was rewarded for her efforts by being named a Kodak All-American and National Player of the Year by both Champion and the United States Basketball Writers Association. Following her stellar final season at Tech, Lacy signed to play professionally for the Sanyo team in Japan for $200,000 per year, one of the highest salaries ever for a woman athlete. One of the first things she did was write Louisiana Tech a check for $5,000.
Louisiana Tech Women’s Basketball
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Venus Lacy • Venus Lacy • Venus Lacy • Venus Lacy “Tech helped change my life. A lot of people take. I just wanted to give back to the school that changed my life,” she said. “I wanted to give back to those who have helped me” Lacy made the all-star squad her two seasons in Japan before moving to Europe where her teams – foreign leagues usually were limited to just two Americans on each roster – won conference titles in Italy and Greece. She was an all-star honoree every year in Europe, also. In 1996, early practice games showed coaches the U.S. national basketball team needed more muscle, so Lacy was added and helped the Americans win the Olympic Gold Medal in Atlanta. “I covered the Olympics that year,” the Ruston Daily Leader’s Buddy Davis recalled. “Venus gave them a lot of help on defense. On offense, she posted up well and set up some shots. Being on the team was a great honor for her.” During her Olympic year, her hometown of Chattanooga honored her by re-naming a city street “Venus Lacy Parkway.” Her success as a professional was no surprise to 1988 national championship teammate Teresa Weatherspoon, who Lacy will join in the state sports shrine. “She had a nose for the ball,” she said of Lacy’s rebounding talents. “She gave us great second chance opportunities. To have a dominant post player who knew how to demand the ball and use her body, it was great for a point guard.” Unfortunately, Lacy’s later pro career was probably shortened by injuries suffered in auto accidents. In one of them, her vehicle was knocked through the plate glass window of a beauty school in Ruston. She was selected first by Seattle in the American Basketball League draft in 1996, but an auto injury in February of 1997 put her on the disabled list. After that year she was selected by the ABL’s expansion Long Beach club. Her team made it to the ABL finals where it lost to the Columbus Quest. The Stingrays folded after one year and the next year Lacy was drafted by another ABL expansion team, the Nashville Noise, which lasted only 15 games. On December 22, 1998, the league disbanded. Undrafted by WNBA teams in the special post-ABL consolidation draft, she played 17 games for the New York Liberty in 1999 and two more in 2000, but her injuries seemed to have slowed her down and she retired. Lacy said it wasn’t just physical problems that prompted her retirement. “I wasn’t happy in New York. I probably shouldn’t have even gone. I just wanted to make another league. I did everything (as a professional) I wanted to do.” After her pro career Lacy worked in various capacities with children and young adults and for a time was employed by the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga in its rec cen/LaSportsHall
ter. She also worked with the school’s cheerleaders and dance squad. Now she’s raising 11-year-old son Seth and writing a book about her life, hoping to finish it this year. Lacy has been battling health problems lately and wasn’t able to make it back to Ruston when her Tech uniform number was retired. She is determined to be present for the state induction ceremonies, though. “My knees still hurt – arthritis or something, and I’m taking medication for blood clots. I was very sick but, I’m better now,” she said. “I’ll be there with bells on. Never in a million years did I think I’d be in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.” It took longer than many might have thought to get her to the brink of enshrinement, but Lacy’s game was timeless, said another great coach who failed to get her on his team. “I tried to recruit her (out of high school) when I was coaching at Stephen F. Austin,” said Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Gary Blair, who led Texas A&M to an NCAA title three years ago. “She would still be a star if she were playing today. Her skill level was that good. She was very strong.”
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Congratulations to the 2014 inductees
Pete Boudreaux Venus Lacy
Moon Ducoté Lionel Washington Alan Faneca Shane Reynolds Tom Benson
With a special congratulations to Beryl Shipley who served faithfully on the Lafayette Parks and Recreation Board and brought great honor to our university and community.
Beryl Shipley
Gerald Boudreaux
Director, Lafayette Parks & Recreation Department LSHOF Foundation Board Member 2010 Dave Dixon Sports Leadership A ward
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Coach Boudreaux,
Thanks for inspirational lessons in life and great memories. Your leadership and coaching have set high standards for all young men and women that have had the privilege to learn under your guidance.
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Coach Pete, You are truly a special man.
RICK LEA (JOE DASH) Catholic High School 1977
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
S h a n e R e y n o ld s • S h a n e R e y n o ld s • S h a n e R e y n o ld s • S h a n e R e y n o ld s
Winter encounter turned Reynolds toward MLB career
Shane Reynolds
By Paul Letlow Written for the LSWA When Shane Reynolds headed to Venezuela
A Bastrop native who starred at Ouachita Christian High School in Monroe, Reynolds was one of the top pitchers in the National League and Houston Astros’ ace in the mid- to late-1990s after being selected in the third round of the 1989 draft. He pitched 13 seasons in the majors and had a 114-96 career record with the Astros (1992-2002), with whom he earned multiple Opening Day starts, Atlanta Braves (2003) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2004). He was 103-86 with the Astros, making the 2000 All-Star game. He led the NL in both 1998 and ’99 with 35 starts both of those seasons. Reynolds won 10 or more games six times in his career, with his best season coming in 1998 when he was 19-8 with a 3.51 ERA and 209 strikeouts. He also won 16 games in 1996 and ’99 and finished in the top 10 in strikeouts five times between 1994-99. Reynolds could also handle the bat for a pitcher, posting a .141 career average with five homers. His work ethic was compared to Nolan Ryan by longtime Astros trainer Dr. Gene Coleman. Born 3/26/68 in Bastrop.
in 1991, he was determined to get his baseball career in gear. Back then, the Bastrop native was a minor leaguer in the Houston Astros farm system. His Double-A manager Rick Sweet was going to Venezuela for winter ball and the organization invited Reynolds to play there. “I’d had a good second half of the season in Double-A,” Reynolds said. “They usually only take guys with Triple-A experience or less than a year of big league experience over there. But they wanted me to play and I went.” Good fortune brought Reynolds together with Brent Strom, a pitching guru who had a knack for helping hurlers reach their potential. Then a coach at Triple-A Tucson, Strom didn’t force pitchers into cookie-cutter concepts, but excelled at identifying and sharpening their strengths. So after watching Reynolds throw a few games, Strom asked him one day, “Do you want to pitch 10 years in the minors -- or one year in the big leagues?” Reynolds didn’t have to dwell on the answer. “I said, ‘One year in the big leagues.’” That was it, Reynolds said. “He completely changed me. My mechanics were like a power pitcher, but I only threw about 90. You’re not really a power pitcher throwing 90 miles per hour. I had a so-so-curveball and not a really good changeup.” On faraway mounds in Venezuela, Reynolds followed a mentor toward his destiny. Strom helped Reynolds develop a more upright delivery and showed him how to add movement to his fastball. Reynolds gained better control of his curve and added a split-finger fastball to his arsenal. Really learning his craft, along with playing in front of the big, rowdy Venezuelan crowds proved to be a game-changer for Reynolds. “I think that made my career and helped me get to the big leagues and stay there,” Reynolds said. “Brent Strom, yeah, I owe pretty much everything to him.” Reynolds eventually became one of the top pitchers in the National League. He was Houston’s Opening Day starter for five straight seasons, helped the team win four division titles and made the 2000 NL All-Star team. Reynolds won 103 games for the Astros over 11 seasons, including 20 complete games and seven shutouts. Houston inducted him into its Astros Walk of Fame in 2012. “He was my favorite pitcher I ever worked with,” said Strom, who also counts 1988 Cy Young winner Orel Hershiser as a former pupil. “I’ve never had a pitcher who took the information that I gave, and not really knowing him well then as I do now, I never had a pitcher take the information and work as hard.” Following all his accomplishments in baseball, Reynolds enters the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2014 induction class. “That’s very special, especially in your home state,” Reynolds said. “I’ve always said, ‘Hey, I’m from Monroe and Bastrop, Louisiana.’ I spent most of my adult life married in Texas, but when I got the call about the Louisiana Hall of Fame – wow -- it was a very, very special honor.” Growing up in Bastrop and later playing prep sports at Ouachita Christian School in Monroe, Reynolds was a well-rounded athlete. But reflecting on those days, Reynolds calls himself a late bloomer who just kept plugging along. “My parents, especially my dad, instilled a work ethic,” Reynolds said. “He worked hard in his job his whole life. He was my Little League coach from eight years old until 18. He was very instrumental in my preparation, in how I worked.” It wasn’t until Reynolds’ senior year that people outside his circle really started to pay attention. He was the ace of Micah Harper’s pitching staff and set a single-season OCS record at the time with 11 home runs over a 22-game schedule. Reynolds earned a chance to play college baseball at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala., and spent two years there before transferring to the University of Texas. Following a rocky junior year where he clashed with head coach Cliff Gustafson and was left off the College World Series roster, Reynolds was picked by Houston in the third round of the 1989 draft. “We didn’t get along that well, but I was able to get seen and get drafted,” Reynolds said. Strom believes Reynolds’ disappointing stint at Texas help motivate him in pro ball. “I think there’s some history here with him being discarded by UT,” Strom said. “The fact that he was such a great young man and hard worker, it shocked me. Once I showed him some stuff and we worked on it a little bit, I didn’t have to keep prodding this guy. He took it and ran with it himself.” After promotions in 1992 and 1993 that saw him pitch in 13 games, Reynolds arrived for good in 1994. He joined a rebuilding organization but was able to grow up in a great Astros clubhouse led by Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, among others.
Bastrop Baseball • MLB
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S h a n e R e y n o ld s • S h a n e R e y n o ld s • S h a n e R e y n o ld s • S h a n e R e y n o ld s “To be there with Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Caminiti, Luis Gonzalez, they played the game the right way,” Reynolds said. “Good people and they taught young guys how to act.” Reynolds had a knack for finding and listening to people who could help him improve. He was inseparable from Astros strength and conditioning coach Gene Coleman and became fanatical about his workouts. “There have been very few people who put in the work like Shane, a handful of them,” Coleman said. “There’s Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens and Shane that worked that hard.” Reynolds had a motto that kept him churning -- the harder you work, the luckier you get. At one time his regimen between starts included distance running outside, 1,000 sit-ups per day, sprints, weight training and throwing. “I was so much of a perfectionist when I played that every single day had to go the same way as far as the running, the weights, the sit-ups, the preparation and the throwing so I would be 100 percent prepared on the day,” he said. “I wasn’t a flamethrower, so I had to be perfection on the corners. I had to have the sinker perfect in this spot. Stay ahead in counts. Be able to throw all my off-speed pitches over the plate for strikes behind in the count.” Coleman chuckled when asked for examples of Reynolds’ fascination with fitness. “He was almost obsessive compulsive about working out,” Coleman said. “If we did 10 rotations with a med ball to the right and only nine to the left, he’d let me know about it. We’d have to do it again.” During his first offseason in Houston, Reynolds rented a place about five miles from the Astrodome. “So Shane would ride his bicycle to the Astrodome,” Coleman said. “And then while he was waiting on the clubhouse guy to come open the doors for him, he’d ride around the concourse, which was about two miles. He’d just keep riding and riding and then come work out. After that, he’d ride his bike home another five miles.” In spring training, Coleman said his early riser was at the park hours before team activities began. “If we had 10 o’clock workouts, Shane would show up around 7,” Coleman said. “We’d go out and run together and then he’d come in and lift. He’d done more work than anyone else before practice ever started.” Wanting to improve his diet and get enough rest, Reynolds promised Coleman that he’d be in bed by midnight during the season, barring extra innings. He also coaxed Coleman into regular meals together so he could eat the right things. “He said, ‘If you will go to breakfast and lunch with me and help me figure out what to eat, then I’ll pay for everything,’” Coleman said. “It wasn’t just that he wanted to improve, but he wanted to know what to do and why to do and when to do it.” Reynolds noted it was easy to concentrate on his career because his wife Pam was so supportive. High school sweethearts, they were together through the college years, five minor league stops and the majors. “My wife is a strong individual,” he said. “I honestly don’t think I’d be where I am now without her. It’s hard in the minors and when you first come up in the bigs. A lot of it is mental. She had my back at all times. She was a positive influence and when I had bad days, she’d say ‘remember what you’re trying to do here.’” Reynolds enjoyed plenty of great moments on the mound, including a pitching duel at Wrigley Field against Kerry Wood and the Cubs that produced 30 strikeouts (20 by Wood and 10 by Reynolds). Familiar opponents like Atlanta Brave icons Chipper Jones and Greg Maddox learned to respect the rangy right-hander. “He’s got good stuff,” Jones said in a 1996 interview. “He puts together his numbers pretty quietly because he’s played on a .500 team up until now. But he’s one of the most feared pitchers in this league.” Across the Astrodome clubhouse that same day in 1996, the future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Maddux said: “When his control is good, you can’t pitch any better. You’ve got to do two things to pitch. You’ve got to locate your fastball and change speeds. He’s got a very good fastball and he’s great at changing his speeds. When he can locate his fastball, he’s almost unhittable.” Reynolds wrapped his career pitching for the Braves in 2003 and the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2004 before retiring with a career record of 114-96. In the end, injuries took their toll. “I may have shortened my career because I worked myself so hard to be prepared, but I don’t have any regrets,” he said. “Working so hard, my pitching days were the easiest days. “But the wear and tear,” he said. “Five knee surgeries, shoulder surgery, back surgery. Yeah, that stuff will slow you down big time.” Reynolds recently moved from the Houston area to Monroe so his son Ryan could attend Ouachita Christian. Reynolds serves as a volunteer assistant with the OCS baseball team, where his son is a standout sophomore. “I’ve really enjoyed coaching with him,” Harper said. “He has come into our high school program and been a servant coach. Dig, rake, cut the grass, he serves. He knows what it takes to motivate these kids.” In a year brimming with recognition for the ex-big leaguer, this spring OCS even retired his jersey number 37. “It’s really an honor,” Reynolds said of his recent recognition. “Faulkner University was the first one to retire my number. To be able to come back home where you went to high school and for them to honor you that way, it’s awesome. To have your number on the field where you played is very special. I’ll cherish that forever.”
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
CONGRATULATIONS
DADDY!! ð
ð
WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!
Pam , Lauren, and Ryan /LaSportsHall
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
KE I L s k o lo THIS .. . R O F a JOB
MR. TOM BENSON
ST. ANTHONY CATHOLIC SCHOOL 985.893.9522 619 N. Tyler Street Covington, LA 70433 www.meleprinting.com
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You’ve always been a Hall-of-Famer but now it’s OFFICIAL!
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Beryl Shipley • Beryl Shipley • Beryl Shipley • Beryl Shipley
Shipley stood firm, blazed trails, made indelible impact
Beryl Shipley
By Dan McDonald Written for the LSWA
Beryl Shipley knew that some decisions he
Shipley guided the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now UL-Lafayette) to national basketball prominence and was the first coach at a predominantly white state college in the Deep South to give scholarships to black student-athletes. He was the Ragin’ Cajuns’ coach from 1957-73 and his teams were 293-126 (.699). He had only one losing season in 16 years. USL finished in the national Top 20 in each of his last six seasons - the first four in the college division polls, the last two in Division I. Shipley was the Gulf States Conference Coach of the Year four times and Coach of the Year in the Southland Conference once. With stars like Hall of Fame member Bo Lamar, Roy Ebron and Marvin Winkler on his teams, USL went 19-5, 20-5, 16-10, 23-3 and 23-3 in his last five seasons. The final two teams were ranked in the national major college Top 10 and reached the NCAA Division I Tournament Sweet 16, but after the 1972-73 season, the USL program was disbanded for two years because of alleged NCAA rules violations. Shipley had resigned in spring 1973, and never resumed a college coaching career. He briefly was head coach of the San Diego team in the ABA. He is in the Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
made while basketball coach at Southwestern Louisiana were not going to be popular with those in power. He fought to take his all-white 1965 team to the NAIA national tournament, violating an unwritten Gulf States Conference rule that forbade league schools from playing against integrated teams. A couple of years later, he recruited African-American players at a time when the Deep South was still starkly segregationist. When those decisions came to fruition and his teams became successful, it drew the ire of both university administrators and state athletic officials alike. Indirectly, those and other detractors brought an end to his coaching career just when it was reaching its prime. But Shipley was not to be deterred in doing what he thought was right, when it came to the well-being of his student-athletes. The fact that he knocked down the walls, broke the color line and changed Louisiana basketball forever is monumentally more important than the stellar 296-129 record he compiled while head coach of the then-Bulldogs. “My dad stood for what he believed in, and he never was intimidated,” Shipley said in an interview a few months before his death in 2011 from lung cancer. “And when my time came, I did just what he would have done.” What he did, both as a basketball coach and as front-man in bringing racial equality to state college athletics, ensured his legacy in Louisiana sports history. Now, he posthumously receives the state’s highest athletic honor with enshrinement into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. His Hall of Fame selection didn’t come without controversy. His racially-mixed teams ran contrary to the ideals of Louisiana higher education officials, conference commissioners and even USL’s own administration. Their attempts to limit Shipley’s use of African-American players, and his own dogged determination to make sure those and all of his players were successful by any means possible, led to deep rifts ... and eventually, to an ugly NCAA rules investigation that resulted in a two-year NCAA suspension of the USL basketball program. and much of the reason for the harshness came from the At the time, it was the harshest penalty ever handed down by the NCAA, university’s refusal to put up a defense. The state and the school turned its collective backs to the most successful basketball coach in the program’s history, and at age 46 the native of Kingsport, Tenn., was out of coaching for good, save for a brief stint in the fledgling American Basketball Association. “Coach Shipley’s legacy is still yet to be determined, but I know what he would want it to be,” said Rocke Roy in an interview just after Shipley died. “He’d want to be exonerated for the shame and the guilt that were put on him. Those things ate at him and attacked his gut every day of his life after he left coaching.” “I’ll be honest,” Shipley told award-winning Louisiana author John Ed Bradley in his final year. “I didn’t care about any damn rule book. I just tried to do what was right for the boys, what I knew I had to do.” He was doing that long before the turmoil of the mid- and late84 • LaSportsHall.com • 84 /LaSportsHall #LSHOF2014
Coach Basketball
Congratulations Beryl! You will forever be enshrined in our hearts as well as in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
Hal & Nancy Gerrard and Family
2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Beryl Shipley • Beryl Shipley • Beryl Shipley • Beryl Shipley 60’s, when his teams were perennial powers in the old GSC. Shipley came to then-SLU in 1957 from Starkville, Miss., High, not long after a collegiate playing career at Delta State and a two-year stint in the U.S. Navy, and his first team had a 16-11 record – the first winning season at the school in seven years. Two seasons later, his squad won 20 games, and the Bulldogs had a stretch of three GSC titles in four years in the early and mid-60’s. But Shipley wanted to build a basketball power in what was traditionally a football state, and he also grew tired of refusing team slots to African-American players only to satisfy school and state officials who chose to ignore civil rights laws. “I asked him what he wanted to do here,” said Tom Cox, a 1965 assistant coach hire who became Shipley’s righthand man and lifelong friend. “He said he wanted to win it all, and not just the NAIA championship. He wanted to compete in the major college division of the NCAA and beat the country’s best programs. “I told him we’ve got to do two things ... we’ve got to upgrade our schedule, and we’ve got to recruit black players.” They did both. In 1966, Shipley became the first coach to integrate a major sports team in a Deep South public university. Led by ground-breakers like Leslie Scott, Elvin Ivory and Marvin Winkler, the Bulldogs won GSC crowns in 1967-68 and 1968-69. Two seasons later, that success increased exponentially. In the three-year period between 1970-73, USL had records of 25-4, 25-4 and 24-5. The 1970-71 season, the school’s last as a “college division” entry, a flashy point guard named Dwight “Bo” Lamar exploded on the scene and led the nation in scoring with a 36.0 average. Lamar, a 1986 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame member, did the same thing the following two years when the Bulldogs moved to the “university” division. He, Roy Ebron and one of the most talented casts of players ever assembled at a Louisiana school took USL to two national top-10 rankings and as high as a No. 4 spot in the national polls, as well as advancing into the NCAA’s round of 16 twice. In 1972-73, the Bulldogs beat Houston 102-89 before falling to Kansas State 66-63 in the NCAA Regionals. A loss to South Carolina the next night in a consolation game became Shipley’s final collegiate contest. “When you’re winning with black ballplayers, and you’re the first one to win with black players, not everybody is going to take kindly to you,” said Ivory, an immensely talented player from Birmingham who was not recruited by Southern major college powers because of his race. “Coach found himself dealing with something he had no control over, because it wasn’t just about basketball anymore.” After his brief stint in the ABA, Shipley never coached again, and never left his adopted home in Acadiana, working in the oil business until his retirement. It was only in the final year of his life that the university, after ostracizing him for nearly four decades, began mending fences. The basketball program, spurred by Ragin’ Cajun coach Bob Marlin, held a reunion of “Shipley’s Boys” in 2011, and even though the ravages of cancer kept him from attending the public events, Shipley was able to be a part of the event through player visits to his home. His name now waves on a banner high in the rafters of the Cajundome, and a bronze bust in the lobby honors his accomplishments as much more than wins and titles. To a man, his former players remain steadfast in their support, convinced that his only crime was fighting the segregation that existed at the time. “Coach Shipley gave up his life for us,” Winkler said in Bradley’s piece that ran in a Sports Illustrated 2011 edition a month after Shipley’s death. “They went after him because he was the forefather, the first to walk through the door. He did it even though they kept telling him, ‘No, we’re not going to integrate yet,’ and he said ‘Yes, we are.’”
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
TO THE 2014 INDUCTION CLASS WITH A SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO MR. TOM BENSON.
FROM THE ST. BERNARD PARISH SPORTS HALL OF FAME /LaSportsHall
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Celebrating Louisiana’s Champions It’s our pledge and our privilege to make a difference in the places we call home. We celebrate the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and congratulate the 2014 inductees on their achievements and contributions to Louisiana communities.
LEADING A RESPONSIBLE ENERGY FUTURE™
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Lionel Washington • Lionel Washington • Lionel Washington • Lionel Washington
Hometown hero Washington driven to high standard
Lionel Washington
By Ted Lewis The New Orleans Advocate
A former Tulane cornerback from 1979-82 and a fourth-round draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1985, Washington carved out a productive 15-year NFL career with the St. Louis Cardinals, L.A./Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos. Playing in 204 games and starting 165 during his career, he intercepted 37 passes and returned four for touchdowns. He had a career-high eight interceptions as a rookie in 1983 and picked off at least three passes five times in his career. Washington also had at least one interception in 13 of his 15 seasons. The Lutcher native led LHS to the 1977 Class 3A state championship and had an amazing four interceptions, two returned for touchdowns, in the 1978 High School AllStar Game. At Tulane, he helped the Green Wave reach the Liberty Bowl and Hall of Fame Bowl. Washington coached with the Green Bay Packers for 10 years, the Raiders for two, and just ended his second season as co-defensive coordinator at Tulane by helping the Green Wave to a New Orleans Bowl bid in 2013. Born Oct. 21, 1960.
On June 21, Lionel Washington will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Three decades ago, there was another honor which became a major influence in Washington’s subsequent achievements. In 1984, Washington’s home town of Lutcher, where he’d starred for the Bulldogs before going on to do the same at Tulane, changed the name of Weil Street, the one he’d grown up on, to Lionel Washington Avenue. For Washington, this came after only one season in what became a 15-year NFL career at cornerback followed by 12 more in the league as an assistant coach. But that might not have happened, he holds, had not the Rev. Versy Floyd and Deacon Bernard Lee of Greater King Triumph Baptist Church taken it upon themselves to honor the St. James Parish community’s favorite son. “For a while it didn’t hit me about what it really meant,” said Washington now headed into his third season as the co-defensive coordinator at Tulane. “But then I realized I was being held as a higher standard so that other kids in Lutcher might be inspired and motivated. “That’s when I decided that I would never give them a reason to want to change it back.” And he hasn’t. “Lionel Washington is a phenomenal guy,” said Frank Monica, Washington’s high school coach. “And I really mean it when I say he’s a better person than he was an athlete, if that’s possible. “I don’t throw out the word ‘trust’ liberally because there are so few people in the world you can truly say that about, but he’s one of them.” At Lutcher, Monica had to persuade Washington to come out for football as a junior after he’d decided he preferred basketball and track following his freshman year when he played all three. By his senior season, Washington was a standout defensive back who led his team to the Class 3A state championship in 1978. But Tulane was the only Division I-A school to offer him and Monica had dissuade Washington from taking a basketball offer, pointing out that 6-foot-1 guards were a dime-a-dozen but that 6-1 cornerbacks with his kind of speed were not. A four-interception performance (with two returned for touchdowns) in the All-Star game demonstrated that Washington had been largely overlooked in the recruiting process, especially by LSU. In his first two years at Tulane, Washington made major contributions to the Green Wave’s Liberty Bowl and Hall of Fame Bowl teams. Tulane’s winning fell off during Washington’s junior and senior seasons, but he had the satisfaction of beating LSU for the third time in four years to close his college career. “Nobody thought we had a chance to win that game,” Washington said. “Nobody but us.” The then-St. Louis Cardinals made Washington their fourth-round draft pick (No. 103 overall) in 1983. He would spend four seasons with the Cardinals, then nine with the Los Angeles Raiders and then two with Denver before returning to the Raiders, then back in Oakland in 1997. In his career, Washington had 37 interceptions with four returned for touchdowns, including a career-high eight picks as a
Lutcher Tulane • NFL
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Lionel Washington • Lionel Washington • Lionel Washington • Lionel Washington rookie. Washington never made a Pro Bowl team, but his longevity (204 games with 165 starts) in the secondary is surpassed by only a handful of others. “It was a blessing,” Washington said of his career. “I credit my faith, hard work and my desire just to go year-by-year and never look past that.” And he certainly earned the respect of his teammates and coaches. “On the field, Lionel was a fierce competitor who always took his job seriously,” said former Raiders quarterback Vince Evans, then and now and close friend. “Off the field, he’s just a wonderful person. “He, Terry McDaniels and I would lead Bible studies, which was an intriguing thing for Al Davis. Al could see that Lionel lived his life in a different way, and I think that’s what attracted him to him.” But that relationship with Davis led Washington to his biggest regret leaving the Broncos after the 1996 season. Denver had been the No. 1 seed going into the playoffs that year, but had been upset by Jacksonville in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Broncos wanted to bring Washington back at a reduced salary Instead he took at offer the Raiders owner to play for the same pay he’d received in ’96. Denver would wind up winning the Super Bowl in ’97 while the Raiders went 4-12 in Washington’s final season. “It was one of the few times I didn’t see the big picture,” Washington said. “But that’s the way it plays out sometimes.” It did, because with Davis’ help, a year later Washington began his coaching career in Green Bay, a stint that would last for 10 years under three head coaches before returning to Oakland for two more seasons. “I don’t guess I’ve ever had a paycheck that didn’t come from football,” Washington said. “My faith and trust in God have always guided me. “And I’ve always known I’d be OK because I have a passion for what I do and nobody is going to outwork me.” And while Washington’s entire coaching career was on the NFL level before he came back to Tulane, he had always had an interest in helping
youngsters. For years he sponsored camps both in Lutcher and Reserve that drew as many as 1,500. “I loved working with kids and seeing their eyes light up when they could see chance that they could go to the next level one day too,” Washington said. “I always felt that I’d been blessed through my upbringing and in turn I wanted to be a blessing to others. “There’s nothing more satisfying to me than at the end of the day have someone I’ve tried to help comes back to say ‘Thank you.’” It’s that willingness to give back to prompted the folks in Lutcher to name a street after him, something Washington laughs about when reminded that despite the community’s strong football tradition, he’s the only player to have been so honored thus far. But there was another motivating factor. Washington, the youngest of 10 children, likes to recall a conversation he had with his late father, Cornelius, before he left for Tulane. “He asked me, ‘What’s your name?’” Washington said. “And I said ‘Lionel.’ “And he said, ‘No, your name is Washington and that’s my name too. So don’t mess it up.’ I’ve always tried to do that.” The people he’s encountered along the way – at Lutcher, at Tulane, as a player, as a coach in the NFL and now back at Tulane – are all quick to say Lionel Washington has honored his father’s name in the best possible ways.
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Congratulations Dad! We are so proud of you!!
Congratulations on your induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. We are so proud of you and all your accomplishments. We are honored to be here to share this special moment with you. Thanks for all that you do for us. You are so deserving of this great honor. We Love You! -Karen, Jordan, and Quincy -LaKaia and Tiran -Deron, Christina, and Josiah /LaSportsHall
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Congratulations
Lionel
We are so proud of your accomplishments. Keep God first and keep up the good work. We Love You!! Drs. James & Jewel Prestage and the entire Prestage Family /LaSportsHall
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers • Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers DANNY ABRAMOWICZ Abramowicz carved out a memorable 11-year NFL career, emerging as a star receiver for the fledgling New Orleans Saints from 1967-73. He holds club records for most touchdown passes caught (37), most consecutive games with receptions (79), most career receptions (309) and most yards gained receiving(4,975). He was named to The Sporting News NFL Eastern Conference All-Star team in 1968. He averaged 15.4 yards per catch and scored 30 TDs in his career. Abramowicz set an NFL record, and ranks second today, with catches in 105 straight games. He was the second player inducted in the Saints Hall of Fame. JOE ADCOCK Adcock was a power-hitting first baseman in the major leagues for 17 years. He is among the all-time home run leaders with 336. Adcock broke in with Cincinnati in 1950, played at Milwaukee from 1953 through 1962, Cleveland in 1963 and California from 1964 through 1966. He managed the Indians in 1967. Adcock had a career batting average of .277, and his highest home run years were in 1956 when he hit 38 and 1961 when he had 35. Adcock, in addition to his home runs, had 35 triples and 295 doubles in the majors. JOE AILLET Aillet was head football coach at Louisiana Tech from 1940 through 1966, compiling a record of 151-86-8 for a winning percentage of .633. During that time, he won or shared nine Gulf States Conference championships and finished second seven times. Aillet received virtually every honor available for coaches, including a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame. The impressive Joe Aillet Stadium and Fieldhouse at Louisiana Tech is named in memory of the former coach and athletic director. CHARLES ALEXANDER LSU’s Charles Alexander was a consensus All-America running back in 1977 and 1978 before a seven-year NFL career with Cincinnati. Alexander is LSU’s No. 2 career rushing leader with 4,035 yards and the single season leader with 1,686 yards (1977). He is LSU’s all-time season scoring leader with 104 points 1977). He was named the SEC’s MVP by the Nashville Banner in 1977. In the 1977 Sun Bowl he set records with 31 carries for 197 yards. The 12th player taken in the 1979 NFL Draft, he scored 15 career NFL touchdowns. He was a member of the Bengals’1981 Super Bowl team. BILLY ALLGOOD Basketball coach at Louisiana College from 1959-85 and athletic director from 1965-96, Billy Allgood retired as baseball coach in 1998 at age 65. He is Louisiana’s fifth-winningest college basketball coach (327-332) despite a bare-bones budget and willingness to play much bigger foes. On Feb. 5, 1970, LC defeated Grambling 71-52 in the first-ever regular season meeting of predominantly black and mostly white state schools. In 1994, LC beat LSU 7-5, the first time an NAIA school had beaten a defending NCAA champion. His overall baseball coaching record is unknown. JOHN ALTOBELLO Altobello posted an .865 career winning percentage at two New Orleans high schools and won 12 state titles, eight in basketball and four more as a baseball coach. His basketball teams at St. Aloysius and DeLaSalle won eight state and 16 district championships and had a combined 589-92 record. His baseball teams at the same two schools won four state and seven district titles and had a combined record of 629-202 (.759). In 25 years of coaching, his teams never had a losing season in basketball or baseball and he won at least one championship every year. MORTEN ANDERSON Dubbed the “Great Dane,” the native of Copenhagen was certainly that as he made six Pro Bowl appearances in 13 seasons with the New Orleans Saints (1982-94) to highlight his amazing 25-year pro career, one season shy of the NFL’s all-time record of 26 by George Blanda. He made the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1980s and the 1990s. In his time with the Saints, Andersen set franchise records with 1,318 points, 302 field goals and 412 PATs. He made 77.6 percent of his field-goal attempts (302 of 389) and had a long of 60 yards. He still holds the club record for games played with 196. His six Pro Bowl trips tie for second in club history. Andersen, who made 40 of 84 fieldgoal tries from 50 yards and out, was released by the Saints in 1995 and went on to play 12 more years with four teams. The three-time first-team All-Pro pick holds NFL career records in field goals made (565), attempts (709), points (2,544) and games played (382). He also ranks second in extra points made (849) and attempts (859) and set a league mark for consecutive games scoring (360) -- 97 more than Jason Elam (263). Andersen is a member of the Saints Hall of Fame and the Walter Camp All-Century Team for college football for his career at Michigan State.
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RONALD ARDOIN A top jockey for 30 years before a wrist injury forced him to retire in 2003, Ardoin was a leading rider in Louisiana and Texas. He won six riding titles at the Fair Grounds (four straight from 1993-96) and in 1996 was inducted into that track’s Hall of Fame. On Aug. 20, 2000, he became only the 16th jockey to reach the 5,000-win plateau during a race at Louisiana Downs. He finished his career with 5,226 wins in 32,335 career mounts. He claimed five riding titles at Louisiana Downs and is the track’s all-time leader by wins and stakes wins. Was the leading rider at the first Lone Star meet in 1997 with 92 wins and on July 17, 1997, rode six winners at Lone Star. He had 2,848 career wins at Louisiana Downs and 1,691 at the Fair Grounds, giving him 4,539 wins (nearly 90 percent of his career win total) at those two facilities. His win total is second among Louisiana natives behind only Eddie Delahoussaye. All told, his mounts won just under $59 million in purse money ($58,908,059). Born 6-13-57 in Carencro. ALEX ATHAS A three-time All-Southeastern Conference basketball standout for Tulane, Alex “Greek” Athas led the Greenies to a 72-14 record from 1943-48. Before serving in the Navy he led the SEC in scoring in 194344 and set an SEC Tournament single-game record with 28 points. He played halfback for the 1943 Tulane football team and also was one of the SEC’s premier trackmen, once single-handedly beating LSU in a dual meet by winning five events. In the 1944 SEC Championships, he scored 14 points for the Wave. Athas played pro basketball for three years. CARRICE RUSSELL BAKER During her 39-year girls high school basketball coaching career, Carrice Russell Baker won over 1,000 games and is the state’s winningest girls coach. Her teams posted an astounding 972-191 (.836) record (three of her seasons in the late 1940s do not have records available, but there was a 22-5 record sandwiched between two of them). They won eight state championships and finished second four more times. Four state titles came at Winnsboro HS in the era of six-player, three at each end of the court competition, and four more came in the 1970s at Jena HS in the five-player full-court game. She was 588-138 (.810) with 20 playoff appearances and 11 district titles at Winnsboro after taking over as head coach at the age of 19 for the 1946-47 season following her graduation from Louisiana Tech. Her 1952-53 team made history by ending the national-record 218-game win streak by nearby Baskin HS, coached by Hall of Famer Edna Tarbutton. BILL BANKER Banker, inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame, was an AllAmerican at Tulane in the late 1920’s. He still holds Tulane records for all-purpose career running with 597 plays, career touchdowns with 37 and total points with 259. His average yardage per game rushing in 27 contests was 93.2. He ran the ball 515 times in 1929 when Tulane was unbeaten and was the nation’s second-leading scorer in 1928 with 128 points. He later became a professional player with the old Memphis Tigers. GARY BARBARO A New Orleans native and Nicholls State product, Barbaro was a three-time All-Pro safety with the Kansas City Chiefs who started every game (101) with KC in his first seven NFL seasons. He was voted as a Pro Bowl starter by his fellow players in 1980, 1981 and 1982. He is fourth in the Chiefs’ career interception list with 39, including a club-record 102-yard return that tied the NFL record in 1977. He had a career-best 10 interceptions in 1980, second in club history, and a single-season high of 96 tackles in 1981. LEON BARMORE The first male coach enshrined as a women’s coach in the Basketball Hall of Fame, Barmore compiled a 576-87 record in 20 seasons as head coach at Louisiana Tech University, where he began his college coaching career as an assistant in 1977. Upon his retirement following the 2001-2002 season, Barmore’s .869 winning percentage was the best in men’s or women’s college basketball history. He was the fastest coach in women’s basketball history to reach 500 wins. In the 1988 season, Barmore led Tech to the NCAA championship with a 32-2 record. Under his direction, Tech reached five national championship games and nine Final Fours, second best in women’s basketball history. Named the Naismith national Coach of the Year in 1988, Barmore led Tech to thirteen 30-win season (best in history) and nineteen 20-plus win season (seventh best in history).
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ALBERT BELLE A Shreveport native, the former LSU star and second-round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians in 1987, Belle became one of the most feared power hitters in major league baseball in the 1990s while playing for Cleveland (1989-96), the Chicago White Sox (1997-98) and Baltimore Orioles (1999-2000). He finished his career playing in 1,539 games with 1,726 hits, 389 doubles, 381 home runs and 1,239 RBIs. Belle had a career batting average of .295 and a career slugging percentage of .564. Among his highlights were tying Babe Ruth with at least 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in eight straight seasons from 1992-99 (only Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx had more) and becoming the first player in baseball history to hit 50 doubles and 50 home runs in a season (he had 52 doubles and 50 homers) in 1995. TOM BENSON Known for his ownership of the New Orleans Saints since 1985 which saved the NFL franchise from perhaps moving to Jacksonville, Fla., the New Orleans native has been at the forefront of sports in the Crescent City for nearly 30 years. In 2012, he became owner/chairman of the board of both of New Orleans’ major league sports teams when he purchased the NBA’s New Orleans franchise. In 1985, Benson bought the Saints from John Mecom and quickly hired Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Finks as general manager and Jim Mora as head coach, who two years later helped deliver the club’s first winning season and playoff appearance since its inception in 1967. He also presided over the team’s first division title (1991), first playoff victory (2000) and first NFL title (2009) after the Saints took a 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV on Feb. 7, 2010. He has also been instrumental in helping bring five Super Bowls to the city, including Super Bowl XLVII which was played on Feb. 5, 2013. He also owned and operated the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League from 2002-08 and in March 2012 surprised the entire region when he paid $338 million to buy the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets, now renamed the Pelicans. Benson and his wife, Gayle, are active philanthropically in New Orleans. He has been a member of numerous NFL committees as an owner, including three stints as chairman of the powerful Finance Committee. A World War II veteran who served in the Navy, Benson was born in 1927 in New Orleans. SKIP BERTMAN Bertman steered LSU to five national championships in a brilliant 18-year career as head baseball coach at LSU. The College World Series wins came in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2000 among 11 CWS appearances. From 1984-2001, Bertman guided LSU to a 870-330-3 (.724) record, including Southeastern Conference championships in 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1997. He was named national coach of the year six times -- 2000, 1997, 1996, 1993, 1991 and 1986. He served as head coach of the 1996 USA Olympic Team which won the bronze medal in Atlanta. Bertman directed LSU to the highest all-time NCAA Tournament winning percentage (.754, 89-29). He now serves as LSU’s director of athletics. BERNIE BIERMAN A native of Minnesota, Bierman forged powerful football teams at both Tulane and the University of Minnesota before retiring from the game in 1950. From 1927 through 1931, his Tulane teams produced three All-Americans. He later served as head coach at Minnesota from 1932-41 and 1945-50. He guided Minnesota to national championships in 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940 and 1941. The Gophers also won six Big Ten titles under his leadership. At Tulane and Minnesota, he had seven unbeaten teams. BUDDY BLAIR Blair, a native of Sicily Island, was a forward on LSU’s only national championship basketball team, a member of the school’s only national championship track squad as a javelin ace and a regular on the Tiger baseball team. He earned nine letters at LSU and later played pro baseball for five years in the Yankee and Athletics organizations. In the national championship basketball game against Pittsburgh, Blair scored 20 of LSU’s 41 points. He is a member of the LSU Hall of Fame as an all-around athlete. MEL BLOUNT Blount, also a member of the National Football League Hall of Fame, is a Georgia native who played at Southern University before becoming one of pro ball’s all-time best defensive backs in 14 seasons with the Steelers, winning four Super Bowls. He set a team career interception record with 57 and was seventh in NFL history when he retired. Blount, who played in a record 200 games for Pittsburgh, was the National Football League’s Most Valuable Player on defense in 1975, when he had 11 interceptions.
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers • Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers VIDA BLUE A Mansfield native, Blue played 17 seasons in the Major Leagues for Oakland, Kansas City and San Francisco. He won the 1971 Cy Young Award and was named the American League Most Valuable Player after posting a 24-8 record with a 1.82 ERA and eight shutouts for the Athletics. Blue played in six All-Star Games, becoming the first pitcher to start and win the All-Star Game for both leagues. He pitched in three World Series. Blue had 2,175 strikeouts in his career. TOMMY BOLT Bolt won 16 tournaments on the PGA tour, including the 1958 U.S. Open and the Colonial Invitational. He set a PGA record of 60 at Hartford, Conn., and set another record by playing 72 holes without a five on his card. He was twice selected to the Ryder Cup team, and as a senior he won the PGA, Open and World, three events considered the senior Grand Slam. Bolt is the only Louisiana golfer ever to win the National Open. The Shreveport native was also noted for his hot temper and club-throwing. ZEKE BONURA Bonura, who grew up in New Orleans, was a first baseman for seven seasons in the major leagues. He played in 900 games, hit 119 home runs, drove in 704 runs and had a career batting average of .307. In three of his seven seasons in the big leagues, Bonura hit more than 20 homers. He had over 90 RBI’s in five seasons. His slugging percentage for his major league career was .487. Bonura played for the Chicago White Sox, the Washington Senators, New York Giants and Chicago Cubs from 1934 through 1940. PETE BOUDREAUX Boudreaux has been head track coach at his alma mater, Catholic High-Baton Rouge, since 1968 and also served as athletic director through 2011. His teams have won 41 state titles (14 outdoor, 11 indoor, 16 cross country through 2014). His teams also finished as the state runner-up 11 times at cross country, seven in outdoor track and four in indoor track. Boudreaux’s track teams have recorded the four highest (best) scores ever by a championship team in Class 5A track and field and the three lowest (best) scores recorded in 5A cross country. His 2010 track team scored a record 104 points to set the current mark, while the 2009 team had 101 points. Boudreaux’s 1991 squads became Louisiana’s first to sweep cross country, indoor track and outdoor track titles in the same school year. His 2008-09 and 2009-10 squads repeated that feat, becoming the first school to do it two years in a row. Boudreaux was inducted into the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 and served as president of the Louisiana High School Coaches Association in 1981. He has received state Coach of the Year honors 14 times and regional honors four times. In 2010, Boudreaux was voted the national high school coach of the year for boys track by USA Track & Field. SID BOWMAN Bowman jumped 49-1 in the triple jump in the 1928 Olympic trials while still a student at Hammond High School, and he competed in that event in the Olympics. After enrolling at LSU in 1929, Bowman set school records in the broad jump and triple jump with leaps of 2311 and 49-7 1/2. He won the national triple jump title in 1932 and earned a berth that year in the Olympics at Los Angeles. As a senior at LSU, Bowman won the conference championship in the triple jump, an event he also won in the Penn Relays. WARREN BRADEN Warren “Jug” Braden led the Southern University football teams of Coach Ace Mumford to consecutive national championships in 194849. A two-time All-America quarterback, the New Orleans native guided the Jaguars to records of 8-2-1, 10-2, 12-0 and 10-0-1. Braden played safety on defense, averaged 44 yards per punt and returned punts and kickoffs. He made the Tom Harmon and Pittsburgh Courier All-America teams, joining Eddie LeBaron on the 1949 Tom Harmon team. On Dec. 5, 1948, Southern met San Francisco State in college football’s first integrated bowl game (the Fruit Bowl) and Southern won 30-0 as Braden was voted the game’s MVP. He played professionally in Canada. TERRY BRADSHAW Bradshaw, also in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, quarterbacked the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl championships in the 1970’s and was chosen the game’s Most Valuable Player in the last two in 1978 and 1979. He was also the 1978 NFL Player of the Year and the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1979. A Louisiana Tech All-American before going to the NFL, Bradshaw completed 2,025 of 3,901 passes for 27,989 yards and 212 touchdowns in 14 years as a pro. He played in four Pro Bowls and was 49 of 84 with nine TD’s in Super Bowls.
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FRANK BRIAN An All-State basketball player at Zachary, Brian as All-Southeastern Conference as a sophomore at LSU in 1943. He was also a conference champ on the LSU track team, competing in hurdles, broad jump and the mile relay. After a military stint, Brian was again chosen to the All-SEC basketball team as a senior in 1946. He signed with the Anderson Packers of the NBA, where he was Rookie of the Year. Brian was named to NBA All-Star teams twice and ranked in the top six in scoring in the NBA three times in 10 years. LOU BROCK An El Dorado, Ark., native who starred at Southern University, Brock broke into the big leagues in 1961 with the Cubs and joined the Cardinals in 1964. He broke the major league stolen base record in 1974 with 118 and held the record for most stolen bases in a career with 938 (broken by Rickey Henderson, 1991). Brock had a lifetime batting average of .293 and was the Sporting News Player of the Year in 1974. He played in three World Series and five All-Star games and set series records for batting average and most stolen bases. MICHAEL BROOKS A Ruston native who was All-America as a junior at LSU, hard-hitting Michael Brooks reached the Pro Bowl in 1992 for the Denver Broncos to highlight 10 NFL seasons (1987-92 in Denver, 1993-95 with the New York Giants, 1996 with Detroit). After earning AP and ScrippsHoward News Service All-America honors as a junior for LSU, an injury curtailed his bid to become one of the few two-time All-Americas in LSU history. He was All-Southeastern Conference in 1985 (AP, UPI and SEC Coaches). Brooks was a third-round NFL Draft pick who starred at linebacker while playing 138 career games with 4 interceptions and 9 fumble recoveries. Brooks was a two-time Class 4A (at the time the state’s largest classification) All-State pick and a three-year all-district selection at Ruston High.
history behind Adolph Rupp of Kentucky. Brown won three national Coach of the Year awards. GERNON BROWN Few coaches have dominated their arena as Gernon Brown did in prep sports during the 1930’s and 1940’s at Jesuit High in New Orleans. Brown won 19 state championships for Jesuit in three sports during the so-called “Golden Era” of prep sports. In 20 years as football coach, he compiled a 146-43-11 record, a .757 winning percentage. He had five state championships, seven city titles and coached four unbeaten teams. Brown won three state basketball titles and 11 state baseball crowns. JAMES “BIG FUZZY” BROWN “Big Fuzzy” Brown took Istrouma of Baton Rouge to the heights of Louisiana state high school football after succeeding his brother, “Little Fuzzy,” as coach. From 1950-62, Istrouma won eight state championships, and 11 of 13 district titles, in the state’s top classification. He retired after the 1967 season with a record of 162-40-11. Among his players were Hall of Famers Billy Cannon and Roy Winston. While his brother was president of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, “Big Fuzzy” was president of the Coaches Association, thus creating a power base never since equaled in state prep athletics. He died in 1977. JOE BROWN Brown won the lightweight boxing championship of the world in 1956, fighting 13 of the 15 rounds with a broken hand. He defended his title 11 times in hiS seven-year reign as champion before losing the crown to Carlos Ortiz in 1962. During his 25-year boxing career, Brownknown as the Creole Clouter won 104 fights, lost only 12 and fought to two draws. He retired at the age of 44 and went out a winner, beating Ramon Flores in his last fight. Of his 104 wins, 47 were by knockouts.
MARTY BROUSSARD Broussard, a trainer for the USA in the 1960 Rome Olympic Games and the 1955 Pan American Games, was one of the nation’s most innovative trainers and a fixture at LSU for five decades. Among his accomplishments are being co-developer of the Drury-Broussard Torque Table to test muscular strength, co-authoring booklets on functional isometric contraction for football and functional isometric contraction for golf and writing the noted Athletic Training Guide. He developed the Quickkick energy drink. An Abbeville native and 1944 graduate of LSU, Broussard lettered in track and baseball during his undergraduate days and was high point scorer in the 1944 SEC meet. He also served as trainer at Florida and Texas A&M before returning to LSU in 1948. He was selected National Trainer of the Year by the Rockne Foundation in 1963. Broussard was elected to the National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame, after being among the organization’s five founding fathers years earlier. He was one of three founders of the Southeastern Conference Trainers’ Association. In 1982 he was named to the LSU L Club Hall of Fame.
WILLARD BROWN Inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in July 2006, the Shreveport native was black baseball’s premier slugging outfielder in the 1940s. He joined Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby and Hank Thompson as blacks who made their Major League Baseball debuts in 1947. Brown, 36 at the time, lasted 21 games with the St. Louis Browns and was released after batting .179. He became the first black American Leaguer to hit a home run during his short stay with the last-place team. He returned to the Negro League and batted .374 with 18 homers in 1948 and .317 in 1949, ending his Negro League career with a .355 batting average. In Puerto Rican winter ball, he had a career .350 batting average, won three batting titles and set a home run record in the 1947-48 season (27). Future Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda played winter ball with Brown and a decade later called him “one of the greatest hitters I ever saw.” Brown’s career ended in the Texas League with Dallas and Houston, averaging .306 and 23 home runs despite being in his 40S. Brown,. nicknamed “Home Run” by Negro Leagues slugger Josh Gibson, died in 1996.
BILLY BROWN Brown graduated from Baker High and became one of LSU’s bestknown track stars. The highlight of his career was in 1936 when he represented the United States in the triple jump at the Olympic Games in Berlin. He won the NCAA broad jump crown in 1941 with a leap of 24-7, and he set a conference record in the 220 with a time of 20.6. He also ran a 9.5 century and collected a total of 43 points in SEC championship meets during his three years on the LSU team.
WILLIE BROWN Brown, a Grambling product, played with the Broncos and Raiders in the NFL. He earned All-NFL honors in 1968 and 1969 and was All-Pro four straight times from 1970 through 1973. He played in four Pro Bowls in the early 1970’s and had a record-breaking 75-yard pass interception return in the 1977 Super Bowl. Brown, who retired in 1978, finished his career with 54 interceptions, and he shares the NFL record of four interceptions in a game. Brown was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame in 1984.
CHARLIE BROWN Head football coach at Monroe-Neville for 30 seasons (1963-92), Brown compiled a record of 263-66-6 that puts him sixth on the state all-time wins list. His .794 winning percentage is No. 3 among coaches ranked in the top 15 in wins. Brown’s Tigers won three state titles, reached three other state championship games and claimed 11 district crowns. His teams had only one losing season. As a top assistant coach for 12 years at Neville prior to succeeding Bill Ruple as head coach, he helped the Tigers reach five championship games, with four state title wins. Also coached four baseball state championship teams at Neville before taking over for Ruple as football head coach. DALE BROWN An unequaled figure in state basketball history, Brown retired in 1997 after 25 seasons as basketball coach at LSU. He built a mediocre program into a nationally prominent one which reached two Final Fours among 13 NCAA Tournament appearances. LSU is the only Southeastern Conference school to appear in 10 straight NCAA Tournaments and 15 consecutive national tournaments. Only six schools in NCAA history have made more consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Brown (448 wins from 1973-97) is the second-winningest coach in SEC
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PAT BROWNE JR. A lifelong New Orleans resident, Pat Browne, Jr.. has been champion of the United States Blind Golfers’ Association 21 times since 1975, including the last 20 years. He was three-time captain of the U.S. Stewart Cup Team in competitions held against Great Britain’s blind golfers. In 1988, he was selected by the Golf Writers of America for the Ben Hogan Award for the national golf figure who has battled adversity and triumphed. Before losing his sight in an auto accident, Browne captained Tulane’s golf and basketball teams, setting a singlegame basketball scoring mark with 33 points in 1954. He has won 50 tournaments, including nine victories in the Heather Farr Drive for Sight Tournament. QUEEN BRUMFIELD (NARD) Brumfield is the greatest player in the history of Southeastern Louisiana University women’s basketball. The only three-time All-American in the history of Lady Lions’ basketball, Queen Brumfield set career marks in points (2,972) and rebounds (1,586) which have remained untouchable. The rebounding total is a state record. Brumfield, a three-time All-Louisiana player, led the Lady Lions to the 1977 AIAW
#LSHOF2014
2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers • Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers National Championship as well as four consecutive LAIAW state and SWAIAW regional championships. Along with her career points and rebounds marks, Brumfield also holds numerous other SLU standards. BUCK BUCHANAN Considered one of Grambling’s all-time greatest players, Buchanan was a No. 1 draft choice of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963 as a 6-foot7,287-pound defensive tackle. He played 13 seasons in the NFL, appearing in 12 playoffs, championship and Pro Bowl games. The Gainesville, Ala., native missed only one game in his long pro career. Buchanan played in six straight AFL-All-Star games starting in 1964 and was picked for the Pro Bowl after the 1970 and 1971 seasons. He was a standout in the Chiefs 1969 Super Bowl win. CHRIS CAGLE Cagle was a high school star at Merryville who went on to collegiate greatness at Southwestern Louisiana and Army. At Southwestern, he completed 54 percent of his passes in 1924 for 859 yards. He scored 120 points in 1925 and in one game against LSU hit on 22 of 33 passes. In his three years at Southwestern, he ran back 10 punts for touchdowns. Cagle was a three-time All-American halfback at Army from 1927 to 1929. He was considered one of the best run-pass-kick combination players in the game. BILLY CANNON Cannon is perhaps the greatest folk hero in Louisiana sports history. He led LSU to the national championship in 1958 and won the Heisman Trophy in 1959. He played both running back and defensive back before the return of two-platoon football. He was a fearsome blend of speed and size, tipping the scales at 205 and running the 100 in 9.4. Cannon was one of the earliest stars of the American Football League with the Houston Oilers. He played 11 years in the pros, finishing his career with the Raiders. TONY CANZONERI Born in Slidell, Canzoneri began his professional boxing career in 1924, the year after winning the New York 118-pound AAU title. He retired in 1939 to become an actor and restauranteur. Canzoneri had 181 pro bouts, winning 138, drawing in 11, losing 29. He kayoed 44 opponents and held three world titles-featherweight, lightweight and junior welterweight. Canzoneri, who died in 1959, appeared in 21 world title bouts in four divisions from 118 to 140 pounds between 1925 and 1939. HAROLD CARMICHAEL A product of Southern University, Carmichael had a brilliant career as a wide receiver with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1971 through 1983. He played his final NFL season in 1984 with the Dallas Cowboys. He set an NFL record by catching at least one pass in 127 consecutive games and had club records with the Eagles for most receiving yardage with 8,978, most passes caught with 589 and most touchdown passes with 79 during his career. Twice an All-Pro, Carmichael played in four Pro Bowls and was NFL Man of the Year in 1980. ROGER CARR An All-State track and field athlete at little Cotton Valley High School, he walked on as a punter at Louisiana Tech and developed into a two-time All-American college and a 1976 All-Pro wide receiver to highlight a 10-year NFL career. In four years at Tech, he caught 114 passes for 2,717 yards and a school record 19 touchdowns. His 4.5 speed helped him make All-Southland Conference and All-American in 1972 and 1973 as Tech went unbeaten once and won the national College Division championship the next year with a combined 24-1 record. In 1973, he caught 43 passes for 1,112 yards (25.9 average) with 11 touchdowns. Carr became the 24th selection in the 1974 NFL Draft, going to Baltimore, where he became an explosive receiving target for former LSU All-American and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame member Bert Jones. In 1976, he posted 1,112 yards receiving and averaged 25.9 yards per catch, both NFL bests, scoring 11 touchdowns on 43 receptions, earning All-Pro honors and a spot in the Pro Bowl, as Jones won NFL MVP honors while the Colts won the AFC East Division championship. MARK CARRIER A 12-year NFL veteran receiver, Carrier was a 1989 All-Pro pick at Tampa Bay after an All-America career at Nicholls. The Church Point native played for Nicholls State from 1983-86 and was a first-team Division I-AA All-American in 1986. A first-team All-Gulf South performer in 1986 when he caught 78 passes for 1,513 yards and 20 TDs, he is Nicholls’ all-time leader in catches (147), receiving yards (2,709) and TDs (24), and ranks fourth all-time in punt return average (8.9) with two TDs. A third-round draft pick (57th overall) by the Tampa Bay Bucs in 1987, he played 12 NFL seasons with Tampa Bay (1987-92), Cleveland (1993-94) and Carolina (1995-98).
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TOMMY CASANOVA An All-Southeastern Conference defensive back for three straight years at LSU, Casanova was a consensus All-American selection as a senior in 1971. He had a six-year career with the Cincinnati Bengals, earning All-Pro honors in 1975 and playing in the Pro Bowl. Casanova still ranks fourth in interceptions for the Bengals with 17. He had 90 punt returns in the NFL, including runs of 89 and 74 yards. Casanova was chosen as a member of the Sporting News’ all-time college team as a cornerback after his LSU career.
JIM CORBETT Athletic director at LSU from 1955 until his death in 1967, Corbett guided the Tigers sports program through a period of remarkable growth and prosperity that included a national football championship and continuous sell-outs at Tiger Stadium. A forceful spokesman for college athletics at the national level, Corbett helped develop the NCAA football television package. The National Association of Athletic Directors’ award to the nation’s outstanding athletic director each year is named in memory of Corbett.
JIM CASON A Tallulah native, and an LSU halfback from 1944-47, Cason played eight years of pro football, twice reaching the Pro Bowl as a defensive back (1952, 1955). He was elected defensive team captain in five of his eight pro seasons in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Denver. He played from 1948-52 for the San Francisco 49ers, leading them in interceptions in three years and serving as defensive captain. He was an International News Service All-Pro in 1949 and honorable mention All-Pro in 1955. At LSU, he was a highly-respected defender who had some memorable offensive highlights in the era of two-way players.
CLIFFORD ANN CREED The first woman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, Creed was the state amateur women’s golf champion five times, including four straight titles from 1956 through 1959. An Alexandria native, she was a Curtis Cup player in 1962 before turning pro in 1963. She was the women pro tour’s rookie of the year that season and fifth in money winnings. Clifford Ann finished in the top 10 in money winnings on the pro tour for six consecutive years while winning 11 LPGA tournament championships and one team tournament in the 1960’s.
DON CHANEY A Baton Rouge native, Chaney played on two Boston Celtic NBA Championship teams(1969, 1974) and was the 1990-91 NBA Coach of the Year with the Houston Rockets. An All-American guard, all-state first baseman and a football star at McKinley High, Chaney played collegiately at Houston, helping the Cougars reach two NCAA Final Fours. A second-team All-American in 1968, Chaney scored 1,133 points and was a first-round NBA draft pick. He played 12 seasons and was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Team five times. Chaney scored 6, 616 career points. JIMMY “CHICK” CHILDRESS One of the most successful prep football coaches in state history, Childress is a member of the Louisiana High School Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame after leading Ruston to a 131-27 (.829) mark in 12 seasons. He won four state titles, in 1982, 1986, 1988, and 1990, and his 1990 unbeaten team was ranked No. 1 nationally in one poll. He was voted Class 4A Coachof the Year five times and district coach of the year seven times. Childress, raised in an orphanage, was Most Valuable Player at Northeast Louisiana University in 1956 and a thirdteam All-Gulf States Conference pick. He was defensive coordinator at Neville High for 15 years, helping the Tigers win four state titles, and played on the 1947 Ruston High state championship team coached by Hall of Famer “Hoss” Garrett.” WILL CLARK A six-time All-Star selection, Clark retired from professional baseball after the 2000 season, concluding his 15-year MLB career with a .303 batting average, 2,176 hits, 1,205 RBI and 284 home runs. A native of New Orleans and graduate of Jesuit High School in New Orleans, Clark starred as a first baseman during a record-setting three-year collegiate career at Mississippi State. A two-time All-SEC standout, he earned All-American honors in 1984 and 1985. Clark earned collegiate baseball’s highest honor that season, the Golden Spikes Award. He played in the bigs for San Francisco, Texas, Baltimore and St. Louis. He had 35 home runs in his second season, 1987, and he had five seasons with more than 20 home runs, and four seasons with more that 100 RBI. He helped teams to postseason playoffs in five years, including 1987 and 1989 with the Giants, highlighted by an incredible NLCS in ’89 when he batted .650 (13-for-20) in five games and had two home runs. HOLLIS CONWAY The top-ranked high jumper in the U.S. seven straight years from 1988-94, Conway is the only American ever to win two Olympic medals in the high jump. The Shreveport native went 7-8 3/4 in the event at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea, as a sophomore at USL, setting a U.S. collegiate record and earning a silver medal. He won a bronze medal in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona after going 7-8 1/2 in winning the U.S. Olympic Trials that year. In 1989, Conway broke the American record twice in the high jump, winning the NCAA Outdoor Championships at 7-9 3/4 and the U.S. Olympic Festival at 7-10. A six-time NCAA All-American and three-time NCAA champ at USL, Conway set an American indoor record of 7-10 1/2 while winning in 1991 World Indoor title. His NCAA outdoor record of 7-9 3/4 still stands 15 years later, as does his mark of 7-9 1/4 at that year’s NCAA indoor meet. Conway won 10 USA Championship titles (five outdoor, five indoor) and was ranked No. 1 in the world in 1990 and 1991 before announcing his retirement in 2000.
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J.T. CURTIS Curtis has won a record 23 state titles, including a record-tying five straight from 2004-08. His Patriots have 14 consecutive state championship game appearances through 2009 and 25 overall appearances in the state finals. Curtis has taken his team to the state playoffs 36 times in his 40 seasons and has made the postseason every year since 1975. From 1979-82, Curtis won 43 consecutive games and from 1979 to 2001, Curtis was not shut out in a national record 303 straight games. Curtis won 136 consecutive district games from 1977-2001 before losing to O.P. Walker 20-0. Curtis was 0-10 in 1969 -- his first season -- and 3-3-3 in 1974 for the only non-winning seasons in his tenure. JOHN DAVID CROW Crow, former head football coach at Northeast Louisiana University, was an All-American at Springhill who won the Heisman Trophy in 1957 during a brilliant career for Bear Bryant’s Texas A & M teams. As a professional, he played for 11 years with the Chicago and St. Louis Cardinals and later the San Francisco 49ers. He rushed for 1,071 yards in 1960 and holds the Cardinals’ single game rushing record of 203 yards. The No. 1 draft choice of the Cardinals, he was the first Cardinal ever to rush for 1,000 yards. JERRY DALRYMPLE A two-time All-American at Tulane, Dalrymple played on Bernie Bierman’s great teams from 1929 to 1931. During his three years, the Greenies were 28-2, went unbeaten in 1929 and 1931 and went to the 1932 Rose Bowl. One of the finest defensive ends in the history of Southern football, Dalrymple was only six-feet tall and weighed 170 pounds. Referring to his vicious tackling, Knute Rockne said of Dalrymple, “You can sit in the stands and see him play or close your eyes and hear him play.” ALVIN DARK Dark was a versatile athlete, excelling in golf, football and baseball. But the Lake Charles native won stardom in baseball, earning Rookie of the Year honors with the Boston Braves in 1948 when he batted .322. He played from 1948 until 1960, compiling a .298 career batting average with the Giants, Cardinals, Cubs, Phillies and Braves. He managed the San Francisco Giants in 1961 and guided the Giants to the National League pennant the next year. He took the 1974 Oakland A’s to the AL pennant. Dark was a multi-sport athletic great at LSU and Lake Charles High. WILLIE DAVENPORT Davenport competed in four Olympic Games and at one time held the Olympic record in the high hurdles. A Troy, Alabama, native who attended Southern University, Davenport won the gold medal in the 120-high hurdles in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. He won a bronze medal in the 1976 Olympics at Montreal and just missed another bronze at the 1972 games in Munich. He lost in the semifinals of the 1964 Olympics at Tokyo after an injury. He had a career best time of 13.2 in the 110 meter high hurdles. TOMMY DAVIS Davis was an All-America prep linebacker-fullback for the 1952 state champion Fair Park team, was a fullback and kicking specialist for the 1958 LSU team that won the national championship and had a brilliant 11-year NFL career. He had 234 consecutive extra point kicks at one point during his pro career and overall was 348 of 350 for a record 99.4 percentage. His career punting average of 44.6 was second on the all-time NFL list when he retired. In two straight seasons, he had the NFL’s longest field goals, 53-yarders.
#LSHOF2014
2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers • Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers WILLIE DAVIS Grambling coach Eddie Robinson calls Davis the best defensive end he has ever seen. Davis, who now resides in Los Angeles, was an All-American selection at Grambling in the 1950’s. The 6-foot3, 245 pounder later won All-Pro honors while a member of Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers. Green Bay dominated the National Football League during Davis’ career, winning the NFL championship five times, and Davis was considered the premier defensive end and one of the best defensive players in pro ball. He is a member of the NFL Hall of Fame. FRED DEAN Dean emerged as one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers with San Diego and San Francisco after a remarkable college career at Louisiana Tech. The Ruston native was a three-time All-American for the Bulldogs from 1972-74. He was the 33rd player picked in the 1975 NFL Draft. Dean, undersized for a defensive lineman ( 232 pounds), made 94 sacks in his 11 NFL seasons and played on two Super Bowl championship teams with San Francisco. He played in three Pro Bowls (1979-81) and was picked for another in 1983, when he led the NFL with a 49ers record 17 1/2 sacks. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009. JOE DEAN In 13 years as director of athletics at his alma mater (1987-2000), Dean oversaw incredible athletic success in the 1990s as LSU won 21 national championships (5 baseball, 16 track) and 25 SEC titles. During Dean’s tenure, LSU won more national championships than in the entire previous history of the school. A former three-time All-SEC basketball player who helped the Bob Pettit-led Tigers reach the Final Four, Dean also played baseball and competed in track for the Tigers. He was an alternate on the 1956 U.S. Olympic basketball team after winning honorable mention All-America honors in 1952. EDDIE DELAHOUSSAYE A New Iberia native, Delahoussaye was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1993. He has won five Triple Crown races, the 1982 Kentucky Derby with Gato Del Sol and the 1983 Derby with Sunny’s Halo; the 1988 Preakness and the 1988 Belmont Stakes on Risen Star; and the 1992 Belmont on A.P. Indy. He is one of only four riders to win consecutive Derbys. Delahoussaye, who began riding thoroughbreds at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans in 1967, rode his first winner in 1968 at Evangeline Downs. He became the 14th rider in history with 5,000 wins in 1993. He won the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1981. He has seven total Breeders’ Cup victories. JOE DELANEY A 1997 inductee in the College Football Hall of Fame, Delaney was an All-America star in football and track at Haughton High and Northwestern State. He was the 1982 AFC Rookie of the Year as a running back for Kansas City. He set Northwestern’s career rushing record with 3,047 yards (5.0 average). Delaney set Demon records in the 100 (10.26) and 200 meters (20.6) and ran the second leg on NSU’s 1981 NCAA champion 4x100 relay team. As a rookie with the Chiefs, he set four club records and his 1,121 yards rushing still ranks among the top 5 rookie totals in NFL history. He drowned in a heroic rescue attempt in June 1983. BILL DICKEY Dickey, a native of Bastrop, broke into organized baseball with Little Rock of the Southern Association in 1925 and played until 1947. A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, he is considered one of the top catchers in baseball history. Dickey played in 1,789 games as a Yankee catcher and had a lifetime batting average of .313. He had 202 home runs and 1,209 runs batted in. Dickey played in eight World Series and scored the winning run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1943 Series. MEL DIDIER A longtime major league baseball executive and scout, Didier has served as Assistant General Manager for Arizona, the Los Angeles Dodgers (twice), the Baltimore Orioles, and as Director of Minor League Operations and Scouting Director for two expansion teams, Montreal (1969-75) and Seattle (1977-78), and is now working for the Texas Rangers. He is best known for his scouting report which Kirk Gibson credited for his dramatic 1988 World Series Game One-winning pinch-hit home run, voted one of the 10 Most Exciting Moments in World Series History. Among the major league stars he helped develop were Mike Piazza, Andre Dawson and Gary Carter. Didier was a third-team (UPI) football All-American at LSU in 1945, and captain of the Tigers’ SEC-champion baseball team in 1947. He founded the Louisiana High School All-Star Baseball Game in 1981 while baseball coach at USL (83-35 in two years). Didier also served as athletic director at USL in 1981-82.
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PAUL DIETZEL Dietzel coached LSU for seven years-from 1955 through 1961-and his unbeaten 1958 national championship team was the crowning achievement of LSU’s long football history. The team featured the fabled three units, the White Team, Go Team and Chinese Bandits. His 1959 team extended LSU’s winning streak to 18 games, and Dietzel’s 1961 Tigers ended a 10-1 season with a victory in the Orange Bowl. In a four-year span, he guided LSU to a No. 1 national finish in 1958, No. 3 in 1959 and No. 3 again in the 1961 season. DAVE DIXON A New Orleans businessman, Dixon is considered the “father of professional football” in Louisiana along with being the driving force behind development of the Louisiana Superdome. He also has helped found several professional sports ventures such as the United States Football League and World Championship Tennis. Dixon also played key roles in attracting events such as the NCAA Final Four, the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and the USA Track and Field Olympic Trials to New Orleans. His efforts, extending over a period of several years, resulted in the NFL awarding a franchise to New Orleans that became the Saints in 1966. JACK DOLAND Dr. Doland served as head football coach, athletic director and then president of McNeese State, and served in the Louisiana Senate until his death in 1991. As football coach, he was 64-32-3 from 1970-78, leading the 1971 team (9-1-1) to a No. 1 national ranking in Division II and a spot in the Grantland Rice Bowl. He guided the 1976 (10-2) squad to the Southland Conference title and a berth in the inaugural Independence Bowl in Shreveport. A native of Lake Arthur, he played football and basketball at McNeese when the school was a junior college, then went to Tulane, where he was a football and baseball standout and played on the Green Wave’s 1949 SEC championship team. He was head coach at DeQuincy and Sulphur High, winning a state title at Sulphur. He became an assistant coach under Charlie McClendon at LSU before taking the McNeese head coaching post. ATLEY DONALD A native of Morton, Mississippi, who grew up in North Louisiana, Donald pitched for the New York Yankees from 1938 through 1945. He compiled a record of 65 victories and 33 losses and had a career earned run average of 3.52. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound righthander had his best season in 1939 when he went 13-3 and 1942 when he had an 11-3 mark. He appeared in two games in the 1941 and 1942 World Series, Donald set a record for Major League rookies when he won 10 straight games at the beginning of the season. RICHARD “MOON” DUCOTE’ A football legend at Auburn and in the early days of pro football, Ducote’ was a Cottonport native who later coached at LSU and Loyola and became a highly regarded football official. At Auburn from 1915-17, he played end, halfback and fullback and was a sensational kicker, making game-winning field goals of 48 and 51 yards to beat Georgia and Vanderbilt. In 1918, he provided all the scoring for the Great Lakes Cleveland Naval Reserves team to a 10-9 upset of Pop Warner’s mighty Pitt team, unbeaten for three years and the greatest collegiate team of the era. Warner said he had never seen a better player. Football legend George Halas compared him to Jim Thorpe and other greats of the early days of pro football in a 1971 letter. He served as an assistant football coach at LSU for two years and was head basketball coach for one season, later becoming athletic director at Loyola. Ducote’ was on the officiating crew for the 1935 Rose Bowl game pitting Alabama against Stanford. He died in 1939. A.J. DUHE All-Pro as a rookie and the AP’s NFL Rookie of the Year in 1977, Duhe was a prep star at Godchaux (Reserve) who blocked three punts in the 1973 Louisiana High School Athletic Association All-Star Game. He then became a four-year starter at LSU, averaging 72 tackles per season and making all-SEC in 1976. He was the outstanding defensive player for the South in the Senior Bowl. A first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 1977, Duhe (6-4, 248) played both defensive end and linebacker in eight seasons for the Dolphins and helped them reach the 1982 and 1984 Super Bowls. He was named to the All-AFC team by UPI in 1981 and was chosen to play in the Pro Bowl in 1984. JOE DUMARS A six-time NBA All-Star, Dumars averaged 16.1 points per game during a 14-year career with the Detroit Pistons (1985-99). The Natchitoches native was named MVP of the 1989 NBA Finals after averaging 27.3 points in a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers, giving the Pistons the first of two consecutive league championships. He was all-NBA three times, including a second-team selection after averag-
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ing a career-best 23.5 points per game in 1992-93. A four-time NBA all-defensive selection, including three times on the first team, the McNeese State product was the first winner of the NBA Sportsmanship Award, which is now named the Joe Dumars Trophy, in 1996. He is the Pistons’ all-time leader in three-point field goals made (990) and second in points (16,401), assists (4,612) and steals (902). A 6-foot-3 shooting guard drafted by the Pistons in the first round in 1985, he was a two-time Southland Conference scoring champion at McNeese (26.4 ppg as a junior, 25.8 as a senior) and the SLC Player of the Year and a second-team All-America in 1984-85. WARRICK DUNN A standout at every level he played at, the Baton Rouge native distinguished himself as one of the NFL’s top running backs in 12 total seasons with the Tampa Bay Bucs (1997-2001, 2008) and Atlanta Falcons (2002-07). The 5-foot-9, 187-pound Dunn was named the Pro Football Writers Association and AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1997. A three-time Pro Bowl pick in 1997, 2000 and 2005, the speedy Dunn was a five-time 1,000-yard rusher who averaged 4.1 yards per carry for his career. A first-round pick of the Bucs in 1997 (12th overall), he went on to rush for 10,967 career yards -- which was 19th on the NFL’s all-time list going into the 2011 season -- with 49 TDs and a long run of 90 yards. At Florida State, he had career totals of 3,959 rushing yards and 37 TDs and 1,314 receiving yards and 12 scores. He helped the Seminoles win the 1993 national title and was a second-team AllAmerican as a senior in 1996. Dunn also competed on the FSU track team as a sprinter and was an All-American on the 4x100-meter relay team. Dunn starred as Catholic High School where he played quarterback, cornerback and running back. RALPH DUPAS Dupas held the world junior middleweight crown during a 16-year pro boxing career. The clever New Orleans native was noted for his fancy footwork and was nicknamed “Native Dancer.” At 17 he was the fourth ranked lighweight after beating No. 1-ranked contender Johnny Gonsalves and fifth -ranked Amond Savoie. He claimed the junior middleweight championship on a decision over Denny Moyer on April 29, 1963 and then beat Moyer in a June 17 rematch. In his career, which went from 1950-66, he was 104-23-6 and that included losing title bouts with such champions as Joe Brown and Emile Griffith. MARK DUPER A three-time Pro Bowl receiver with the Miami Dolphins (1982-92), Duper was inducted into the Dolphins’ Honor Roll during a 2003 Monday Night Football game. He was a two-time NCAA Division I AllAmerican as a sprinter at Northwestern State, running the anchor leg on the Demons’ 1981 NCAA champion 4 x 100-meter relay team that also included Hall of Famer Joe Delaney. Duper was a second-round NFL Draft pick in 1982 after two college seasons. He played in 146 regular-season games with Miami, catching 511 passes for 8,869 yards (17.7 career average) and 59 TDs. He also caught at least 50 passes five times and went over the 1,000-yard mark in receiving four times - finishing with 1,313 yards in 1986 and 1,306 yards in 1984. He owns the Dolphins’ all-time mark for 100-yard receiving games (28), the single-season record (eight in 1986) and the single-game record for receiving yards (217 vs. N.Y. Jets in 1985). BILLY JOE DUPREE Dupree was a West Monroe native who began playing football at Richardson High, helping his team reach three state championship games from 1966-68, with two wins. He became an All-American at Michigan State, earning a trip to the Blue-Gray All-Star Game, and was a first-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 1973. Dupree played 11 seasons at tight end as the Cowboys became known as “America’s Team.” He played 159 regular-season games in a row and in 22 playoff games. His career totals were 267 catches for 3,565 yards, 13.4 yards per catch, and 41 touchdowns. He played in three Pro Bowls (1977, 1978, and 1979) and was part of three Super Bowl teams (X, XII, XIII), winning in 1978 as the Cowboys defeated Denver in his home state, at the Louisiana Superdome. TOM DUTTON Dutton went to LSU from Minden and became a legend as a defensive player and blocker for the Tigers in 1913, 1914 and again in 1919 after the war. He was All-Southern all three seasons. Dutton played “roving center” on defense, following instructions to find the ball and make the tackle. Dutton, a monster in those days at 6-3, 225 pounds, was also an outstanding field man for the LSU track team. He held the school’s shot put record prior to the arrival of Olympian Jack Torrance.
#LSHOF2014
2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers • Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers EDDIE DYER Dyer was known throughout baseball as “That Little Cajun Lefthander.” He was from Morgan City. A halfback at Rice, he earned a spot in the Hall of Fame by managing the 1946 St. Louis Cardinals to the National League pennant and victory in a seven-game World Series with Joe Cronin’s Boston Red Sox. He was a freshman manager that year, and he stayed at the helm of the Cardinals until 1960. At Rice, he lettered in football, baseball and track and was football captain in 1921.
GEORGE “DOC” FENTON Fenton was LSU’s first great football player. As a quarterback in 1907, 1908 and 1909, Fenton was considered a wizard. He could do everything-run, pass, kick, block. Nicknamed “The Artful Dodger,” Doc led the 1908 team to a 10-0 record with 132 points, six field goals, 36 extra points and a 45-yard field goal, all records during their time. In three varsity seasons, Fenton scored 36 touchdowns and helped LSU win 23 games while losing only five.
KEN ELLIS Inducted (1998) in the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame, Ellis was a Southern University great who won three All-Pro honors during a 9-year NFL career as a cornerback. All-Pro in 1972, 1973 and 1974 and playing in the Pro Bowl in 1974 and 1975, Ellis played six years with Green Bay. He played in Super Bowl XIV for the Los Angeles Rams and also played for Cleveland, Detroit, Houston and Miami. He made 22 career interceptions, 20 for Green Bay, and scored 9 TDs, 5 on kickoff returns. In college, he led the nation in punt returns in 1968 with a 33-yard average while also starring at halfback and flanker on offense for the Jaguars.
JOE FERGUSON Ferguson set national prep passing records at Shreveport’s Woodlawn High, starred at Arkansas and ranks among the all-time NFL pasing leaders. He played 7 NFL seasons, 12 for the Buffalo Bills (197384) and also with Detroit (1985-87) and Tampa Bay (1988-89). In 1976, he set NFL records for fewest interceptions (1 in 151 attempts) in a season and lowest interception ratio per attempt. Upon his retirement, he ranked ninth all-time in pass attempts (4,511), 11th in completions (2,367), 12th in yardage (29,756) and 18th in touchdown passes (196). He completed 52.2 percent of his passes while starting 171 of his 185 games.
RONNIE ESTAY The second Louisiana native enshrined in the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame (joining Tom Hinton), Estay was an All-American at LSU who played in played in nine Grey Cups - winning six. He is in the Hamilton Tiger Cats Hall of Fame. He was elected by fan vote to LSU’s “Modern Day Team of the Century” encompassing teams from 1936-93, joining three other defensive linemen. A defensive tackle at LSU from 1969-71, Estay was a Kodak Coaches All-American and the ABC-TV Chevrolet Defensive Player of the Year as a senior when the Tigers led the nation in total defense. The Larose native, was a finalist for the Lombardi Award for the country’s top defensive lineman. A two-time All-SEC pick, he tackled standout quarterbacks Archie Manning and Pat Sullivan for safeties and helped corral Notre Dame’s Joe Theismann during a memorable 3-0 confrontation at South Bend in 1970. In his three years at LSU, the Tigers twice led the nation in rushing defense.
JIM FINKS As president and general manager (1986-93), Finks masterminded the remarkable turnaround of the New Orleans Saints. The club won 60 percent of its regular season NFL games and posted a streak of six consecutive non-losing records, matched only by two other NFL teams over the same timespan. In 1987, after the Saints’ first-ever winning season (12-3), Finks was named NFL Executive of the Year by the Sporting News, Football News and Touchdown Club of Washington. Also GM earlier in his career for playoff teams at Minnesota and Chicago, Finks was posthumously inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
ALAN FANECA One of LSU’s all-time great offensive linemen from 1995-97, Faneca was a second-team All-American pick in 1996 and a first-teamer in 1997 when he was a finalist for the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top lineman. A guard who overcame epilepsy, he started his final 36 college games and allowed only one sack as a junior before declaring for the NFL draft. He was chosen in the first round with the 26th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers and went on to play 10 years with them, two with the New York Jets and one with the Arizona Cardinals. He was voted to nine consecutive Pro Bowls (2001-09) and was a sixtime Associated Press All-Pro first-team pick (2001-02, 2004-07). He started 201 of 206 games he appeared in and started all 16 games in his final nine seasons in the league. He played on the Steelers team that won Super Bowl XL and helped spring Willie Parker for a 75-yard TD run, the longest run in Super Bowl history, on the second play of the second half to give Pittsburgh a 14-3 lead over the Seattle Seahawks. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-2000s team and was chosen to the Steelers’ 75th anniversary all-time team in 2007. LENNY FANT Head basketball coach at Northeast for 22 years-from 1957 through 1979-Fant ranked 11th among active Division I coaches in career victories when he retired. He coached at Louisiana College and East Texas Baptist before going to Northeast and had a career record of 388253. He had 18 consecutive winning seasons at Northeast-the longest among active Division I coaches at the time of his retirement-and his Northeast teams won eight conference championships or district titles and 12 tournament championships. MARSHALL FAULK Marshall Faulk was one of the NFL’s most dynamic running backs during a brilliant 12-year career with the Indianapolis Colts (1994-98) and St. Louis Rams (1999-2005). The New Orleans native and Carver High graduate was a three-time AP All-Pro pick and seven-time Pro Bowl selection. He was named by the AP as the NFL MVP in 2000 and was the AP’s Offensive Player of the Year from 1999 to 2001. He was also the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1994 after being the second overall pick in the draft. He piled up seven 1,000-yard rushing seasons, gaining more than 1,300 yards on the ground for four straight years (1998 to 2001). Faulk, who played in 176 games with 156 starts, finished his career with 12,279 rushing yards, which ranked ninth all-time going into the 2008 season. He set the NFL single-season record in 1999 with 2,429 yards from scrimmage, helping the Rams to the playoffs and a win in Super Bowl XXXIV.
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CHUCK FINLEY A West Monroe native and former UL-Monroe pitcher, he was a firstround pick (fourth overall) of the California Angels in the 1985 amateur baseball draft. A five-time All-Star, the left-hander played 17 seasons in the major leagues with California (1986-99), Cleveland (2000-02) and St. Louis (2002) and had a career record of 200-173 with an ERA of 3.85 and 2,610 strikeouts in 3197.3 innings (averaging 7.35 Ks per nine innings pitched). He started 467 games and had 63 complete games and 15 shutouts. His best seasons were in 1989, ‘90 and ‘91 when he went 16-9, 18-9 and 18-9 for a 52-27 record over that three-year span. Had a career-best 2.40 ERA in 1990, ranking second in the American League, and was seventh in the AL Cy Young voting. CHARLES “PEGGY” FLOURNOY Flournoy starred for Tulane’s football team from 1923 to 1925. He was more than a triple threat, showing prowess as an inside runner, outside runner, passer, punter and place kicker. Tulane was 23-4-2 during his career. As a senior, Flournoy led the Green Wave to an unbeaten season and became the school’s first All-American. He led the nation in scoring with 128 points, a total which still stands as a Tulane record. He also holds the single-game scoring record with 31. STEVE FOLEY A star quarterback at Tulane, Foley played 11 seasons at safety for the Denver Broncos (1975-86) and led the team in interceptions for four straight seasons (1978-81). Named to the UPI All-AFC Team after the 1978 season, he played in 150 games, starting 135, and picked off 44 career interceptions, piling up 627 return yards and scoring one touchdown. He started in two Super Bowls (XII and XXI) and was one of only three players, upon his retirement, to have started all of the postseason games in Denver’s AFC history. At Tulane, the New Orleans (Jesuit HS) product led the Green Wave to the Bluebonnet Bowl, rushing for a team-high 601 yards. ALTON “RED” FRANKLIN When he retired in January 2002, Franklin capped a career of 35 seasons as head coach at Haynesville High School including 11 state championships, 4 state runner-up finishes, 366 wins (366-76-8), a career-ending run of 15 consecutive district titles and 33 straight winning seasons. The Golden Tornado reached the state playoffs in 31 of his 35 seasons and won 27 district crowns. He was district coach of the year 23 times, and state coach of the year six times. Twice (1985, 1993), Franklin was named the National High School Athletic Association’s Region 5 coach of the year, making him a finalist for national prep coach of the year honors. In seven consecutive seasons from 1990-96, Haynesville’s won-loss record was a mind-boggling 96-4. Among his wins in the 1990s were victories at national powerhouses Evangel and West Monroe. Franklin was inducted in the Louisiana High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1991.
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JOHN FRANKS Franks, a Shreveport resident, was the only man to win four Eclipse Awards as the nation’s top thoroughbred owner. He won his first Eclipse Award in 1983, repeated in 1984, then won back-to-back in 1993 and 1994. Voting is based not just on wins or purses, but the quality of the victories. Franks led the nation in wins and earnings in 1983, 1984 and 1986 and was the leading breeder of stakes winners in 1989 and 1990. Ranked No. 1 nationally for money winnings four times, including 1993, he also finished second three more times since 1983. EDDY FURNISS A 2010 inductee into the College Baseball Hall of Fame, the Nacogdoches, Texas, native was one of the top hitters in LSU and Southeastern Conference history during a four-year career from 1995-98 with the Tigers -- producing records that stand 13 years later. Going into the 2011 season, Furniss remains the SEC’s all-time leader in hits (352), doubles (87), home runs (80), RBIs (308), and total bases (689). In the NCAA record books, he was third in total bases, fourth in home runs and doubles, and fifth in RBIs. A three-time Academic All-American, Furniss, a first baseman, helped LSU to NCAA titles in 1996 and 1997, and received the 1998 Dick Howser Trophy as college baseball’s most outstanding player. He hit .403 in ’98 with 27 doubles, three triples, 28 homers, 85 runs and 76 RBI, earning first-team All-America and All-SEC honors. In the two years LSU won the CWS while he was there, Furniss batted .381 with 26 homers and 102 RBIs in 1996 and .378 with 17 home runs and 77 RBIs in ’97. Furniss earned All-America recognition in each of his final three seasons and was voted the 1996 SEC Player of the Year. STAN GALLOWAY Galloway was football coach at Southeastern Louisiana University from 1951 through 1964, winning six Gulf States Conference championships and finishing second five times. His 1954 team went undefeated. Galloway’s conference record was 50-20-3, and his overall record was 82-41-5. In 12 years of coaching at the prep level at Donaldsonville, Hammond and Bogalusa, Galloway compiled a record of 80-30-5. His overall prep and college mark was 167-71-10 for a .700 winning percentage. He was GSC Coach of the Year four times. LIN GAMBLE A three-time All-American guard at Ouachita Baptist in the heyday of NAIA women’s basketball, Gamble represented the USA in the 1971 World University Games and the 1971 Pan American Games and was a three-year member of the USA National Team before women’s basketball became an Olympic sport in 1976. The DeSoto Parish native was the first female athlete inducted in the Louisiana High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame. At Central of Grand Cane, she was a two-time Class C All-State pick who had a career 37.4 ppg average, including 48.2 as a senior. In the 1971 Pan Am Games, she had 28 points vs. Cuba in a win that gave the USA the silver medal. RALPH GARR Garr was in the major leagues for 11 years with the Braves, White Sox and Angels. He led the National League in batting with a .353 average in 1974. Nicknamed “Roadrunner” because of his speed on the base paths, Garr had a career total of 175 steals, including 35 in 1973. He finished his big league career with a .306 batting average, 75 homers, 65 triples and 220 doubles. Now a coach for the Braves, Garr played college baseball at Grambling, where he led the NAIA in batting with a .567 average in the 1967 season. L. J. “HOSS” GARRETT The impact of Hoss Garrett on Louisiana high school football remains, a quarter-century after he retired in 1971 as the state’s winningest all-time coach. His teams were 270-122-21 (.682) in 38 years, 35 of them at Ruston High. His Ruston teams won 247 games, 14 district championships and state titles in 1941, 1947 and 1951. His 1944 Bearcats finished second in the state and five other Ruston teams reached the state semifinals. Ruston won 47 straight regular season games and four straight district titles from 1951-54. Garrett also guided the Ruston track team to four straight state championships, beginning in 1956. LESLIE GAUDET Gaudet was America’s winningest all-time high school basketball coach when he retired from Pine Prairie High School in 1970, and he retained that honor for more than two decades. His 1,026 wins still ranks sixth-best all time in the nation’s high school record books. He won 74 percent of his games in his 30 years as boys coach, and also won an estimated 350 games as girls coach. He never received a technical foul in the nearly 2,000 games he coached. Gaudet averaged 34 victories a season and had two teams that won more than 60 games in a season. He was inducted in the National High School Hall of Fame in 1991 along with John Wooden and Tom Landry.
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers • Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers PAUL “HOSS” GEISLER Geisler, a native of Berwick, was one of Centenary College’s all-time great defensive players. A standout on Coach Homer Norton’s powerful Gent teams of the early 1930’s, Geisler was an All-American. One of the highlights of his career was in 1932 when he caught the LSU quarterback for a 15-yard loss to preserve a 6-0 upset victory for Centenary over the Tigers. In later years, he coached at Lake Providence and Tallulah High Schools and Stephen F. Austin State College in Texas. LARRY GILBERT A New Orleans native, Gilbert spent 25 years as a manager in the Southern Baseball Association. Before becoming a manager, he was an outfielder with the 1914 “Miracle” Boston Braves. He played at New Orleans from 1917 to 1925, batting .309 and fielding .977. He managed New Orleans from 1923 until 1938. When he left the league in 1948, Gilbert had established Southern Association records for 2,128 wins, nine pennants, five Dixie Series championships, and he was All-Star manager five times. MATT GORDY Gordy was a member of LSU’s famed five-man national championship track and field team in 1933, and his 14-foot vault in the final event of the national meet in Chicago tied him for first and enabled the Tigers to take the title. An Abbeville native, he set state high school records in high jump and pole vault and later set records in these events at LSU. Coach Bernie Moore and all five members of the championship team-Gordy, Buddy Blair, Slats Hardin, Al Moreau and Jack Torranceare now in the Hall of Fame. TAD GORMLEY Gormley went to Loyola University in New Orleans in 1927 as head boxing, basketball and track coach and athletic trainer for the Wolfpack football team. In 1932, two of his boxers and two of his track and field stars competed in the Olympics at Los Angeles. Before he began developing championship teams at Loyola, Gormley coached track at LSU and Tulane. He holds membership in the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame as an athletic trainer and is a charter member of the Loyola Hall of Fame. HOYLE GRANGER An Oberlin High product, Granger was an All-AFL fulback for the Houston Oilers in 1968 and played in the AFL All-Star Game in 1968-69. He ranks as the Oilers’ No. 2 all-time rusher with 3,514 yards (topping La. Sports Hall of Fame members Charlie Tolar and Billy Cannon and trailing only Earl Campbell), has the team’s all-time best career average of 4.5 yards per carry and scored 18 rushing touchdowns, sixth-best in franchise history. He was second in the AFL in rushing yards in 1967, fourth in 1968 and third in 1969, and first in yards from scrimamge in 1967. Granger is second to Earl Campbell with 11 100-yard rushing games in club history and is second, with Campbell, in most consecutive games scoring a TD (5). At Oberlin, he was a two-time All-State back as OHS lost in the state finals twice before winning the Class B crown in his senior year, when he was the AllState Outstanding Player, scoring 199 points and rushing for a 12.5 average per carry. MIKE GREEN A 6-10 center, Green set Louisiana Tech career records for points (2,340) and rebounds (1,575), averaging 22.9 points and 15.4 rebounds from 1969-74. He played seven pro seasons and averaged 11.5 points per game. Green was the national College Division “Player of the Year” as a senior, when he averaged 30.9 points and led the Bulldogs to several No. 1 national rankings. He was a four-time allconference pick, a three-time All-American. Of the first 12 scoring records at Tech, Green either owns or shares each of them. He was a first-rounder in both the ABA and NBA drafts. GRITS GRESHAM The first outdoorsman chosen for membership in the Hall of Fame, Gresham was the Winchester Outdoorsman of the Year and Louisiana Conservationist of the Year. He spent 13 years as a field host, consultant and producer for ABC-TV’s “The American Sportsman.” Well-known for television commercials and personal appearances as a Miller Lite All-Star, Gresham was shooting editor of Sports Afield Magazine, and published his sixth book, “Grits on Guns.” He was a consultant for numerous outdoor industries. BOB GROSECLOSE Groseclose coached track and field at Northeast Louisiana for 29 years, winning 10 conference titles and developing nine national champions. He coached Hall of Fame members John Pennel and Dave and Don Styron. Pennel, a pole vaulter, broke the world record
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nine times and the Styron twins, sprinters and hurdlers, shattered numerous world records. NLU finished in the top 20 in both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor meets for his last three seasons before he retired in 1989. His teams, which included four unbeaten squads, never finished below fourth place in a conference meet. ERIC GUERIN A member of the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, Guerin is best-known as the jockey who rode Native Dancer. He lost only once in 21 rides aboard the gray colt, finishing second in the 1953 Kentucky Derby. Guerin won the Kentucky Derby in 1957 with Jet Pilot, and he rode Native Dancer to wins in the 1953 Preakness and Belmont. He also won the Belmont in 1954 on High Gun. Among the top five riders in the nation for five straight years, Guerin rode for 35 years, and his mounts earned $17.3 million. MARK GUIDRY One of 23 jockeys in the history of thoroughbred racing in the United States with more than 5,000 wins, achieving that total over a 32-year career which has recently resumed. After winning his first recognized race at age 16 at Delta Downs (like many other Louisiana-native jockeys, he rode at bush tracks beginning at age 9), Guidry operated on the Louisiana circuit for a decade before moving his tack to the Chicago circuit. He earned the moniker “King of Chicago” after winning 18 riding titles in that area -- nine at the now-defunct Sportsman’s Park, seven at Hawthorne Race Course and two at Arlington Park. His biggest career win was aboard longshot Lemons Forever in the 2006 Kentucky Oaks. Coincidentally, a year later on Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs, Guidry became the 21st jockey to reach the 5,000win plateau. He received the 2006 George Woolf Memorial Award for career achievements and personal character, presented each year by Santa Anita Park and voted on by jockeys nationwide. Guidry retired from the saddle in November 2007 with 5,044 wins from 31,321 mounts. His mounts earned slightly more than $100 million. Guidry took on a career as a trainer beginning in the summer of 2008, and returned to the saddle in 2011. Born 8-6-59 in Lafayette. RON GUIDRY Nicknamed “Louisiana Lightning” and “Gator,” left-handed pitcher Ron Guidry had more than 13 great years with the New York Yankees, posting a 170-91 career record with a 3.29 earned run average. The Lafayette native, a USL product, is second on the Yanks’ career strikeout list, (1,778). In 1978 he won the American League Cy Young Award and AP Male Athlete of the Year, going 25-3 with a 1.74 ERA and setting club records for single-game (19) and season (248) strikeouts, 13 straight wins, and an AL record-tying nine shutouts. Guidry was 41-10 in 1977-78 as the Yanks won two World Series titles. He made four All-Star Game appearances. SUE GUNTER Retired after 22 years at LSU as women’s basketball coach, Gunter collected a 442-221 mark with the Lady Tigers and an overall record of 708-308 during her career. She retired as the fourth-winningest head coach in NCAA women’s basketball history and in 2005 was posthumously enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Gunter took over as coach at LSU in 1983, three years after she was head coach of the 1980 USA Olympic team while at Stephen F. Austin. At LSU, she was the Basketball News National Coach of the Year (1983), the Louisiana Coach of the Year (1983, 1997, 2000, 2003) the SEC Coach of the Year (1997, 1999), the WBCA District III Coach of the Year (1999) and was inducted in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000. Her Tiger teams made 14 NCAA Tournament trips and reached the Final Four in her final season of 2004. FREDDIE HAAS Haas won 125 amateur golf tournaments, including the 1934 and 1938 Southerns and the 1937 National Intercollegiate, before turning pro, where he earned money on the PGA tour for 30 consecutive years. His best year on the pro tour was in 1953, when he won five major tournaments. He was PGA senior champion in 1966 and won the Gulf States senior title three times. Haas was the first golfer to play on both the Walker and Ryder Cup teams. He is a resident and native of New Orleans. KYLA HALL HOLAS A three-time All-American -- twice a first-team selection -- Hall was a record-setting pitcher for Louisiana-Lafayette and led the Ragin’ Cajuns to their first Women’s College World Series in 1993. Former ULL and LSU coach Yvette Girouard, the winningest coach in state history and a member of the National Fast Pitch Coaches Hall of Fame, called her a “pioneer” in state collegiate softball. In Hall’s four-year career from 1991-94, she compiled a 104-20 record (.839) for the best career winning percentage in state history and one of the nation’s top 15 all-
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time marks. She compiled a career 0.50 ERA, including an 0.23 mark in 1992 which ranks in the NCAA’s all-time top 20, when she had a 30-4 record. She is now the successful head coach at the University of Houston and is the first female softball player enshrined in the Hall. DARRYL HAMILTON A speedy, left-handed hitting outfielder who didn’t play high school baseball at University High in Baton Rouge because it didn’t field a team (he played football and basketball), he went on to star at Nicholls State and played 13 seasons with Milwaukee, Texas, San Francisco, Colorado and the New York Mets. In 1,328 big-league games, he had a .291 career average with 1,333 hits and 454 RBIs. He had 163 stolen bases -- including a career-best 41 in 1992. An 11th-round draft pick of the Brewers in 1986, he played center field primarily, but also played the corner outfield positions and committed just 14 errors in 13 seasons for a .995 career fielding percentage. Hamilton batted .300 four times, hitting a career-high .315 with the Rockies and Mets in 1999. His best all-around seasons were in 1993 when he hit .310 with 161 hits for the Brewers and 1996 when he batted .293 with a career-high 184 hits in 148 games with the Rangers. At Nicholls State from 1984-86, he stole a school-record 140 bases with a career-high 52 in 1985 and led the team in runs all three seasons, finishing with 193 for his career. JAKE HANNA One of the great Centenary football stars of all times, Hanna led the Gents to an undefeated season in 1927. Jake scored 93 points during the season, in which Centenary upset four Southwest Conference schools. He missed much of the 1928 season with injuries but still scored 15 touchdowns to lead the team in scoring. A 5-foot-8, 167-pound quarterback and halfback, Hanna was selected to play in two all-star games in Dallas that were forerunners of the Cotton Bowl. He also starred at Byrd High. BILLY HARDIN A member of the 1964 USA Olympic track and field team and a semifinalist in the 400 meter hurdles at the Tokyo Games, Billy Hardin was a three-time All-American at LSU. He won seven Southeastern Conference track titles -- the 100 yard dash (twice, once in a record 9.5time), in the 120 yard hurdles (twice, including a record 13.9 time), the 220 yard hurdles, the 330 yard hurdles and as part of the mile relay team. Hardin captured the 1964 NCAA and AAU championships in his specialty. Son of Hall of Famer Slats Hardin, the Baton Rouge native set an LSU record in winning the Olympic Trials with a 49.8 time. He and his father became the first father-son duo to represent the USA in Olympic competition. GLENN “SLATS” HARDIN Hardin was an outstanding sprinter and hurdler for LSU in the early 1930’s. He won the NCAA 440 yard dash in 47.1 and the 220 low hurdles in 22.9 in 1933 and repeated the following year with times of 47 flat and 22.7, equaling the national record. Hardin was in the 1932 and 1936 Olympic Games and earned a silver medal at Los Angeles in 1932 in the 440 hurdles with a time of 52.0. He won a gold medal at Berlin in 1936 and set a world record in the 400 meter hurdles in 1934. JAMES “SHACK” HARRIS A 12-year pro, Harris started for three NFL teams, becoming the first black quarterback to open the season as a starter and complete a season as a starter in NFL history. A nationally-recruited star at Monroe’s Carroll High School, he set a state collegiate passing record with 4,705 career passing yards at Grambling. He led Grambling to Southwestern Athletic Conference titles in 1967 and 1968. Harris played for Buffalo, the Los Angeles Rams, and San Diego. He was the 1975 Pro Bowl Most Valuable Player, leading an NFC victory. He led the NFL in passing in 1976 and ranked No. 2 in 1974. His career NFL stats include 8,136 passing yards and 45 passing TDs. He is now the player-personnel director of the Jacksonville Jaguars. GAYLE HATCH Hatch and Skip Bertman are the only state residents to serve as head USA Olympic coaches. The USA men’s weightlifting head coach at the 2004 Olympic Games, Hatch was inducted into the USA Strength and Conditioning Coaches Hall of Fame’s inaugural 14-member class in August 2003, along with Baton Rouge’s Alvin Roy; and the USA Olympic Weightlifting Federation Hall of Fame in April 2002. He received the NFL Strength & Conditioning Coaches’ Society “President’s Award” for his role in developing the profession at the 2005 NFL Combine. The Baton Rouge resident has won 12 national Coach of the Year honors from USA Weightlifting. He has coached 43 national champion lifters who set numerous American and junior American records. Hatch was a dynamic basketball player for Northwestern State in 1960-62
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers • Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers who was drafted to play professionally. While at Northwestern, Hatch led the Demons in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage before he was chosen by the Chicago Majors of the American Basketball League, forerunner of the American Basketball Association which eventually merged with the NBA. JOEL HAWKINS An ultra-successful high school basketball coach at Southern Lab (Baton Rouge), Lake Providence and G.W. Griffin (Lake Providence) with a career record of 1,071-263 (.803) through 2007. A win in the Class 1A title game with Southern Lab over Plain Dealing in March 2005 made Hawkins the all-time wins leader in Louisiana high school basketball history, passing Hall of Famer Leslie Gaudet of Pine Prairie, who had 1,026 wins. Hawkins began his coaching career in 1965 at his alma mater, G.W. Griffin High, and moved to Lake Providence High a few years later when the schools were combined during integration. He has been the boys coach at Southern Lab since 1989, winning 11 state championships in a 13 year span. A 1985 title at Lake Providence gives Hawkins 12 state crowns to go along with 39 winning seasons and 21 district titles. Hawkins was inducted into the LHSAA-LHSCA Hall of Fame in 2001. ELVIN HAYES A Rayville native inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame, Hayes was a three-time All-America at the University of Houston and was The Sporting News Basketball College Player of the Year in 1968, when he averaged 36.8 points a game. In three varsity seasons at Houston, he averaged 31 points a game and had 1,602 rebounds. A first-round NBA draft pick, he played for 16 seasons and was All-NBA six times. He played in 12 All-Star games. Hayes led the league in scoring as a rookie and was the NBA’s leading rebounder in both the 1970 and 1974 seasons. ED HEAD Head was born in 1918 in Selma, La. He was a left-hander as a youngster, but a serious injury forced him to become a right-handed pitcher. Head went with the old Brooklyn Dodger organization in 1940 and was sent to Montreal of the International League in 1941 where he won 18 and lost 8, leading the team to the International League title. He won four games in the playoffs. He pitched for the Dodgers from 1942 until 1946 and had a no-hitter against the Boston Braves in 1946. T.P. “SKIPPER” HEARD Heard was a transcendent innovator as LSU’s second athletic director, serving from 1933-54. He reshaped the face of the Tigers’ football program. The most vivid image of LSU sports is “Saturday Night in Tiger Stadium.” That was the idea of Heard, then in the position of graduate manager of athletics, in part to solve scheduling problems and conflicts with Tulane and Loyola. He was also on the scene when LSU became a charter member of the SEC in 1933, and when the school hooked up with WWL-AM radio -- whose nighttime signal helped cultivate more Tiger football fans all over the country. Heard was responsible for two expansions of Tiger Stadium -- without which LSU couldn’t have become the program it is today. Heard was also credited as the catalyst behind LSU in 1931 putting 1,500 dorm rooms in Tiger Stadium, which became a treasured home to many students over the years. Born in 1898, he died July 11, 1980 at the age of 82. BOBBY HEBERT “The Cajun Cannon” spent 11 seasons in the NFL with the Saints (1985-89, 1990-92) and Atlanta (1993-96) following three years in the USFL, leading Michigan to the inaugural USFL title and being named championship game MVP as a rookie. Hebert had a 49-26 (.653) record as the Saints’ starting quarterback, leading the club to its best record and only division title. In high school, Hebert led South Lafourche to the Class 4A championship, then was an honorable mention All-America at Northwestern State while setting single-season and single-game passing records. In his NFL career, he completed 60 percent (1,856-3,104) for 21,683 yards, 135 TDs. He had 15 NFL games with 275+ yards passing. JAY HEBERT Jay won the PGA Championship in 1960 to make he and his brother Lionel the first brothers to win the prestigious title. He also won the Texas Open in 1957, Lafayette Open in 1958, Orange County Open in 1959 and the Houston Classic and American Golf Classic in 1961. He was a member of the Ryder Cup team in 1959 and 1961. Runner-up in the 1960 Tournament of Champions, Jay also finished second in the 1955 St. Petersburg Open, 1957 Los Angeles Open, 1958 Canadian Open and several other events.
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LIONEL HEBERT PGA champion in 1957, Lionel won the Cajun Classic in 1960, the Tucson Open in 1958, Memphis Open in 1962 and Citrus Tournament in 1966. He was runner-up in St. Petersburg in 1956, the Azalea Open and Oklahoma City Open in 1964 and White-marsh Open in 1963. A member of the U.S. Ryder Cup in 1957, Lionel was chairman of the PGA Tournament Committee in 1962-63 and 1972-73. A golf pro since 1950, Lionel was active on the senior tour. Lionel and Jay were runner-up in the 1965 National PGA 4-Ball. LEE HEDGES In 28 years as a head coach, Hedges touched four of the most historic schools in Shreveport, serving as head coach at three and taking each of those to the state championship game in the state’s largest classification. After briefly joining the coaching staff for the 1966 season at Louisiana Tech, Hedges returned to the prep ranks at Captain Shreve, where he was head coach for 18 seasons (1967-84), making 14 playoff appearances and winning eight district titles. A year after missing the state title by a point, his Gators roared to the 1973 Class 4A championship, the last time a public school from Shreveport won the state title at the highest classification. Including a 24-game win streak in 1972-73, Hedges’ career record stands at 216-92-5 (.698), still the most wins by a Shreveport-Bossier City coach. He coached future NFL players as head coach at each school, including state Hall of Fame members Pat Studstill and Terry Bradshaw. CHARLIE HENNIGAN Hennigan, a collegiate football and track star at Northwestern, played for the Houston Oilers from 1960 through 1966. With the AFL Oilers, Hennigan caught 410 passes for 6,723 yards and 51 touchdowns. An All-AFL choice three times, Hennigan set pro football records for yards gained receiving in a season with 1,146 (1,700)in 1961 and receptions in a season with 101 in 1964. His AFL single game record of 272 yards receiving against the Patriots in 1961 still ranks highly in the pro football records. TOMMY HENRY Before he retired in 2007 after his 24th year as commissioner of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, Henry emerged as one of the most progressive high school athletic commissioners in the nation. During his tenure the LHSAA became a self-efficient legislative organization. Henry was named the LHSAA’s third commissioner in 1983 after having served as an assistant commissioner since 1976. He founded the Superdome Classic football championships in his first year as commissioner and steered state championship events to many outstanding venues around the state. Henry secured a major television contract for championship events. A native of Alexandria and a graduate of Bolton High School and Northwestern State, Henry was a teacher and coach at Bossier High from 1963-75, guiding one of the state’s top prep baseball programs. PETE HERMAN A native of New Orleans, Herman had 134 professional fights. He won 59 times and lost only 12. Six were draws, and the others “nodecisions.” In the 134 fights, he was stopped only once while knocking out 19 opponents. He won the world bantamweight championship in 1917, lost it in 1920 but regained the title by defeating Joe Lynch in 1922 because of blindness. He was enshrined in the National Boxing Hall of Fame in 1959. DALTON HILLIARD One of the golden figures in state sports history, Hilliard was one of LSU’s greatest running backs and led the New Orleans Saints into the NFL playoffs. A Patterson native, Hilliard is the fourth-leading rusher in Southeastern Conference history and the all-time leader at LSU with 4,050 yards and 302 points. A three-time All-SEC pick, Hilliard set NCAA freshman records with 16 touchdowns and 96 points in 1982. The 5-8, 195-pounder is the second-leading rusher in Saints history with 4,164 yards, just 104 yards out of first place after his eight pro seasons. He led the Saints in career rushing attempts, total TDs (53) and rushing TDs (39). In 1989, he led the NFL with 13 TDs in a Pro Bowl season. TOM HINTON The first Louisianan in the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame, Hinton was a five-time all-star offensive guard for the British Columbia Lions during nine pro seasons, including a 1964 Grey Cup title. Also picked for the Lions Dream Team spanning 39 years in 1993, Hinton became only the fifth football player elected to the B.C. Hall of Fame, even though it had been in existence 26 years and the Lions were 38 years old at the time. A high school All-American at Ruston High who was also all-state in track, he was a Louisiana Tech standout in both sports, winning All-GSC honors four years, three times
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unanimously. He was a three-year honorable mention All-American and won NAIA All-America honors as a senior in 1957. Named the GSC Athlete of the Year in 1957, he was the first Tech player in the Blue-Gray All-Star Game and was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals in the NFL and the B.C. Lions. FRED HOBDY Hobdy is the state’s all-time winningest college basketball coach and led Grambling to the 1961 NAIA championship. He was Grambling’s head coach for 30 years (1956-86) with a 567-287 (.664) record. He won 10 conference championships (8 in the Southwestern Athletic, 2 in the Midwest), led the Tigers to 14 national tournaments (including the major college NIT in 1980) and won the 1961 NAIA title. His Tiger teams won six regional or district NCAA or NAIA titles. He is credited with discovering and launching the career of all-time great Willis Reed. TOMMY HODSON A Mathews native, Hodson had an illustrious career as a four-year starting quarterback for LSU (1986-89) and compiled a 31-14-1 record. He is LSU’s all-time leading passer with 9,115 yards, and also leads the school in career touchdown passes (69), attempts (1,163) and completions (967). At the time, those numbers were the best in SEC history. He was a four-time All-SEC quarterback, and LSU pushed him for the Heisman Trophy in his junior and senior seasons. Hodson became a household name in 1986 as a redshirt freshman Hodson played a major role in the “Earthquake Game,” lofting an 11-yard TD pass to Eddie Fuller on fourth down in the final minute to give LSU a 7-6 win over No. 4 Auburn. Hodson was also a standout quarterback for Central Lafourche High School, guiding the Trojans to a 13-1 record and passing for 4,361 yards and 36 TDs as a senior. As a basketball player, he averaged 27.4 points a game his senior season. Hodson was selected in the third round of the 1990 NFL draft by New England Patriots and played seven seasons for four teams, finishing his career in 1995-96 as a backup with the Saints. Born 1-28-67 in Mathews, La. SONJA HOGG Starting from scratch, without any previous basketball experience, Sonja Hogg engineered the development of one of the country’s iconic women’s basketball programs, the Lady Techsters of Louisiana Tech. The Alexandria native was the first head coach, coined the nickname of Lady Techsters while also teaching in the College of Education, and became Women’s Athletic Director in 1976 and continued coaching at the same time. Her overall coaching record at Tech was 307 wins and 55 losses in 11 seasons (1974-85), featuring six consecutive Final Four appearances (1978-1984), including two national championships. BOB HOPKINS Hopkins, a 6-10, 210 pounder from Jonesboro, scored 3,759 points in 126 basketball games at Grambling for a career average of 29.1 a game. At one time, he held NCAA and NAIA college basketball records for the most points scored with 3,759, most field goals made with 1,292, most free throws made with 953 and most rebounds with 2,191. His remarkable career point total of 3,759 is still a state record. Hopkins played pro basketball for Syracuse. CAL HUBBARD A 225-pound lineman at Centenary College in 1922-23-24, Hubbard was the school’s first All-American. In his first collegiate game, he returned a kickoff for a touchdown, but his greatest game was in an upset against Maj. Frank Kavanaugh’s Boston College team. Hubbard left Centenary to accompany Coach Bo McMillin to Geneva College. He later became an all-time great professional player with the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants. Hubbard later spent 10 years as a Major League Baseball umpire. He is the only person enshrined in both the NFL Hall of Fame and the Baseball Hall of Fame. STAN HUMPHRIES Humphries quarterbacked Louisiana-Monroe (then Northeast Louisiana University) to the NCAA Division I-AA Championship in 1987 (the only I-AA championship ever won by a Louisiana team) and led the San Diego Chargers to their only Super Bowl appearance in 1995. He retired in 1998 for health reasons after a 10-year NFL career. He was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 2002. A Shreveport native, he was a prep all-American at Southwood High, signed with LSU, then transferred to ULM. In only two seasons he threw for 4395 yards and 29 touchdowns, figures which ranked No. 2 among ULM quarterbacks at the time he completed his career (these statistics do not include playoff games). Humphries is a member of the ULM Hall of Fame and one of only two Warhawks football greats to have his number retired.
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers • Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers LUKE JACKSON Luke Jackson launched his sensational basketball career at Morehouse High School in Bastrop. The 6-foot-9 lefty left Louisiana to become a college All-American at Texas-Pan American, a member of the 1964 USA Olympic gold-medal basketball team and the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1965 with the Philadelphia 76ers. Jackson, whose Pan American uniform is on display at the Basketball Hall of Fame, became the first Louisiana prep basketball player to win Olympic gold. Jackson won a national NAIA title in 1963 as a junior at Pan American, and was a starting forward on the 76ers’ squad that claimed the 1967 NBA title. That team was voted the best in the first 50 years of the NBA. He played eight pro seasons. RICH JACKSON Jackson was an All-Pro defensive end for the Denver Broncos. A Southern University graduate, the New Orleans native is on Mile High Stadium’s Ring of Honor as one of the Denver Broncos’ all-time best players. He joined the Broncos in 1967 and made All-Pro at defensive end four consecutive seasons (1968-71). Writer Paul Zimmerman of Sports Illustrated chose him on the magazine’s all-time All-Pro team selected as part of the publication’s 40th anniversary celebration in 1993. RICKEY JACKSON A durable six-time All-Pro linebacker (1983-86, 1992-93), Rickey Jackson was the heart and soul of the New Orleans Saints’ defense from 1981-94. He spent the last two of his 15 NFL seasons with San Francisco, helping the 49ers win Super Bowl XXIX. Jackson had 128 official career sacks, getting his first 8 before it became an NFL statistic. He still ranks seventh in NFL history in that category. A second-round NFL Draft pick from Pitt, he also averaged 85 tackles for New Orleans. Jackson ranks second all-time in NFL history with 28 fumble recoveries, including a club-record 26 for the Saints. He played in 227 NFL games and started all 195 games he played in for New Orleans. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. AARON JAMES A three-time All-American at Grambling after a prep All-America career at New Orleans’ Cohen High School, James played five seasons with the expansion New Orleans Jazz, who took him as their first-ever draft pick in the second round of the 1974 draft. He averaged 10.8 points and 4.1 rebounds and had 370 assists in 356 NBA. Nicknamed “A.J. From the Parking Lot” for his long-range jump shots, he also played five seasons in Italy and three in the Philippines. As a collegian, the 6-foot-8 James excelled for legendary Grambling coach Fred Hobdy. James was the SWAC Freshman of the Year in 1970-71, a three-time All-Southwestern Athletic Conference pick and the league’s MVP as a senior in 973-74. He was a second-team small college AllAmerican as a sophomore and junior and a first-teamer as a senior when he led the nation in scoring with a 32.1 average. For his college career, he averaged 22.2 points and 10.9 rebounds in 106 games, helping Grambling claim two SWAC titles and one NAIA District Championship. James is a member of the Grambling, SWAC and Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches halls of fame. DANA JENKINS Jenkins was one of the nation’s outstanding high school and college sprinters in the early 1900’s. He established eight high school track and field records before his senior year at Eunice. Jenkins entered Louisiana State University in 1916 and led LSU to outstanding seasons in the old Southern Amateur Athletic Union from 1916 until 1918. At LSU, he established records in the 50, 100, 220 and 440 yard dashes, 220 low hurdles, broad jump and triple jump. IRVIN JOHNSON A Jonesville native, the 6-foot-11 Johnson briefly played high school basketball and was bagging groceries in Baton Rouge when he was brought to the attention of then-UNO coach Tim Floyd. Johnson played four seasons (1990-93) and was the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year in 1993 when Basketball Times made him a second-team All-America. UNO made two NCAA Tournaments and one NIT during his time there. Johnson finished as the second-leading scorer in UNO history (1,608 points) and was the school’s all-time leader in rebounds (1,287), blocked shots (294), field goal percentage (.590) and double-doubles (55). He averaged 13.1 points and 10.5 rebounds for his college career. Johnson was the MVP of the NABC All-Star game in 1993. His jersey was retired in 1997 and in 2005 he was named to the Sun Belt’s All-Time team. A first-round draft pick by Seattle in 1993 (23rd overall), Johnson played 13 seasons, also spending time with Denver, Milwaukee and Minnesota.
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KATHY JOHNSON (CLARKE) Clarke is one of only three American women to win an individual medal in both World Championship and Olympic gymnastics competition. At 16, she moved near Shreveport to train. An All-American at Centenary College in 1978 and 1979, Kathy Johnson made the U.S. Olympic team in 1980 and won two medals in the 1984 Games, taking a team silver and an individual bronze on the balance beam. She is one of only five U.S. women to win an individual Olympic medal. She was the 1984 USA Olympic gymnastics team captain and twice was named America’s Gymnast of the Year (1977, 1985). She has also been a network analyst for ABC and ESPN. GARY “BIG HANDS” JOHNSON A Bossier City native and Grambling football All-American, Johnson made four Pro Bowl appearances during an 11-year NFL career with San Diego and San Francisco, playing for the 49ers’ 1984 Super Bowl Champions. The 6-2, 251-pounder had 72-1/2 sacks for 659 lost yards and recovered 11 fumbles as a pro. He made The Sporting News NFL All-Star Team in 1980 with 17-1/2 sacks. As a senior at Grambling, Johnson had 134 tackles to earn his third straight AllAmerica award and the Sheridan Black College Defensive Player of the Year Award. VAUGHAN JOHNSON Johnson was a four-time Pro Bowl pick as perhaps the hardest-hitting member of the Saints’ famed “Dome Patrol” linebacking corps in the late 1980s and early 1990s. A sturdy 6-foot-3, 235-pounder, Johnson was part of the star linebacking corps that also included Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame members Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills and Pat Swilling. Johnson was chosen by the Saints in the USFL Supplemental Draft and joined the team in 1986. He played eight seasons with the Saints, making the Pro Bowl four times from 1989-92. In 1991, he, Mills and Swilling became the first set of three linebackers from the same team to start the all-star contest; one year later they were joined by Jackson to be the first club with four linebackers in the Pro Bowl game. Johnson was a second-team All-Pro pick by The Associated Press in 1989. He became a starter in 1987 -- the first year the Saints made the playoffs -- and collected more than 100 tackles three times (including a career-high 114 in 1988) while starting 98 of the 120 games he played with the team. He also had 12 sacks, four interceptions, 11 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries in his NFL career. CHARLIE JOINER Born in Many, raised in Lake Charles, and a star receiver for Grambling, Joiner held NFL records for catches (750) and reception yardage (12,146) when he retired in 1986 after 18 seasons as a pro. He set league records for most games played by a receiver (239) and had a streak of 194 consecutive games played. Joiner played three seasons with Houston, four with Cincinnati and joined the San Diego Chargers in 1976, where he earned trips to the Pro Bowl in 1976, 1979 and 1980. BERT JONES A Ruston native, Jones played in the NFL for 10 years, and he was AllPro three times. The NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1976, he had 1,430 completions in 2,551 attempts in his pro career for 18,190 yards and 124 touchdowns. Jones was a Sporting News All-American at LSU, where he had 220 completions and 418 attempts for 3,225 yards and 28 TD’s. He was a No. 1 draft choice of the Colts in 1973. Jones joins his dad, Dub, as the first father-son members of the Hall of Fame. DUB JONES An All-American back at Tulane in 1944, Jones played in the 1950’s on some of the Cleveland Browns’ greatest teams. He was selected as an All-Pro in 1951 and played in the 1952 Pro Bowl. Jones is still in the Browns’ record books for scoring six touchdowns in a single game against the Bears in 1951 and for 10 pass receptions in a game against the Redskins in 1950. Father of LSU All-American and pro star Bert Jones, Dub served as an assistant coach for the Browns under Blanton Collier when his playing days ended. ESTHER JONES A 21-time All-American for the nationally-acclaimed LSU women’s track and field team from 1988-91, Jones is the most decorated athlete -- male or female -- in the history of the sport at the school. Jones helped the Lady Tigers claim six national titles (four outdoor and two indoor) during her four-year career. A native of Chicago who grew up in Milwaukee, she was a dominant short sprinter and a force in relays. She won 10 Southeastern Conference titles. Jones won a gold medal with the U.S. 4 x 100 team in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
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JAMES JONES A Tallulah native and star of three straight Southwestern Athletic Conference championship teams at Grambling, Jones was one of the best players in the old ABA, averaging 19.2 points, 5.1 and 4.9 rebounds during seven years in that league. Jones became only the second ABA player to score 2,000-plus in a single season (2,050 in 196869). He played three more seasons with Washington in the NBA, and his combined 10-season pro averages are 16.3 points (11,366 total), 4.6 rebounds (2,930) and 4.5 assists (3,069). Jones made the ABA All-Time Team and was a six-time ABA All-Star (1968-71, 1973-74). He was a three-time first-team All-ABA selection (1969, 1973, 1974) while playing for the New Orleans Buccaneers (1967-70), the Memphis Pros (1970-71) and the Utah Stars (1971-74). Jones led the ABA in free throw aim (.884) in 1973-74 and scored in double figures in five of his six All-Star Game. Jones made the ABA’s All-Rookie Team in 1968 after being concerned he wouldn’t play much behind Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and spurning an offer from the NBA’s then-Baltimore Bullets, who made him the 13th overall pick in the second round of the 1967 NBA Draft. LAWRENCE “BIFF” JONES Biff Jones coached football at LSU from 1932 through 1934, guiding the Tigers to a 20-5-5 record. In 1933, his Bengals were tied twice but unbeaten in a nine-game season. A native of Washington, D.C., Jones captained the 1915 West Point Cadets. He was head coach at West Point, Oklahoma and Nebraska and had a career record of 87 wins, 33 defeats and 14 ties. He’s best remembered for a rhubarb with Gov. Huey P. Long when Jones ran the governor from LSU’s dressing room in the 1934 Tulane game. BUFORD JORDAN After a stellar four-year career at McNeese State, Jordan was Louisiana’s all-time rushing king with 4,106 yards when he left the school and now ranks third behind Kevin Faulk and Mewelde Moore. Jordan, a prep star at Iota, was a four-year All-Southland Conference pick for the Cowboys who played nine pro seasons - including seven with the New Orleans Saints (1986-92). A fullback during his Saints career, Jordan helped the team win 69 games, posting their first winning season and first playoff appearance (1987), and first division title (1991). He was a starter during five NFL seasons. Jordan also played in the USFL in 1984 and ‘85 for the New Orleans Breakers and Portland Breakers. In 1984, he was the league’s fourth-leading rusher (behind Joe Cribbs, Kelvin Bryant and Herschel Walker) with 1,276 yards and eight TDs, while catching 45 passes for 427 yards and four TDs. KEN KAVANAUGH Kavanaugh was one of the country’s outstanding ends while playing for LSU in the late 1930’s. He was All-Southeastern Conference in 1938 and 1939 and All-American in 1939. Kavanaugh led the team in scoring in 1938-39 and made the longest touchdown run in modern LSU football history, a 100-yard gallop with a fumble against Rice in 1937. Kavanaugh was later an outstanding professional player with the Chicago Bears. At LSU, he was a star baseball player from 1938 through 1940. PAM KELLY (FLOWERS) Kelly became only the fourth woman elected to the Hall. Kelly was a three-time Kodak All-America women’s basketball star at Louisiana Tech and won the Margaret Wade Trophy as the country’s top player in 1982. A Columbia native, the 6-footer helped Louisiana Tech to four “Final Four” appearances and a record 54-game winning streak along with national championships in 1981 and 1982. Her 2,979 points and 1,511 rebounds are career records at Tech. She averaged 19.5 points and 9.9 rebounds in her 153-game career while shooting 62.3 percent from the field. ANNA KOLL Described as New Orleans’ “Greatest All-Around Girl Athlete” in the 1930s by The Times-Picayune, Koll won the Southern women’s tennis championship twice, the Louisiana women’s title several times and state titles in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. She set Southern AAU records in the 80-meter high hurdles (13.0) and the broad jump (15-11) along with the 50-yard dash and 120-yard hurdles. She was part of the New Orleans team which won the Southern AAU championship for four straight years (1926-29) and in each year she competed, she won at least one individual title. She helped the Wiltz gymnasium win the AAU indoor baseball title three straight years, leading the league in batting each season. She also played on the Wiltz basketball team and made the All-Star Team three straight years. Considered a Louisiana version of versatile female Olympian Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Koll died in 1988 at the age of 83.
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers • Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers KENNY KONZ A speedy defensive back in the LSU Hall of Fame, Konz was LSU’s MVP in 1950 and played on three world championship teams with the Cleveland Browns. The MVP in the 1950 Blue-Gray Classic, Konz was a No. 1 draft pick for Cleveland. He led, or shared the team lead, in interceptions in five of his seven pro seasons. After topping the NFL in punt returns with a 14.4 average, Konz played in the 1956 Pro Bowl. The Texas native and New Orleans resident also averaged almost 40 yards as a punter in one NFL season. VENUS LACY A star center for the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball team from 1988-1990, Lacy played on the 1996 U.S. Olympic team that won a gold medal after starting at center on Tech’s 1988 national championship team, the last Techsters’ team to capture an NCAA title. Lacy was a 1990 Kodak All-American and was also named the national Player of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association. She is No. 1 in scoring average (20.0) in Tech history and is also is in the top five for career points (2,004), field goals made (793), field goals attempted (1,125) and blocked shots (164). She played in the old ABL, Europe and spent two seasons with the New York Liberty of the WNBA before retiring in 1998. Born 2-9-67 in Chattanooga, Tenn. ERNIE LADD Ladd, a Grambling product, was an All-AFL defensive tackle in an eight-year pro football career. He appeared in four straight AFL AllStar games from 1962-65. Ladd, nicknamed “The Big Cat” because of his remarkable size (6-foot-9, 325 pounds) and agility, did not miss a game in his pro career. Ladd joined the San Diego Chargers in 1961 and played on their AFL championship team in 1963. He capped his career as a member of the powerful Kansas City Chiefs, where he played alongside Buck Buchanan. He became a popular professional wrestler at age 30 and is in the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. DWIGHT “BO” LAMAR Lamar earned All-American honors three times during his career at Southwestern Louisiana in 1969 through 1973. He averaged 31.2 points a game, and his 3,493-point career total is second only to Pete Maravich in both the state and the nation in major college rankings. As a sophomore, he led the nation’s college division teams in scoring with a 36.0 average, and he led the country’s university division as a junior with a 36.3 average. Lamar led USL to a 74-13 record in his three final seasons and later played in the NBA and ABA. MAXIE LAMBRIGHT Lambright guided Louisiana Tech to national football prominence during his 1967 through 1978 tenure as head coach with a record of 95-36-2 for a winning mark of 73 percent. His teams won seven conference championships, including six of the last eight years he coached after Tech joined the Southland Conference in 1971. His teams won five national championships, and Lambright guided Tech to the nation’s longest winning streak of 23 games in 1973-74. His teams were 44-4 from 1971 through 1974 and 12-0 in 1972. HANK LAURICELLA Lauricella was an All-American running back at the University of Tennessee from 1949 through 1951 and was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in his senior season. He gained more than 2,500 yards in total offense for the Vols and in Tennessee’s 1951 Cotton Bowl win over Texas had 131 yards, including a 75-yard run. Lauricella, a member of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, averaged five yards a carry during his career at Tennessee and scored 29 touchdowns. He later served in the Louisiana state senate. LESTER LAUTENSCHLAGER A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Lautenschlaeger was Tulane’s quarterback for four seasons and captain of the Greenie baseball team. He holds Tulane’s single game record for two touchdowns on punt returns set in 1925 and also scored four touchdowns in one game to share a Tulane record. An honorable mention Grantland Rice All-American, he had a 95-yard touchdown run against North Carolina in 1922. Lautenschlaeger later coached such Tulane stars as Monk Simons and Don Zimmerman. JANICE LAWRENCE (BRAXTON) A first-team pick on the LSWA’s All-Century All-Louisiana Women’s Collegiate Basketball Team chosen in 1999, she was a seven-time AllEurope star who didn’t stop playing professionally until 2001. Considered perhaps the greatest Lady Techster player ever, Lawrence starred from 1980-84 and was a two-time Kodak All-American (1983, 84), the 1984 Wade Trophy winner, the 1982 NCAA Final Four MVP, a threetime Final Four All-Tournament pick (1982, 1983, 1984), twice NCAA Regional MVP (1983, 1984) and three times on the NCAA All-Regional
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Team (1982, 1983, 1984). She was the second-leading rebounder and third-leading scorer for the gold-medal winning 1984 USA Olympic team. An athletic post player, Lawence led Tech to a mark of 130-6, 4 Final Fours and 2 National Championships. WALTER LEDET As head track and field coach and assistant football coach at Northwestern State, Ledet built the state’s dominant track program for more than a decade and helped shape the remarkable careers of three Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame members -- Charlie Hennigan, Jackie Smith and Charlie Tolar. Ledet, Northwestern’s first football All-American as a guard in 1938, was a second-round NFL Draft pick by Philadelphia. As head track coach from1952-64, Ledet led the Demon thinclads to five straight Gulf States Conference titles from 1953-57 -- missing a sixth title by half a point. BILL LEE Lee went from Plaquemine to the Chicago Cub organization in 1933. He won 20 games as a pitcher at Columbus his first season in baseball and moved up to the Cubs the next year. He went 20-6 in 1935 and 22-9 in 1938, leading the Cubs to the pennant both years. Several other years, he won between 17 and 19 games. After nine years with the Cubs, Lee spent three seasons with the Phillies and Braves before returning to the Cubs to finish out his active playing career. EUN JUNG LEE (OK) Nobody who ever saw Eun Jung Lee play college basketball will ever forget her dazzling, crowd-pleasing style. A concensus All-America point guard at Northeast Louisiana University, she led the Lady Indians to a four-year 102-15 record. In 1985, NLU was 30-2 and reached the NCAA Final Four. She finished her career with 2,208 points (18.8 average), 878 assists (7.5 average) and 297 steals (2.5 average). A four-time pick as the Southland Conference Player of the Year, she led the conference in assists all four seasons, with a high average of 10.3 as a sophomore and a single-game best of 17 vs. LSU and Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer Joyce Walker. She played professionally in Europe. ALBERT LEWIS A four-time Pro Bowler, Lewis was a cornerback and safety who played 16 NFL seasons with Kansas City (1983-93) and Oakland (1994-98) after a stellar career at Grambling, where he was a first-team AllSWAC pick his final two seasons. The Mansfield native was a thirdround draft pick of the Chiefs in 1983 and earned AP All-Pro honors in 1989 and ’90 and went to four straight Pro Bowls (1988-91). He played in 225 NFL games and finished with 42 interceptions, 123 passes defensed, 13 sacks and 13 forced fumbles. He ranks fifth on the Chiefs’ all-time interceptions list with 38, leading them in that category in 1985 (8), 1989 (4) and 1993 (6). A 10-year starter for Chiefs, he was chosen to that team’s “40 Years in Kansas City” 40man squad in 2002. Lewis was also one of 75 players on the initial Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot for 2003. FRANK LEWIS A Houma (Southdown High) product who starred as a running back/ wingback/wide receiver at Grambling State University, then played 13 NFL seasons - seven with the Pittsburgh Steelers and six with the Buffalo Bills. He was a first-round draft pick by the Steelers in 1971. In his NFL career, he caught 397 passes for 6,724 yards and 40 touchdowns. He played on two Super Bowl championship teams. In his top pro season, he caught 70 passes for 1,244 yards (four touchdowns) in 1981. He earned a Pro Bowl start that year and made the All-AFC team chosen by UPI. He broke the Buffalo single-season records for passes caught and the number of yards that year. He was the first player in NFL history to gain 100 yards receiving in postseason games for two different teams. At Grambling, he had 42 career touchdowns, earned third-team Little All-America honors as a senior and twice made the All-Southwestern Athletic Conference team. He rushed for 1,428 yards, an average of 10.8 per carry. BOB LOVE Love, a Bastrop native and Southern University star, was known during his playing days as “Butter-bean.” He was All-South and NAIA All-American after his 1965 senior season at Southern. A fourth round NBA pick in 1965, Love had his greatest years with Chicago, leading the team in scoring seven straight seasons. In nine years with the Bulls, he averaged 21.3 points. He set Chicago records for most points in a season with 2,043 for a 25.2 average in 1970-71 and for career scoring with 12,623. BOBBY LOWTHER Lowther is the only two-sport All-America athlete in LSU’s storied sports history. In 1946, he made the Helms Foundation basketball
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All-America squad and was a two-event All-American in track and field, finishing second at the NCAA Championships in the javelin and fourth in the pole vault. The 6-foot-5, 185-pound Alexandria native was also the triple jump champion at the 1946 National AAU Championships. He was voted LSU’s “Best All-Around Athlete” in 1947 over future Louisiana Hall of Fame members Y.A. Tittle, Al Dark and Joe Adcock. JOHNNY LYNCH Lynch is the only referee to officiate in all of the major bowl games. He worked in the Southeastern Conference from 1946 through 1961. Lynch officiated in the Orange Bowl in 1942, 1947 and 1951, the Sugar Bowl in 1944 and 1959, the Rose Bowl in 1945, the Cotton Bowl in 1955 and the Gator Bowl in 1952. Lynch helped form the Louisiana High School Officials Association, and he started officiating college games in 1931. He was president, vice-president and chief of referees for the Southeastern Conference. TED LYONS Born in 1900 at Lake Charles, Lyons pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1923 until 1946 and managed the Chicago team from 1946 to 1948. A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, he won 260 games for the White Sox and had an ERA of 3.67 in 4,162 innings. He had a no-hit game against Boston in 1926 and led the league in shutouts in 1925 and 1940. He led the American League in ERA in 1942 with a 2.10 clip. He posted more than 20 victories in three seasons (1925, 1927 and 1930). DEUCE McALLISTER Unquestionably one of the most popular players in New Orleans Saints history, McAllister managed to become the franchise’s all-time leading rusher despite an injury-plagued career that included numerous surgeries to his knees. McAllister played in just 97 games, but he rushed for 6,096 yards -- smashing the old mark of 4,267 yards by George Rogers -- and is also their all-time leader in rushing touchdowns (49) and total TDs (55). He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the four seasons the powerful 6-foot-1, 232-pounder played in more than 10 games. The former Ole Miss standout, a first-round pick in the 2001 draft (23rd overall), became a starter in 2002 after Ricky Williams was traded to Miami and established himself as one of the NFL’s top workhorse backs as he rushed for 1,388 yards and 13 TDs that year and 1,641 yards and eight TDs in 2003 -- giving him two-year totals of 3,029 yards and 21 scores. Unfortunately, his promising career was cut short by knee injuries although he rushed for 1,074 yards and nine TDs in 2004 and 1,057 yards and 10 TDs in 2006 when he helped the Saints, who won the NFC South title under rookie coach Sean Payton, reach the NFC Championship game for the first time. He was also community-minded as he raised money for and devoted much of his time away from the field to his Catch 22 Foundation to help underprivileged children in the Gulf South region. He set six records at Ole Miss, including marks for rushing yards (3,331) and TDs (40). Born 12-27-1978 in Lena, Miss. CHARLIE McCLENDON In 18 years as LSU’s head football coach, McClendon led the Tigers to more victories and more bowl appearances than any coach in LSU history. He compiled a record of 137 wins, 59 losses and 7 ties for a winning percentage of .698. While guiding the Tigers to 13 bowl engagements, McClendon produced 17 first-team All-Americans. After leaving LSU in 1979, he became executive director of the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Fla., and later served as executive director of the American Football Coaches Association. RICHARD “DICK” McCLOSKEY McCloskey coached Hanson Memorial of Franklin for 39 years (194785), becoming the winningest high school football coach in Louisiana late in his career and finishing with a record of 286-141-6 (.667). His 271st victory -- on Sept. 7, 1984, 13-9 over University High of Baton Rouge -- broke the record of L.J. “Hoss” Garrett of Ruston. McCloskey coached 21 teams into the state playoffs, the last 12 in a row. His 1976 team won the Class A state title with a 13-2 record. His next best year was 11-3 in 1983 and his 1984 team reached the state semifinals. He is in the LHSAA-LHSCA Hall of Fame. He died in 1986. MAX McGEE McGee is a Texas native who played college football at Tulane and later starred on Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers teams. He led the Packers in receiving four times and grabbed 342 passes for 6,410 yards and 51 TD’s in 11 seasons with Green Bay. A member of the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame, he played on five NFL championship teams, including both Packer Super Bowl wins. At Tulane, he averaged 4.4 yards per carry as a running back and also handled kickoff and punt returns. He played in the 1953 Blue-Gray game. McGee caught the first TD pass in Super Bowl history, a 37-yard toss from Hall of Famer Bart Starr.
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers • Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers JIMMY McGONAGILL From 1945 to 1959, McGonagill won the La. State Amateur golf title nine times, including five straight titles from 1948 through 1951. During that same period, he won 110 tournaments and was a medalist in 30. He qualified and played in five National Opens and four National Amateurs. He played in the Masters in 1950 and won the Louisiana Pro championship in 1938 and 1940. He and son Pat won the U.S. Father and Son championship twice. He had 12 holes in one and two double eagles in his career and held stroke records at 37 courses. He won the 1975 Heart of Ohio Amateur Championship. ALVIN “BO” McMILLIN McMillin was a standout halfback for Centre College’s famed “Praying Colonels,” and won prominence as a coach at Centenary, Geneva College, Kansas State, Indiana and in the professional ranks. He coached at Centenary from 1922 to 1925, guiding the Gents to a 25-3 record and coached at Indiana for 14 years, winning the conference championship in 1945. He was head coach of the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles from 1948 until 1951. McMillin was a native of Prairie Hill, Texas. RUDY MACKLIN The first All-American of the Dale Brown coaching era at LSU, Macklin came out of Louisville, Ky., to become a four-year starter for the Tigers. He finished as the No. 1 rebounder in LSU school history (1,276 in 123 games and 10.4 average) and as the No. 2 scorer (2,080 points and 16.9 average). His point total stands behind only Pete Maravich’s 3,667 points. Macklin was a third-team All-SEC pick as a freshman, first team his last three seasons and was the SEC Player of the Year in 1981 when LSU made the NCAA Tournament and Final Four. He was a third-round NBA draft pick by Atlanta in 1981 and played three seasons in the league, two with the Atlanta Hawks and one with the New York Knicks. CARL MADDOX A Natchitoches native, Maddox was athletic director at LSU from 1968 to 1979. During his tenure, Tiger Stadium was expanded and the LSU Assembly Center was constructed. Five men’s sports were added at the university level while he was AD, and he was also instrumental in the establishment of five women’s varsity sports. When Maddox reached the mandatory retirement age at LSU, he was appointed AD at Mississippi State, where he guided a program of unprecedented expansion. Maddox coached football before becoming an AD. RON MAESTRI In 14 seasons as baseball coach, Maestri developed a fledgling University of New Orleans program into a national power, posting an overall 518-247-1 (.677) record and reaching nine NCAA Tournaments. UNO finished second in the 1975 Division II World Series and tied for fifth in the 1984 Division I CWS. Six of Maestri’s players reached the major leagues and another 40 played professionally. UNO ranked among college baseball’s attendance leaders three times. Coach of the 1981 USA team that played in the Far East, Maestri was inducted in the American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1991. FAIZE MAHFOUZ The first high school coach to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, Mahfouz coached at Eunice High for 22 years and had 20 winning seasons. He later took over a New Iberia team that had lost 29 consecutive games and turned the program around. Known as an offensive innovator, Mahfouz was the first prep coach in the state to install the Wing-T and Split-T, and he spoke at coaching clinics nationwide. He servcd as both president and vice president of the Louisiana High School Coaches Association. KARL MALONE Selected as an all-star 13 times in 19 NBA seasons, Malone ranks among the league’s all-time great scorers and rebounders. The Summerfield native scored 36,928 points (second all-time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387) and pulled down 14,968 rebounds (sixth alltime) in 18 seasons with the Utah Jazz and one with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was also a member of the fabled USA “Dream Team” that won gold in the 1992 Olympic Games, and returned for another gold medal in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. A first-round draft pick of the Jazz in 1985, he averaged 25.0 points and 10.1 rebounds a game for his career. During a legendary college career at Louisiana Tech, he averaged 18.7 points, hitting on 57 percent of his field-goal attempts, and 9.3 rebounds in 92 career games. ARCHIE MANNING The New Orleans Saints’ first-round draft choice out of Ole Miss in 1971, Manning played for the Saints until 1982, when he was traded to the Oilers. He was Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player
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in the National Football Conference in 1978 and played in two Pro Bowls. He passed for 21,734 yards and 115 touchdowns as a Saint and ran for 2,058 yards and 13 touchdowns. Manning had three consecutive 3,000-yard-plus passing seasons from 1978 through 1980 and 12 straight games with at least one TD pass in 1978-79. PETE MARAVICH Pistol Pete was a three-time basketball All-American at LSU. He averaged 44.2 points a game during his 1967-1970 career, and his 3,667 career total is still a Division I record. Later a standout in the NBA, Maravich still holds numerous LSU records, including most points in a game with 69, most field goals with 26, most free throws with 30, most points in a season with 1,318 in 1969-70 and most career points. He was an NBA All-Rookie in 1971 and played in five All-Star games during his pro career. OLIVER MARCELLE Nicknamed “The Ghost of New Orleans,” Marcelle was one of the great players in Negro League baseball in the 1920s. A 1952 Pittsburgh Courier poll named the Thibodaux native as the Negro League’s greatest third baseman, ahead of future Baseball Hall of Famers Ray Dandridge and Judy Johnson. When he and Johnson teamed for five years in winter ball, Johnson played second base. Marcelle had a Negro League lifetime average of .310 from 1919-30, posted a .305 average in eight seasons in Cuba including a league-high .393 in 1923-24, and hit .333 in exhibitions against all-white major league teams. LEONARD MARSHALL A two-time Pro Bowl defensive end, Marshall is a Franklin native who played defensive end for LSU from1979-82 and was a second-round draft pick of the New York Giants in 1983. He blossomed into a highly regarded pro player in 12 NFL seasons with the Giants (1983-92), New York Jets (1993) and Washington Redskins (1994). A two-time Pro Bowl pick in 1986 and 1987, he helped the Giants win two Super Bowls (XXI, XXV) and led the team in sacks twice, recording 15 1/2 in 1985 and 11 in 1991, He also had 12 sacks in 1986 when the Giants went on to win Super Bowl XXI. During his 10 seasons with the Giants, they ranked fifth or higher against the run five times and were in the league’s top 10 in total defense seven times. ERIC MARTIN Martin set LSU’s all-time career receiving records before a 10-year NFL career, nine with New Orleans, highlighted by a Pro Bowl season in 1988. At LSU, was chosen as a member of the “Modern Day Team of the Century” in conjunction with the football program’s centennial in 1993. For the Tigers, He led the team in receiving in his last three seasons. In his junior year, he caught 52 passes for 1,064 yards and 5 TDs, earning Sporting News All-America honors and LSU’s Offensive MVP award. He twice made All-SEC. After going in the seventh round of the 1985 NFL Draft to the Saints, he started 11 games as a rookie. The 6-1, 207-pounder led New Orleans in receiving for seven straight years (1987-93). He caught at least one pass in 107 consecutive games (105 with New Orleans). In 1988, Martin set club records for receptions (85) and yards (1,083) with 7 TDs. He broke the yardage record in 1989 with 1,090 and that mark remains standing. TOMMY MASON An All-American running back for Tulane University in 1960 and a participant in several post-season all-star games, Mason became one of the first stars of the Minnesota Vikings expansion team in the NFL. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder led the Vikings in rushing for two years and played in three pro Bowls in 1962, 1963 and 1964. In his 11-year professional career with Minnesota, Los Angeles and Washington, Mason rushed for 4,203 yards, caught 214 passes for 2,324 additional yards and scored 45 touchdowns. KEVIN MAWAE An LSU standout, Mawae was one of the NFL’s top offensive linemen for 16 seasons, being voted to eight Pro Bowls, and he made seven All-Pro teams. Even after his remarkable playing career ended after the 2010 Pro Bowl, he had a major influence on the NFL in his role as president of the NFL Players Association from 2008-12. Mawae lined up in college at left tackle, left guard and center and was a long snapper for the Tigers from 1990-93. He earned first-team AllSEC honors in 1991 and capped his college career by playing in the Blue-Gray Game and Senior Bowl. Mawae played guard in his first two NFL seasons after being taken in the second round of the 1994 draft (36th overall) by the Seattle Seahawks. He moved to center in 1996 and played 14 seasons there for the Seahawks, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans, starting 238 of 241 games played during his career -- including all 16 regular-season games 12 times. A year after his retirement, he ranked 14th in NFL history with 238 starts. Mawae was a first-team selection on at least one of the NFL-recognized All-Pro
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teams in seven of his 16 seasons (AP first-team pick in 1999, 2001 and 2008). BEN MCDONALD An intimidating pitcher at 6 feet, 7 inches, the flame-throwing McDonald was a two-time All-American baseball star at LSU and a 1988 Team USA Olympic gold medalist who became the first player chosen in the major league draft. He capped a magnificent 1989 season for coach Skip Bertman’s Tigers by receiving the Golden Spikes Award, given by the United States Baseball Federation to the nation’s most outstanding amateur player. McDonald, who was also named National Player of the Year by Baseball America, The Sporting News and Collegiate Baseball, was the first player chosen in the amateur draft and made his major league debut with the Baltimore Orioles in September 1989. McDonald set an LSU career mark with 373 strikeouts, and he established Southeastern Conference standards for single-season strikeouts (202), innings pitched (152.1) and consecutive scoreless innings (44.2), finishing his LSU career with a 29-14 record and a 3.24 ERA. ABE MICKAL Abe Mickal, who grew up in McComb, Miss., is an LSU football legend. A dazzling passer and deadly place-kicker, Mickal led LSU to a 23-3-3 record from 1933 through 1935. Feared by opponents for his ability to unleash the long bomb, Mickal led LSU in scoring in 1933 and was twice all-SEC. He established a long-standing record of 18 straight PAT’s without a miss. Huey Long took a special liking to Mickal and made a State Senator of Abe for a brief period while Mickal was still at LSU. ROD MILBURN An All-American hurdler at Southern University, Milburn was the Olympic Games high hurdles gold medalist in 1972 at Munich. He tied an Olympic record of 13.24 but 13 times in his career was clocked at 13.0. In 1970 and 1971, Milburn won 78 straight races and was named “Most Outstanding Athlete in the World” in 1971. He swept four major titles in one year—NCAA Division I and II, NAIA and AAU. A member of the NAIA Hall of Fame, he was chosen in 1972 for the Jim Corbett Award as the state’s top college athlete. FRED MILLER A star tackle on the fabled 1957 Homer High “Iron Men” state runnerup team, Miller became an All-American defender at LSU from 196062. He led LSU to a Cotton Bowl upset of Texas as a senior, played in three postseason all-star games and instantly became a starter for the Baltimore Colts, holding that job throughout his 11-year NFL career (1963-74). He played in Pro Bowls in 1967, 1968 and 1969 and was captain of the 1970 Colt team that beat Dallas in the Super Bowl. SAM MILLS A five-time Pro Bowl selection, four while playing for the New Orleans Saints, Mills was nicknamed the “Field Mouse” by teammates because of his size (5-9, 225) and ability to make plays all over the field, especially from sideline to sideline. In a 12-year NFL career as a middle linebacker with the Saints (1986-94) and Carolina Panthers (1995-97), he recorded more than 100 tackles in eight seasons. Mills finished his career with 934 tackles while playing in 133 games during his nine years with the team. BRIAN MITCHELL A standout quarterback at Plaquemine High School and UL-Lafayette, he went on to become one of the NFL’s greatest kick returners -- setting nine records while playing 14 seasons for the Washington Redskins (1990-99), Philadelphia Eagles (2000-02) and New York Giants (2003). Mitchell, a fifth-round draft pick, helped the Redskins win Super Bowl XXVI. When he retired in 2004, he held NFL career records for total kick return yards (19,013), combined kick returns (1,070), combined kick return touchdowns (13), kickoff return yards (14,014), punt return yards (4,999), kickoff returns (607), punt returns (463) and fair catches (231). He was also the leader in all-purpose yards (23,330) until Jerry Rice (23,546) passed him in 2004. He was a Pro Bowl pick in 1995. At ULL from 1986-89, Mitchell became the first quarterback in NCAA Division I history to pass for 5,000 yards and rush for 3,000 yards, finishing with 5,447 and 3,335, respectively, with both setting school marks. J.D. MOONEY Mooney, who died in 1966, rode the famed Black Gold to victory in the 1924 Kentucky Derby. He also guided Black Gold to wins in the Louisiana, Ohio State and Chicago Derbies and the Kentucky Derby Trial. Mooney rode for 10 years, posting 261 victories, placing second 258 times and finishing third on 280 occasions. Horses he rode were in the money 30 per cent of the time. Mooney and Black Gold were the subject of the popular book, “Black Gold.” The New Orleans native won the Louisiana Derby on Amole in 1923.
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers • Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers BERNIE MOORE Former commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, Moore coached LSU to three national championships in three different sports between 1933 and 1936. He became head track coach at LSU in 1930, and his teams won 14 Southern and Southeastern titles. His Tiger football teams went 83-39-6, playing in three Sugar Bowls, the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl in the 1930’s and 1940’s. He won the national track title in 1933, basketball championship in 1935 and national football crown in 1936. JIM MORA The only successful head coach in Saints history, holding the job for 10 1⁄2 years (1986-’96). During that time, Mora coached the Saints to four playoff appearances and an overall record of 93-74 with a franchise that had never seen a playoff game or a winning season. In ‘87, Mora was named NFL Coach of the Year after leading New Orleans to a franchise-best 12-3 record. After serving as an assistant at Stanford, Colorado, UCLA and Washington, Mora’s pro coaching career began in Seattle, where he was named the team’s defensive line coach in 1978. Five years later, Mora got his first head coaching chance in the USFL, where he led the Philadelphia Stars to two consecutive league championships before departing for the NFL. After New Orleans, Mora took the Indianapolis Colts to NFL respectability before his coaching career ended after the 2001 season. AL MOREAU Moreau won international recognition both as a track and field star at LSU and later as the Tigers’ track coach. He was three times conference hurdles champion and was captain of the famous five-man LSU track team which won the national college title in 1933. Moreau was the world 110 meter high hurdles champion in 1935 with a time of 14.2 and won 13 straight races during a tour of Europe, including a 13.9. He coached LSU track teams to seven SEC titles between 1949 and 1963. JACKIE MORELAND A charter member of the Louisiana Tech Athletic Hall of Fame, Moreland was Tech’s first basketball All-American, winning the honor in 1958, 1959 and 1960. The Minden native finished his three-year career with 1,491 points and 1,124 rebounds. In three seasons at Tech, he had a 21.3 scoring average. At Minden High, he was twice a Prep All-American and established a national high school record of 5,000 points. Moreland, who died in 1971 at the age of 33, also had an outstanding professional career. JOHNNY MORRISS One of Louisiana’s early track standouts, Morriss tied the NCAA high hurdles record of 14.6 in 1930. An All-American at Southwestern Louisiana, he won the hurdles in 14.5 in the World Games in Italy. An alternate on the 1932 Olympic team, he toured Europe in 1933 and won 17 straight hurdles races, tying the world record of 14.3. After his athletic career, Morriss coached at Southwestern Louisiana, Arkansas, University of Houston and Houston Baptist. He coached seven members of Olympic teams and 72 All-Americans. KIM MULKEY The second woman inducted in the Hall of Fame, Mulkey was a crowdpleasing, championship caliber point guard at Hammond High, Louisiana Tech and on the 1984 United States women’s basketball teams. She led Hammond to four state prep titles, guided Louisiana Tech to two national championships and four Final Four appearances and a 130-6 record, helped the U.S. win the 1984 Olympic gold medal, and coached Baylor to the 2005 NCAA National Championship. She won the Corbett Award as Louisiana’s top amateur athlete in 1984. A.W. MUMFORD Mumford coached Southern University football teams for 25 years— from 1936 through 1961—and compiled a record of 169-57-14. His Southern teams won or shared the league championship 11 times and won the national black college title four times. His total football record, which included stints at Bishop College, Jarvis Christian and Texas College, was 232-82-25. Mumford, who also coached basketball, baseball and track in his early years at Southern, produced 35 All-Americans. Many became pro stars. CHARLES “COTTON” NASH A four-sport star, “Cotton” Nash attended Lake Charles High School in 1958-60, was a three-time All-America basketball star at Kentucky and played pro basketball and baseball. He played end on a state champion football team at Lake Charles High, was twice the “Outstanding Player” on the Class AAA All-State basketball team and won the state discus title twice. A three-time basketball All-American, he was the first Kentucky player to score more than 20 points a game
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(22.7) in three straight seasons. Nash played in the NBA and in baseball’s major leagues.
sion titles and two NFL championships with stars like Bobby Layne and Doak Walker. He took over the moribund Pittsburgh Steelers and posted a 51-48-6 record through 1964. His overall NFL coaching record was 115-74-9 through 14-plus years.
CALVIN NATT A Bastrop native and All-America star at Norhteast Louisiana, Calvin Natt was the eighth player taken in the 1979 NBA Draft and played 10 seasons in the pro ranks. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team and played in the 1985 NBA All-Star Game. He retired with a career scoring average of 17.5 points. At NLU, he was an All-America pick who averaged 23.0 points and 11.9 rebounds in his career. The 6-5 Natt was the top scoring freshman in the country in 1976, averaging 20.6 points per game. His 2,581 points still ranks 29th best all-time in NCAA major college history.
MEL PARNELL A native of New Orleans, Parnell has been rated the greatest lefthanded pitcher in the history of the Boston Red Sox. He pitched for Boston from 1947 through 1956, winning 123 games and losing 75. He had career bests of 25-7 in 1949 and 21-8 in 1953. Parnell threw a no-hitter against the White Sox in 1956. He coached Tulane’s baseball team in 1958 and was general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans in 1959 before rejoining the Red Sox to manage Alpine, Tex., and Seattle, Wash. farm clubs.
SHAQUILLE O’NEAL One of basketball’s greatest players, O’Neal exploded on the national scene during his playing days for Dale Brown at LSU and during a stellar 19-year NBA career, the 7-foot-1, 325-pounder was a pivotal figure for NBA Championship teams in 2000, 2001 and 2002 (Los Angeles Lakers) and the 2006 Miami Heat. He won three NBA Finals MVP honors, the 1999-20000 NBA MVP award, and the 1992-93 NBA Rookie of the Year honor after being the No. 1 draft pick of the Orlando Magic. Shaq captured three All-Star Game MVP awards while earning 15 All-Star Game selections, along with making the All-NBA Team 14 times and being a three-time NBA All-Defensive Team pick. He is one of only three players (joining Willis Reed, 1970; Michael Jordan, 1996 and 1998) to win All-Star Game MVP, NBA MVP and NBA Final MVP in the same season. He was chosen on the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in 1996. At LSU, he was the national Player of the Year in 1991 and a two-time Southeastern Conference Player of the Year (1991, 1992), the SEC Athlete of the Year in 1991-92, and won a World Amateur Athlete of the Year honor in 1991. In three seasons, he scored 1,941 points, snared 1,4217 rebounds, shot 61.0 percent from the field, has six career triple-doubles, and became the first player to lead the SEC in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocked shots in a season. His No. 33 LSU jersey was retired in 2000 (the fourth number retired in any sport at LSU, joining Billy Cannon, Bob Pettit and Pete Maravich) and he made LSU’s All-Century Team in 2009. O’Neal was part of the USA’s Olympic gold-medal 1996 basketball team. A 2000 LSU graduate, Shaq was born 3/6/72 in Newark, N.J. MEL OTT Ott left New Orleans at the age of 16 to join John McGraw’s New York Giants. For 22 years, he played outfield and third base for the Giants. During his career, Ott set a National League career home run mark of 511. He played in 2,739 major league games, drove in 1,860 runs and scored 1,859 runs. Ott starred in the 1933, 1936 and 1937 World Series and posted a lifetime batting average of .304. A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, he also had a lifetime fielding average of .974. EMMETT PARE’ In his 37 seasons as the Tulane Green Wave coach, Tulane was 28561-19, including a share of the 1959 NCAA Championship with Notre Dame. He produced 20 Southeastern Conference team champions, 14 SEC singles titles, six NCAA singles winners and two NCAA doubles champions. He also coached Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame player Ham Richardson, a Davis Cup star. Pare’ won the National Clay Courts singles title in 1929 and turned pro two years later. He toured with the original Bill Tilden troupe and in 1933, the same year before he took the Tulane job, he won the National Professional doubles title. ROBERT PARISH A Shreveport native and Centenary All-American who was named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversity All-Time Team, Parish was a nine-time NBA All-Star with Boston and a four-time NBA champion (3 with Boston, 1997 with Chicago). After his retirement Aug. 25, 1997, Parish ranked 13th on the NBA all-time scoring list (23,334 career points), sixth in rebounds (14,715) and sixth in blocks (2,361). He holds NBA career marks for seasons (21), games (1,611) and defensive rebounds (10,117). His trademark “00” jersey was retired by the Celtics on Robert Parish Day (Jan. 28, 1998). From his rookie year of 1976-77 until his next-to-last season, Parish was able to play in 95 percent of his team’s games, missing only 73 games over 20 seasons. In 1982, he was second to Larry Bird in MVP voting. RAYMOND “BUDDY” PARKER Parker was a star player on the Centenary College powerhouse football teams of the 1930s and played six seasons in the NFL before launching a great coaching career. He became Detroit’s head coach in 1951, and starting a year later, the Lions won three straight divi-
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WLLIE PASTRANO Pastrano won the light-heavyweight boxing championship in 1963 over Harold Johnson and successfully defended his title twice the following year against Gregorio Peralta and Terry Downes. He lost the title to Jose Torres in 1965 and retired from the ring. Pastrano, who campaigned as a heavyweight toward the end of his career, had 83 fights, winning 62, losing 13 and drawing in eight. He had 14 knockouts and won on 48 decisions. Pastrano lost 11 decisions but was knocked out only twice. MICKEY PATTERSON (TYLER) A New Orleans native, Patterson in 1948 became the first black American woman to win an Olympic medal by taking the bronze in the London Olympics in the 200 meter dash. After graduating from Gilbert Academy in New Orleans, she competed at Tennessee State and retained her undefeated record in prep and collegiate competition. She won the 200 at the 1948 U.S. Olympic Trials. She was named Woman Athlete of the Year by the Amateur Athletic Union. Patterson later became a driving force in track and field, managing a 1969 USA women’s team and serving as vice president of the AAU. JOHN PENNEL Pennel was the first pole vaulter to break the 17-foot barrier, and he held the world record in 1963 and his last one six years later. His first world standard was 16-3. The Northeast Louisiana University star cleared 17-0 3/4 in the Gold Coast AAU meet in Miami in 1963, and his last record was 17-10 1/4 in 1969. He competed in the 1964 and 1968 Olympics and was selected as the Athlete of the Year in the United States in 1963. WARREN PERKINS An iconic sports figure in New Orleans as an athlete and civic leader, Perkins was in the starting lineup for the first-ever NBA game featuring his Tri-City Blackhawks against the Denver Nuggets. He was the first basketball player enshrined in the Tulane Athletic Hall of Fame in 1977 (playing career from 1945-49) as one of 11 charter members and is also a member of the Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame. He is a threesport Tulane letterman. He set scoring records for the Green Wave. He is a member of the Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Twice an All-SEC selection (1948, 1949). He played in the NBA for the Tri-City Blackhawks from 1949-51. CRAIG PERRET A New Orleans native who began riding quarter horses at the age of 10, he ranked 33rd all-time with 4,384 career wins (through the 2004 season). Has a career winning percentage of 16.26 in 26,955 races, earning $111,832,051 on those mounts. Won the 1987 Belmont Stakes on Bet Twice and the 1990 Kentucky Derby aboard Unbridled. Claimed the prestigious Eclipse Award (equivalent to the Heisman Trophy) as the top jockey of 1990, riding Unbridled, Housebuster, Safely Kept, Rhythm, and With Approval to Grade I victories. He guided Safely Kept to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint title in 1990 and capped the year by tying Jorge Velasquez’s record for most stakes wins in a single season (57). Also won Breeders©ˆ Cup races on Eillo (1984 Sprint) and Rhythm (1989 Juvenile) and rode Peteski to the Canadian Triple Crown in 1993. Recorded his 4,000th career win aboard Heloise at Turfway Park on Sept. 30, 1995. Was inducted into Fair Grounds Hall of Fame in New Orleans in 1994. JIMMY PERRIN Perrin, whose real name was James LaCava, was born in New Orleans in 1916. He was a member of the U.S. Olympic boxing team before entering the professional ranks. His greatest years in the ring came in 1939 and 1940. By late 1940, he had rolled up 46 victories and had been defeated only three times. He was one of the world’s most successful boxers in 1939, winning 12 of 13 bouts. Perrin laid claim to the featherweight title by beating Bobby Ruffin and Joey Archibald in 1940 fights.
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers • Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers KIM PERROT Named to the LSWA’s 20-woman All-Century Team for women’s hoops, she starred at Louisiana-Lafayette in her hometown from 1986-90, played for Team USA and overseas and became a star in the first two years of the WNBA. She helped lead the Comets to back-to-back WNBA titles in her first two years in the league as the team’s starting point guard. Perrot inspired the Comets to their third title despite being stricken with cancer and passing away in late August 1999. She etched her name into numerous spots in the Cajun record book as well as the NCAA record book. She registered 14 games in which she scored 30 or more points during her career. Perrot ended the 1989-90 season as the nation’s leading scorer with a 30.0 average. The Comets retired her No. 10 jersey, the WNBA’s Sportsmanship Award is named in her honor and the children’s treatment center at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is named “Kim’s Place.” She was an all-state performer at Acadiana HS in Lafayette. JOHN PETITBON A New Orleans native, John Petitbon had an amazing four-sport career at Jesuit High School, starred in football at Notre Dame and won an NFL championship in 1955 with the Cleveland Browns. In 1946, Jesuit won state titles in football, basketball, baseball and track behind Petitbon. The 1946 state MVP in football, he accounted for 50 touchdowns in his last two years. As a sophomore safety in 1949, he played for an unbeaten Notre Dame team that won a national title. In his last two years, Petitbon had 1,432 total yards and 10 TDs at halfback. In his pro career, delayed by the Korean War, he made 8 interceptions. His younger brother Richie is also in the Hall of Fame. RICHIE PETITBON A star Tulane quarterback, Richie Petitbon played 14 years in the NFL as a safety with Chicago -- helping the Bears win the 1963 NFL title -- Los Angeles, and Washington, helping the Redskins to the 1973 Super Bowl. Petitbon made four Pro Bowl appearances (1963, 1964, 1967, 1968), was All-Pro in 1963 and made the Sporting News All-NFL Western Conference first team in 1966. He had a career-high 8 interceptions with Chicago in 1963 and made 48 in his career. The New Orleans native helped coach the Redskins to Super Bowl titles in the 1982, 1987 and 1991 seasons. BOB PETTIT An All-American at Louisiana State University in 1953-54, Pettit went on to become one of the all-time great professional basketball stars and one of only four men to score over 20,000 points during his career in the NBA. He had 20,880. Pettit started with the Milwaukee team in 1954-55 and stayed with the Hawks for 10 more years in St. Louis. He was first team All-NBA every year he played except one and had a career scoring average of 26.4 points per game as a professional. JELLY PIGOTT The girls prep basketball coach at Dry Prong, Selma, Greensburg and Jena, she made an indelible impact on state prep history as the Lady Giants coach. She coached at Jena from 1952 to 1970, averaging 35 wins a year and losing no more than five games a season. Jena girls basketball became one of the state’s premier high school programs in any sport during her reign. In 34 years of coaching her teams never had a losing season, winning about 90 percent of their games. She had two one-loss seasons. Her teams won 29 district championships, six state titles and finished second three times, but no precise won-loss career record can be compiled. She is thought to have won 900+ games. She was the second girls basketball coach inducted to the LHSCA Hall of Fame (1980) a year after Edna Tarbutton was part of the first-ever induction class. A Northwestern State alumnus, she died in 1988. HOWIE POLLETT Pollett, a New Orleans native, gained fame as a member of the outstanding St. Louis Cardinals teams of the 1940’s. The stylish lefthander had a 14-year pitching record in the Major Leagues of 131-116 and a career ERA of 3.51. His best season was 1946 when he had a 21-10 record and helped the Cardinals win the World Series. He also had a 20-9 record in 1949 and led the National League in ERA in 1946. He closed out his career with the Pirates, Cubs and White Sox. HAROLD PORTER Harold Porter blazed into national track and field circles at USL after setting state sprint records at East Jefferson High. He was the state Class 3A 100 and 220-yard dash champion in 1970, running a windaided 9.3 in the 100 to win the state title. He went on to set eight school records at USL, where he became the school’s first NCAA Division I All-American as a freshman. He ran on the U.S. Track and Field
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Federation’s national championship 400 meter relay team and went on to represent the USA in international tours of Russia, China and Cuba. He set USL records with a 9.2 100-yard dash, 20.8 in the 220 and 20.90 in the 200 meters. Porter was also a ninth-round NFL Draft pick as a football receiver. H. LEE PRATHER Prather coached at Northwestern for 38 years, winning more than 385 basketball games between 1913 and 1950, when he became president of the college. He was president of the NAIB, and his team represented Louisiana in the NAIB Tournament six of the last 10 years he coached. A native of Odessa, Mo., Prather coached all sports at Northwestern before becoming athletic director and basketball coach in 1934. He helped organize the old Louisiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association. EDDIE PRICE Price had 3,095 yards rushing as a Tulane running back, which stood as a state record for 27 years. He earned All-SEC honors in 1948 and 1949. In the 1949 game against Navy, he gained 289 yards in all-purpose running, a record that still stands. He averaged over six yards a carry at Tulane and became an outstanding pro back with the New York Giants. He had more 100-yard rushing games than any other Giant in history with 11 and still ranks in the top five in eight running categories in Giant records. GREG PROCELL Procell, the nation’s top high school basketball scorer of all time, had 6,702 points—a 37.2 per game average—in four years at Ebarb High from 1966 through 1970. As a senior, he scored 3,173 points and averaged 46.7 a game. He set a state single game scoring record that year of 100 points. All-State twice and All-America as a senior, Procell was also the state’s Most Valuable Player in Class C twice. He later led the conference in scoring at Panola College and completed his collegiate career at Northwestern State. JOE PROFIT A dynamic running back at Monroe’s RichwoodHigh School and an All-American at Northeast Louisiana University, Profit was a firstround NFL Draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons and the seventh player selected in the 1970 draft. In 1967, he was the first black to play football for a predominantly white university in the state. At NLU, he became the career rushing leader in the old Gulf States Conference with 2,818 yards and was GSC Athlete of the Year in 1970-71. Despite a serious knee injury in his rookie year, Profit played six pro seasons with Atlanta, New Orleans and in the World Football League with Birmingham. HARRY RABENHORST Rabenhorst, who had a 115-yard punt for Wake Forest in 1919, coached at LSU for 32 years. During the Bob Pettit era at Tigertown, his basketball team had records of 17-7, 24-3 and 21-5. He also coached LSU All-American Sparky Wade. Rabenhorst coached all sports during his three decades at LSU, and he also served as assistant athletic director and acting athletic director. At Wake Forest, he actually served as a player and assistant coach during his sophomore year. GARY REASONS A 1995 inductee in the College Football Hall of Fame, Reasons was the first three-time All-American in NCAA Division I-AA. The 6-4, 235-pound linebacker set Northwestern State records with 394 career tackles, 172 as a senior and 24 in one game. A fourth-round NFL Draft pick, he made the NFL All-Rookie Team and started on the New York Giants’ two Super Bowl champion teams in 1986 and 1991. He was the leading tackler for the Giants in the 1991 Super Bowl win over Buffalo, making six stops. He is now a college football analyst for ABC-TV. WILLIS REED Reed was a standout at Grambling, scoring 2,235 points while leading the school to an NAIA championship, but he was best known for his career with the New York Knicks of the NBA. He was Rookie of the Year in 1964-65 and was named to five straight NBA All-Star teams beginning in 1966-67. He was Most Valuable Player in the league and MVP in the playoffs in 1969-70 in leading the Knicks to the world championship and was also MVP in the 1973 playoffs. He averaged 18.7 points a game in his 10 year career. BILL REIGEL Reigel, who played basketball for only two seasons at McNeese, led the Cowboys to a 50-15 record during those 1954 through 1956 campaigns. He was the nation’s top scorer as a senior with a 33.9 average. Reigel was named NAIA Player of the Year and All-American
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in 1956 when McNeese won the national NAIA championship. In two years at McNeese, he scored 1,501 points for a 31.7 per game average. He is a member of the McNeese, AAU, NAIA and Louisiana Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. DUTCH REINHARDT Associated with USL athletics for more than a half-century, Reinhardt was head basketball coach for 27 years, compiling a career mark of 346-253. His number of all-time wins is the second highest among Louisiana coaches. Reinhardt, who retired as a coach in 1957, is a member of the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame, Sugar Bowl Basketball Classic Hall of Fame, USL Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Association of Coaches Hall of Fame. He also served at USL as football coach, tennis coach and trainer. NICK REVON A New Orleans native, he is a member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame as the leading scorer in the history of basketball at the University of Southern Mississippi. Revon later won nearly 500 games as a prep coach and won nine district Coach of the Year honors. After scoring 2,136 points from 1950-54 at USM, Revon was a second-round NBA Draft pick in 1955 but chose along with 50 other first-or -second round picks to join an industrial league. Before knee trouble ended his career, he played for the USA in the Pan American Games. SHANE REYNOLDS A Bastrop native who starred at Ouachita Christian High School in Monroe, Reynolds was one of the top pitchers in the National League and Houston Astros’ ace in the mid- to late-1990s after being selected in the third round of the 1989 draft. He pitched 13 seasons in the majors and had a 114-96 career record with the Astros (1992-2002), with whom he earned multiple Opening Day starts, Atlanta Braves (2003) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2004). He was 103-86 with the Astros, making the 2000 All-Star game. He led the NL in both 1998 and ’99 with 35 starts both of those seasons. Reynolds won 10 or more games six times in his career, with his best season coming in 1998 when he was 19-8 with a 3.51 ERA and 209 strikeouts. He also won 16 games in 1996 and ’99 and finished in the top 10 in strikeouts five times between 1994-99. J.R. RICHARD Richard, from Vienna, had a remarkable prep career at Ruston’s Lincoln High that made him a first-round draft pick by the Houston Astros in 1969. He pitched for 15 seasons as a pro. His major league record of 107-71 included a 20-15 mark in 1976 and 18 wins in each of three consecutive seasons after that. Richard struck out 1,489 batters in 1,606 innings and had a career earned run average of 3.15. He led the league in strikeouts in 1978 with 303 and in ERA in 1979 with a 2.71 mark. HAM RICHARDSON Twice National Collegiate Men’s Singles Tennis Champion while competing for Tulane, Richardson was the nation’s top-ranked player in 1956 and again in 1958 after leaving Tulane and was a member of the Davis Cup team in 1958. He competed for years at Forest Hill, Wimbledon and all other major tennis tournaments. Richardson won numerous awards, including the Johnston Trophy and the Marlboro Award. A Rhodes Scholar, he was a Southeastern Conference champion at Tulane. PETE RICHARDSON Richardson defined Southern University football from his arrival in 1993 to 2009, establishing himself on par with the school’s other coaching legend -- College Football Hall of Fame and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame member A.W. Mumford. Richardson. He won five Southwestern Athletic Conference titles, including a three-peat from 199799 (the school’s first consecutive SWAC titles since 1959-60), four black college national titles (1993, 1995, 1997 and 2003) and four Heritage Bowl titles. Richardson is 12-5 in the Bayou Classic and is the only SWAC coach never to have lost to Eddie Robinson. His winning percentage of 68.4 percent in 17 seasons (134-62) at the school is second behind only Mumford’s 70.4 percent (176-60-14). His impact was immediate as he took over a program that had three straight losing seasons and guided it to an 11-1 record, winning the SWAC and black college national titles. At SU, Richardson had four 11-win seasons -- including a 12-1 run in 2003. WILLIAM ROAF The mammoth 6-foot-5, 320-pound tackle was the first-round pick of the Saints in 1993 (eighth pick overall and first offensive lineman) after a stellar career after developing from a diamond in the rough at Louisiana Tech. Roaf played 13 NFL seasons, the first nine with the Saints and the final four with the Kansas City Chiefs. As one of the
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers • Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers top tackles in the game, he was a three-time AP All-Pro first-team pick (1994-95 with the Saints and 2004 with the Chiefs) and six times earned second-team honors. He was chosen to play in 11 Pro Bowls, including a club-record seven with the Saints. Is considered by many to be the greatest player in Saints’ history. A three-year starter at Tech, he made numerous All-American teams and was a finalist for the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best lineman as a senior when he allowed just one sack. played in the Hula Bowl and East-West Shrine games before becoming the eighth selection in the 1993 NFL Draft. ISIAH ROBERTSON A New Orleans native, Robertson starred at Southern University, then became a six-time Pro Bowl linebacker in a hard-hitting 12-year NFL career. Southern’s first College Division All-America pick in 1970, Robertson was the Los Angeles Rams’ first-round draft pick and won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honor in 1971. He made his first Pro Bowl appearance that year, then from 1973-77. He started all but two games in his first seven pro seasons, then started 51 straight games after being traded to Buffalo in 1979. He had 25 career interceptions, and three touchdowns. JOHNNY “RED” ROBERTSON This Northwestern State graduate coached Ferriday High School to an undefeated football streak of 56 games and four state titles in the mid 1950s. The unbeaten streak was a state record until the 2000 season. The four straight titles is also still a record, tied by Haynesville in the mid 1990s and Evangel and John Curtis in 1999. The winning streak began after the opening game of 1953 and ended with a defeat in the 1957 season opener and included two ties, both in 1956. Robertson ended his coaching career after seven years with a 78-9-3 record, becoming a school principal. SCOTTY ROBERTSON Robertson spent more than two decades in the NBA after 10 years as head coach at his alma mater, Louisiana Tech. Head coach of three NBA teams, including the first coach of the New Orleans Jazz, he currently serves with the Miami Heat. He was 163-91 as a prep coach in Louisiana for 12 seasons. Robertson, 165-86 as Tech’s coach, led the Bulldogs to No. 1 in the national college division rankings in the early 1970s and developed Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer Mike Green. After launching the Jazz into the NBA, he became head coach in the pros with Chicago and Detroit. RICK ROBEY A New Orleans (Brother Martin HS) native, Robey played on teams that won NBA, NCAA, NIT and Louisiana Class AAAA titles. The 6-10 Robey was an All-American center at Kentucky who played eight NBA seasons with Indiana (1978-79), Boston (1979-83) and Phoenix (1983-86). The third player chosen in the 1978 NBA Draft, Robey was traded to the Celtics for Dennis Johnson and helped Boston win the 1981 NBA Championship. In 500 NBA games, he scored 3,762 points (7.5 ppg) and grabbed 2,292 rebounds (4.6 pg). At Kentucky, he helped lead the Wildcats to the 1976 NIT title and the 1978 NCAA crown, wrapping up his career as the all-time school leader with a .581 shooting percentage. At Brother Martin, he was an All-American center. EDDIE ROBINSON Robinson, whose entire 57-season coaching career was spent at Grambling, is the winningest coach in Division I college football history with 408 victories (408-165-15). He surpassed Bear Bryant as college football’s most successful coach. Robinson is also noted for sending more than 200 players to the pros including four Pro Football Hall of Famers. A native of Baker, Robinson is a former president of the American Football Coaches Association. As recently as 1994 he was Southwestern Athletic Conference coach of the year, and he led the Tigers to 17 SWAC titles since 1960. He retired in 1997 and passed away in 2007. JOHNNY ROBINSON Robinson played halfback opposite Billy Cannon on the great LSU football teams of the late 1950’s. He was an All-Conference selection in 1958 when the Tigers won the national championship. Robinson gained his greatest fame in pro football. He joined the Dallas Texans out of LSU and stayed with the team through the move to Kansas City for 12 years. He was All-Pro five straight seasons—1966 through 1970—and is in the Chief record book with 57 career interceptions and 10 interceptions in a season. He appeared in two Super Bowls. TERRY ROBISKIE A prolific athlete at Second Ward High School in Edgard, Robiskie was a standout quarterback before playing running back at LSU from 1973-76. Robiskie capped his prep career in 1972 by rushing for 1,471
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yards with a 10.2 average and 22 touchdowns and throwing for 958 yards and 11 TDs. He averaged 12 yards per rushing attempt in three years, with more than 6,470 yards in total offense -- running for 62 TDs and throwing for 28 more. He was the 1972 Class A Outstanding Offensive Player and also earned the VFW Prep Athlete of the Year honor in 1973. He was a member of the Scholastic Magazine and Parade Magazine All-American teams in 1972 and was chosen to the All Southern Prep football team by the Orlando Sentinel. At LSU, he became the first running back in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season when he finished with 1,117 yards in 1976. That year, he was the Southeastern Conference MVP, a first-team All-SEC pick and a first-team Academic All-SEC pick. He finished his career as the school’s all-time rushing leader with 2,517 yards, a total that ranked fifth going into the 2006 season. He has been an NFL assistant coach since 1982 with the L.A. Raiders, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns (most of those years as offensive coordinator) and served as interim coach with the Redskins in 2000 and Browns in 2004. RANDY ROMERO A highly-regarded jockey, Romero had 4,294 career wins on 26,091 mounts (16.5 win %) and earned $75,264,198 in purses. Romero, an Erath native, won riding titles at every Louisiana track (Delta Downs, Evangeline Downs, Fair Grounds, Jefferson Downs, Louisiana Downs). He won four riding titles at the Fair Grounds in six seasons from 197980 to 1984-85. His 181 wins in 1983-84 remains a FG record. He holds the single-meet record for wins at Evangeline Downs (136). In the mid-80s, he shifted his tack to New York and became the regular rider of Hall of Fame horses Go For Wand and Personal Ensign, who retired 13-0, the only horse in the last 50 years to retire unbeaten in as many starts. Included in that record was a dramatic win in the 1988 Breeders Cup Distaff, one of three Breeders Cup wins for Romero. ROLLAND ROMERO Romero was twice a member of the U.S. Olympic track team, being selected for the 1932 team at the age of 17 and repeating in 1936. Romero placed the highest of any U.S. triple jumper in the two Olympic Games. He went to Loyola from Welsh High School, and at Loyola, Romero established a number of Amateur Athletic Union track and field records. Romero was a charter member of the Loyola Sports Hall of Fame, honored for his Olympic performance in Los Angeles and Berlin. CHANDA RUBIN One of the few Louisiana natives to make it on the pro tennis circuit, the Lafayette native became an international star and a frequent contender for the most prized titles in tennis, highlighted by capturing a Grand Slam win in doubles at the Australian Open and a Wimbledon Juniors singles crown. Rubin earned just under $4.47 million in winning seven titles on the Women’s Tennis Association Tour and two more International Tennis Federation events. Rubin compiled a career singles record of 399-254 and was ranked as high as No. 6 in the world in April 1996. That lofty ranking came three months after she reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, her deepest run in a Grand Slam singles event. She also reached the French Open quarters (1995, 2000, 2003), Wimbledon’s fourth round (2002) and the U.S. Open fourth round (1995, 2002). She won the 1992 Wimbledon Junior Singles Championship at the age of 16. In doubles, Rubin enjoyed even more Grand Slam success. She posted a 226-160 career record with 10 WTA and three ITF tournament crowns and achieved her highest world ranking at No. 9 in 1996. She teamed with Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario to win the 1996 Australian Open doubles title and also reached the 1999 U.S. Open finals as well as the semis at Wimbledon in 2002 and French Open in 2003. Rubin is a member of the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame and USTA’s Southern Tennis Hall of Fame, and is a respected spokesperson for her sport locally and globally. Born 2/18/76 in Lafayette. CONNIE RYAN A native of New Orleans, Connie Ryan spent 45 years in professional baseball, making two trips to the World Series (1948, 1957) and earning a spot in the 1944 All-Star Game. In 12 years as an infielder with the New York Giants, Boston Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox, he carried a career .248 batting average with a single-season best of .295 in 1944. He spent the last 30 years of his baseball career as a scout, coach and manager with Atlanta, Texas, Milwaukee, Houston and Kansas City, briefly serving as manager of Atlanta (1975) and Texas (1977). MICHAEL SANDERS Twice the Louisiana Prep Player of the Year and a third team All-American at DeRidder High School, Sanders was a UCLA co-captain for two years as a 6-6 center. He was two-time All-Pac 10 player who played 11 NBA seasons with four teams, averaging in double figures for three
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years (1984-87) with Phoenix. At DeRidder, he was a three-time AllState pick, averaging 27.3 ppg, 17.2 rebounds, shooting 68% from the field and 76% on free throws as a senior. At UCLA, he finished 15th in career scoring (1,210 points) and 17th in career rebounds (577). LEO SANFORD A native of Shreveport, Sanford starred at Fair Park High and Louisiana Tech before beginning a standout NFL career in 1951 with the Chicago Cardinals. He was defensive captain and played in Pro Bowls for the Baltimore Colts in 1957 and 1958. At Tech, Sanford was a 1950 All-American linebacker and was a two-time All Gulf States Conference center and linebacker. When the All-Louisiana First 100 Years of Football mythical team was picked in the 1970’s, Sanford was chosen for a linebacking spot. TONY SARDISCO The first Tulane guard ever to make a major All-America team (Look Magazine, alongside stars like Paul Hornung in 1955, Sardisco won All-AFL honors with the Boston Patriots in 1961. A 6-foot-2, 210-pounder in college (240 in the pros), the Shreveport native doubled as an offensive guard and linebacker. He captained the Greenies two years and was the Patriots’ first captain. Following his senior season at Tulane, he played in the Blue-Gray, Senior Bowl and College All-Star game in Chicago, being named outstanding lineman in the Blue-Gray after making 14 unassisted tackles. After a year in the NFL, Sardisco spent two years in the Air Force, then played a year in Canada before helping launch the AFL with the Patriots from 1960-63. GLYNN SAULTERS The first collegiate player in Louisiana to make a U.S. Olympic basketball team, Saulters starred at Northeast Louisiana University for four years. Named to the all-time All-Louisiana team in 1970, Saulters was the Gulf States Conference Athlete of the Year in 1968. He was All- GSC three times, All-America twice and Player of the Year in the conference in 1968. He was the league’s all-time leading scorer with a career average 23.5 points a game. In his senior season, Saulters had a 31.3 point scoring average. RAGS SCHEUERMANN Considered the patriarch of modern-day baseball in New Orleans, Scheuermann won well over 1,000 games as coach at Delgado Community College, Loyola University and All-America Amateur Baseball Association teams. His clubs won eight national championships. Before retiring as head coach at Delgado in 1990 at the age of 67, Scheuermann won 80 percent of his games and guided his 1985 team to the Junior College World Series. He was 242-82 as coach at Loyola. CLARK SHAUGHNESSY Shaughnessy coached football for 31 years after his graduation from the University of Minnesota in 1914. He launched his head coaching career at Tulane, coaching the Greenies for 11 years before taking over at Loyola of New Orleans for six years. The father of the TFormation, Shaughnessy also coached at the University of Chicago, Stanford, Maryland and Pittsburgh before joining the pro coaching ranks. His 1940 Stanford team was unbeaten and won the Rose Bowl. BERYL SHIPLEY Shipley guided the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now ULLafayette) to national basketball prominence and was the first coach at a predominantly white state college in the Deep South to give scholarships to black student-athletes. He was the Ragin’ Cajuns’ coach from 1957-73 and his teams were 293-126 (.699). He had only one losing season in 16 years. USL finished in the national Top 20 in each of his last six seasons - the first four in the college division polls, the last two in Division I. Shipley was the Gulf States Conference Coach of the Year four times and Coach of the Year in the Southland Conference once. With stars like Hall of Fame member Bo Lamar, Roy Ebron and Marvin Winkler on his teams, USL went 19-5, 20-5, 16-10, 23-3 and 23-3 in his last five seasons. The final two teams were ranked in the national major college Top 10 and reached the NCAA Division I Tournament Sweet 16, but after the 1972-73 season, the USL program was disbanded for two years because of alleged NCAA rules violations. DON SHOWS Shows has won seven state championships (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2009) in the state’s largest classification and has been state runner-up five times at WMHS (1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2010) and once at JHHS. West Monroe has won 17 district titles and two mythical national championships. At West Monroe in 1989, he took over a program that regularly finished last in its district, going 3-6 in 1988. Shows built one of Louisiana’s great prep football powerhouses complete with remarkable facilities and sellout crowds of 8,000. He took over a 1-9 JHHS team and guided the Tigers to a 13-1 state Class
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers • Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers AA runner-up season in 1977, earning the first of his state “Coach of the Year” honors. Shows moved to Pineville and steered those Rebels to an undefeated regular season before joining the Northwestern State staff as offensive line coach, helping the Demons win the 1988 Southland Conference crown before taking the WMHS post. JAMES SILAS Silas, a Tallulah native, became a pro basketball All-Star with San Antonio. He was the first Spurs player to have his jersey retired after averaging 16.1 points (11,038 total) in 685 games during 10 seasons, eight with San Antonio and two with Cleveland. An ABA All-Star in 1975 and 1976, Silas averaged 15.7 points in 41 career playoff games. He was called “Captain Late” for his knack of making clutch plays late in games. After a great career at McCall High School, Silas was an NAIA All-American star at Stephen F. Austin, where his jersey was retired. He set 14 school records and averaged 18.7 points in his career. MONK SIMONS One of the South’s greatest running backs in the early 1930’s, Simons played in his hometown for the Tulane Green Wave. He was an AllAmerican halfback in 1934, leading Tulane to a 9-1 record. It was Simons who scored on an 85-yard kickoff return to ignite Tulane’s comeback victory in the 1935 Sugar Bowl over Pop Warner’s Temple Owls. Simons later became a successful businessman and served as president of the Sugar Bowl. He coached at Tulane from 1942 through 1948 and is a national Hall of Fame member. JACKIE SMITH Smith, elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994, is a native of Kentwood and a former Northwestern football and track star. He became the NFL’s all-time leading tight end with 480 career receptions for 7,918 yards. A five-time Pro Bowler, Smith played 121 consecutive games for the Cardinals and 198 altogether. Smith holds the Cardinal record for the most yards receiving in a season with 1,205 in 1967. After “retiring” in 1977, Smith was lured back for a final season with the Dallas Cowboys and played in the Super Bowl after the ’78 season. LEE SMITH Born in Shreveport, Smith is a lifelong resident of Castor who became Major League Baseball’s career saves leader with 478. Smith still holds the MLB record for consecutive errorless games (546) by a pitcher. A seven-time All-Star, Smith was named the National League Fireman of the Year in 1991 and shared the award in 1983 and 1992. He won the American League award in 1994 and holds the Cubs and Cardinals club records for saves. (then pick up the sentence. He pitched 18 seasons (1980-97) for eight clubs (Cubs, Red Sox, Cardinals, Yankees, Orioles, Angels, Reds and Expos). A hard-throwing 6-6 right-hander, Smith appeared in 1,022 games and had a career record of 71-92 and 3.03 ERA, with 486 walks and 1,251 strikeouts. He recorded 30 or more saves 10 times in his career. NEIL SMITH A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Smith is a product of McDonogh 35 High School in New Orleans who went on to star at Nebraska and in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers during a 13-year career as a defensive end. The second overall pick in the 1988 draft, Smith was a fierce pass rusher for the Chiefs from 1988-1996. He made the AP All-Pro team in 1993 when he led the NFL with 15 sacks and was a five-time Pro Bowl selection (1992-96) for Kansas City. His 86 sacks with the Chiefs (he had 18 1/2 with the Broncos and Chargers) ranks him second in club history behind the 126 1/2 recorded by Derrick Thomas. BOBBY SPELL Selected as a member of the National Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame, Spell was considered the world’s greatest softball pitcher during the period from 1956 to 1960. During that time, he pitched on three world championship teams and was All-World three times. Spell, whose riser fastball was clocked at 126 miles per hour, pitched 205 innings in world tournament competition, allowing only eight runs, and he hurled over 200 no-hitters during his incomparable softball career. FREDDIE SPENCER Known to motorcycle racing fans as “Fast Freddie,” Spencer will go down in history as one of the greatest road racers that America has ever produced. The Shreveport native is a member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. In addition to winning three world championships, he was the only rider ever to win the 250cc and 500cc Grand Prix World Championships in the same season (1985). He was the only rider to win three major races during Bike Week at Daytona International Speedway (Super-
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bike, Formula One and International Lightweight races in 1985), the youngest to win the 500cc Grand Prix World Championship (21) and the youngest ever to win an AMA Superbike race in 1979 (18). He is the first motorsports inductee in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. RUSTY STAUB A New Orleans native, Staub played for 23 seasons in the major leagues, finishing with a career batting averge of .279. A first baseman outfielder, he established records in the twilight of his career for most appearances in games as a pinch hitter and most at bats as a pinch hitter. During his career, which started at Houston and included stays with Montreal and New York of the National League and Texas and Detroit of the American, Staub hit 292 home runs and 499 doubles. He had a fielding average of .980 in the majors. JERRY STOVALL A consensus All-American running back for LSU in 1962 and runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting that year, Stovall was an All-Southeastern Conference selection three times. He was the St. Louis Cardinals’ first-round draft choice in 1963 and became an All-Pro defensive back. Stovall played in two Pro Bowls during his nine-year career with the Cards. In addition to his play in the defensive secondary, Stovall handled punting chores and still holds the St. Louis record for single game punting average. GEORGE “BO” STRICKLAND A big league shortstop for 10 seasons and a coach, manager and scout for 11 more, the New Orleans native managed the Cleveland Indians in the 1964 and 1966 seasons. He was the starting shortstop for the Indians when they won the 1954 World Series. Regarded as a slick fielding defensive specialist, he led American League shortstops in double plays in 1953 and in fielding in 1955. He shares the major league record for shortstops involved in double plays in a game (5) in 1952. He had a career fielding average of .965 and was in on 558 double plays. In 1955, he led all big league shortstops with a .976 fielding percentage. He batted .224 with 36 homers and 284 RBI. As a manager he had a 33-39 interim record replacing Birdie Tebbetts. Strickland is a member of the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame. PAT STUDSTILL A Shreveport native and Byrd High School product, Pat Studstill played 12 seasons in the National Football League and made three straight Pro Bowl appearances from 1965-67 as a wide receiver and punter for Detroit, also playing for the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots. He led the NFL in punt returns in 1962, averaging 15.8 yards, and topped the league in receiving yards in 1966 with 1,266 on 67 receptions, second in the NFL. The Lions voted him their MVP that season. Studstill set an NFL record with a 99-yard TD reception against Baltimore. He ranked among the NFL’s top punters for more than 10 years. He first gained notice as one of the nation’s fastest prep sprinters, with a 9.9 100-yard dash to his credit. DAVE STYRON An internationally-renowned sprinter at Northeast Louisiana University from 1959 through 1962, Dave once held the junior world record in the 100-yard dash at 9.4. He tied the world indoor records in the 60 and 70-yard dashes and tied the world outdoor 100-yard dash record of 9.3. He also tied the American record in the 100 meters of 10.1. Dave also competed in the 220 dash, broad jump and high jump while teaming with twin brother Don to give Northeast one of the nation’s best track teams. DON STYRON A hurdler, Don helped lead Northeast Louisiana to unbeaten seasons of 14-0 in 1960 and 9-0 in 1962. Don still holds the world record for the 220-yard low hurdles at 21.9 and at one time he shared the 60-yard low and high hurdle world records. Don was twice selected as the world’s best hurdler by Track and Field News. Don and twin brother Dave were chosen Athletes of the Year in the old Gulf States Conference in 1959, 1960 and 1962, becoming the only athletes to win the prestigious honor three times. HAL SUTTON Hal Sutton has reached the pinnacle in amateur, professional and world golf, and is believed to be the only player who has outdueled both Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in the final holes of major golf tournaments. The Shreveport native, who played collegiately in his hometown at Centenary, was named by Golf Magazine as the 1980 College Player of the Year after winning the U.S. Amateur, North and South Amateur, Western Amateur and Northeast Amateur titles. He also was a member of two U.S. Walker Cup-winning teams in 1979 and ‘81. After that, he embarked on a PGA Tour career that would
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net him 14 wins and more than $15 million in career earnings between 1982 and 2006. His biggest win on Tour came in the 1983 PGA Championship when the 25-year-old Sutton opened with scores of 65 and 66 and went on to win his only major title by one stroke over a late-charging Nicklaus. PAT SWILLING An outside linebacker with the Saints who played with the club from 1986-92, he was a five-time Pro Bowl pick (four with the Saints) during a 12-year NFL career. He was a member of the famed Dome Patrol (with fellow linebackers Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills and Vaughan Johnson) who made league history in 1992 when, for the first time, four linebackers from the same team were voted to the Pro Bowl. He is third on the club’s all-time list with 76.5 sacks and trails only Rickey Jackson (115) and Wayne Martin (82.5). Swilling was the AP’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1991 when he led the NFL with 17 sacks and recorded 60 tackles while forcing six fumbles. EDNA TARBUTTON Edna Tarbutton, elected to the National High School Hall of Fame, posted an unparalleled success record as the girls’ basketball coach at Baskin High School. In 33 years, her teams won nine state championships, including eight in a row (1948-55) with a combined record of 654-263-2. Her teams put together 218 straight victories from 194753; in eight years, they lost only twice in 313 games. Nicknamed “Tiny,” the Northwestern graduate was a strict disciplinarian and fierce competitor, but was one of the most popular teachers at Baskin High. JIMMY TAYLOR An All-American fullback at Louisiana State University, Taylor led the Tigers in rushing in 1956 and 1957. He became an all-time great in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, gaining more than 1,000 yards rushing for five straight years beginning in 1960. He had a 10-year total of 8,597 yards in the pros and was considered one of the league’s best blocking backs. When Taylor was traded to New Orleans after the 1966 season, he ranked third on the all-time rushing list in the NFL. ROSEY TAYLOR A New Orleans native, Taylor starred as a defensive back in a 14year NFL career with the Chicago Bears, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington, winning six Pro Bowl selections. He played twice in NFL title games, winning with the 1963 Bears and losing with the “Over the Hill Gang” Redskins in the 1973 Super Bowl. A Grambling College product, Taylor led the NFL with nine interceptions in that 1963 championship season with Chicago, coached by George Halas. Taylor is best remembered for a 96-yard interception return for a TD in 1968 against Philadelphia. CHARLES “RED” THOMAS Thomas, from Texarkana, was an All-American basketball player at Northwestern despite the fact he was only 5-6. He scored in double figures for the Northwestern team, led in assists and steals and was a good playmaker. In 1941, Thomas was selected as the Most Valuable Player in the prestigious NAIA Tournament. He returned to Northwestern as basketball coach in 1950 and won 129 games while losing 76. His teams also won three Gulf States Conference championships. He is a former Vice-President of Northwestern. SHEILA THOMPSON-JOHNSON A great player (1977-81) and coach (1985-89) at Louisiana College, Sheila Thompson Johnson led the Lady Wildcats to national prominence in both roles, then had transformational impact at her alma mater as athletics director from 2000-04. A two-time All-American (AIAW Division II), she led LC to a national AIAW Division II fourthplace finish in her junior season. She is LC’s career scoring leader, male or female, with 2,659 points, a total which ranks among the state’s all-time top five women’s totals. Her performance led LC into the national semifinals in only the fourth year of the program’s existence. She was an all-state player and is believed to be the first female prep All-American in state history at Pitkin High School. She made the 20-member LSWA’s All-Century Team for college hoops in 1999. As athletic director she was the driving force behind the return of LC’s football program after it was discontinued three decades earlier. She also spearheaded LC’s move from the NAIA to the NCAA (Division III). She was only the second woman in state history to serve as athletics director on the college level.
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers • Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers GAYNELL “GUS” TINSLEY A native of Claiborne Parish, Gus was LSU’s first All-American football player, winning the honor in 1935 and 1936 as one of the nation’s outstanding ends. He was runner-up for college football’s MVP award in 1936 after leading all ends in the country in scoring. An All-Pro with the Chicago Cardinals for two years, Tinsley returned to LSU to serve as head football coach from 1948 through 1954. Football great Bronco Nagurski picked Tinsley on his all-time football team. Y.A. TITTLE Tittle played at LSU from 1944 through 1947 and established a handful of records, including most plays, total offense, most touchdowns accounted for, most passes attempted, yardage gained and touchdown passes. He began his brilliant professional career at Baltimore and later played for San Francisco and the New York Giants, leading the Giants to three straight titles and winning the National Football League Player of the Year Award in 1961 and 1963. CHARLIE “TANK” TOLAR One of the most popular figures in the early days of the American Football League, the 5-6, 210-pounder had dozens of nicknames, including “the Human Bowling Ball,” and was named to AFL All-Star Teams in 1961-63. Tolar helped Houston win 1960-61 AFL titles and finish as runner-ups in 1962, when he was the team’s Offensive MVP with 1,012 yards and a league record 244 carries. he was named to the Oilers’ 30th Anniversary Dream Team chosen by fans in 1989. At Northwestern, Tolar was twice Gulf States Conference MVP and still holds a pair of school records. ANDREW TONEY Andrew Toney starred at USL from 1976-80, leading the Ragin’ Cajuns into the NIT second round as a senior. Chosen eighth in the 1980 NBA Draft, Toney averaged 15.9 points per game in an eight-year career with the Philadelphia 76ers, shooting 50 percent in 488 NBA games. He averaged 17.4 in six postseason trips, including a 198283 World Championship. He twice played in the NBA All-Star Game (1983, 1984), scoring 13 points in 1984. He graduated ahead of his class at USL, had a 23.6 average in 107 games (2,526 points), and set nine school records. EMMETT TOPPINO A world class sprinter for Loyola of New Orleans in the 1930’s, Toppino ran a leg on the U.S. Olympic gold-medal winning 400-meter relay team in 1932. The time was a world record 40.0. Toppino also equalled the world mark of 6.2 in the 60-yard dash six times in his career and tied the world record of 10.4 in the 100-meter dash in 1932. Known as the “Human Bullet,” Toppino was a charter member of the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame and is a member of the Loyola University Hall of Fame. JACK TORRANCE Torrance won the NCAA shot put championship in 1933 and 1934 while performing for the LSU track and field team. He was also the National AAU shot put champion in 1933, 1934 and 1935. He set a world shot put record of 55 feet, 1-1/2 inches in 1934 and broke it twice with heaves of 55-5 and 57-1. He finished fifth in the 1936 Olympics at Berlin. When Torrance broke the world record of 57-1, coaches voted it the most perfect record on the books and predicted it would never be broken. ED “SKEETS” TUOHY A legendary high school coach whose career 84.5 winning percentage included three state championships among nine state tournament appearances in 15 seasons, Tuohy coached basketball at Newman High in New Orleans until a stroke ended his career. Newman’s record was 13-12 the year before he took over and in his first year the team went 32-0 and won the state championship. Newman won state titles in 1960-61, 1962-63 and 1963-64 and went to the state tournament nine times in his 15 seasons, including six in a row from 1961-66. His teams were district champions in all 15 years - the last six teams didn’t lose a district game. Tuohy’s overall record was 403-74 (.845). He never lost more than nine games in one season. He quit coaching in 1975 after suffering a stroke. He died in 1982, at age 51. He had three sons who played college basketball. HARRY TURPIN Turpin was head coach at Northwestern from 1934 until 1956. In his 23 years as head coach, he compiled a record of 101 victories, 83 losses and 11 ties. His 1939 team posted a record of 11-0 and held eight of its opponents scoreless. The other three teams had a combined total of only 18 points. Turpin was also an outstanding athlete at Tulane and later at Northwestern. At Tulane, he scored on a 65-yard play which stood for years as the longest pass completion in college football.
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STEVE VAN BUREN Van Buren, an LSU All-American, was football’s greatest running back from 1944 through 1951 with the Philadelphia Eagles. Born in British Honduras, Van Buren played high school football at Warren Easton of New Orleans. He was outstanding at LSU but enjoyed his greatest success in the professional ranks. In 1949, he chalked up 1,146 yards rushing and guided the Eagles to their second straight world championship. He led the NFL in rushing in only his second year with 832 yards. MIKE VINING One of only four men to win 400 or more basketball games at a Louisiana college (401-302 record), Vining is the all-time coaching leader in the Southland Conference and led Louisiana-Monroe to seven NCAA Tournament appearances. He posted six 20-win seasons. He coached ULM to seven Southland titles, most of any coach in the history of the conference. He won another championship in his first ULM season, when the Indians won the Trans America Conference tournament title in 1982 and represented the league in the NCAA Tournament. Vining won SLC Coach of the Year honors in 1986, 1990, 1993 and 1996. MALCOLM “SPARKY” WADE A native of Jena, Wade is considered the greatest dribbler and backcourt guardian in LSU basketball history. Standing only 5-9, Wade played from 1932 until 1935, winning All-American honors both as a junior and a senior. Before moving to LSU, he was named to the Louisiana All-State Team three times from 1928-1930. In his senior year, when Jena lost by four points in the National high school championship playoffs, Wade was selected as the Most Valuable Player in the national tournament. JOYCE WALKER One of the great scorers in women’s basketball history, Walker still ranks fifth all-time in NCAA history with 2,906 points at LSU from 1981-84. Her 24.8 average ranks sixth all-time and her 1,259 career field goals is an NCAA record. Twice a Kodak Coaches’ All-American, the 5-8 guard was a three-time All-Southeastern Conference pick. She shot a remarkable 56.2 percent from the field and also ranks in the LSU career top 10 in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocked shots. An alternate for the 1984 USA Olympic Team that won a gold medal, Walker later played with the famous Harlem Globetrotters. TODD WALKER A 12-year major league baseball veteran, Walker is already a member of the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame (2006) and College Baseball Hall of Fame (2009). The Bossier City native was named to the 28-person College World Series Legends Team announced in May 2010. During a three-year career at LSU from 1992-94, Walker became the SEC’s alltime leader in hits, runs, RBI and total bases. A first team All-American in 1993 and ’94, he earned CWS MVP honors while helping LSU to its second national title in 1993 after being named SEC Player of the Year that spring. He was a first-team All-SEC performer in each of his three seasons at LSU. Selected in the first round of the 1994 draft by the Minnesota Twins (No. 8 overall), he played mostly second base for seven teams from 1996-2007 (12 seasons). He batted .289 in 1,288 career games with 1,316 hits, 107 home runs and 545 RBIs. EVERSON WALLS One of the greatest ball-hawking defensive backs in pro football history, Everson Walls defied the odds as a walk-on player at Grambling and a free-agent NFL rookie. He played 13 pro seasons, finishing with 57 career interceptions to tie for ninth place on the all-time NFL list with fellow Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame members Mel Blount and Johnny Robinson. Walls is the only player to lead the NFL in interceptions three times (1981, 1982, 1985). His 11 interceptions as a rookie with Dallas in 1981 are the most in a season by an NFL player in the last 17 years. He later played for the New York Giants and led them in interceptions in 1991, when they won the Super Bowl. At Grambling, he led all collegians with 11 interceptions in his senior year. RALPH WARD Ward, born in Jena and raised in Natchitoches, is one of only two Louisiana men’s basketball coaches to win a national championship, leading McNeese State to the 1956 NAIA title. Coach at McNeese for 19 seasons, until 1971, Ward won 59 percent of his games (282-194) and was named Gulf States Conference Coach of the Year six times. He earned national acclaim for his teams’ tough defense and disciplined offense. LIONEL WASHINGTON A former Tulane cornerback from 1979-82 and a fourth-round draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1985, Washington carved out a productive 15-year NFL career with the St. Louis Cardinals, L.A./Oakland
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Raiders and Denver Broncos. Playing in 204 games and starting 165 during his career, he intercepted 37 passes and returned four for touchdowns. At Tulane, he helped the Green Wave reach the Liberty Bowl and Hall of Fame Bowl. Washington coached with the Green Bay Packers for 10 years, the Raiders for two, and just ended his second season as co-defensive coordinator at Tulane by helping the Green Wave to a New Orleans Bowl bid in 2013. Born Oct. 21, 1960. DONALD “SLICK” WATTS An NAIA All-American at Xavier in New Orleans and a first-team NBA All-Defensive selection as a 6-foot-1, 175-pound guard, Watts was a dynamic pro guard who made the Seattle SuperSonics 40th Anniversary Team in 2007. He averaged 18.3 points and 3.5 assists per game during a three-season career at Xavier University (1970-73), earning All-America honors as a junior and helping the Gold Rush post back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since the late 1930s. An undrafted free agent who played six NBA seasons, he led the league in assists, assists per game, steals and steals per game in his third season with the Seattle SuperSonics (1975-76) en route to making the All-Defensive team. He was the first Xavier player inducted into the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame (1991) and the 18th-leading vote-getter on the LABC All-Louisiana Team of the Century. In 1975-76, he was the second winner of the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for exemplary community service. TERESA WEATHERSPOON “Spoon” sparked Louisiana Tech to the 1988 NCAA women’s basketball national championship, was the national player of the year and helped Team USA win Olympic gold later that year before launching a great WNBA career. She retired from the pro ranks in 2004 after having been chosen an honorable mention member of the WNBA AllTime squad after starting 220 straight games in her first seven years in the league. The Wade Trophy recipient at Louisiana Tech in 1988, Weatherspoon helped rally the Leon Barmore-coached Lady Techsters from a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat Auburn for the NCAA title. It was the second straight national championship game appearance for the Techsters, who went 118-14 as Weatherspoon started all but one of her 132 career games. BARBARA FAY WHITE A Shreveport product, she was one of America’s top amateur players in the 1960s - a three-time Curtis Cup selection and a two-time member of the U.S. team in the World Amateur. She never lost a match (3-0-1 in singles, 4-0-0 in foursomes) in two Curtis Cup appearances and had to withdraw from a third because of pregnancy. She was second in the World Amateur individually in 1966 and helped lead the U.S. team to the Women’s World Amateur Championship. She was the medalist in the State Amateur six times. She was the Western Amateur champion in 1964 and 1966. She played on the LPGA tour in 1973-74 and won $3,500 in 1973 (including one second-place finish) and $4,000 in 1974. SAMMY WHITE White, a sensational football and basketball star at Monroe’s Richwood High School, won All-America honors as a wingback at Grambling and starred in the NFL for 11 seasons as a receiver with Minnesota. He is the Vikings’ club record-holder with 6,400 receiving yards and 50 touchdown catches, and his 393 receptions ranks No. 2 in team history. He was the NFL “Rookie of the Year” in 1976, played in the Pro Bowl twice, and was named to Minnesota’s 25th Anniversary All-Star Team in fan voting. At Grambling, White scored 43 TDs. In his senior year, he was named Black College Offensive Player of the Year. AENEAS WILLIAMS A third-round draft pick of out of Southern University in 1991, after walking on to the Jaguars team out of Fortier High School, Williams earned a reputation as one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks during a sparkling 14-year NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals (1991-2000) and St. Louis Rams (2001-04). He was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time All-Pro pick in becoming one of the league’s top shutdown corners before moving to safety late in his career. He played in 211 regular-season games with 206 starts. DOUG WILLIAMS MVP in Super Bowl XXII, Doug Williams set records for yards passing (340), yards passing in one quarter (228), touchdown passes (4) and longest completion (80 yards). The Zachary native and Grambling All-American played nine seasons in the NFL (1978-82, 1986-89) for Tampa Bay and Washington. He threw for more than 25,000 yards and 147 touchdowns, and ran for 19 more touchdowns, as a pro. At Grambling as a senior (1977), he was a first-team AP All-American, won Louisiana’s College Athlete of the Year award, was fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was MVP of the East-West Shrine Game.
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2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers • Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers EARL WILSON A Ponchatoula native, Wilson had an 11-year major league baseball career with Boston, Detroit and San Diego. The right-hander was 121109 lifetime with 1,452 strikeouts in 2,051 2/3 innings with a 3.69 earned run average. He made the 1967 American League All-Star Team and led the AL in wins with a 22-11 record for Detroit. He started the third game of the 1968 World Series and helped the Tigers win the world title. Wilson, the first black player signed by the Red Sox, fired a no-hitter for Boston against the Los Angeles Angels in 1962. He clubbed 35 career homers. LARRY WILSON A three-time NCAA Division II All-American at Nicholls State, Wilson established 42 school and Gulf South Conference records from 197579. His school-record 2,569 career points ranks ninth in state history. He was only the 18th player in NCAA history below the Division I level to score 2,500 career points and also own a 25-point career average (25.7 ppg). The Central Lafourche product, twice All-State in Class 4A (largest classification) and All-State MVP as a senior, was a consensus prep All-American after averaging 33.5 points per game. He was ranked one of the nation’s top 10 prospects by the BC Scouting Service. At Nicholls, he twice led the Don Landry-coached Colonels to GSC titles and a pair of NCAA Division II Tournament appearances. He was named conference Player of the Year in 1977 and 1979. ROY “MOONIE” WINSTON A Baton Rouge native, Winston was a prep (Istrouma) and college (LSU) All-American who played 15 seasons (1962-76) with the Minnesota Vikings as a standout linebacker. He played in four Super Bowls (IV, VII, IX and XI), was the Vikings’ Most Valuable Defensive Player in 1972, and was named to the Vikings’ Silver Anniversary Team in 1985. He had 835 career tackles and 649 career solo stops. Team captain of LSU’s 1961 SEC Champions, Winston was an All-SEC and AllAmerica offensive guard as a senior. He played left field for the LSU baseball team that won the 1961 SEC baseball title.
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ORLANDO WOOLRIDGE A sharp-shooting Mansfield native who starred collegiately at Notre Dame, Woolridge posted a career 16-point scoring average over 13 seasons in the NBA. A first-round (sixth overall) 1981 draft pick of the Chicago Bulls, the 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward played with seven NBA teams -- Chicago, New Jersey, L.A. Lakers, Denver, Detroit, Milwaukee and Philadelphia. He saw action in 851 games with 485 starts, averaging 16.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in just 28.3 minutes a game. Woolridge scored 13,623 points and had 3,696 rebounds in his NBA career before retiring in 1994. He shot 51.3 percent from the field and 73.7 percent from the free throw line and also recorded 553 steals and 569 blocked shots. Woolridge averaged 11.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 36 post. eason games. TANK YOUNGER Younger set a modern intercollegiate scoring record while at Grambling College from 1945 through 1948 with 60 touchdowns. He was the first of a long string of Grambling All-Americans, and in 1947 he led the nation in total offense. He was a black pioneer in pro football, joining the Los Angeles Rams in 1949 and gaining immediate stardom. Younger, who also played linebacker, was the last player in the NFL to earn All-Pro honors on both offense and defense. He spent 10 years in the NFL. He was the first black person inducted in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. DON ZIMMERMAN Zimmerman set nine football records at Tulane from 1930 through 1932, some that stood for five decades. A consensus All-American in 1932, he led the 1931 Tulane team to the Rose Bowl and passed for a touchdown in the bowl game. A passer, runner and punter, Zimmerman was in on 569 plays on total offense that were good for 3,293 yards in his career. He averaged 5.8 yards a play and was responsible for 219 points. In his three years at Tulane, Zimmerman helped lead the team to a 25-4-1 record in Tulane’s most successful era.
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