2023 Northeast Sports & Alumni Hall of Fame

2023 NORTHEAST SPORTS & ALUMNI HALL OF FAME

Northeast Sports Hall of Fame

Northeast Mississippi Community College’s Sports Hall of Fame was conceived in the interest of recognizing coaches, athletes, and administrators who coached and/or played or were loyal supporters of Northeast athletics.

Acknowledging the fact that there have been many outstanding athletes who have contributed greatly to the sports programs at Northeast through the years, Northeast wished to begin a program of recognition whereby individuals may be recognized for their contributions to athletics at NEMCC.

By-Laws for the Sports hall of Fame were drafted and approved by a committee made up of coaches, fans, and members of the Northeast Board of Trustees in 2007. The framework was established to recognize ten individuals the first year and up to five individuals each year thereafter.

During its inaugural Sports Hall of Fame class, Northeast inducted Harold T. White, W.B. “Bill” Ward, Ken Lindsey, Chuck “Doodle” Floyd, Gene Garrett, Adrian Smith, Kenneth “Cat” Robbins, David “Nub” Strickland, Earline “Woodsie” Woods and Bonner Arnold as members.

Congratulations to the newest members of the Northeast Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame.

Committee Members

Ken Basil

Greg Davis

Patrick Eaton

Kent Farris

Richy Harrelson

Malcolm Kuykendall

Jim Lamb

Mike Lester

Blake Long

Jody Long

Brenda Mayes

Chelsey Rhodes

Cord Wright

Alumni Hall of Fame

Northeast Mississippi Community College's Alumni Hall of Fame was established to recognize the achievement of outstanding alumni who have excelled personally and professionally, making a continued and significant difference in their community on a local, state, national, or international level.

2023-2024 NEMCC Foundation

Board of Directors

John Anderson, Alcorn County

Reid Bostick, Alcorn County

Ben Ferrell, Alcorn County

Zeb Taylor, Alcorn County

Brian Thrasher, Alcorn County

Ken Williams, Alcorn County

Tracie Langston, Prentiss County

Steve Morgan, Prentiss County

John Floyd, Prentiss County

Hal Wright, Prentiss County

Keaton Hill, Tippah County

Douglas Jackson, Tippah County

Chris Cornelison, Tishomingo County

Larry Greene, Tishomingo County

Harold Lomenick, Tishomingo County

Mike Staten, Union County

Vance Witt, Union County

Officers

Ben Ferrell, President

Zeb Taylor, Vice President

John Floyd, Treasurer

Michael Byrd, Secretary

NEMCC Student Government

Molly Tennison, SGA President

Alumni Representative

David “Bubba” Pounds, Alumni Relations President

Employee Enhancement Fund

Michael Byrd, EEF Chairperson

Development Foundation

D. Patrick Eaton, MBA, CFRE

VP of Institutional Advancement & Executive Director

NEMCC President

Dr. Ricky G. Ford

Recognition Banquet

Thursday, October 5, 2023

Haney Union | 4:30 p.m.

Program

Master of Ceremonies ........................................................ Blake Long Sports Information Director

Welcome and Remarks .................................................Dr. Ricky Ford President

Introduction of Sports Hall of Fame

Inductees and Presentation of Awards ............................ Blake Long

Introduction of Alumni Hall of Fame

Inductees and Presentation of Awards ....................... Patrick Eaton Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the Development Foundation & Alumni Association

Invocation ........................................................................... Mike Lester Sports Hall of Fame Committee Member

Meal

Johnny Payton (Basketball, 1985-87)

Johnny Payton made the transition from W.P. Daniel High School in New Albany to then-Northeast Mississippi Junior College alongside his hall of fame coach, Harvey Childers, in the fall of 1985.

The duo were the key pieces to a flawless 36-0 season by the Bulldogs the winter before that ended with a Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 3A state championship.

Payton was rewarded for his efforts with a spot in the Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC) North-South AllStar Game. He was voted as the Most Outstanding Offensive Player after producing a game-high 24 points.

Childers and Payton found themselves as state champions once again during their inaugural year with the Tigers. They ended up making three additions to Northeast’s trophy case over the course of their last two seasons together.

Payton’s career at Northeast intersected with a significant change in the sport. The three-point line was legalized by all governing bodies of collegiate basketball ahead of his sophomore campaign.

Ironically, Payton had a higher scoring average without the long distance shot at his disposal. He tallied 18.1 points per contest as a freshman compared to 14.7 points following its institution one year later.

The Tigers defeated Mississippi Delta Community College to capture the north division crown on their path to the state title. Payton was one of five double-digit scorers for Northeast with 13 points in the decisive win over the Trojans.

Payton posted a career-high 38 points on the strength of 11 made field goals and a sensational 16 of 22 showing at the charity stripe earlier that season versus then-Shelby State (Tenn.) Community College.

2023 Northeast Sports Hall of Fame Inductee

He showed out during his debut in the black-and-gold with 26 points against Jackson State (Tenn.) Community College. Payton matched that in the Tigers’ next matchup with the now-defunct Mary Holmes College.

Payton reached double figures in 19 of his first 20 appearances at Northeast and 46 times overall. He totaled 885 points over 55 games for the Tigers, which comes to 16.1 points per contest.

Northeast broke a three-decade drought between national tournament berths during the 1986-87 campaign. Payton had 14 points to help the Tigers get past then-Jones County Junior College for the region championship.

Payton had a pair of double-digit performances for Northeast at nationals in Hutch with 12 points against Southern Union State (Ala.) Community College and 17 points versus the College of Southern Idaho.

He had a season-best 25 points against archrival Itawamba Community College. Payton shot roughly 52 percent from the floor and was described by Childers as one of the Tigers’ top defenders as well.

Payton also distributed the ball to his talented teammates effectively that year. He averaged 6.4 assists per game, which is tied for the second most in a single season in program history.

He signed a basketball scholarship with the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). Payton started for Childers at guard for six straight years between Northeast and W.P. Daniel.

Fred Stafford (Basketball,

1987-89)

Just like his brother and fellow hall of famer Maurice, success has followed Fred Stafford wherever the sport of basketball has taken him throughout life.

That trend started in earnest as a studentathlete at Northeast Mississippi Community College where he was part of the special 1989 region champion and national runner-up team under coach Harvey Childers.

Stafford reached double figures during 27 of the Tigers’ 35 games that season. He added eight 20-plus point efforts, including in backto-back triumphs by Northeast over Coahoma Community College and Jackson State (Tenn.) Community College.

He saved his best performances for matchups with Copiah-Lincoln Community College, which eliminated the Tigers from two postseason events and ended a threeyear winning streak inside legendary Bonner Arnold Coliseum during Stafford’s freshman campaign.

Stafford dropped 24 points as part of Northeast’s come-from-behind 104-96 win in the championship game of the Wolves’ invitational tournament in November. He then scored a career-high 30 points in their next meeting midway through the season.

The Tigers concluded their revenge tour against Co-Lin with a back-and-forth 111-100 victory in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 23 finals. Stafford was the low scorer among Northeast’s starters, but still chipped in a solid 19 points.

Northeast officially secured its fourth all-time trip to the national tournament with an 83-74 decision at Alabama conference winner Southern Union State Community College. Stafford had 17 points, including an 8 of 11 showing from the free throw line.

He averaged 9.3 points inside the historic Sports Arena in Hutchinson, Kan., including three consecutive double-digit outings leading up to the title contest against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College.

Stafford and the Tigers were the north division champs one year prior in 1988. He had a season-best 29 points on 11 made field goals in a victory over East Mississippi Community College.

The Rienzi native totaled 822 points over 66 appearances in a black-and-gold uniform, which comes to 12.5 points per game. Northeast went a combined 59-7 during Stafford’s tenure, including a perfect 24-0 regular season record during the 1987-88 campaign.

While Stafford missed out on capturing a national championship with the Tigers, he did not let a second opportunity go to waste two years later while at the University of North Alabama.

Stafford led a second half surge by the Lions, who finished off the University of Bridgeport (Conn.) by a score of 79-72 at the Springfield Civic Center to win the NCAA Division II title. He was the CBS Player of the Game with a team-best 24 points.

He also obtained all-tournament honors after helping North Alabama average 91 points during its five NCAA Tournament contests. Stafford posted 11.4 points during that memorable senior year.

Stafford has spent the last three decades in the coaching profession. He was part of three state championships at his alma mater of Biggersville High School in the 1990s with two coming as the headman for track and the other as assistant boys basketball instructor.

He collected division coach of the year awards in 2016 at Corinth High School and most recently last winter at H.W. Byers High School. Stafford was selected to coach in the 2023 Northeast Mississippi Basketball Coaches Association (NEMBCA) All-Star Games.

Brynden Trawick

(Football, 2010)

Brynden Trawick made history as the first former Northeast Mississippi Community College football player to compete in the Pro Bowl game.

Trawick landed his spot in the National Football League’s (NFL) annual all-star event at the end of the 2017 season by becoming an elite defender in kickoff and punt return coverage for the Tennessee Titans.

He topped the Titans, who qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2008, with a career-high 15 tackles on special teams that year. Three of those stops came during Tennessee’s road win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild card round.

Trawick recorded one takedown as his American Football Conference (AFC) team defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) by a 24-23 score on January 28, 2018 in Orlando, Fla., at Camping World Stadium.

He spent seven seasons in the NFL, which is the third most among all Northeast alumni behind only Mario Addison and Jerome Woods. Trawick made four playoff appearances, including in his final year as Baltimore captured the 2019 AFC North Division championship.

Trawick’s most productive game came on New Year’s Day 2017. He tallied a career-best 10 tackles, one pass break up and an interception as his Oakland Raiders wrapped up the regular season at Denver.

The Marietta, Ga., native participated in 97 NFL games excluding the preseason with 47 of those coming in a Ravens uniform. His cumulative statistics include 87 takedowns, three quarterback hits, two pass break ups and two tackles for loss.

Trawick opened his collegiate career at Michigan State University before transferring to Northeast for his sophomore campaign. He helped the Tigers finish tied for runner-up in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) North Division.

He started in all nine games for head coach Ricky Smither in the fall of 2010.

2023 Northeast Sports Hall of Fame Inductee

Trawick earned second-team all-conference honors after accumulating 62 tackles, including three for loss, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

The 6-3, 230-pound safety returned an interception 67 yards for a touchdown during Northeast’s week four victory at Holmes Community College. He was also credited with four pass break ups while with the Tigers.

Trawick continued his journey on the gridiron at Troy (Ala.) University. He was an All-Sun Belt Conference (SBC) recipient following both of his seasons with the Trojans after becoming a reliable presence on their defensive unit.

He led the Sun Belt and was among the top 20 tacklers at the NCAA Division I level as a junior with a total of 123. Trawick was the only athlete in the league to average double-digit stops with 10.2 per contest.

Trawick had the sixth most solo stops nationally as well with 75. He posted a career-high 20 takedowns plus grabbed a loose fumble in a matchup at Western Kentucky University on November 26, 2011.

He had nine double-digit tackling performances out of 24 games at Troy. Trawick was recognized as the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week after racking up a season-best 15 stops at the University of North Texas during his senior campaign.

Trawick had a 70-yard pick-six as part of his last homecoming contest with the Trojans versus Arkansas State University. He represented Troy one final time at the Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Game in February 2013.

His overall college statistics between Michigan State, Northeast and Troy includes 270 takedowns, 13 pass break ups, 11 tackles for loss, four interceptions, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one sack.

Barbara Shackelford (1967-1968)

Beginning with her days as a student at the Northeast Mississippi Junior College, Booneville native Barbara Shackelford has had a close association with Northeast, and as a result has been selected as the 2023 Alumni Hall of Fame inductee.

A Booneville High School graduate, Shackelford attended Northeast 1967-68 and was the editor of the student newspaper, The Beacon.

As alumnae, Shackelford continued to serve Northeast and her path eventually brought her back to campus in 1982 as a recruiter. She was named director of Public Information by then president Harold T. White in 1987. Her title changed to Associate Vice-President of Public Information in 2000. She was a member of the President’s Cabinet and Administrative Council.

During her professional time on campus, Barbara also served as Secretary for Alumni Affairs (1991-2006), Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Adviser (2002-2011), director of the Miss NEMCC Pageant (1999-2007), and was named an honorary member of the Northeast’s Iota Zeta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa honor society by the student chapter.

Shackelford was instrumental in the establishment of the NEMCC Sports Hall of Fame, the Alumni Hall of Fame, as well as endowed scholarship funds in the names of author Don Lee Keith and long-time Northeast fiscal officer and “Tigers Super Fan” Earline “Woodsie” Woods.

Following retirement in 2006, Shackelford continued to work as an alumni associate until 2011. She is a lifetime member and past president of the Northeast Mississippi Community College Alumni Association and was a member of the Alumni Relations Council from 1982-91.

Shackelford helped form the Mississippi Community College Alumni and Advancement Association over 30 years ago. This organization endorses the MS Community College Presidents’ legislative agenda and hosts a professional development conference each year. She is currently serving as president of this association.

Barbara and husband Ken, also a Northeast alum, presented a $25,000 gift to establish the Ken & Barbara Shackelford Endowment Scholarship in 2022. The award goes each fall to a Booneville High School graduate attending Northeast (freshmen or sophomore) who is majoring in education or accounting. The selection is based on academic achievement and financial need.

Serving her first full term as Prentiss County District 1 Election Commissioner, Barbara is currently the chairman of the Prentiss County Election Commission. In 2009 she was appointed as a City Municipal Election commissioner.

Shackelford’s work with various professional organizations has garnered her several recognitions. She was named the Booneville Business and Professional Women’s Club Woman of Achievement for l997-98.

In June of 1998 she was selected State Woman of Achievement by the Mississippi Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs and chosen one of 12 “Volunteers of the Year” for 1998 by the Mississippi Economic Development Council to recognize significant contributions.

Barbara was one of eight named to Governor Ronnie Musgrove’s "Power of One" Mississippi Woman 2000,” a program that recognized women for contributions that made a difference in their respective communities. Mississippi's Crime Stoppers Volunteer of the Year for 2017, Shackelford currently serves as an associate member of the Board of Directors of Northeast Mississippi Crime Stoppers. She is also membership and past president of the D.T. Beall Chapter 1185 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and a member and officer of the Natchez Trace Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Barbara earned bachelor’s degrees in journalism, sociology and anthropology from the University of Mississippi and completed graduate work in counseling. While at Ole Miss, she worked as assistant to the University Editor in 1971.

Barbara and Ken are active members of Booneville First Methodist Church. They have one son, Jason (Amy) of Germantown and two grandchildren, twins Houston and Sarabeth, 15.

Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees

2012

Major General Augustus

Leon Collins

William “Billy Joe” McCoy

2013

James Seth Pounds

Cathy M. Roberson

2014

Dr. William G. Jackson

2015

Vance Witt

Earline “Woodsie” Woods

2016

Travis Childers

2017

Hugh McLarty

2018

Harold Lomenick

2019

Sam Mosley

2021

ZonaDale Lyons Taylor

Malcolm White

2022

Mike Staten

Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

2008

Bonner Arnold

Charles “Doodle” Floyd

Gene Garrett

Kenneth Lindsey

Kenneth “Cat” Robbins

David “Nub” Strickland

Adrian Smith

W.B. “Bill” Ward

Harold T. White

Earline “Woodsie” Woods

2009

Harvey Childers

Gerald Caveness

Clyde Jones

Larry Parker

Evelyn Thompson

2010

David M. Carnell, Jr.

Phyllis Stafford Dilworth

Mike Grier

Kunshinge Sorrell Howard

Jack Martin

2011

Jim Drewry

Johnny Buskirk

Vincent Del Negro

Sherry Slayton Holland

Ricky Ford

2012

Audrey Covington

Benjamin Guy Gardner

Freddie Copeland

Brandi Vondenstein Dannelly

Malcolm Kuykendall

2013

Ellis “Myrl” Crowe

Mike Lewis

Ray Scott

Larry “Jerry” Reno

Harry T. Crosby

2014

Gaylon Baird

Nathan “Ned” Davis

Jerry Long

Brenda Mayes

Chase Porch

2015

Phillip Chapman

Robert Henry

Tamica Pierce Jones

Tim Kesler

Donnie Clayton

2016

Anthony Anderson

John O. Cunningham

Ronnie Key

Maurice Stafford

2017

Emma Braddock

Dontae' Jones

Jim Lamb

Josie Lingrin

2018

Jerome Woods

Brandon Farley

Mitch McNeely

Millard Lothenore

2019

Anthony Gamble

Billy Southward

Shirley Hall White

2021

Jerry “Lefty” Harrelson

Mario Stevenson

Eric Batchelor

Tim McDonald

2022

Tim Cole

Robert Gordon

Lisa Jansen

*Due the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, there was not a class selected for 2020.