The Jackson State University Division of Athletics will enshrine 15 new luminaries into its prestigious Sports Hall of Fame on Friday, October 31 during its Annual Sports Hall of Fame Banquet.
The event will be held at 6:30 p.m.at the JSU Student Center Ballroom, 1400 John R. Lynch St., Jackson, MS.
“This is the pinnacle of athletic achievement at Jackson State University,” said Eric D. Stringfellow, who chairs the board of directors of the JSU Sports Hall of Fame. “We congratulate these former student-athletes and their families. We also ask the JSU family, as well as the general public, to join us as we celebrate these outstanding individuals.”
JSU’s 2014 class includes: Thelma Anderson (Track and Field), Tammy Blackwell (Volleyball), Bernard Braddy (Baseball), Harold Cooley (Football), Marvin Freeman (Baseball), Williams “Pop” Gaines (Men’s Basketball), Russell Golden (Men’s Basketball), Edgar Hardy (Football), Patricia Jones (Women’s Basketball), Mario Kirksey (Football), Julius McDougal (Baseball), Rosalind Spann (Women’s Basketball), Keith Taylor (Football), Dr. James Anderson (Supporter), and Sadie McGee (Women’s Basketball Coach).
They join an illustrious list of athletes with ties to JSU, from Willie Richardson, the school’s first nationally-recognized football player, to Walter Payton, the most celebrated sports figure, to Cleveland Buckner, one of the first Tigers to enter the NBA. The hall of fame includes basketball stars Eugene and Purvis Short, baseball’s Dennis ‘Oil Can’ Boyd, track and field’s Tomysyne Ford Toney, tennis star Kelvin Belcher, running back Lewis Tillman, coach W.C. Gorden and golfer Tim O’Neal.
This year, the event will have a slightly different format, said Dr. Marie O’Banner-Jackson, associate dean of Undergraduate Studies, the event chair. Three of the honorees are awarded posthumously: Sadie McGee; Patricia Jones; and Williams “Pop” Gaines.
In addition, honorees will have an interview session during the event and will have the opportunity to reflect on their time at Jackson State and since, O’Banner-Jackson said.
With the enshrinement of its newest class, JSU’s Sports Hall of Fame will increase to 192 members. For more information about the sports hall of fame banquet, call 601-979-7092 or 979-5899. For ticket information call 601-979-2420.