At a fundraising event held at Atchison Home, Mayor Sandy Stimpson appealed to those in attendance to help underwrite the Legacy of Legends Museum, an interactive exhibit to be housed on the ground floor of the RSA Tower. The Mayor’s remarks underscored the tremendous opportunity Mobile has to capitalize on its sports legacy, encouraging professional athletes native to Mobile to give back to the community and help support service organizations like Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Team Focus. He also acknowledged that sports is an economic engine for the city with the potential to bring in tournaments, exhibition games and in turn, tourist dollars. Speaking to crowd comprised of Hall of Famers as well as community leaders and Hall of Fame board members, Mayor Stimpson indicated that the time is now to get this project off the ground and support the Foundation and its goals.

If you would like make a tax deductible contribution to the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, click here.

The Class of 2015 includes:

Karen Mayson Bahnsen – Long time Women’s Golf Coach at L.S.U.
Mardye McDole – Former NFL and All-American Wide Receiver.
Lloyd Skoda – Successful local high school baseball coach for nearly four decades.
James Taylor – Starting running back on three SEC and one National Championship teams at Alabama.
Erick Walder – NCAA Long Jump and Triple Jump Champion at the University of Arkansas.
Woody Woodall – College football player, PGA Tour golfer, and long time Director of Golf at the Country Club of Mobile.

“The Class of 2015 is unique mix of incredible athletes and coaches with some really fascinating back stories,” said MSHOF President Peter Albrecht. “This group includes a Vietnam War hero, the hall’s first Native American inductee, and the first ever inductee whose mother is also in the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame.”

The Mobile Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2015 Induction Ceremony and Banquet takes place Thursday, April 23, at the RSA Tower in Downtown Mobile. Tickets are $100 – Click here to purchase. For more information, call 709-0310.

2015 Inductees

Karen Mayson Bahnsen

Karen Mayson Bahnsen is now in her fourth decade as head coach of the L.S.U. women’s golf team. In her 31 years, the Tigers have become a respected national contender, finishing third in 2011 and 2012. Her teams have recorded 11 top three finishes in the SEC championships, 19 appearances in the NCAA Regionals, and 11 appearances in the NCAA Division I Championships with seven top-10 finishes. Bahnsen has coached 21 All-Americans and 45 All-SEC golfers. Her teams have won 36 tournaments, and 37 individual titles. In 1992, her LSU team won the SEC Conference Tournament. Bahnsen was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1995.

As a player, Bahnsen was LSU’s first recruit to its new women’s golf program. From 1980-83, Bahnsen led the Tigers, participating in the AIAW National Tournament in 1980 and 1981 and the NCAA National Tournament in 1982. At McGill-Toolen High School, she led the Yellow Jackets to two state titles. In 1979, Bahnsen won the state individual championship and the National High School Tournament.

Bahnsen has been inducted into the National Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Her mother June Buckholtz Mayson is an inductee of the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame.

Mardye McDole

McDole is generally regarded as the greatest receiver in the history of Mississippi State football. McDole was named All-SEC three times. He led the conference in receptions and yards per reception in 1978, his sophomore season. McDole was named an All-American by the Sporting News following his senior season. He left MSU as the school’s all-time leading receiver in yards (2,214) and catches (116). He currently stands 2^nd in career receiving yards and 5^th in career TD receptions. He is 6^th in all purpose yards. He is still first in yards per play (14.5) among players with a minimum of 200 plays. McDole is the only receiver in Mississippi State history to record a thousand yard season. He was inducted in the Mississippi State Hall of Fame in 2001.

McDole was selected in the 2^nd round, 39^th overall, by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1981 NFL Draft. McDole spent three seasons with the Vikings as receiver and kick returner. He also played for the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL and the Memphis Showboats in the USFL. McDole entered high school coaching after his career ended. He was head coach at Shaw High School from 1996 through 2001 and has been an assistant at Shaw, Baker, Blount, and Murphy.

Lloyd Skoda

Lloyd Skoda coached local high school baseball for 39 years – 10 years at Daphne (1992-2001) and 29 years at Faith Academy (1975-1991, 2002-2013). He retired with a record of 902-265. Skoda won five AISA state baseball titles at Faith and three more girls basketball titles with the Rams. Skoda won two Alabama High School Athletic Association titles at Daphne. He coached future major leaguers Coco Duncan, P.J. Walters, and Josh Donaldson. He was inducted into the Alabama Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2003.

James Taylor

James Taylor played in the first high school football game he ever saw. Despite a high school career of just eight games as a senior at Citronelle High School, Taylor was named All-County and All-State after rushing for 3,200 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Taylor was selected to play in the Alabama North-South All-Star Game in Tuscaloosa. It was in that game that he caught the eye of Alabama assistant coach Pat Dye. Taylor received a scholarship to Alabama where he started at tailback in Bear Bryant’s wishbone offense. Taylor was part of the three consecutive SEC championship teams and the 1973 National Championship team. He was a game captain 12 times and was also named SEC Player of the Week during his career.

He had offers to sign with the New England Patriots and New York Giants but declined due to injury. A member of the MOWA Choctaw tribe, Taylor is the first Native American inducted into the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame.

Erick Walder

Erick Walder is considered the greatest combination jumper in college track history. He competed for the University of Arkansas from 1991 to 1994, winning ten national individual championships in indoor and outdoor triple jump and long jump. Walder led Arkansas to four indoor and three outdoor NCAA championships. Walder is one of only two men to win three straight national outdoor long jump championships (1992-94). He still holds the collegiate outdoor long jump record with a leap of 8.53 meters – a record that has stood for 22 years. Walder won the silver medal in the long jump at both the 1994 and 1998 Goodwill Games. He won the silver at the 1997 World Championships and bronze at the 1995 and 1999 World Indoor Championships. He was inducted into the University of Arkansas Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010. He won state titles in long jump and triple jump his junior and senior years at Murphy High School.

Woody Woodall

Woody Woodall played football in the SEC and golfed on the PGA Tour. He is also a war hero and has been a mentor to hundreds of young athletes. After turning down an offer to sign for the St. Louis Cardinals out of high school, Woodall attended Auburn University where he played football. He was the Tigers starting placekicker in 1961, 1962, and 1963. He led the team in scoring in ’61 and ’62. Woodall signed with the Dallas Cowboys but gave up football due to a leg injury. He turned to golf, and in 1965

played in four PGA Tour Tournaments, making the cut in all four. In 1967, he entered the military and deployed to Vietnam. In 1969, he received a Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal. In 1975, Woody was named Director of Golf at the Country Club of Mobile where he stayed until his retirement in 2008. Woody helped in the formation of what is now The Junior Golf Association of Mobile. Thirty of his students from the CCM played collegiately. He has been inducted into the Dixie Section PGA Hall of Fame.