Despite three Super Bowl rings and a pair of Pro Bowl appearances during an 11-year NFL career, one inductee in the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame’s class of 2018 is best known for two plays he’d like to forget.

Another member of this year’s class has a Cy Young award in his trophy case after being named the National League’s best pitcher in the prime of his career, another Major Leaguer ranked 18^th on the all-time stolen base list at retirement, and one more inductee has five Gold Medals from the U.S. Sailing Association’s Women’s National Championship.

The last two members of this year’s stellar class are equally talented, with one still holding the NFL record for most fumbles recovered in a single season, while the other has over 800 coaching wins in basketball, ranking ninth on the national junior college’s all-time list.

Ex-Dallas Cowboy Leon Lett, MLB’s Jake Peavy and Juan Pierre, former NFL star Don Hultz, women’s sailing sensation Amy Chapman Kleinschrodt and legendary Faulkner State basketball Coach Jack Robertson will all be permanently enshrined during the 2018 MSHOF Banquet Tuesday night, April 24, at the RSA Battle House.Social hour begins at 6:00 p.m., with the banquet to immediately follow at 7:00.

“It’s an honor to be selected to the Sports Hall of Fame in Mobile,” said Lett, now a Cowboys assistant.

“I looked at the list of names (that are already in the Hall) and it’s just an honor to be associated with those people.

“I’m appreciative and humbled.”

While Lett had a solid NFL career, he’s most remembered by two botched plays … being run down by Buffalo’s Don Bebe and losing the ball during a premature celebration just before crossing the goal line with a 64-yard fumble return in Super Bowl XXVII, and a failed ball recovery after a blocked field goal in a Thanksgiving Day game.

What does he think of those two plays he’ll forever be linked to?

“They come up often,” he said with a laugh.

“I get it from players I coach now. I get it from little ladies on the airplane, flight attendants, young people who’re related to parents who remember those plays.

“But it makes you think to not ever give up. Never let one thing define you.”

The Sports Hall of Fame will also pay special recognition that night to a pair of Mobile sports broadcasting icons, WNSP Radio’s Lee Shirvanian and WKRG TV’s Randy Patrick.

Tickets for the banquet are $100 each and may be purchased on line at www.mobilesportshalloffame.net, or by calling Pam Young at (251) 709-0310.

Inductees

Leon Lett

• Starred at Fairhope High School
• Played two years at Emporia State, leading team to conference championship and NAIA National Championship Game
• All NAIA Honorable Mention as a junior
• Drafted in the 7^th round of the 1991 NFL Draft
• At 6’6, 270 pounds nicknamed “Big Cat” because of his agility
• Member of 1993, ’94 and ‘96 Cowboys Super Bowl Champions
• Recorded a sack and set record longest fumble return in Super Bowl history (64 yards) in Super Bowl XXVII
• In Super Bowl XXVIII, has six tackles and forced a game-changing fumble that was recovered and returned for a touchdown.
• Selected to Pro Bowl in 1995 (68 tackles, 4 sacks and 26 quarterback pressures) and 1998 (51 tackles, 20 quarterback pressures, seven tackles for loss and four sacks)
• Played the 2001 season for the Denver Broncos
• Volunteer Assistant Coach, UNLV, 2009
• Assistant Coach Louisiana-Monroe, 2010
• Defensive Line Coach, Dallas Cowboys 2011-present

Don Hultz

• Born December 6, 1940 in Moss Point
• Attended Grand Bay (South Mobile County) High School
• Played both ways at Southern Miss, winning the Small College National Championship in 1962
• Signed with the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent in 1963 and started all 14 games as a rookie
• Holds the NFL record for the most opponents’ fumbles recovered in a season, nine, set in his rookie season
• Traded to Philadelphia with three other players for RB Ted Dean and the rights to rookie QB Bob Berry.
• Spent the next ten years with the Eagles, starting as a defensive end, defensive tackle, and middle linebacker
• In 1966, he helped the Eagles post a 9-5 record and earn a berth in the Playoff Bowl (NFL 3^rd Place Game played at the Orange Bowl 1960-69) against the Baltimore Colts.
• Played eight games for the Chicago Bears in 1974
• Played in 151 NFL games
• Intercepted four passes, returning two for touchdowns, and recovered twelve fumbles
• Only Jerrel Wilson, Kenny Stabler, Willie Anderson and Rich Caster have played in more NFL seasons, among Mobilians
• Played on the defensive line with his older brother George Hultz both at Grand Bay and at Southern Miss. George played in 13 games for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1963 and later became a professional wrestler
• Post NFL, he worked as a criminal investigator for the Shelby County (TN) District Attorney’s Office
• Now lives in suburban Memphis

Jake Peavy 

• Born May 31, 1981 in Mobile
• Grew up in Semmes
• Attended St. Paul’s where he led the Saints to the 1999 5A State Championship
• Named Alabama High School Player of the Year, 1999
• Turned down Auburn and signed a professional contract after being drafted in the 15th Round of the 1999 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres
• Pitched in 5 games in 2001 and 14 games in 2002 for hometown Mobile BayBears (AA)
• Made Major League debut June 22, 2002 vs. New York Yankees
• Became one of the top pitchers in baseball in 2004, leading MLB with an ERA of 2.27. Became the youngest pitcher to lead majors in ERA since Dwight Gooden, 1985
• Named to his first All-Star Game in 2005
• Led National League in strikeouts in 2005 with 216
• Struck out 16 in game vs. Braces, May 22, 2006
• Helped Padres to NL West title in 2006, leading the NL in strikeouts per nine innings.
• Started All-Star Game for National League in 2007
• Named NL Pitcher of the Month May, August, and September 2007
• Led NL in fewest walks and hits/innings pitched
• Won the 2007 National League Pitching Triple Crown – leading the league in wins (19), ERA (2.54) and Strike Outs (240)
• 2007 National League CY Young Award winner
• 2007 Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year
• Finished 7th in NL MVP voting, 2007
• Traded to Chicago White Sox, July 31, 2009
• Limited by injuries 2010 and 2011
• Named AL Pitcher of the Month, April 2012
• Named to 2012 All-Star Game but did not appear in game
• Won 2012 American League Gold Glove Award
• Traded to Boston on July 30, 2013
• Started one game in the ALDS, ALCS, and World Series as Red Sox won 2013 World Series
• Traded to San Francisco, July 26, 2014
• Went 6-4 in 12 starts to help Giants to playoff spot
• Started one game in NLDS, 1 game in NLCS, and two games of 2014 World Series
• Became first pitcher in MLB history to win two World Series in two consecutive years, representing two different leagues
• Career States: 15 MLB seasons, 388 games, 377 starts, 152-126 record, 2377 innings pitched, 3.63 ERA, 2207 strikeouts

Juan Pierre

• Born August 14, 1977 in Mobile
• Graduated from Alexandria (LA) High
• Drafted by Mariners, but attended Galveston College (JC)
• Hit .373 with 54 stolen bases in lone season at South Alabama
• 1998 All-American at USA
• Drafted by Colorado Rockies in 13th round of 1998 draft
• Had 14 year MLB career
• Retired #18 all-time in stolen bases
• Had more than 2,200 career hits and a .295 lifetime average
• Led the National League in stolen bases three times: 2001, 2003, 2010
• Led National league in games played five times: 2003-2007
• Led National League in at bats three times: 2003, 2004, 2006
• Led National League in triples, 2004
• Led the National League three times and the American League once in sacrifice hits
• Led the American League in HBP (21) 2010
• Hit .333 for the victorious Florida Marlins in the 2003 World Series
• Played for the Rockies, Marlins, Cubs, Dodgers, White Sox, and Phillies
• Earned $57 million in career
• Lives in Parkland, Florida

Amy Chapman Kleinschrodt

• 5 Gold Medals as winner of the U.S. Sailing Assoc. Women’s National Championship, having been presented the Charles Francis Adams Trophy – the competition for the United States Women’s Sailing Championship
• While living in New Orleans and sailing out of Bay Waveland Yacht Club, was a crew in the 1977, 1978, and 1980 finals, winning Gold in the 1977 and 1980 championships.
• Moved to Mobile in 1981 and sailed out of Buccaneer Yacht Club
• Skippered in 1997, 2003, 2009 and 2011 Championships, winning Gold medals in 1997, 2009 and 2011 regattas and winning Bronze medals in 2003 and 2010 events.
• Competitors in the US Sailing Assoc. Women’s National Championship sail boats that are provided by the host club, and teams are required to race each boat at the event once so that nobody will have an advantage in terms of equipment.

Jack Robertson

• Veteran of 42 seasons as head coach of the Faulkner State Community College basketball team
• Guided the Sun Chiefs to 832 wins and 440 losses thru 2015 season
• Ranks 9th all-time in wins among coaches in the National Junior College Athletic Association
• Teams have also won 14 Southern Division championships.
• 1991 team won the state JuCo championship and finished sixth in the national tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas.
• Graduate of Baldwin County High School and Marion Military Institute
• First coaching job was at Robertsdale High School before moving to Escambia High School in Pensacola
• Coached MSHF inductee Pete Myers who played in the NBA
• Former player Leonard White played in the CBA
• Inducted into the Baldwin County High School Hall of Fame in 1997
• Inducted into the NJCAA Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2010
• Son Robby is basketball coach at Fairhope High School

Special Recognition Award

Lee Shirvanian

Lee Shirvanian has been the most recognized voice at WNSP-Radio for over 30 years and was the voice of University of South Alabama Jaguars’ sports teams for several of those years. He handled play-by-play for South’s football team the first five seasons and handled the Jags’ radio broadcasts for men’s basketball and baseball.

Randy Patrick

Randy Patrick has been Sports Director at WKRG-TV since 1991.

He began his WKRG career in 1980, starting at WKRG Radio and then on to WKRG-TV in 1988, where he has garnered dozens of awards for broadcasting excellence, including the John Harris Lifetime Achievement Award by the Mobile Press Club in 2005.

MOBILE, AL – One inductee in the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017 has multiple NBA championship rings, another is forever etched in Iron Bowl lore for “reversing” the emotions of an entire fan base, and still another is considered among the best to ever play his position.

Yet one more is a five-time Alabama high school “Coach of the Year,” another has coached track and field in 50 different countries, and still another not only improved the quality of life in his community, but made sure young athletes had somewhere to show off their skills at a time in America’s history when they were limited in places to play.

And, as if that’s not enough, the lone baseball player in this year’s class might’ve even changed World Series history if only the Boston Red Sox’s manager had put him in the game.

To say that (in alphabetical order) Jason Caffey, John Finley, Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich, Ann Schilling, Dave Stapleton, Lawyer Tillman and Jerrel Wilson comprise an all-star class of 2017 inductees is a huge understatement.

“It’s another tremendous class, representing the very best from five sports,” said MSHOF President Peter Albrecht.

Three of the inductees: Rosandich, Schilling, and Stapleton have ties to Baldwin County.

“I think that just reflects the expanding nature of the Mobile metro area,” explained Albrecht. “The Eastern Shore and Baldwin County now are intricately connected with the Mobile area in many facets of life and certainly includes athletics.”

Finley will be recognized as a special contributor.

“There are many ways that people have contributed to the Mobile sports scene over the years, without being a player or coach,” said Albrecht. “Mr. Finley was certainly a pillar of the community who advanced the athletics opportunities and careers of many young people.”

Inductees will be honored during the 2017 MSHOF Induction Banquet at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 6, at the Battle House Hotel.

A social hour will precede the banquet at 6 p.m.

Tickets can be ordered on-line through our website: mobilesportshalloffame.com, or by calling (251)709-0310.

Jason Caffey

• Averaged 20 points and 13 rebounds a game as a senior at Davidson High School
• Named Alabama’s “Mr. Basketball” and a McDonald’s All-American in 1991
• A three-year starter at Alabama and led the Tide to three NCAA Tournaments
• Only Tide player to start all 29 games in 1992-93. Averaged 14.5 points 8.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Named Second Team All-SEC
• Averaged 12.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game as a junior, 93-94, despite foot injury. Named Second Team All-SEC
• 1 points and 8.0 rebound per game as a senior, 94-95. Second Team All-SEC
• Ranks Currently 32nd All-Time in Alabama points scored, and is 17th in rebounds
• Drafted in first round of 1995 NBA Draft (20th overall) by Chicago Bulls
• Won NBA Championship first two years in the league playing with Michael Jordan
• Averaged 7.3 points and 4.0 rebounds a game in 1996-97 season
• Started five games in the 1997 playoffs as the Bulls won the Championship
• Traded to Golden State midway through the 1997-98 season and started in 1998-99
• Enjoyed best NBA season in 1999-2000, starting 56 of the 71 games he appeared in, averaging 30 minutes, 12 points, and 6.8 rebounds a game
• Traded to Milwaukee before the 2000-01 season, where he spent three years and appeared in 144 games, starting 49
• Over nine year NBA career, scored 3,368 points and pulled down 2,022 rebounds
• Averaged 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 19.6 minutes per game over career

Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich

• Founding President of the United States Sports Academy (1972) at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, before relocating it to the campus of the University of South Alabama (1976)
• Served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Sports Academy for 43 years until 2015 when he became its President Emeritus
• The Academy led the development of the installation of South Alabama’s first 400-meter all-weather track, a sports medicine center, a human performance lab and a fully equipped strength and conditioning center, as well as founding “Operation Bounce-Back,” a cardiac rehabilitation program helping Mobilians who suffer from cardiovascular illness
• Moved Academy to Daphne in 1986, when it is also home to the American Sport Art Museum and Archives … one of the world’s largest sport art museums
• Awarded the highest International Olympic Committee honor, “The Olympic Order” (1997)
• Coached in 50 countries, preparing national teams for international games as part of the U.S. State Department’s “U.S. Ambassadors of Sport” program
• Appointed National Track and Field Coach for Indonesia
• Founded Olympia Sport Village in Upson, WI, at the time was the only dedicated all-season sports camp in the nation
• Founded the Paavo Nurmi Marathon (1969), Wisconsin’s oldest running marathon
• Founded the All-American Prep Championships and the International Prep Meet
• Inducted into the Helms Hall of Fame for his significant contributions to the sport of Track and Field
• Athletic Director of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside 1967-1972
• Athletic Director of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 1972-1976

Ann Schilling

• Bayside Academy Women’s Varsity Volleyball Coach since 1987 with career record of 1388-371
• Ranks in the top 5 nationally with 21 Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA)Volleyball State Championships
• 15 consecutive AHSAA Volleyball State Championships, an Alabama Record and second national rank
• Mobile Press Register Super 12 “Coach of the Year” (1998,2000,2002,2007,2010,2012)
• John L. Finley Award winner for Superb Achievement as a Coach (2004, 2012)
• 2004 Bayside Academy Sports Hall of Fame
• Birmingham News State Coach of the Year (1992,2000,2007,2011,2012)
• AHSAA All Star Coach (1993,1995,1996,1998,2003,2008,2016)
• com Co-National Coach of the Year (2009)
• National Federation of High Schools National Coach of the Year (2010)
• Has sent over 50 athletes to the collegiate level
• Founder and Director of Eastern Shore Volleyball Club (2000-present)
• Earned B.S. Education from Auburn University (1982-1987)
• McGill-Toolen Catholic High School Volleyball team (1978-1982), winning State Championship 1978, 1979, 1981 and the Women’s Basketball Team, winning State Championships 1978, 1980

Dave Stapleton

• Born Fairhope and played at Faulkner State Junior College
• Led South Alabama to a 30-8 record in 1974 and a school-best 52-14 mark in 1975
• Hit .361 over two years
• Set USA single season records in doubles, RBI, at-bats and hits
• Set career doubles mark with 39
• Earned All-South independent honors in 1975
• Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 10th Round of 1975 Draft
• Reached the majors midway through the 1980 season
• Hit .321 with 7 HRs and 45 RBI in 106 games and 449 at bats in 1980 as Sox starting 2B
• Second in American League Rookie of the Year balloting
• Remained Red Sox starter through the 1983 season at first base before assuming a reserve role in 1984-86
• In 1986, frequently served as late-inning defensive replacement for starter Bill Buckner, who let the infamous Mookie Wilson ground ball through his legs to give the Mets a come-from-behind win in the 10th inning of Game 6. The Mets went on to win the Series in Game 7
• Went to spring training with the Seattle Mariners in 1987
• Owner of a .271 career batting average with 41 home runs and 224 RBI in 2,028 career at bats

Lawyer Tillman

• Played at LeFlore High School where he was also an outstanding basketball player
• Wide receiver at Auburn 1985-1988
• Played in 48 games for the Tigers, catching 93 passes for 1808 and 14 touchdowns
• Averaged 19.4 yards/reception for Auburn career, tied for 11th in receptions and ranks eighth in receiving yards
• Ranks seventh in receiving touchdowns
• Averaged 20.8 yards per catch in 1986, the fifth-best single-season average in school history
• Finished second in the SEC in receiving yards in 1986 (730) and third in 1987 (600)
• Best remembered for scoring on an 8-yard reverse with just 32 seconds to play in the 1986 Iron Bowl that gave Auburn a 21-17 victory over Alabama
• Was first pick in the second round (31st overall), by the Cleveland Browns in the 1989 NFL Draft
• Played tight end and wide receiver for the Browns, appearing in 32 games and starting 10
• Caught a pass in 1989 NFL playoffs and for his Cleveland career caught 36 passes, including three for touchdowns, during an injury-plagued career
• Played for the Carolina Panthers in 1995, appearing in five games and catching two passes

Jerrel Wilson (10/4/1941 – 4/9/2005)

• Born in New Orleans, but played at Murphy
• Considered one of the best punters in professional football history
• Played two years at Pearl River Community College
• Punted two seasons at Southern Miss as a placekicker and linebacker, but was an All-American punter
• 1n 1963, during a time when both the fledgling American Football League and more established National Football League were vying for the same players, he was taken in the 11th Round by the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, while also being selected in the 17th Round of the NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams
• Played first seven years with the Chiefs in the AFL, once leading the league in punting yards and twice in punting-yards average
• Named to the All-Time All-AFL Team
• Played eight more seasons with the Chiefs after the two leagues merged into one, leading the league in punting average three straight years (1971-73) and in total punting yards in 1973
• Played 16th and final year of career with New England in 1978
• Played in two Super Bowls
• Member of the 1969-70 Super Bowl Champion Chiefs
• Finished career with more than 46,000 punting yards
• Averaged 43.0 yards/punt for career
• Named All-Pro seven seasons
• Three-time Pro Bowler
• Holds record for most seasons leading league in punting average
• Won more punting titles, had a superior best single season average, and a better career average than Ray Guy – the only punter in the NFL Hall of Fame
• Played most games in Chiefs history
• He died 2005 at the age of 63

John L. “Doc” Finley, Special Contributor (11/13/1920 – 11/16/2002)

• A graduate of Dunbar High School and World War II Army Veteran, who served in the South Pacific and received The Bronze Star for meritorious service
• Earned his B.S. degree from Xavier (La.) University’s School of Pharmacy and later opened Finley’s Pharmacy in 1950 on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Boulevard (formerly Davis Avenue), less than a half-mile from where he grew up
• Provided medicine at no cost and made monetary loans to less fortunate citizens of his community
• Provided no-cost services to injured high school players in the African-American community, and to the Nuns and Priest from his parish, Most Pure Heart of Mary
• Sponsored basketball, baseball and bowling teams that won multiple Gulf Coast championship tournaments
• He demanded a commitment to educational excellence from players on those teams and many went on to become coaches, teachers and principals in the Mobile County School System
• An active supporter of sports programs with the YMCA, Boys Club
• In the 1960’s, was a member of the core group that initiated the “Knights of Peter Claver Classic” football game between two Historically Black Colleges and Universities at then Ernest F. Ladd Memorial Stadium
• During the Civil Rights era in 1964, and with a noticeable lack of local coverage of African American sports, athletes and their achievements, he started the “John L. Finley Award” to recognize those notable people
• He continued the award after school desegregation, recognizing outstanding achievers of all races who had made an impact in high school sports in Mobile and Baldwin County

Served on the Board of Directors for the Via Health and Enrichment Center (formerly Mary Berg Senior Center), Goodwill Industries, Dearborn YMCA, United Way of Southwest Alabama and Mid-Town Sertoma Club

Mobile native and NBA star DeMarcus Cousins is bringing a free basketball camp to Mobile. The camp will take place at Cousins’ alma mater LeFlore Magnet High School on August 22nd and 23rd from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm with an opening ceremony at 6:00 pm on August 21st. The camp is open to boys and girls ages 6 – 15 years but is limited to the first 100 people to sign up.  VSP Global will be offering free eye exams to campers and their families, and each camper will receive a free pair of Nike Vision sunglasses.

For more information, contact Alfred Perkins at 251-458-4183.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback, Kenny Stabler, died on Wednesday, July 8 in Gulfport, MS, surrounded by loved ones and listening to Lynard Skynard “Sweet Home Alabama.”

Stabler earned the nickname “The Snake” in high school because he managed to weave his way around a football field into the end zone. He attended Foley High School where he participated in many sports, but seemed to truly excel in football. So much so that he was recruited by Paul “Bear” Bryant to play at The University of Alabama. As a red-shirted freshman in 1964, he witnessed Joe Namath take the Crimson Tide to a national championship, and the next season, he played a part in Alabama winning the national title again. He finished his career at Alabama with a record of 28-3-2, and was picked in the second round of the NFL draft to play for the Oakland Raiders.

He played for the Raiders for 10 seasons, winning Super Bowl XI in 1977 against the Minnesota Vikings. He played two seasons for the Houston Oilers and ended his professional football career playing three seasons for the New Orleans Saints. After Stabler retired from the NFL, he worked as a color commentator for CBS’ NFL telecasts and also called Alabama games on the radio until 2009.

As a 1989 inductee into the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame, he cared about the game and his fans and was known to graciously sign autographs and pose for pictures whenever he was asked. However, donating his brain and spinal cord to Boston University for research of degenerative brain disease among athletes is perhaps his ultimate dedication to the sport. He will be missed by our community, the state of Alabama and many fans across the country.

Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the College Football Playoff, will be in Mobile on Wednesday, June 10 for a book signing at the Athelstan Club. Bill is former head of the Final Four and the BCS, and his memoir, Riding with the Blue Moth, chronicles the cross-U.S. cycling journey he took following the tragic death of his son in a 2001 plane crash. The event begins at 5:30, and Bill will speak prior to signing books.

The Mobile Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2015—Karen Mayson Bahnsen, Mardye McDole, Lloyd Skoda, James Taylor, Erick Walder and Woody Woodall—was inducted during a ceremony and dinner held at the RSA Battle House Hotel on April 23, 2015. The evening began with cocktails in the lobby of the RSA Tower, the future home of the Legacy of Legends Museum, followed by the program and dinner in the Moonlight Ballroom. 14 former inductees were in attendance, including Frank Bolling, Reggie Copeland, Buddy Lauten, Paul Crane and June Buckholtz Mayson, mother of 2015 inductee Karen Mayson Bahnsen. MSHOF President Peter Albrecht and Chairman Joe Gottfried presented medallions and plaques to this year’s honorees while more than 350 people looked on. While this class of inductees range from football players to golfers, to track stars to baseball coaches, they all agreed that sports opened doors to opportunities they never would have had otherwise. In addition to the Hall of Fame inductions, two Kearney Windham Scholarships, sponsored by Evonik and MSHOF, were presented to two outstanding students: Karla Silva from Theodore High School and Charlie Seiter from McGill Toolen High School.

This year’s banquet was the best yet, thanks in part to our title sponsors, Alabama Power and Regions Bank, as well as Mississippi State University, Reese’s Senior Bowl, Louisiana State University, Evonik Corporation, Faith Academy, Bullard Automotive, Jones Walker, Go Daddy Bowl, Briskman and Binion, Mobile Fixture and The Country Club of Mobile. Special thanks also goes to Francia’s Formal Attire for providing tuxedos for the inductees.

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.

Auburn Co-Offensive Coordinator Dameyune Craig heads the 26th class of
inductees into the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame. Joining Craig are basketball
star Lauretta Freeman-Horn, baseball pioneer Charlie “Home Run”
Duffee, Olympic swimmer Casey Converse, legendary high school track
coach Sam Pettaway, and the 1988 Vigor High School Football team.
“Once again we have a dynamic and diverse group of athletes entering
the Hall,” said MSHF President Peter Albrecht. “We will be inducting our
first ever swimmer and female basketball player, our second ever team,
and even an athlete with an amazing story who passed away 120 years
ago.”

Casey Converse was one of the United States’ pre-eminent distance
swimmers during the 1970s. He set a pair of NCAA records while swimming
for the University of Alabama and swam in the 1976 Summer Olympic
Games in Montreal. For the last 29 years, Converse has been the
head swimming coach at the Air Force Academy.

Dameyune Craig quarterbacked Blount High School to two state championships
before starring at Auburn where he led the Tigers to the 1997
SEC Championship Game. Craig later played for the Carolina Panthers
and in NFL Europe before embarking on a coaching career that has featured
stops with the Miami Dolphins, L.S.U., Florida State, South Alabama,
and Auburn.

Charlie “Home Run” Duffee is the first ever Mobile-born and Alabama-born
major league baseball player. As a rookie in 1889 with the St. Louis
Browns of the then major league American Association, Duffee finished
third in the A.A. in home runs. He also played for the Columbus Solons,
the Washington Senators, and the Cincinnati Reds before his promising
career and life were cut short by tuberculosis. He died in 1894 at the age
of 28.

Lauretta Freeman-Horn starred at Williamson High School before embarking
on a remarkable career at Auburn University. Freeman led Auburn to
the 1990 Final Four and was the SEC Player of the Year and First Team
All America in 1993. She won a gold medal for the U.S. at the 1994 Goodwill
Games. Freeman played professional basketball overseas and in the
ABL. After retiring, she has been an assistant coach at Auburn and a head
high school coach in Mobile (St. Paul’s).

Sam Pettaway was a highly successful boys and girls track coach at
Davidson High School from 1976-92. His boys’ teams won state championships
in 1976, ‘81, ‘82, ‘84, ‘85, ‘86, ‘87. His girls’ teams won state
championships in 1987 and ‘88. Pettaway’s athletes earned more than
forty All-American distinctions and many went on to successful college careers.
Pettaway was also involved for many years with the City of Mobile
Parks and Recreation Track program.

The 1988 Vigor High School Football Team is the only Alabama squad
ever designated National High School Football Champions. The Wolves
went 13-0 and allowed just 44 points all year as they won the Alabama 6A
Championship. The team was named National High School Football
Champions by ESPN. Eight players were named All-State. Several players
went on to successful college and professional careers including Kevin
Lee, Lectron Williams, Mitch Davis, Roosevelt Patterson, and Kelvin
Sigler. The ‘88 Vigor Wolves will join the 1947 Mobile Bears as the only
teams inducted into the MSHF.

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.