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.