NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State University Athletics Foundation (NSUAF) is proud to announce its 16-member NSUAF Sports Hall of Fame induction class of 2009. Included among the 16 inductees are 12 former Spartan athletes, two former head coaches and two individuals who will be enshrined in the supporter category.
This year's athletes who will be inducted are former football players Darius Blount, Ricky Lee Ray, James Roe and Aaron Sparrow; basketball players Eugene Cunningham, Norma Knight Evans, Lisa Rice and Jennine Tanks; track athletes Chris Brown, James Johnson and Joseph Thornton; and wrestler James Lee.
Former Spartan coaches Ernie Fears Sr. (men's basketball) and Dr. William Wright (wrestling/track) will also be enshrined, as will athletic department supporters Emery Fears and Grady James. In addition, Bill Whitney, Vice President-Agency, Mid-Atlantic Region for State Farm Insurance, will receive the NSUAF's Community Ambassador Award at the ceremony. Whitney has been the catalyst in State Farm's sponsorship of NSU athletics and the Battle of the Bay football game between NSU and Hampton.
The NSUAF Sports Hall of Fame Brunch and Induction Ceremony is Saturday, June 6, at 11 a.m. at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel. Individual tickets are $50 and tables of 10 are $500. For more details, call (757) 823-2667 or 823-8152, or email NSUAF Executive Director Craig Cotton at jccotton@nsu.edu.
Following are brief bios on each inductee:
Darius Blount, Football, 1993-96
Blount was also a major part of the NSU football arsenal in the 1990s, teaming with Sparrow and Roe to give NSU a lethal passing attack. Blount was a two-time All-CIAA football selection who ranks second behind Roe at NSU in career receptions (162) and receiving yards (2,501). Blount also participated on the NSU men's basketball team.
Chris Brown, Men's Track, 1999-2001
Brown, who was inducted into the MEAC Hall of Fame earlier this year, was a two-time Division I All-American in the 400 meters (2000-01). Brown holds school records in the 400 meters, 500 meters, 4x400 meter and sprint medley relays. Brown, competing for his native Bahamas, won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 4x400 relay and placed fourth in the open 400 meters.
Eugene Cunningham, Men's Basketball, 1972-76
Cunningham ranks fourth on the school's all-time scoring list with 2,151 points and is second with 1,186 career rebounds. Cunningham was the 1976 CIAA Player of the Year, earned honorable mention NAIA All-American honors as a senior and helped the Spartans win three CIAA championships.
Emery Fears, Supporter, 1974-91
Emery Fears was the longtime director of the Spartan Legion, NSU's famous marching band. Fears was the first to coin the name “Spartan Legion,” and the band flourished under his direction. The band was one driving force behind the rise in attendance at NSU football games. Emery Fears is the cousin of fellow inductee Ernie Fears.
Ernie Fears Sr., Men's Basketball Coach, 1962-69 (posthumous)
Fears is the winningest men's basketball coach by percentage in school history. His teams went 147-31 (.826) from 1962-69. He won two CIAA Tournament championships and advanced to three NCAA Division II regional tournaments. Known for its relentless fast-break, Fears' 1969 team led the nation in scoring, at 106.1 points per game. Fears tutored some of the finest NSU players in school history, including future NBA draftees Bobby Dandridge and Richard “Pee Wee” Kirkland.
Grady James, Supporter
James, a former head of the NSU mass communications department, hosted a televised coaches and highlight show featuring NSU athletics. His publicity efforts helped increase awareness for Spartan athletics and he also lent his talents as a photographer to the athletics department on numerous occasions.
James “Jim” Johnson, Men's Track, 1963-65 (posthumous)
Johnson helped the NSU track team win two CIAA championships. In 1963, he was chosen to participate in the Pan American Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He won two gold medals for his first place performance in the 400 meter and as a member of the United States 1,600-meter relay team.
Norma Knight Evans, Women's Basketball, 1981-83
Evans was a two-time NABC All-American at NSU in 1982 and 1983, and a three-time All-CIAA selection (1981-83). She is fourth at NSU in career rebounds (937) and first in field-goal percentage (.532), and holds single-season school records in both categories.
James “Jimmy” Lee, Wrestling, 1964-68
Lee, who wrestled at 177 pounds, was a four-time CIAA champion who lost just one match in four years. He put NSU wrestling on the map by becoming the school's first-ever wrestling All-American in 1968. Lee was also a two-year captain for the Spartan football team.
Ricky Lee Ray, Football, 1975-78
Ray transformed from a walk-on into an NFL draftee. Ray was a four-year starter at cornerback on the NSU football team, which won two CIAA titles in his career. He was drafted in 1979 by the New Orleans Saints, and played for both New Orleans and Miami in the NFL before retiring.
Lisa Rice, Women's Basketball, 1991-95
Rice is NSU's all-time career assists leader, with 1,067 during her four years. She also shares the school's single-game assists record of 20, set in 1995. Rice was a three-time CIAA Tournament MVP, twice earned Kodak Division All-American honorable mention, and led NSU to three CIAA championships.
James Roe, Football, 1992-95
Roe was Aaron Sparrow's favorite wideout, and holds every majoring receiving record in school history. His 239 catches, 4,468 receiving yards and 46 total touchdowns are all school records. He was a three-time All-CIAA pick, a two-time All-American, and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the 1996 NFL Draft.
Aaron Sparrow, Football, 1992-95
Sparrow holds every majoring passing record in school history, including completions (617), attempts (1,119), yards (8,758) and touchdowns (79). He was a two-time All-CIAA selection and Division II All-American.
Jennine Tanks, Women's Basketball, 1989-93
Tanks was twice a Black College All-American and was an honorable mention Kodak Division II All-American in 1993. Tanks ranks fifth at NSU in scoring (1,672 points) and second in assists (474). The Spartans won three CIAA titles and two NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional championships in her career. Tanks also helped NSU advance to the 1991 NCAA Division II Final Four.
Joseph Thornton, Men's Track, 1962-64
Thornton won the 100-yard dash in 9.3 seconds, one-tenth of a second off the world mark, at the 1962 NCAA Atlantic Coast Division II Regionals. He finished fifth in that event at the 1964 NCAA Championships.
Dr. William H. Wright, Track/Wrestling Coach, 1960-72 (posthumous)
Wright coached track and wrestling and later served as athletics director at NSU. He helped to organize and run the Norfolk Invitational Relays track meet for many years. His track stars, such as Thornton and Johnson, achieved national and international prominence early in the school's college athletic history.
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