FLORENCE
-- The seventeenth class of inductees
into the University of North Alabama
Athletic Hall of Fame will include four
players who were part of three consecutive
national championship teams, the second
major league baseball player in school
history and the school's only five-time
All-Gulf South Conference selection.
Former Lion football players Cody Gross,
Keith Humphrey, Israel Raybon and Jon
Thompson, former baseball standout Jim
Czajkowski and volleyball and softball
standout Kristie Grant will become the
latest inductees into UNA's Athletic Hall of
Fame on October 14.
The UNA Athletic Hall of Fame has inducted
four members each year since its creation in
1990 but expanded the number of inductees to
six this year.
This year's induction, scheduled for 9:30
a.m. on October 14 at the Guillot University
Center, brings the total number of inductees
into the UNA Athletic Hall of Fame to 70.
Czajkowski,
a native of Houston, Texas, pitchedfor the
Lions baseball teams in 1985 and 1986. He
helped lead UNA to a 46-11-1 record in 1985
and a 34-16-1 mark in 1986. He was selected
GSC Pitcher of the Week for April 15, 1986
and led the Lions in earned run average as a
senior at 1.98. He had a school-record
streak of 24 consecutive scoreless innings
in 1986 as well. In 1985 he was 6-1 with one
save, pitching 55.0 innings with a 3.93 ERA.
He was used primarily as a reliever ss a
senior, he was 3-1 with four saves. He
allowed just eight earned runs in 36.12
innings. He had a 9-2 career record with a
3.13 ERA with just 27 walks and 71
strikeouts.
He became UNA’s second
major league baseball player. He was
originally drafted in the 29th round of the
1986 amateur draft by the Atlanta Braves and
spent seven years in the minor leagues as
part of the Braves, Pirates, Brewers, Cubs
and Rockies organizations before he made his
major league debut on July 29, 1994 for the
Rockies against the San Francisco Giants. In
1994 he pitched in five games with the
Rockies with a 4.15 ERA in 8.7 innings. He
spent three more years in the minor leagues
before retiring as a player in 1998. In 2000
he became a minor league pitching coach in
the Atlanta Braves organization and had
coached in the Braves organization for seven
years at the time of his induction.
Grant,
a native from Walnut Grove, Ala., was a
three-year letterman in both volleyball
(1988-90) and softball (1989-91)at UNA.
She earned
All-Gulf South Conference honors five times
and was also Academic All-GSC.
She is the
only athlete in school history to be
selected All-GSC five times.
In
volleyball, Grant was a member of the 1988
Gulf South Conference Championship team that
went 30-7. She was selected to the All-GSC
team in 1988, 1989 and 1990 and the GSC
All-Tournament team in 1989. She also
received Academic All-GSC honors in 1989.
In softball,
Grant ranked fourth in home runs (6) and
twelfth in triples (5) in the NCAA Division
II standings in 1990. Selected All-GSC in
1990 and 1991.
She ended
her career with 264 at bats, 93 hits, 14
doubles, 15 triples and 10 home runs with a
.352 batting average.
Gross,
a native of Rogersville, Ala., had a 41-2 record
as a starting quarterback from 1992-95 including
a 12-1 record as a starter in the NCAA playoffs.
He set school records for career rushing
touchdowns and touchdowns scored (40), career
touchdowns responsible for (65) and career total
offense (5,614).
His only two
losses as a starter were to 1992 Division II
National Champion Jacksonville State in the NCAA
quarterfinals (12-10) and to 1994 Division I-AA
National Champion Youngstown State (17-14) in
Youngstown in a regular-season matchup. Despite
suffering a torn muscle, he played extensively
in the 1995 Division II Championship Game,
leading three scoring drives in a 27-7 win over
Pittsburg State.
He led UNA
to 14-0, 13-1 and 14-0 records from 1993-95 and
played on UNA teams with a combined 48-5-1
record that included three straight GSC titles,
three straight national championships and four
straight playoff appearances. He was selected
for the 50th Anniversary UNA Football Team for
1949-98, the Gulf South Conference "Team of the
Quarter Century" for 1971-95 and the Gulf South
Conference Team of the 1990s. He began his
coaching career as an assistant at Lauderdale
County High School before being hired as an
assistant coach at UNA. After three years with
the Lions he spent two years as an assistant
coach at Delta State - one year as offensive
coordinator and one as assistant head coach. For
the last four years he has been an assistant
coach at Athens High School.
Humphrey,
a native of Huntsville, Ala., was a three-year
starter, three-time All-Gulf South Conference
pick and two-time All-American at linebacker for
the Lions from 1992-95.
He played on
UNA teams with a combined 48-5-1 record that
included three GSC championships and three
Division II National Championships. He made 380
career tackles, with 250 primary stops, 49
tackles for loss of 139 yards in losses, 4.5
sacks for 23 yards and nine interceptions.
He set
school records for career tackles for loss (49)
and fumbles recovered (11). He made 108 tackles
as a senior with 21 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks
and three interceptions as the Lions defense led
Division II in rushing and scoring defense and
was second in total defense. UNA also led the
GSC in all four defensive categories. He was
named to the Gulf South Conference "Team of the
Quarter Century" for 1971-95, the Gulf South
Conference Team of the 1990s and the 50th
Anniversary UNA Football Team for 1949-98.
Following
his career at UNA he served as a graduate
assistant coach at Temple University in 1998 and
1999 before receiving his Master's degree of
Education Administration from Temple.
Thompson,
a native of Muscle Shoals, Ala., was a
four-year starter and two-time All-American
on the UNA offensive line from 1992-95.
He was selected All-Gulf
South Conference four straight years on
teams with a combined 48-5-1 record that
included three straight GSC titles and three
straight Division II National Championships.
He was named to the Gulf
South Conference "Team of the Quarter
Century" for 1971-95, the Gulf South
Conference Team of the 1990s and the NCAA
Division II "Team of the Quarter Century"
for 1973-97. He helped pave the way for some
of the premier offensive efforts in school
history as UNA went 14-0 in 1993, 13-1 in
1994 and 14-0 in 1995. The Lions led the
nation in rushing 1993, were third in 1995
and fifth in 1992 and 1994.
UNA was sixth nationally in scoring in 1993
and 1995. He was a consensus All-American
pick as a junior and senior and was selected
as a permanent team captain. He was selected
for the 50th Anniversary UNA Football Team
for 1949-98.
Thompson has been a high
school football coach since his graduation
from UNA in 1996.
Raybon,
from Huntsville, Ala. was a four-year
letterman on the defensive line at UNA and
earned All-Gulf South Conference and
All-American honors as a junior and senior.
He played on UNA teams with a combinde
48-5-1 record from 1992-95 that included
three straight GSC titles and three straight
Division II National Championships. He
finished his career with 187 stops and 116
primary stops. He had 32 tackles for loss of
98 yards and 12.5 sacks for 92 yards. He set
a school record with nine career blocked
kicks. He played in the 1995 Blue-Gray
All-Star Classic and was selected as the
Gray Defensive Most Valuable Player. He also
played in the 1995 East-West Shrine Classic.
He was selected for the NCAA Division II
"Team of the Quarter Century" for 1973-97,
the Gulf South Conference "Team of the
Quarter Century" for 1971-95, the Gulf South
Conference Team of the 1990s and the 50th
Anniversary UNA Football Team for 1949-98.
He was drafted and signed by the Pittsburgh
Steelers following his senior season,
playing one season in the National Football
League with the Steelers and one season with
the Carolina Panthers. He also played with
the New York/New Jersey Hitmen in the XFL in
2000 and spent three years on the Grand
Rapids Rampage of the Arena Football League,
where he was league Defensive Rookie of the
Year.
Class of 1990
Doyle "Dabbs" Earnest
Basketball (1959-62)
Baseball (1960-63)
Eddie Flowers
Head Baseball, Basketball and
Tennis Coach,
Athletic Director (1932-69)
Harlon Hill
Football (1950-53)
Basketball (1951)
Hal Self
Head Football Coach (1949-69)
Athletic Director (1969-73)
Class of 1991
Otis Boddie
Basketball (1977-80)
John Bostick
Basketball (1953-56)
Football (1953-55)
Baseball (1953-56)
Max Burleson
Football (1956-58)
Basketball (1956-57)
Baseball (1956-59)
Winfrey "Wimp" Sanderson
Basketball (1957-59)
Class of 1992
Bill Jones
Basketball (1955-57)
Head Basketball Coach (1975-88)
Asst. Athletic Director (1974-77)
Associate Athletic Director (1977-87)
Athletic Director (1987-94)
Ricky Lindsey
Football (1966-68)
Baseball (1967-69)
Head Baseball Coach (1973-74)
Jack Redwine
Football (1956-58)
Basketball (1957)
Baseball (1955-58)
Golf (1958-59)
Wendell Taylor
Football (1952-55)
Baseball (1953-55)
Class of 1993
Wanda Beckham
Women's Basketball (1979-80)
Coleman Crawford
Basketball (1974-75)
William "Brub" Hamilton
Football (1952-55)
Asst. Football Coach (1970-71)
Larry "Snuffy" Smith
Basketball (1968-71)
Class of 1994
Don Cornelius
Football (1964-67)
Joe Elmore
Football (1950-53)
Asst. Football Coach (1968-69)
Jud Stockard
Golf (1967-70)
George Weeks
Asst. Football Coach (1949-69)
Head Baseball Coach (1949-71)
Class of 1995
Joe Brewer
Football (1949, 52-54)
Baseball (1950, 53-55)
Sam Hardy
Basketball (1950-53)
Gerald Lavender
Basketball (1977-80)
Roger Ralph
Football (1973-75)
Baseball (1973-75)
Class of 1996
Ed Billingham
Men's Basketball Coach (1949-72)
Bruce Jones
Football (1982-85)
Alton "Monk" Romine
Football (1951-53)
Basketball (1952-55)
Leonard "Rabbit" Thomas
Football (1968-71)
Class of 1997
Billy Don Anderson
Football (1959-61)
Dr. Robert M. Guillot
President (1972-89)
Doug Key
Basketball (1962-65)
Cedric Landrum
Baseball (1982-85)
Class of 1998
Charles Cunningham
Basketball (1972-73)
Don Faint
Basketball (1968-71)
James Knowles
Football (1982-85)
Grady Liles
Sportsman's Club President (1981-)
Class of 1999
Rick Chavez
Baseball (1984-85)
Johnny Long
Athletic Trainer (1971-88)
Asst. Athletic Director (1988-89)
Hal Sisson
Football (1954-56)
Maurice Stafford
Basketball (1983-84)
Asst. Women's BB Coach (1996-98)
Class of 2000
LaConger Cohran
Women's Basketball (1984-85)
Eddie Frost
Basketball (1957-58, 60-61)
Baseball (1958-61)
Tommy Ledbetter
Basketball (1969-71)
Terence Witherspoon
Football (1974-77)
Class of 2001
Brenda Mayes (Harris)
Women's Basketball (1984-85)
Brice Bishop
Tennis (1982-85)
James Davis, Jr.
Football (1987-90)
Albert Owens
Basketball (1979-82)
Class of 2002
William Bowens
Football (1976-79)
Mike Burns
Baseball (1989-90)
Bill Hyde
Football Assistant (1977-87, 92-97)
Head Football Coach (1998-2001)
L.L. Whitten
Football (1949-52)
Baseball (1950-51)
Class of 2003
Gary Elliott
Head Women’s Basketball Coach (1979-82)
Head Baseball Coach (1979)
Head Golf Coach (1980-88)
Asst. Men’s Basketball Coach (1983-88)
Head Men’s Basketball Coach (1989-2003)
Lawson Fletcher
Football (1978-81)
Tracy McCall
Women's Basketball (1988-91)
Don Smith
Football (1979-82)
Class of 2004
Rod Brooks
Football (1980-83)
Kristy Hunter Holdbrooks
Volleyball (1989-90)
Softball (1990-93)
Gerald "Tuffy" Hudson
Football (1957-60)
Tyrone Rush
Football (1989, 91- 93)
Class of 2005
Wayne Byrd
Women's Basketball Coach (1983-98)
Carol Franklin Bishop
Cross Country (1985-87)
Jeff Redcross
Football (1990-93)
Steve Thrasher
Basketball (1960-63)
Class of 2006
Jim Czajkowski
Baseball (1985-86)
Kristie Grant
Volleyball (1988-90)
Softball (1989-91)
Cody Gross
Football (1992-95)
Keith Humphrey
Football (1992-95)
Israel Raybon
Football (1992-95)
Jon Thompson
Football (1992-95)
