The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced today the five members of its' 2012 Hall of Fame Class that will be honored during a brunch on Friday, March 9, beginning at 9 a.m. at the M.C. Benton, Jr. Convention Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The Hall of Fame class will be honored in conjunction with the 2012 MEAC Basketball Tournament, held March 5-10 at the Joel Coliseum.
"We are delighted to recognize another class of noteworthy inductees who have made a substantial and indelible impact to their communities, institutions and our conference," said Dennis E. Thomas, MEAC Commissioner. "I'd like to applaud the 2012 Hall of Fame Class for all of their accomplishments both athletically and professionally."
A limited number of tickets are available for the induction brunch at $30 per seat or $300 per table (10 persons). Tickets can be purchased by calling the MEAC Office at 757-951-2055.
The MEAC Hall of Fame includes former student-athletes, coaches, university and/or conference administrators as well as special contributors, who have enriched the legacy of the conference since its inception in 1969. Enshrinees were selected by a 13-person committee made up of administrators from member institutions.
The inaugural Hall of Fame class was inducted on May 29, 1981, during a 10-year anniversary banquet in Greensboro, North Carolina. Since its establishment, the Hall of Fame has enshrined 113 people, including the Class of 2012.
The 2012 MEAC Hall of Fame Inductees are:
Inducted as a Student-Athletes:
Amber Alford, Florida A&M - Alford guided the Florida A&M Lady Rattler softball team to three straight MEAC titles from 1997-1999. She was named MEAC Rookie of the Year in 1997 and followed with MEAC Player of the Year accolades in 1998. The former pitcher concluded her collegiate career with a 75-47 record and a 2.19 ERA while striking out 487 batters. Alford is atop the FAMU softball history books with 43 out of 49 complete games pitched in 1998. She earned All-American honors and MEAC Tournament Outstanding Performer accolades twice during her career.
Jermaine "JD" Hall, Bethune-Cookman - Hall was a three-year starter at Bethune-Cookman and holds the school's all-time mark in passing attempts (1,150) and completions (558). He is second all time in passing yards (7,154) and passing touchdowns (44). After graduating with a degree in Criminal Justice, Hall joined his former Head Coach Larry Little at North Carolina Central and served as the Offensive Coordinator. Hall continued his coaching career at North Carolina A&T, Connecticut and Vanderbilt before taking over the helm at Mandarin High School in Jacksonville (Fla.). Hall passed away in 2007 and will be inducted into the hall of fame posthumously.
Alisha "Tuff" Hill, Howard - Hill led the Lady Bison to three consecutive NCAA tournament berths (1996-1998). She is the MEAC women's basketball all-time leading scorer with 2,179 points. She holds the school record for field goal percentage (.600) and most free throws attempted in a season (262 in 1997-98). She was a three-time All-MEAC First Team selection, a MEAC All-Rookie team selection (1995) and the MEAC Player of the Year (1998). Hill also earned MEAC Tournament Outstanding Performer honors in 1997 and 1998. During the 1997-98 season, she led the nation in rebounding with an average of 13.2.
Philip Murphy, South Carolina State - Murphy earned the conference's top defensive accolade as a senior when he was named the 1979 MEAC Football Defensive Player of the Year. During that same year, Murphy was named an All-MEAC First Team selection, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) I-AA All-American, Sheridan Broadcasting Network (SBN) All-American, Kodak All-American First Team selection, Associated Press Third Team Little All-American and Defensive MVP of the Senior Bowl. In 1980 he was drafted in the National Football League in the third round by the Los Angeles Rams. He was also a standout thrower in track and field at South Carolina State. Murphy holds the school record in the shot put at 57-2 ft. His mark in the event was also a MEAC outdoor track and field record from 1979-2007. Murphy was a four-time MEAC outdoor track and field champion in the shot put and two time MEAC outdoor track and field champion in the discus. He was inducted into the South Carolina State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998, the Xavier High School Hall of Fame and is a member of the South Carolina State Centennial (1907-2007) Football Team.
Tarvis Williams, Hampton- Williams played for the Pirates from 1997 to 2001, finishing as the school's sixth all-time scorer with 1,754 points. He averaged 21.9 points as a senior and led the nation with 4.6 blocks per game. Williams set school records in every blocking category including: single game (12), single season (147), career (448), season average (4.6 bpg), and career average (3.8 bpg).
He garnered numerous MEAC accolades during his career including Rookie of the Year (1998), a All-MEAC Second Team selection (1997-98), a All-MEAC First Team selection (2000-01 and the Player of the Year honor (2001). Williams, the 2001 Tournament Outstanding Performer, is credited with hitting the game winning shot that aided the #15 Pirates past second seeded Iowa State, 58-57, in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The win marked the second time in MEAC history, that a #15 seed upset a #2 seed in the tournament. A two-time MEAC All-Tournament team selection (2000, 2001), Williams currently plays professional basketball for BC Prievidza in Slovakia.