Most walls are ordinary.
The walls of the Hall of Fame are considered extraordinary.
The college added eight new plaques to the infamous wall in the Norton Center during the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Oct. 27.
The first was Alumni Tim Reynolds Jr., a 2015 graduate. He was known for his notability on the football tea, and has since followed a coaching career that has currently stationed him at Averett University, coaching men’s basketball as the head coach, leaving the stir and stadium behind.
Because of his current profession, Reynolds’ award had to be given early, contradicting alphabetical order, because he was forced to leave due to a basketball game he needed to coach.
“I am thrilled to have the honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” he said as he accepted his plaque.
Reynolds expressed gratitude toward all who supported him in his journey to the man he is today and was followed by ’13 alum Tesla Akers-Southcott, who still holds the No. 8 spot of all-time women’s basketball’s highest scorers at the college with 1390 career points.
During her speech, Akers-Southcott became emotional, thanking her family, friends, and everyone who became her family during her time here.
“I cannot even begin to talk about myself,” she began.“It was my dream, but I didn’t get here on my own.”
Sixty-one alum Ken Blackley, known for his basketball career, and ‘68 alum Sterling Dusharm, once a prominent football player, were also inducted at the ceremony.
Next, ‘66 alum Lynn Grine Dillon was introduced, a woman recognized for her participation in basketball, tennis, and five intramurals: archery, badminton, softball, tumbling, and volleyball.
“I was here when Ferrum was just a junior college,” Dillon remarked, “and it feels so good to be back here.”
Though unable to speak due to illness, ‘76 alum John Morabito was recognized as a new Hall-of-Famer, resulting from his accomplishments as a football player during his time at the college, alongside ‘68 alum Cary Stockdell.
A little closer to home, senior woman administrator of sports Gail Holley was the eighth inductee, a Panther that still keeps Ferrum in her hearts and is still her home.
Holley has spent 45 years at the college and is the Senior Women’s Administrator of Sports on campus–a title that only the elite and dedicated achieve.
However, the ceremony served as more than a celebration of the 2024 Hall of Fame inductees. It was an opportunity for all Panthers, old and new, to socialize and reminisce about the good ole days.
For example, ‘66 alum and previous Hall of Fame nominee Donnie Brown attended the event in support of his old friends and teammates.
“I was nominated Mr. Football back in my day. I must have been a pretty good guy or something,” Brown joked.
Jokes, laughter, memories, and more were all shared throughout the event, concluding with an Italian-cuisine lunch and an afternoon invitation to the president’s suite at the Blackhats football game against Washington and Lee.
