Ex-Dudley, Clemson great enshrined in Hall of Fame
Former Dudley High School standout Jeff Davis was among 20 athletes and coaches enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., on Saturday.
Davis was an All-American linebacker and the ACC Player of the Year at Clemson in 1981. He went on to play six seasons in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1982 to 1987. He was the Bucs' team captain for four of those seasons.
Also enshrined were Notre Dame defensive tackle Chris Zorich, Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie, Indiana running back Anthony Thompson, Penn State coach Joe Paterno, Texas A&I defensive lineman John Randle; Mount Union quarterback Jim Ballard; Oklahoma center Tom Brahaney; Michigan defensive back Dave Brown; Texas defensive back Johnnie Johnson; Ohio State quarterback Rex Kern; North Alabama linebacker Ronald McKinnon; Oregon running back Ahmad Rashad; McMurry halfback Brad Rowland; Houston defensive tackle Wilson Whitley; Dartmouth linebacker Reggie Williams; and Southern Cal linebacker Richard Wood.
Coaches being enshrined along with Paterno were Central Michigan's Herb Deromedi, Jackson State coach W.C. Gorden, and Doug Porter, who coached at Mississippi Valley State, Howard and Fort Valley State.
Zorich said he can't believe he's in the Hall. "It's really a dream come true," said Zorich, the youngest member of the class at age 39. "These are the greats who made college football. ... So having a chance to be associated with these guys is terrific."
SICKLE-CELL WARNING: Athletes who possess the sickle-cell trait can play competitive sports but should be monitored by trainers if they participate in intense workouts, according to guidelines published by both the NCAA and the National Athletic Trainers Association. The Orange County, Fla., medical examiner found that symptoms associated with sickle-cell trait caused University of Central Florida football player Ereck Plancher to collapse and die during an off-season workout on March 18. Sickle-cell trait can hamper the ability of cells to carry oxygen during physical stress.
