ASHEVILLE ? What do Arnold Palmer, Jerry West, Charlie “Choo-Choo” Justice, Bear Bryant, Adolph Rupp and Lefty Driesell have in common?
In addition to ranking among the best in their respective sports, each could be a charter member of the Southern Conference Hall of Fame.
The 88-year-old league, the fifth oldest Division I Conference in the country and forerunner to the Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences, is in the process of selecting its inaugural class.
Now based in Spartanburg, S.C., the SoCon is forming a selection committee and plans to create a list of nominees that will be whittled down to a group of 10-15 inductees for a May 4, 2009 ceremony.
Paring down that original list from a group that should also include legends like Dick Groat, Sam Huff, Frank Selvy and Terrell Owens will be a challenge for a league rich in the history of collegiate athletics.
“Names like Palmer and Bryant, that’s a pretty good start for a Hall of Fame,” said Appalachian State head coach Jerry Moore, the all-time leader in career SoCon wins (109) in his 20th season in Boone.
“I think it’s a great idea and great for our league. Not everyone realizes what incredible representation this conference has had over the years,” Moore said.
Western North Carolina’s best bet for inclusion in the inaugural class would be Justice, who grew up in Asheville, starred as a high-school player here and was a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy while a triple-threat back at North Carolina from 1946-49.
With local schools Appalachian State and Western Carolina in the SoCon, possibilities for the hall include football coaches Moore and WCU’s Bob Waters.
“That would be a fantasy dream, to be mentioned with people like that,” Moore said.
SoCon history
The Southern Intercollegiate Conference was formed on Feb. 21, 1921, at a meeting of 14 college administrators in Atlanta.
At that time there were 30 members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, and the new league was created to produce more inter-conference games against members.
The inaugural group of schools consisted mainly of universities now in the Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences.
When the Southern Conference membership reached 23 schools by 1932, 13 schools broke away to form the SEC.
That left 10 universities in the SoCon, a number that grew to 17 by 1952, when the next major shift occurred.
Seven schools ? Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, N.C. State, South Carolina and Wake Forest ? left to form the ACC.
That left the SoCon with 11 schools, including current members The Citadel, Davidson and Furman.
Over the next half-century, school came and went for growth, geographical or other reasons, leaving the SoCon currently with 12 members in five states.
Because 43 schools have been members of the SoCon ? and with a Hall of Fame criteria that includes at least four years as a coach and/or administrator or two seasons as an athlete ? the list of potential inductees is both staggering and impressive.
“We have a great list to choose from, there’s no doubt about that,” said Geoff Cabe, the SoCon’s senior associate commissioner.
“Our committee will take a look at their accomplishments in the league but we will also consider their entire body of work, which would include other leagues or schools and their professional careers. ”
Local connections
Steve White, the sports information director at WCU from 1970-98, has seen thousands of SoCon games and will be part of the selection committee for the HOF.
“The conference has such a rich history, and not just because it’s one of the oldest,” said White, who now serves as WCU’s historian.
“When you look at the make-up ? public schools, private and military ? it’s been a very diverse and unique league.”
White believes people like Waters, who won 116 games in 20 seasons in Cullowhee (1969-88), two-sport star Wayne Tolleson and football great Clyde Simmons will be considered.
Tolleson ranks among the Catamounts’ all-time leaders in several football receiving categories and also was a standout baseball player who had a long and productive career in the major leagues.
Simmons was one of WCU’s best-ever defensive players and had a 15-year career in the NFL, finishing with 121.5 career sacks.
At ASU, Moore’s accomplishments ? 196 career wins and the only FCS coach in history to win three consecutive national championships ? should merit consideration.
The Mountaineers also have some worthy female candidates, including Melissa Morrison-Howard and Valorie Whiteside.
Worthy candidates like Asheville basketball legend Henry Logan are not eligible because WCU was not in the SoCon when Logan scored 3,290 points from 1965-68.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun to go through that list,” said White.
“It’s pretty amazing when you take a look at the people who have come through this league.”
List of legends
An alphabetical list of possible candidates for the inaugural class of the Southern Conference Hall of Fame:
Paul “Bear” Bryant: Won 323 games and six national titles as head football coach; played at Alabama (1932-36) and coached at Maryland (1945).
Everett Case: Was 377-134 (.737) as basketball coach at N.C. State from 1946-64; won six straight SoCon Tournament titles (1947-52).
Beth Daniel: Golfer at Furman who won 33 LPGA Tour events and one major.
Lefty Driesell: Career record of 786-394 in 41 seasons as basketball coach; won three SoCon titles while at Davidson (1960-69).
Melissa Morrison-Howard: Track athlete and 1993 Appalachian State graduate who won 12 SoCon championships; won bronze medal in 100-meter hurdles in 2000 and 2004 Olympics.
Sam Huff: All-American football player at West Virginia (1952-55); played in NFL from 1956-69; named to NFL Hall of Fame.
Dick Groat: Two-time All-American in basketball at Duke, averaged 25.2 points per game and was 1952 National Player of the Year; long pro baseball career included NL MVP in 1960.
“Hot Rod” Hundley: Basketball standout at West Virginia (1955-57); had career averages of 24.5 points and 10.6 rebounds.
Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice: Asheville native had 6,675 yards of total offense as running back at North Carolina (1946-49); Heisman Trophy runner-up in 1949.
Betsy King: Golfer at Furman who won 34 LPGA Tour events and six majors.
Robert Neyland: Football coach at Tennessee, posted 173-40 record; coached in SoCon from 1926-32.
Terrell Owens: Had 113 receptions as wide receiver at Chattanooga (1994-96); entered 2008 season with 134 TD receptions in 13 NFL seasons.
Arnold Palmer: Won 6 majors and 62 PGA Tour events; played at Wake Forest from 1948-50; won SoCon Championship in 1948 and 1949.
Adolph Rupp: Won 876 games as basketball coach at Kentucky; coached three seasons in SoCon (1930-32).
Frank Selvy: Averaged 41.7 points per game as a senior at Furman; scored 100 points vs. Newberry in 1952; two-time All-Star in nine NBA seasons.
Wallace Wade: Football coach, won three national championships at Alabama (1925, 1926 and 1930). Won 110 games in 16 years as head coach at Duke.
Jerry West: Basketball legend at West Virginia, career averages of 24.8 points and 13.3 rebounds; 12-time NBA All-Star.
Valorie Whiteside: Appalachian State basketball player set 42 school records from 1985-88; all-time points leader with 2,944