Troy University Athletics
Trojan Great Mike Turk Elected to Division II Hall of Fame
10/10/2007 5:00:00 AM | Football
FLORENCE, Ala. ? Three of the all-time greats of NCAA Division II football will be honored on December 14 as the ninth class of inductees into the Division II Football Hall of Fame in Florence, Ala.
Earl Dotson of Texas A&M University Kingsville, Ronald McKinnon of the University of North Alabama and Mike Turk of Troy State University comprise the 2007 class of inductees and will bring the total number of inductees to 23.
The trio were chosen by a 20-member selection committee and the selection was announced Tuesday by Division II Football Hall of Fame Chairman Jeff Hodges. Dotson, McKinnon and Turk will be inducted on December 15 as part of a combined Harlon Hill Trophy and Division II Football Hall of Fame Banquet at 6:30 p.m. at the Florence Conference Center.
The Division II Football Hall of Fame is housed at Braly Municipal Stadium, which has hosted the Division II Football Championship Game since 1986.
The 35th annual Division II Football Championship Game will be played at Braly Stadium at 11 a.m. on December 15, 2007, and the Harlon Hill Trophy presentation to the Division II Player of the Year, and the Hall of Fame inductions are part of the Shoals area's championship week activities.
The Division II Football Hall of Fame is sponsored by Coca-Cola, The City of Florence, Trustmark Construction, Herff Jones, OptiNet and the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa.
Tickets are $45 each or $360 for a table of eight and are available by calling the Shoals Chamber of Commerce (256) 764-4661 or the UNA Sports Information Office at (256) 765-4595.
Doston becomes the first offensive lineman to be inducted into the Division II Football Hall of Fame. He also becomes the fourth Javelina inductee into the Division II Football Hall of Fame, making Texas A&M-Kingsville the first school with four inductees. Dotson joins Johnny Bailey, Darrell Green and John Randle in the Hall of Fame.
McKinnon is the second inductee from North Alabama and Turk is the first inductee from Troy State. Dotson was a consensus All-American at Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1991 and 1992, earning recognition from the Associated Press, the American Football Coaches Association and Football Gazette. He was the Lone Star Conference Lineman of the Year as a senior and was All-Lone Star Conference. He helped lead the Javelinas to the NCAA playoffs in 1992.
He was the first offensive lineman to be a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy when he finished seventh in the 1992 voting. He is now one of just two offensive linemen to achieve that distinction in the 21-year history of the award.
He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers and gained a starting role in the second game of his career. He was the starting tackle on the 1997 Super Bowl Championship team and his 10-year NFL career included two Super Bowls and 12 playoff games. He played in 120 games for the Packers from 1993-2002.
In 1997 he was selected for the NCAA Division II Team of the Quarter Century. McKinnon, a native of Elba, Ala., was a four-year starter on Lion football teams from 1992-95 and is one of the most honored athletes in college football history. A four-time, first-team All-GSC selection,
McKinnon is one of just a handful of three-time consensus All-Americans in NCAA Division II history. He was selected the winner of the 1995 Harlon Hill Trophy as NCAA Division II National Player of the Year, becoming the first ? and so far only ? defensive player to win the award.
He helped lead UNA to a combined 48-5-1 record that included three straight GSC championships and three straight NCAA Division II National Championships. He closed his career as the leading tackler in school and GSC history with 621 total stops and 407 primary stops. He had 29 career tackles for loss, seven sacks, 11 interceptions and recovered five fumbles. As a senior he had 139 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, four interceptions and four sacks.
He was named to the Gulf South Conference "Team of the Quarter Century" for 1971-95, was selected the "GSC Defensive Player of the Quarter Century" for 1971-95 and was named to the NCAA Division II "Team of the Quarter Century" for 1973-97. He was selected for the 50th Anniversary UNA Football Team for 1949-98, the Gulf South Conference Team of the 1990s and was named Alabama Sports Writers Association State Professional Athlete of the Year for 1998.
He signed a free agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League following his senior season and spent the next 10 seasons in professional football. McKinnon played in 157 NFL games, spending nine seasons with the Cardinals and one with the New Orleans Saints. He finished his professional career with more than 1,000 tackles, 12 sacks and 10 pass interceptions.
Turk, a native of Montgomery, Ala., was a walk-on quarterback at Troy State University (now Troy University) who led the Trojans to NCAA Division II National Championships in 1984 and 1987. He was a three-time, first-team All-GSC pick and was the runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy as a senior in 1987.
He was a consensus All-American pick as a senior and was Football News Division II Offensive Player of the Year. That same season he became the first person to be chosen as the Alabama Sports Writers' Association Small College Athlete of the Year and Amateur Athlete of the Year in the same year.
During his playing career, Turk rushed for 2,632 yards and produced 5,739 yards of total offense. Both of those figures rank second in Trojan football history. Turk led the Trojans to a 40-8-1 overall record during his career, including a 7-1 record in the Division II playoffs.
Following his graduation from Troy, Turk coached 13 seasons with the Trojans. During his time as running backs coach at Troy, the Trojans had nine backs earn all-conference honors. He is now in his fourth season as head football coach of the Huntingdon College Hawks in his hometown of Montgomery.
Division II Football Hall of Fame
Earl Dotson of Texas A&M University Kingsville, Ronald McKinnon of the University of North Alabama and Mike Turk of Troy State University comprise the 2007 class of inductees and will bring the total number of inductees to 23.
The trio were chosen by a 20-member selection committee and the selection was announced Tuesday by Division II Football Hall of Fame Chairman Jeff Hodges. Dotson, McKinnon and Turk will be inducted on December 15 as part of a combined Harlon Hill Trophy and Division II Football Hall of Fame Banquet at 6:30 p.m. at the Florence Conference Center.
The Division II Football Hall of Fame is housed at Braly Municipal Stadium, which has hosted the Division II Football Championship Game since 1986.
The 35th annual Division II Football Championship Game will be played at Braly Stadium at 11 a.m. on December 15, 2007, and the Harlon Hill Trophy presentation to the Division II Player of the Year, and the Hall of Fame inductions are part of the Shoals area's championship week activities.
The Division II Football Hall of Fame is sponsored by Coca-Cola, The City of Florence, Trustmark Construction, Herff Jones, OptiNet and the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa.
Tickets are $45 each or $360 for a table of eight and are available by calling the Shoals Chamber of Commerce (256) 764-4661 or the UNA Sports Information Office at (256) 765-4595.
Doston becomes the first offensive lineman to be inducted into the Division II Football Hall of Fame. He also becomes the fourth Javelina inductee into the Division II Football Hall of Fame, making Texas A&M-Kingsville the first school with four inductees. Dotson joins Johnny Bailey, Darrell Green and John Randle in the Hall of Fame.
McKinnon is the second inductee from North Alabama and Turk is the first inductee from Troy State. Dotson was a consensus All-American at Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1991 and 1992, earning recognition from the Associated Press, the American Football Coaches Association and Football Gazette. He was the Lone Star Conference Lineman of the Year as a senior and was All-Lone Star Conference. He helped lead the Javelinas to the NCAA playoffs in 1992.
He was the first offensive lineman to be a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy when he finished seventh in the 1992 voting. He is now one of just two offensive linemen to achieve that distinction in the 21-year history of the award.
He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers and gained a starting role in the second game of his career. He was the starting tackle on the 1997 Super Bowl Championship team and his 10-year NFL career included two Super Bowls and 12 playoff games. He played in 120 games for the Packers from 1993-2002.
In 1997 he was selected for the NCAA Division II Team of the Quarter Century. McKinnon, a native of Elba, Ala., was a four-year starter on Lion football teams from 1992-95 and is one of the most honored athletes in college football history. A four-time, first-team All-GSC selection,
McKinnon is one of just a handful of three-time consensus All-Americans in NCAA Division II history. He was selected the winner of the 1995 Harlon Hill Trophy as NCAA Division II National Player of the Year, becoming the first ? and so far only ? defensive player to win the award.
He helped lead UNA to a combined 48-5-1 record that included three straight GSC championships and three straight NCAA Division II National Championships. He closed his career as the leading tackler in school and GSC history with 621 total stops and 407 primary stops. He had 29 career tackles for loss, seven sacks, 11 interceptions and recovered five fumbles. As a senior he had 139 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, four interceptions and four sacks.
He was named to the Gulf South Conference "Team of the Quarter Century" for 1971-95, was selected the "GSC Defensive Player of the Quarter Century" for 1971-95 and was named to the NCAA Division II "Team of the Quarter Century" for 1973-97. He was selected for the 50th Anniversary UNA Football Team for 1949-98, the Gulf South Conference Team of the 1990s and was named Alabama Sports Writers Association State Professional Athlete of the Year for 1998.
He signed a free agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League following his senior season and spent the next 10 seasons in professional football. McKinnon played in 157 NFL games, spending nine seasons with the Cardinals and one with the New Orleans Saints. He finished his professional career with more than 1,000 tackles, 12 sacks and 10 pass interceptions.
Turk, a native of Montgomery, Ala., was a walk-on quarterback at Troy State University (now Troy University) who led the Trojans to NCAA Division II National Championships in 1984 and 1987. He was a three-time, first-team All-GSC pick and was the runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy as a senior in 1987. He was a consensus All-American pick as a senior and was Football News Division II Offensive Player of the Year. That same season he became the first person to be chosen as the Alabama Sports Writers' Association Small College Athlete of the Year and Amateur Athlete of the Year in the same year.
During his playing career, Turk rushed for 2,632 yards and produced 5,739 yards of total offense. Both of those figures rank second in Trojan football history. Turk led the Trojans to a 40-8-1 overall record during his career, including a 7-1 record in the Division II playoffs.
Following his graduation from Troy, Turk coached 13 seasons with the Trojans. During his time as running backs coach at Troy, the Trojans had nine backs earn all-conference honors. He is now in his fourth season as head football coach of the Huntingdon College Hawks in his hometown of Montgomery.
Division II Football Hall of Fame
| Class of 1999 | |||
| Johnny Bailey | RB | Texas A&M-Kingsville | 1986-89 |
| Jeff Bentrim | QB | North Dakota State | 1983-86 |
| Walter Payton | RB | Jackson State | 1971-74 |
| Class of 2000 | |||
| Harry Carson | LB | South Carolina State | 1972-75 |
| Pierce Holt | DL | Angelo State | 1984-87 |
| John Stallworth | WR | Alabama A&M | 1970-73 |
| Class of 2001 | |||
| Brent Jones | TE | Santa Clara | 1982-85 |
| Greg Lloyd | LB | Fort Valley State | 1983-86 |
| Ken O'Brien | QB | UC Davis | 1980-82 |
| Class of 2002 | |||
| Scott Brunner | QB | Delaware | 1978-79 |
| Andre Reed | WR | Kutztown | 1981-84 |
| Jessie Tuggle | LB | Valdosta State | 1983-86 |
| Class of 2003 | |||
| Darrell Green | DB | Texas A&M-Kingsville | 1981-82 |
| Class of 2004 | |||
| Phil Hansen | DL | North Dakota State | 1987-90 |
| Class of 2005 | |||
| Chris Hatcher | QB | Valdosta State | 1991-94 |
| Ronald Moore | RB | Pittsburg State | 1989-92 |
| Donnie Shell | DB | South Carolina State | 1970-73 |
| Class of 2006 | |||
| Cody Gross | QB | North Alabama | 1992-95 |
| John Randle | DL | Texas A&M-Kingsville | 1988-89 |
| Sean Landeta | P | Towson | 1979-82 |
| Class of 2007 | |||
| Earl Dotson | OL | Texas A&M-Kingsville | 1991-92 |
| Ronald McKinnon | LB | North Alabama | 1992-95 |
| Mike Turk | QB | Troy State | 1984-87 |
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