Troy Announces 2016 Sports Hall of Fame Class & Banquet Date

TROY, Alabama – Six former Troy University student-athletes, one administrator and the long-time "Voice of the Trojans" will be enshrined into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame, Athletics Director Jeremy McClain announced Friday.

The fifth class into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame consists of Sandy Atkins (softball/administration), Ralph Black (broadcasting), David Felix (men's basketball), Al Lucas (football), Rick Maxey (football), Terry McCord (men's basketball), Charles Pickett (football) and Johnny Williams (administration).

Seats for the ceremony in Trojan Arena, which will take place April 9, can be purchased for $100 each and tables can be purchased for $800. Sponsorships are also available for the evening. For more information, or to purchase tickets, contact Hannah Mason at 334-670-3683.

Sandy Atkins – Softball / Administration
A dynamic offensive threat, Sandy Atkins helped lead the Troy softball team to its best season in school history, while at the same time etching her name in the Troy record book. Additionally, Atkins helped pave the way for the future of the Troy softball program as she played on the first two teams in the program's Division I history. A native of Sweet Water, Ala., Atkins finished her Troy career with a .359 batting average over two seasons, which is a number that still holds true as the best in school history. She also ranks fifth in on-base percentage (.419) and steals (69) despite playing just two seasons. As a senior, Atkins set Troy single-season records for hits (85) and runs scored (54), while posting the second-most stolen bases (36) and fifth-best batting average (.373); her stolen base total was ninth nationally. Troy posted a school-record 58 wins during her senior campaign, including a victory over Georgia Tech. As a junior, Atkins ranked 18^th in the NCAA with 31 stolen bases in addition to leading the Trojans with 44 runs scored. She transfered to Troy following two seasons at Shelton State where she was a NJCAA All-American. Atkins currently serves as the Senior Associate Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator at Troy. She joined the Troy staff in 2001 as the Director of Compliance and quickly moved up the ranks within the department. Following her playing career, Atkins earned her master's degree at Kentucky and was the Assistant Director of Compliance at the Southeastern Conference.

Ralph Black – Broadcasting
"Holy Mackerel" is a signature phrase that any fan of Troy during the 1980s will surely recognize. Legendary "Voice of the Trojans" Ralph Black was responsible for that historic call and many others during his 26 years as the play-by-play broadcaster for Troy football, basketball and baseball. Black's "Holy Mackerel" call came as Ted Clem booted a 50-yard field goal as time expired to win the 1984 NCAA Division II National Championship Game. Remarkably, that was just one of four national championships that Black called during his career, as his voice painted the picture for the 1987 football national title, in addition to the 1986 and 1987 baseball national championships. Black was also part of the 1993 men's basketball run to the national championship game. A native of Montgomery, Ala., Black called over 1,000 Troy sporting events from 1976 to 2002 and helped build the Troy State Sports Network into one of the largest of its kind in Alabama, at one point comprising 18 stations. He called 122 straight Troy football games, including Troy's first season as a Division I member. Still an important voice in the Troy community, Black is an on-air personality at WTBF and he can be heard as the public address voice for Charles Henderson High School football in addition to several local high school radio broadcasts.

David Felix – Men's Basketball
It's not too often that an individual can make a significant mark on a program both as a player and as a coach, but that is exactly what David Felix did for Troy basketball. As a player, Felix still holds the school records for assists (625) and steals (251), in addition to ranking sixth all-time in points (1,469), fifth in field goals made (612), seventh in free throws made (245) and fifth in assists/game (5.9). A member of the 1973-77 Trojans, Felix averaged 13.9 points per game over his career and helped lead Troy to a trio of winning seasons. A three-time All-Gulf South Conference selection, Felix was instrumental in Troy's 1977 Gulf South Conference championship. Upon graduation, Felix spent two seasons as the head coach at Lowndes Academy before returning to Troy as an assistant coach under Troy University Sports Hall of Fame member Don Maestri. Felix spent 32 seasons as an assistant coach at Troy with the final 31 coming on Maestri's staff. He helped guide the Trojans to four trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament, a pair of NCAA Division II Final Four appearances (1988, 1993), one NCAA Division I Tournament appearance in 2003 and two NIT appearances. With Felix on the staff, Troy led the nation in 3-pointers made per game on six different occasions and won three NCAA scoring titles.

Al Lucas – Football
Two-time All-American and 1999 Buck Buchanan Award winner, Al Lucas was a true force on Troy's defensive line during the late 1990s. A unanimous All-America selection following his senior year in 1999, Lucas led the Trojans to an 11-2 record and a berth in the NCAA FCS (I-AA) quarterfinals. He finished the season with 129 tackles and 20 tackles for loss, which rank as the ninth and third most in a single-season in school history, respectively. Lucas was presented the Buck Buchanan Award that season for being the top defensive player in the nation at the FCS level. His senior season didn't come as much of a surprise as the Macon, Ga., native earned All-America honors as a junior after recording 65 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. The Trojans also used Lucas on offense in goal line situations and he rushed for nine touchdowns on 26 carries. He still ranks among the all-time best at Troy as he is tied for seventh in tackles for loss, 11^th in assisted tackles, 12^th in tackle for loss yards and 17^th in yards from sacks. Lucas played 20 games for the Carolina Panthers in the NFL from 2000-01 and was the fourth overall pick in the 2003 NFL Europe Draft, but elected to play in the Arena Football League (AFL). Lucas took the AFL by storm as he was named to the AFL All-Rookie Team and helped the Arizona Rattlers win the ArenaBowl. Lucas tragically passed away at the age of 26 from an injury suffered on April 10, 2005, in an AFL game between Lucas' Los Angeles Avengers and the New York Dragons. The AFL renamed its Hero Award to the Al Lucas Award, while the Maxwell Football Club has named its AFL Player of the Year award in his honor.

Rick Maxey
One of the most feared defensive players of the 1970s, Rick Maxey was a four-year starter for the Trojans at linebacker and was named one of the team's permanent captains his senior year. A native of Ocoee, Fla., Maxey led the Trojans in tackles as a sophomore and a senior en route to earning NAIA All-District honors his sophomore campaign. A member of the 1974-77 football teams, Maxey helped lead Troy to a 1976 Gulf South Conference championship as the Trojans finished the year 8-1-1 overall and 7-1 in conference play. In addition to leading Troy in tackles as a sophomore, he also recorded 15 sacks that season, a number that still ranks as the fifth most in school history. Maxey's career numbers still hold the test of time as he ranks ninth all-time in Troy history in total tackles (333), sixth in solo tackles (200) and is tied for sixth in sacks (26). Maxey continued a life in football as he coached Pee Wee Football for 15 years in addition to serving on the Troy Alumni Association Board of Directors and as the Director of Education Policy for the State University System of Florida.

Terry McCord (Men's Basketball)
One of the top offensive players in Troy men's basketball history, Terry McCord not only lit up the scoreboard, but he also helped lead Troy to the 1993 NCAA Division II National Championship Game. A native of Anniston, Ala., McCord earned All-America honors his senior year after averaging a Troy single-season record 24.2 points per game. The Trojans posted a 27-5 record that season and topped the 100-point mark a remarkable 24 times, including scoring over 140 points three times. McCord also a set Troy single-season record that season for free throws made (156). Despite playing just two seasons, McCord ranks second all-time in scoring average at 22.0 points per game, while ranking 10^th in points (1,300) and 10^th in free throws made (226). An accurate shooter, McCord shot over 50 percent from the floor and made 136 3-pointers in his career with the Trojans. Troy posted a 50-11 combined record in his two seasons and the Trojans played in the NCAA South Regional his junior year.

Charles Pickett (Football)
Troy's all-time sack leader and a three-time NAIA All-District selection, Charles Pickett's name is littered throughout the Troy defensive record book following an All-American career. Pickett earned honorable mention All-America and NAIA All-District honors following his junior season in 1975 after recording 106 tackles and 19 sacks. The Jacksonville, Fla., native followed with another 19-sack season his senior year as the Trojans went on to win the Gulf South Conference championship with an 8-1-1 overall record and 7-1 league mark. Pickett's two 19-sack seasons are tied for second most in a single-season in Troy history, while his 334 career tackles are the eighth most in school history. He led the Trojans in tackles in the 1974 and 1976 seasons and finished his career with 43 sacks, which is 12 more than the next closest Trojan on the list. Pickett would go on to play for four years in the American Football Association where he was named the Defensive MVP in the 1979 Championship Game. Following football, Pickett opened Pickett Marine Construction in 1980 and still serves as the company's president.

Johnny Williams (Administration)
One of the instrumental leaders in Troy's move from NCAA Division II to Division I, Johnny Williams' impact on not only Troy Athletics, but also collegiate athletics as a whole, continues to be felt. Williams was named Troy's Athletics Director in the spring of 1994 following a seven-year stint as Troy's defensive coordinator. In addition to his role on the football staff, Williams also assisted in the Athletic Department's business office and with football promotions, in addition to serving as the football recruiting coordinator. Prior to his appointment as Athletics Director, Williams was an original member of the Athletic Challenge Fund Steering Committee, which was the precursor to the committee that raised $1 million in less than two years to initiate Troy's move to Division I. During his tenure as Athletics Director, the Troy football team advanced to the FCS (I-AA) Playoffs six times in seven years and began playing at the FBS (I-A) level in 2001. He helped pave the way for more than $24 million paid into the Athletics Facility Campaign, which led to upgrades of Veterans Memorial Stadium, Tine Davis Fieldhouse and Riddle-Pace Field, in addition to the construction of new soccer and track & field complex plus a new softball complex. He was a member of the 1987 football staff that was named the American Football Coaches Association Coaching Staff of the Year following Troy's Division II National Championship run. Following his 10-year run as Troy's Athletics Director, Williams spent three years as the Senior Associate Athletic Director at Alabama. He then founded Creative Marketing Management in 2007, which specializes in all areas of sports business. Williams turned his attention back to football in 2013 when he served as the executive director of the Raycom College Football All-Star Classic. Williams helped turn that all-star game into the Camellia Bowl the following year where he currently serves as the game's executive director.

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