Troy Announces 10th Troy University Sports Hall of Fame Class

TROY, Ala. – Troy University Director of Athletics Brent Jones and the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame Committee announced Thursday the members of the 10^th induction class into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame. The four new inductees plus the members of the 2020 Hall of Fame class will be enshrined in a special ceremony on Friday, Sept. 3, 2021.

The newest class is comprised of Leon Davis (men's basketball), Collin McCrary (men's golf), Michael Perez (baseball) and Andy Whitener (track & field).

Troy's ninth Hall of Fame class was announced in 2020 and was set to be enshrined in the spring of 2020 but the ceremony was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols. That class consists of Barney Burnett (golf), Nancy Dansby Swanson (women's tennis), Rachel Hassan Gravel (volleyball), Max Howell (football), Mark King (football) and Jude Rinaldi (baseball).

Leon Davis – Men's Basketball

One of the early pioneers of Troy basketball, Leon Davis was named team captain of the 1952-53 squad that finished 18-7 overall including a win over Samford in the NAIA District Tournament. He was the president of the Troy senior class and received the Kilpatrick Award, which was presented annually to a graduating student-athlete based on citizenship, scholarship and leadership. Following his graduation from Troy in 1953, Davis served in a Special Services section of the United States Army and was discharged with the rank of Sergeant. From there, Davis went on to a tremendous career as a coach and athletics administrator. He joined the University of Montevallo staff in 1964 as an assistant professor and became the school's first men's basketball coach before taking over the role of athletics director in 1969. Davis also played a key role at the national level where he served as the NAIA District 27 chairman for six years and served a four-year term on the NAIA National Executive Committee. He was named the NAIA President in 1982 and served on the United States Olympic staff for the World University Games in Edmonton, Canada. Davis is a member of the Montevallo Hall of Fame, Wiregrass Hall of Fame and the NAIA Hall of Fame.

Collin McCrary – Men's Golf

An All-American in the storied Troy men's golf program, Collin McCrary earned multiple All-Gulf South Conference honors in addition to leading the Trojans to four straight Gulf South Conference titles during his career that spanned from 1980 to 1983. McCrary earned third team All-America honors following his senior season in 1983 after he led the Trojans at the NCAA Division II National Championship. McCrary and the Trojans finished second at the 1983 NCAA Division II National Championship which capped a remarkable career in which Troy also finished fourth twice and third once at the highest level. He shot Troy's lowest round of the 1983 season with a 68 at the Southeastern Intercollegiate which featured the likes of Ohio State and Alabama. McCrary was consistently at the top of the leaderboard during his Troy career and helped lead the Trojans to five team titles during the 1981 season. The Americus, Georgia native's golfing prowess started well before his days as a Trojan as McCrary was named the Georgia High School Golfer of the Year in 1977 in addition to him winning multiple regional and state titles at Southland Academy. Following his career at Troy which saw him graduate with a degree in business and finance, McCrary has gone on to a very successful professional career as a financial advisor.

Michael Perez – Baseball

Michael Perez played just one season at Troy, but it was one of the most dominant performances in school history as he went on to earn All-America honors and helped lead the Trojans to the 1986 NCAA Division II National Championship. A transfer from Florida, Perez posted a 13-1 record on the mound as a senior in addition to striking out 114 batters in 107.2 innings of work, a 9.5 K/9 ratio. Perez finished the season with a 2.26 ERA before being selected in the 12^th round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. Perez's 13 wins are the most by a Troy pitcher in a season in school history, while his .929 winning percentage ranks first and his 2.26 ERA ranks third all-time among the Trojans' career leaders. A native of Yauco, Puerto Rico, Perez pitched two games in the College World Series and did not allow an earned run over 14.2 innings of work. In the championship game against Columbus State, Perez pitched a one-hit shutout with seven strikeouts in Troy's 5-0 victory in what was the first of back-to-back national titles. He would go on to play eight seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals before retiring in 1997. Perez finished his MLB career with a 24-16 record, 3.56 ERA and 224 strikeouts over 346 big-league innings.

Andy Whitener – Cross Country / Track & Field

One of the most decorated student-athletes on and off the field of competition, Andy Whitener earned multiple All-America honors during his career at Troy, was a Rhodes Scholarship nominee and is a leading professional in the health care field. A Tampa, Florida native, Whitener earned NAIA All-America honors in 1977 for his efforts on Troy's two mile indoor relay team and followed that with USTFF All-America honors in 1978 for the same event. Despite Troy's standing in the NAIA, Whitener ran in in 1977 NCAA Cross Country National Championship Meet and the 1978 NCAA National Championship Meet in the 1500 meters. At the time of his graduation, Whitener held Troy school records in the mile, 1500m, 800m, 4x800m relay, distance medley and the two mile relay – the records for the 4x800m and the distance medley still stand today. He was named the Gulf South Conference's Student-Athlete of the Year and received the Commissioners Award in 1978 and was awarded the NCAA's Postgraduate Scholarship. Whitener helped lead the Trojans to four consecutive Gulf South Conference cross country championships and the 1977 Gulf South Conference outdoor title. In addition to his success as a track & field athlete, Whitener also earned a trio of All-Gulf South Conference honors in cross country. Whitener began his career in medicine as a physical therapist and has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Gainesville Surgery Center, the CEO of the Carolinas Rehabilitation Hospital and the Director of The Rehabilitation Institute and Wellness at the Northeast Georgia Health System.

Troy University Athletics

Troy Announces 10th Troy University Sports Hall of Fame Class

Related Videos