WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- The Winston-Salem State University C.E. "Big House" Gaines Hall of Fame will welcome its 2013 class of inductees when eight individuals along with the 1977 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Champion Rams football team will take their place among the WSSU greats. The individual inductees and the team will be inducted into a ceremony on Friday, November 8th at the Anderson Conference Center located in the McNeil Banquet Room in Winston-Salem, N.C. and will be honored at halftime of the Winston-Salem Football Classic, featuring the Winston-Salem State University Rams versus Fayetteville State University on Saturday, November 9th.
"To an athlete, being enshrined into your university's athletic hall of fame is reaching the mountaintop. There is no higher honor," WSSU Director of Athletics, William "Bill" Hayes said. "On behalf of the entire WSSU Department of Athletics, congratulations to all inductees for reaching this milestone."
"We enshrine these individuals amongst the elite past and present hall of famers as we move to enhance the vision and growth of our future student-athletes," said C.E. "Big House" Gaines Athletic Hall of Fame Chair, Robert Weeks. "Let this greatness not be forgotten by our hall of famers, faculty, staff, students and friends of this great university. We must remember our financial commitment and physical support of the C.E. "Big House" Gaines Athletic Hall of Fame."
The 2013 C.E. "Big House" Gaines Hall of Fame Inductees:
Mr. Lesley Barley, Jr (Football)
Class of 1997
Les Barley earned NCAA DII Freshman All-American honors in 1986, and earned All-CIAA honors in 1988 and 1989, all while being named the Rams team captain. He would go on to help guide the Rams to CIAA Championships in 1987 and ’88 before a successful professional career. He played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Baltimore Stallions of the Canadian Football League before embarking on a 10 year career, playing for five different teams during his AFL career, which began in 1992 with the Charlotte Rage. He was part of the 1993 Tampa Bay Storm team that won Arena Bowl VII over the Detroit Drive, and also won a MVP award when his Storm faced Orlando in Frankfurt, Germany. Barley was named first team All-Arena FB/LB while playing with the Connecticut Coyotes in 1995 and named to the inaugural All-Ironman team and second team All-Arena as a FB/LB in 1998 while in his second stint with the Storm. He finished his career with the Grand Rapids Rampage in 2000 and the Milwaukee Mustangs in 2001. He garnered team MVP awards for the Connecticut Coyotes in 1995 and the Charlotte Rage in 1998.
Class of 1972
An insurance agent by trade, Belton is a contributor to WSSU, and in 2009 was chosen as Ms. Alumni for Winston-Salem State. She is a member of the WSSU Local Alumni Association (Kimberley Park Chapter) and has served on WSSU Board of Visitors.
Class of 1979
Billy Diggs, an operator with Luxfer Gas Cylinders, was a four year letterman in both football and basketball during his tenure at Winston-Salem State. In 1977, Diggs pulled a rare double championship as he was a member of both the WSSU Rams football and basketball teams that were CIAA Champions.
In 1978, he was named All-CIAA as a wide receiver, as would go on to be drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1979 NFL Draft. Diggs would go on to represent the WSSU Rams in the Black College All-Star Bowl Game, and was voted to the CIAA Sportswriters All-CIAA team.
Class of 1986
Kelvin Farmer was a member of the 1982-1983 football team and has been associated with the University ever since. He is President and CEO of KE Farmer Enterprises, Inc, and is a life member of the NAACP. Farmer is also a life member of the WSSU National Alumni Association, and has been on the WSSU Foundation Board since 2007. He has also held the position of National Treasurer of the WSSU National Alumni Association (1994-1999).
Class of 2006
Occupation: WS Fire Fighter/EMS/Search and Rescue
Martin Hicks was a 4-Year Letterman and 3-time All-CIAA running back for WSSU. He was tabbed the 2005 CIAA Offensive Player of the Year, and finished his career as the #3 all-time rusher in WSSU history with 3,386 yards. He holds the WSSU all-time record for longest kickoff return of 97 yards vs NCCU in 2002. Hicks, is part of the record setting tandem that ranks as the only running backs from the same team to gain 1,000 yards in the same season. In the 2002 season, he was named All-CIAA as a kick returner, and in 2003 he was named to the Don Hansen’s All-South Region first team at running back. Hicks, is a Winston-Salem Fire Fighter, EMS and a member of the Search and Rescue team.
Class of 1973
Ralph Jones was a member of the WSSU Basketball team under Coach “Big House” Gaines (1969-1972), where he averaged 14.2 points per game. Jones, a retired New York City Department of Education worker, was a member of the CIAA Championship team in 1970, and was team captain on the 1971-72 Rams hoops team. He would go on to play in the Rucker Park League (amongst well known NBA players) and other city tournaments.
Class of 1972
Steven Lindsay was a four year letterman and co-captain of the 1971 Southern Division Football Championship team. The retired public school teacher has spent his retirement years supporting various endeavors including the YMCA, the WSSU Athletics 1000 HORN$ Program, WSSU RAMS Varsity Club and the North Carolina Special Olympics.
Head Coach – BILL HAYES
Asst. Coaches: Herman Moye, Otis Hawkins, Al Harvey, William Peay, James Price, Charles Bailey, Capt. Floyd Griffin, Ron Bray & Al Roseboro
All-CIAA Team Members: Cornelius Washington (DB), Robert Weeks (C), Kermit Blount (QB), Timmy Newsome (RB), Gary Railford (OT), James Winbush (DT)
The 1977 WSSU Rams football team was the first in the school’s history to produce a regular season undefeated team and to win the CIAA Football Championship. This team produced six All-CIAA players and two NAIA All-American team members. They also had two Pittsburg Courier All-American team members and four of the Rams’ players went on to play in the NFL.
COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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