BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Southwestern Athletic Conference has announced its newest inductees into the Hall of Fame.
The seven honorees – George Patrick Evans, Tommy Gibbs, Sr. (Alcorn State University), Kevin Granger (Texas Southern), Perry Harrington (Jackson State), Maurice “Mo” Hurst (Southern), Alicia Pete (Prairie View A&M) and Steven Rogers, Sr. (Alabama State) – will be enshrined on Dec. 3 at the J.W. Marriott in Houston, Texas. The induction is set to begin with a reception at 6 p.m.
The newest members of the Hall of Fame were selected from a list of nominees who were submitted by his or her respective institution. The nominees were then elected for induction by the selection committee from members appointed by SWAC Presidents and Chancellors.
Evans, the current mayor of Selma, Alabama, served the SWAC for more than three decades (1979-2009), officiating in hundreds of SWAC basketball games, as well as 16 conference tournaments and more than 10 championship games. The Alabama High School Sports Hall of Famer also spent more than a decade coordinating officials for SWAC men’s and women’s basketball, helping to improve the quality of officiating within those sports.
Gibbs entrenched himself in Alcorn State lore as one of the best linebackers in Braves history, racking up 300 tackles, 27 sacks, six picks and three fumble recoveries. He was a first-team All-SWAC selection, and his efforts during the Braves’ 1979 SWAC Championship season earned him Alcorn State’s Most Outstanding Athlete award. He went on to serve as a graduate assistant for the program, focusing his efforts on the linebacking corps.
Granger was one of the most prolific players in the SWAC as well as the nation during his time at Texas Southern. A two-time first-team All-SWAC selection as well as a two-time selection as a Black College All-American, Granger helped lead the Tigers to the SWAC Tournament Championship in 1994 and 1995 – winning tournament MVP honors in 1994 – and in 1996, he led the nation in scoring at 27 points per game. Granger went on to play professional basketball in Italy, Greece and Argentina.
Harrington was a key cog in legendary coach W.C. Gorden’s wishbone attack, earning SWAC Offensive Player of the Year honors in 1978 and two All-SWAC selections for the Tigers while helping JSU rank as the top rushing offense in the nation in 1978 and 1979. Harrington went to on the drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft, and he played five years in the NFL, appearing in one Super Bowl (XV) along the way.
Hurst, an All-SWAC selection for football and key track and field performer at Southern University, went on to enjoy a seven-year career in the NFL as a member of the New England Patriots. As an integral part of New England’s secondary in the early 90s, Hurst was named to the NFL All-Rookie team in 1989 and was eventually selected to the Patriots’ all-decade team in the 1990s, earning the distinction of All-Pro during the 1995 season.
Pete, currently the Senior Woman Administrator at Prairie View
A&M, is one of the most successful athletes and coaches in Panthers’ history. Originally recruited to play basketball, she earned all-conference distinction in 1989 and all-tournament honors in volleyball in 1988 and 1990. Following that, she became head volleyball coach of the Panthers, twice winning coach of the year honors (1999, 2006) and guiding the team to two SWAC Tournament titles (1999, 2006) and seven division championships. She was also the first bowling head coach in team history.
Rogers was one of the most dominant players in SWAC basketball during his playing career at Alabama State, twice winning Player of the Year honors and earning All-American distinction in his junior and senior seasons. After playing 10 years of professional basketball in Europe, Rogers returned stateside and joined the Alabama State basketball coaching staff, where he has been a part of two SWAC regular-season championship teams and two SWAC tournament championship teams. He also served as director of football operations in 2004, when Alabama State won the SWAC title.
COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS
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