| FLORENCE, Ala. -- Three
legends of NCAA Division II football will be honored on
December 13 as the fourth class of inductees into the Division
II Football Hall of Fame in Florence, Ala. Former
University of Delaware quarterback Scott Brunner, former Kutztown
(Pa.) University receiver Andre Reed and former Valdosta State
(Ga.) University linebacker Jessie Tuggle comprise the 2002
class of inductees into the Division II Football Hall of
Fame.
The three inductees were
chosen by a 20-member selection committee and were announced
Tuesday by Division II Football Hall of Fame voting
coordinator Dee Corum. The trio will be inducted on
December 13 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 initial class of
inductees in 1999 included running back Johnny Bailey of Texas
A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville), quarterback Jeff
Bentrim of North Dakota State and the late Walter Payton
of Jackson State University. The 2000 class of inductees
included defensive lineman Harry Carson of South Carolina
State University, defensive lineman Pierce Holt of Angelo
State University, and wide receiver John Stallworth of Alabama
A&M. Last year the third class was comprised for
tight end Brent Jones of Santa Clara University, linebacker
Greg Lloyd of Fort Valley State University and quarterback Ken
O'Brien of the University of California-Davis. 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 30th annual Division II
Football Championship Game will be played at Braly Stadium at
3 p.m. on December 14, 2002, 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 North Alabama Bone and Joint
Clinic, First Metro Bank and The Johnson Companies -
Industrial and Commercial Contracting.
Tickets are $35 each or $280
for a table of eight and are available by calling Larry
Tinknel at (256) 764-4661 or the UNA Sports Information Office
at (256) 765-4595.
Brunner,
was a two-year letterman at Delaware from 1978-79 and led the
school to the 1979 NCAA Division II National Championship with
a 38-21 win over Youngstown State in the Zia Bowl. As a
senior he was named first-team American Football Coaches
Association All-American after completing 134 of 268 passes
for 2,401 yards and a school record 24 touchdowns. He
was drafted in the sixth round of the 1980 NFL draft by the
New York Giants and he played in New York from 1980-83. He
helped take the Giants to the 1981 NFL playoffs, throwing
three touchdown passes in a wild card win over the Eagles and
three more in a semifinal loss to the 49ers. For his career in
New York, Brunner was 482-of-986 for 6,121 yards and 28
touchdowns. He later joined the Broncos and Packers in 1984
and played for the Cardinals in 1985. His career NFL passing
stats were 512-of-1,046 for 6,457 yards and 29
touchdowns. Brunner is current a stockbroker on Wall
Street with Buckingham Research. "When you think
about Walter Payton, Harry Carson, John Stallworth and so many
others, it makes you proud to be associated with Division
II," Brunner said. "I was fortunate to get a chance
in Division II. Chances are I would have been lost in the
numbers had I gone to a bigger school. It's hard to imagine
things working out any better for me had I gone to another
school."
Reed
was a four-year letterman at Kutztown from 1981-84, making 142
career catches for 2,002 yards and 14 touchdowns. Upon
completion of his collegiate career, he held school records
for catches in a game, season and career, most yards receiving
in a game, season and career and touchdown catches in a game,
season and career. He was named All-Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference and ECAC All-Star in 1983 and 1984.
He was drafted in the fourth round by the Buffalo Bills
following his senior season and played the next 15 years with
the Bills, helping to lead the team to four Super Bowls. His
final professional numbers, including a season with the
Washington Redskins, ranked Reed near the top of all
receivers in the history of the NFL with 951 receptions for
13,198 yards and 87 touchdowns. He had four seasons with more
than 1,000 receiving yards. He played in 19 post-season games
in Buffalo with 85 catches for 1,230 yards and nine TDs.
He was the Bills leading receiver 10 times in 15 seasons and
was selected for seven consecutive Pro Bowls for the AFC from
1988-94. He was selected for the NCAA Division II Team of the
Quarter Century in
1997. "Division II was the right place for
me," said Reed. "I really didn't mature physically
until my sophomore season. God led me down this path and it
worked out great for me. "The Buffalo Bills were
proof that you didn't have to be from a big school to be part
of a successful football organization," Reed added.
"We made it to four Super Bowls with more starters from
smaller schools than any other team in the league. I think we
dispelled the belief that you've got to be from a bigger
school to be good in the NFL. I'm happy to be a part of
that."
Tuggle
was a four-year letterman at Valdosta State from 1983-86 and
was a three-time All-Gulf South Conference selection. As a
senior he was a consensus All-American after recording 129
tackles. He was a two-time recipient of the Hugh C.
Bailey Player of the Year
award at VSU. His Jersey #88 was retired at Valdosta State,
where he was also inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in
1997 and named Distinguished Alumnus in 2002. He signed
with the Atlanta Falcons as a free agent in 1987 and went on
to start for the Falcons at middle linebacker from 1989-2000.
He played in 209 games, helping to lead Atlanta to four
playoff appearances, including Super Bowl XXXIII. He played in
the Pro Bowl in 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997 and 1999 and holds the
NFL record for career touchdowns off fumble recoveries
(five). He had 12 straight seasons with over 100
tackles. He was named Falcons "Man of the Year" in
1993, served as United Way national spokesperson in 1995-96
and the athletic workout facility at Valdosta State is named
the Jessie Tuggle Strength and Fitness Complex.
"It's an honor for me to be thought of in these terms, as
one of the best from Division II," said Tuggle.
"Division II has produced a lot of great football
players. I appreciate the opportunity I received from
Valdosta. They gave me a chance and that's all you can ask.
It's up to you to be prepared to take advantage of those
chances. Fortunately, I was able to do that." |