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October 10, 2007
DOTSON, MCKINNON AND TURK
TO BE INDUCTED INTO DIVISION II FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
FLORENCE, Ala. -- Three of the all-time greats of NCAA Division
II football will be honored on December 14 as the ninth class of
inductees into the Division II Football Hall of Fame in Florence, Ala.
Earl Dotson of Texas A&M University Kingsville, Ronald McKinnon of the
University of North Alabama and Mike Turk of Troy State University
comprise the 2007 class of inductees and will bring the total number of
inductees to 23.
The trio were chosen by a 20-member selection committee and the
selection was announced Tuesday by Division II Football Hall of Fame
Chairman Jeff Hodges.
Dotson, McKinnon and Turk will be inducted on December 14 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. In 2000, 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 were
inducted. In 2001 the third class was comprised of 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. Quarterback Scott Brunner of Delaware, receiver
Andre Reed of Kutztown and linebacker Jessie Tuggle of Valdosta State
comprised the 2002 class. Former Texas A&M-Kingsville and
Washington Redskins standout Darrell Green was inducted in 2003, and
former North Dakota State and Buffalo Bills standout Phil Hansen was
inducted in 2004. The 2005 class included Chris Hatcher of
Valdosta State, Ronald Moore of Pittsburg State and Donnie Shell of
South Carolina State.
Cody Gross of North Alabama, Ronald Moore of Pittsburg State and John
Randle of Texas A&M- Kingsville were inducted in 2006. 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 35th annual Division II Football Championship Game will be played at
Braly Stadium at 11 a.m. on December 15, 2007, 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
City of Florence, Trustmark Construction, Herff Jones, OptiNet and the
Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa.
Tickets are $45 each or $360 for a table of eight and are available by
calling the Shoals Chamber of Commerce (256) 764-4661 or the UNA Sports
Information Office at (256) 765-4595.
Doston becomes the first offensive lineman to be inducted into the
Division II Football Hall of Fame. He also becomes the fourth
Javelina inductee into the Division II Football Hall of Fame, making
Texas A&M-Kingsville the first school with four inductees. Dotson joins
Johnny Bailey, Darrell Green and John Randle in the Hall of Fame.
McKinnon is the second inductee from North Alabama and Turk is the first
inductee from Troy State.
Earl Dotson - Texas
A&M-Kingsville / Green Bay Packers
Dotson was a
consensus All-American at Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1991 and 1992, earning
recognition from the Associated Press, the American Football Coaches
Association and Football Gazette. He was the Lone Star Conference
Lineman of the Year as a senior and was All-Lone Star Conference. He
helped lead the Javelinas to the NCAA playoffs in 1992. He was the
first offensive lineman to be a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy when
he finished seventh in the 1992 voting. He is now one of just two
offensive linemen to achieve that distinction in the 21-year history of
the award.
He
was drafted by the Green Bay Packers and gained a starting role in the
second game of his career. He was the starting tackle on the 1997
Super Bowl Championship team and his 10-year NFL career included two
Super Bowls and 12 playoff games. He played in 120 games for the Packers
from 1993-2002.
In
1997 he was selected for the NCAA Division II Team of the Quarter
Century.
Ronald McKinnon -
University of North Alabama / Arizona Cardinals
McKinnon, a native of Elba, Ala., was a four-year starter on Lion
football teams from 1992-95 and is one of the most honored athletes in
college football history. A four-time, first-team All-GSC selection,
McKinnon is one of just a handful of three-time consensus All-Americans
in NCAA Division II history. He was selected the winner of the 1995
Harlon Hill Trophy as NCAA Division II National Player of the Year,
becoming the first - and so far only - defensive player to win the
award. He helped lead UNA to a combined 48-5-1 record that included
three straight GSC championships and three straight NCAA Division II
National Championships. He closed his career as the leading tackler in
school and GSC history with 621 total stops and 407 primary stops. He
had 29 career tackles for loss, seven sacks, 11 interceptions and
recovered five fumbles. As a senior he had 139 tackles, 11 tackles for
loss, four interceptions and four sacks. He was named to the Gulf South
Conference "Team of the Quarter Century" for 1971-95, was selected the
"GSC Defensive Player of the Quarter Century" for 1971-95 and was named
to the NCAA Division II "Team of the Quarter Century" for 1973-97. He
was selected for the 50th Anniversary UNA Football Team for 1949-98,
the Gulf South Conference Team of the 1990s and was named Alabama
Sports Writers Association State Professional Athlete of the Year for
1998. He signed a free agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals of the
National Football League following his senior season and spent the next
10 seasons in professional football. McKinnon played in 157 NFL games,
spending nine seasons with the Cardinals and one with the New Orleans
Saints. He finished his professional career with more than 1,000
tackles, 12 sacks and 10 pass interceptions.
Mike Turk - Troy State
University
Turk, a native of Montgomery, Ala., was a walk-on quarterback at Troy
State University (now Troy University) who led the Trojans to NCAA
Division II National Championships in 1984 and 1987. He was a
three-time, first-team All-GSC pick and was the runner-up for the Harlon
Hill Trophy as a senior in 1987. He was a consensus All-American pick as
a senior and was Football News Division II Offensive Player of the Year.
That same season he became the first person to be chosen as the Alabama
Sports Writers' Association Small College Athlete of the Year and
Amateur Athlete of the Year in the same year. During his playing career,
Turk rushed for 2,632 yards and produced 5,739 yards of total offense.
Both of those figures rank second in Trojan football history.
Turk led the Trojans to a 40-8-1 overall record during his career,
including a 7-1 record in the Division II playoffs. Following his
graduation from Troy, Turk coached 13 seasons with the Trojans. During
his time as running backs coach at Troy, the Trojans had nine backs earn
all-conference honors.
He
is now in his fourth season as head football coach of the Huntingdon
College Hawks in his hometown of Montgomery.
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