PHOTO GALLERY OF PAST INDUCTEES

July 12, 2011

DIVISION II FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME TO ADD
FRED MCAFEE AND BILL BURGESS

    FLORENCE, Ala. --  The Division II Football Hall of Fame will induct  Fred McAfee and Coach Bill Burgess as its Class of 2011 on December 16 at the 26th annual Harlon Hill Trophy and Division II Football Hall of Fame Banquet. 

Established in 1999, the Division II Football Hall of Fame inducted former Division II players annually from 1999-2009 before inducting its first class of coaches in 2010. This year's list of inductees includes a former Division II players and a former DII coach, bringing the total number of players inducted to 26 and the total number of coaches to four. 

The inductees were chosen by a  selection committee and the official announcement was made Wednesday by Division II Football Hall of Fame Chairman Jeff Hodges. 

The trio will be  inducted on December 16  as part of a combined Harlon Hill Trophy and Division II Football Hall of Fame Banquet at 6:30 p.m. at the Marriott Shoals Conference Center in Florence, Ala. 

PDF of 2011 Release.  

McAfee was an All-American running back at Mississippi College where he rushed for 4,416 yards and scored 38 touchdowns for the Choctaws from 1987-90. As a senior he rushed for 1,583 yards and 17 touchdowns and finished third in the Harlon Hill Trophy voting. In his fifth year as Director of Player Development for the New Orleans Saints, McAfee played 16 seasons in the National Football League  with New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1991-2006.

He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2002 and played with the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX in a losing effort to the Cowboys. He is the only player in Saints franchise history to be on the roster for three (1991, 2000, 2006) of the team's division titles. The 1991 season was his most prolific, offensively, as he rushed for a career-high 109 times for 494 yards and two touchdowns

  Burgess was head coach at Jacksonville State University from 1985-96 and led the Gamecocks to the Division II Championship Game three times in the school's last four seasons in the division. JSU lost in the Championship Game in 1989 and 1991 before winning the Division II National Championship in 1992. He had a remarkable 12-4 record in the Division II playoffs and had an overall record  of 69-22-4 in his eight seasons in Division II, including going 56-8-1 from 1988-92. 

Burgess led Jacksonville State to five Gulf South Conference crowns and five straight NCAA Division II playoff appearances. He was a three-time Gulf South conference Coach of the Year selection and was named the 1992 NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year. His overall collegiate record was 89-49-4. 

The announcement of Coach Bill Burgess as a 2011 Hall of Fame inductee was made live Tuesday morning on the Rick & Bubba Show. Above, from left, Division II Football Hall of Fame Chairman Jeff Hodges, Rick Burgess, Coach Bill Burgess, Greg Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey. (photo courtesy of Josh Underwood/Jacksonville State)

     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,  John Randle of Texas A&M-Kingsville and Sean Landeta of Towson State were inducted in 2006. 

The 2007  inductees included Earl Dotson of Texas A&M-Kingsville, Ronald McKinnon of North Alabama and Mike Turk of Troy State.  Missouri Southern's Rod Smith was the 24th inductee into the Hall in 2008 and Shannon Sharpe of Savannah State was the 25th in 2009.

The Class of 2010 included coaches Ken Sparks of Carson-Newman, Mel Tjeerdsma of Northwest Missouri State and Bobby Wallace of North Alabama and West Alabama.

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 39th annual Division II Football Championship Game will be played at Braly Stadium at  11 a.m. on December 17, 2011, 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 The City of Florence, Florence-Lauderdale Tourism, OptiNet, Herff Jones and the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa. 

Tickets are $50 each or $400 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. 

 

Coach Bill Burgess (Jacksonville State)

Fred McAfee (Mississippi College)

 


 


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Division II Football Hall of Fame
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