Ouachita Athletic Hall of Fame

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN FOR 2008 OUACHITA ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME CLASS


Nominations are now being accepted for the 2008 induction class of the Ouachita Athletic Hall of Fame.  Nominations can be submitted by any person who has a former Ouachita student-athlete or coach that they deem worthy of consideration for the 2008 class.

Nominations will be accepted until March 1, 2008, when all nominations will be passed on to the Ouachita Athletic Hall of Fame selection committee, comprised of members of the Ouachita staff and former Ouachita athletes.

The induction banquet will be held in the fall of 2008, at the Walker Conference Center on the Ouachita campus in conjunction with a Ouachita home football game.  Ticket reservation information and more specific details on the banquet will be released at a later date.

Nominations can be submitted on-line by clicking on the following link below.

2008 Ouachita Athletic Hall of Fame On-line Nomination Form

Ouachita Baptist University Athletic Hall of Fame members

Class of 2003	Class of 2004	Class of 2006	Class of 2007
Buddy Benson	Bob Gravett	Johnny Baker	Bill Arrington
Leon Clements	David Kossover	Gerald Masterson	J.L. "Nick" Carter
Cliff Harris	Morley Jennings	Tom Murphree	Jay Freeman, Sr.
Carolyn Moffatt	Carey Selph	Mary Ann Otwell	Linda Gamble
William Miller		Rab Rodgers	Jim Hamilton
Bill Vining		Ike Sharp	Johnnie Johnson
		Otis Turner	Cecil Kemp
			Robert "Red" Nelson
			Walter "Jiggs" Ramsey, Jr.

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE CAPSULES

CLASS OF 2003

Buddy Benson walked the sidelines as the Ouachita head football coach from 1965 to 1995 and compiled an overall record of 161-140-9 during his tenure that included conference championships in 1966, 1970, 1975, and 1982.  Benson’s teams won four conference championships, he coached 16 All-Americans and 308 All-Conference selections.  Benson was the coach during the program’s 300th and 400th victories and is the program’s winningest coach.  The Ouachita job was Benson’s first college head coaching job and it would become his last head coaching job 31 years later.  After retiring from coaching in 1995, Benson became the school’s Athletic Director until 1998.  Benson is a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.

Leon Clements ended his brilliant basketball career at Ouachita as the leader in many statistical categories.  Most of those records still stand today.  Clements, a Tiger from 1961 – 1965, was a three-time All-AIC selection during his time at Ouachita and was named All-American in his senior season of 1964-65.  The only year Clements was not named All-AIC was during his freshman year when he was honorable mention.  Clements still holds the record for most career points (2,265), and most points in a season (964) which was also the AIC record when the league disbanded in the 1990s.  The Kingsland, Arkansas, native broke 10 AIC records during his career.

Quite possibly, this inductee has given more nation-wide name recognition to the university that anybody has.  Cliff Harris not only excelled at Ouachita but went on to see greater success as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.  Harris played defensive back for Ouachita from 1966-69 under head coach Buddy Benson and was a two-time All-AIC selection.  Harris was a part of the 1966 AIC Championship team during his freshman season.  The Des Arc, Arkansas, native earned two Super Bowl rings, played in five Super Bowls with Tom Landry’s Cowboys, and played in siX Pro Bowls.  “Captain Crash” as he came to be known is also a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame and a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.  He and former teammate Charlie Waters have a book out entitled “Tales from the Dallas Cowboys: A Collection of the Greatest Stories ever Told” and Harris has a second book out entitled "Captain Crash and the Dallas Cowboys".

William Miller  ended his career as the third-leading rusher in Ouachita history totaling 2,723 yards rushing during his time as a Tiger from 1975-78.  Miller, a Rison, Arkansas, native, holds the career records for rushing touchdowns and scoring, and holds the season-high for rushing yards with 1,668 yards that came in 1978.  After the 1978 season, Miller was named a first-team NAIA All-American after leading the nation in rushing and scoring, Miller played tailback for only one and a half seasons after moving from slotback and wide receiver.  After his time at Ouachita, Miller was signed with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League and then played with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League where he was the Rookie of the Year.

Carolyn Moffatt made the Ouachita Tigerette basketball program one of the premier women’s basketball programs in the nation in AAU.  Moffatt coached at Ouachita for 19 seasons from 1965-1984 and is the winningest coach in Lady Tiger history with an overall record of 213-162.  Moffatt held numerous national AAU positions throughout the years.  Moffatt, a native of Crossett, Arkansas, was a member of the national AAU women’s basketball executive committee from 1969-73 and was the National Chairman for AAU women’s basketball in 1971-72.  During that same era, Moffatt was a national rules interpreter for women’s basketball and was on the US Olympic Committee for the sport of women’s basketball.  Moffatt was the first female coach inducted into the NAIA Basketball coach’s Hall of Fame.

Bill Vining served as head coach for the Ouachita Tiger basketball program for 33 seasons from 1955-89.  Vining’s career included 26 winning seasons, over 500 victories, six conference championships and six NAIA District titles.  Vining is the winningest coach in OBU history with an overall record of 520-364-1 for a .588 winning percentage.  Vining earned five NAIA District 17 Coach of the Year Awards, three Area V Coach of the Year awards, was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1979 and was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.  Vining was also a letterman in basketball and football during his time as a student at Ouachita in the 1940s.

CLASS OF 2004

Bob Gravett

The Ouachita Tiger track and field program won Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference Championships in 1935 and 1936, but then went on a drought in which the only AIC title in the next 30 years came in 1960. Enter Bob Gravett.   After taking over the program in the mid-1960s after serving as an assistant coach in the Tiger football program, Gravett built a program that would become a power in the AIC.  Gravett, who also served as the Tiger cross country coach during many of his years as Ouachita, directed his Tigers to the AIC track and field title for three consecutive seasons from 1972-74 and added another back-to-back title period in the 1977 and 1978 seasons.  Gravett would go on to lead Ouachita to two more AIC titles (1980 and 1986) and ended his career directing the Tiger track and field program to eight conference titles.  Gravett also led the Tiger cross country program to a title in 1992 and is the namesake of the annual Bob Gravett Invitational held each fall during cross country season on the Ouachita cross country course.  Gravett, a multiple winner of the AIC and NAIA District 17 Coach of the Year Awards, was inducted into the NAIA National Hall of Fame in 1986.

Morley Jennings

Early in the fall of 1912, Morley Jennings arrived on the Ouachita campus to begin a remarkable successful coaching career and established the Tigers as one of the most feared football teams in all of the South. In 14 full seasons, Jennings' teams won 71 games, lost 15 and tied 13. Jennings' teams scored more than 2,000 points while holding opponents to only 364. His Tigers never lost to Hendrix, College of the Ozarks, Arkansas Tech, Magnolia A&M or Little Rock College.   Jennings also led his Tigers against major universities and defeated teams such as Arkansas, Mississippi A&M (now Mississippi State) and the University of Mississippi.  Jennings' most memorable season was the season of 1914 in which Ouachita defeated the Univ. of Arkansas and the Univ. of Mississippi. The October 10 edition of the Arkansas Gazette remarked that it was "...the first victory for a state college eleven over the university eleven." Jennings left Ouachita to serve in the same capacity at Baylor where he stayed for 14 years.  Jennings was inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in New York City in January of 1973.      

David Kossover

Try these credentials on for size: three trips to the NAIA National Basketball Tournament, a four-year letterman in basketball and tennis, a member of the Tiger Basketball 1,000-point club, member of six AIC Championship teams, a first-team All-Tournament selection at the 1965 NAIA National Tournament, and an undefeated record for four straight years in tennis in singles and doubles.   Not bad if you're talking about two people, but unbelievable when you're talking about one person--in this case David Kossover. Kossover was a teammate of a member of the inaugural Ouachita Athletics Hall of Fame class in Leon Clements and helped lead the Tigers to two AIC titles in 1963 and 1964 in basketball and then joined his brother Jerry on the Tiger tennis team for four straight AIC doubles titles. David Kossover won the AIC singles title all four years as well by defeating his brother and doubles partner in the final each season.  Oh yeah, did we mention that he also played baseball as a freshman, started at shortstop, batted .363 and was 1-0 as a pitcher?   On the basketball court, Kossover led the team in assists, steals and free throw shooting and finished his career with 1,042 points and holds the fourth-highest single-season point total in Tiger history with 641 points in 1964-65. 

Carey Selph

After his performance in Ouachita’s 47-6 win over Henderson in 1925, the sports editor of the Arkansas Gazette labeled Arkadelphia product and Ouachita’s own Carey Selph the “greatest football player in Arkansas.”  With those accolades, Selph was undoubtedly the greatest football player on the Ouachita campus and could have been the greatest all-around athlete as Selph would go on to a successful professional baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinals.

              Selph came to Ouachita in 1922 and did what not many others had done during his first year play as a freshman.  Selph was a four-year starter and letterman on the Ouachita football team and also lettered in baseball.  Selph played under fellow 2004 inductee Morley Jennings and was a part of the 1922 Tiger team that defeated the University of Arkansas.

              After Selph’s final season, the 1926 Ouachitonian proved highly regarded Selph was around the state as they bid him farewell with the following: “Carey Selph, the fighting general, who with his brilliant runs...(and) uncanny accurate passing made the pages of Arkansas’ football history more glorious.  He is the idol of Ouachita fans...”

CLASS OF 2006 

John Baker ended his career as the leading rusher in Ouachita Tiger football history with 4,357 yards and still holds the top spot in the record books today. Baker is second on the career rushing touchdowns list with 32 and holds the second-, third- and sixth-highest single-season rushing totals in Ouachita football history. Baker was a three-time All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference selection and was a second-team All-American after his senior season in 1972. Baker is retired from the military and currently resides in Ithaca, N.Y., where he teaches in the Ithaca School District.

Gerald Masterson was a cornerstone on Bob Gravett’s Tiger track and cross country teams during his time at Ouachita. A member of the Arkansas Track and Field Hall of Fame and a 1984 inductee into the NAIA Hall of Fame, Masterson was a six-time indoor/outdoor All-American and competed in the United States Olympic trials twice. In 1976, Masterson was named the Most Valuable Athlete at the NAIA Indoor National Meet and competed in the World University Games in 1977. After graduating from Ouachita, Masterson was a part of the Santa Monica Track Club 4x800 relay team that set an American record in the event. Masterson currently lives in Springfield, Mo., and is a professor and coordinator of the Sport Management Program at Missouri State University.

Tom Murphree was a two-sport athlete in football and baseball from 1958-62 and was a long-time football coach and finished his career at Ouachita as the head baseball coach.  As a football player, Murphree was an All-AIC quarterback and defensive back during his time at Ouachita and led the AIC in passing yards in 1959. Murphree’s highlight as a defensive back came as a senior in 1961 when he had four interceptions against Harding.  For the Tigers on the baseball diamond, Murphree batted over .400 in each of his four seasons, including a team-high .443 average in 1960. After his playing career was over, Murphree was hired by Buddy Benson as an assistant football coach and served at the University for 21 years. Murphree is retired from Ouachita and lives in Arkadelphia with his wife, Pat.

Mary Ann Otwell was a two-sport star during her time at Ouachita, playing basketball during the 1961 and 1962 seasons and  tennis from 1961-64. On the hardwood, Otwell led the Tigerette basketball team to an AAU State championship in both seasons and was the team’s leading scorer and an All-State selection both years. After the 1962 season, she was selected to the National Women’s Basketball League All-Star team. On the hard court, Otwell was a runner-up in the AIC singles championship as a freshman and followed that with three straight AIC singles titles. She was an AIC champion in doubles all four years. Otwell is a member of the Halls of Fame of the National Junior College Athletic Association, Panola Junior College and LeTourneau University. Otwell lives in Longview, Texas, and is the Assistant Director of Athletics at LeTourneau University.

Rab Rodgers served in Ouachita’s athletic administration from 1950-1965, including time as football coach, baseball coach and athletic director. Rodgers had the third-longest tenure for a football coach at Ouachita, coaching 12 seasons over two tours of duty.  Rodgers’ first stint was from 1950-57 and the second tenure was from 1961-64.  Rodgers hired Buddy Benson as an assistant coach in the latter part of his second tenure, and Benson would go on to be the head football coach for 35 seasons. Rodgers also coached the Tiger baseball team to an AIC championship in 1950 and is credited with helping save the Ouachita athletic program after the end of World War II.

Ike Sharp was a football player from 1947-50 and a volunteer golf coach in the mid-1990s before retiring with his wife after serving as dorm parents at Ouachita’s Daniel North dormitory. Sharp was a four-year letterman while playing offensive guard and nose tackle from 1947-50 and also handled kick-offs for the Tigers. The moment Sharp is most known for in football is when he successfully kicked three onside kicks in the last seven minutes of the 1949 Ouachita-Henderson game in which the Tigers came back from a 14-0 deficit to win 17-14. Sharp was the founding member of the Ouachita Tiger Gridiron Club and is a member of the Arizona High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.  Sharp is retired from Ouachita and lives in Arkadelphia with his wife, Billie. The Sharps have had three children and one grandchild graduate from Ouachita and have a second grandchild currently at Ouachita.

Otis Turner came to Ouachita in 1945 as a football and basketball player and had his career at Ouachita interrupted by an assignment in the United States military. As a freshman in 1945, Turner was an All-State end and also a member of the Tiger Basketball team. After his military assignment, Turner returned to Ouachita and was a second-team All-State end on offense and defense in 1948 and 1949 and also handled extra points and field goals. In the 1949 Battle of the Ravine, Turner helped lead a Tiger comeback from a 14-0 deficit with seven minutes left in the game by adding two extra points and kicking the game-winning field goal.

CLASS OF 2007

Bill Arrington – Arrington earned an amazing 12 letters during his time at Ouachita, participating in football, track, baseball, and basketball.  Arrington was a stand-out halfback for the Tigers during his career, including the 1953 season in which he scored nine touchdowns to help the Tigers to a 7-1 record.

J.L. “Nick” Carter –. Carter came to Ouachita in 1914 after playing one year at Arkansas.  Carter was the engineer for one of the greatest season in Ouachita football history as the 1914 Tigers went 9-0-1 with wins over the University of Arkansas, Ole Miss and now-called Arkansas State.  Carter was a three-year All-State selection at Ouachita and lettered in baseball and track as well.  Carter is a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

Jay Freeman, Sr. -- One of Arkansas’s most successful tennis players of all-time, Freeman attended Ouachita in the late 1930s.  A charter member of the Arkansas Tennis Hall of Fame, Freeman was the first Arkansas invited to play in Wimbledon.  Freeman was a standout tennis player for Ouachita during his days as a Tiger and went on to win eight national championships in doubles play after college.  Freeman is also a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

Lin Gamble --   The National Rookie of the Year for the 1968-69 season , Lynn Gamble was a main cog in the wheel of the national powerhouse Tigerette basketball teams of the late 60s and early 70s.  Under the direction of head coach Carolyn Moffatt, Gamble led the team to 48 regular season wins in three seasons and a fourth-place national finish during her freshman season when she averaged 13.7 points per game.

Jim Hamilton – A two-sport star for Ouachita, Hamilton lettered in baseball and basketball during his time at Ouachita from 1970-74. Hamilton was an All-AIC selection during his sophomore, junior and senior season in both basketball and baseball and was honorable mention All-AIC in both after his freshman year.  Hamilton led his team to two AIC championships and the national tournament twice as well.  Hamilton is the second-leading scorer in Tiger basketball history with 1,667 career points and holds two of the top 10 single season point totals for Tiger basketball.  Hamilton currently is an administrator with Mulberry (AR) Public Schools.

Johnnie Johnson – The sixth-leading rusher in Ouachita Tiger football history, Johnnie Johnson rushed for 2,403 yards while playing for Ouachita in 1964-67.  Johnson’s 27 rushing touchdowns in his career ranks fourth on the all-time touchdowns list.  Johnson had a career-high 12 rushing touchdowns in 1966 which ranks third in the Tiger football record books.  Johnson was honorable mention All-AIC as a sophomore and junior and All-AIC during his senior season.  Johnson is a former superintendent of schools for Gillett (AR) Public Schools

Cecil Kemp – An All-State center for Ouachita, Cecil Kemp was captain of the 1942 team that finished with an 8-1 record under head coach and fellow 2007 inductee W.I. “Bill” Walton.  Kemp was honored at the end of the season by being named to the Little All-American team.  Kemp played at Ouachita from 1940-42 and then completed his college playing after serving in World War II. Kemp played football, basketball and ran track while at Ouachita

Robert L. “Red” Nelson – A 1948 graduate of Ouachita, Nelson was a stand-out in football and basketball while a Tiger.  Nelson played back and end for the Tiger football team during his time and on the basketball court, Nelson was an honorable mention All-State selection during his senior season of 1947-48.  Nelson’s son, Rex, has been the play-by-play voice for Ouachita football for 26 years.

Walter “Jiggs” Ramsey – A member of the Tiger football team from 1963-66, Ramsey was the team captain of the AIC Championship team of 1966.  Ramsey was a linebacker for three years and then was moved to nose guard before his senior season where he was selected All-AIC.  After Ouachita, Ramsey went on to a stint with the Minnesota Vikings before a knee injury ended his career.