Nine Selected for Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Nine former University of Arkansas student-athletes, including the baseball career leader in hits and RBI, two football All-Americans, a four-time national champion in men’s track and field, a four-time All-American in women’s track and field and a basketball All-American who led Arkansas to two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances, make up the 2008 class of inductees into the UA Sports Hall of Honor.
Football leads the way with All-Americans Rodney Brand and Bruce James, along with middle guard Tommy Brasher, quarterback George McKinney, and former player and assistant coach Steed White. They are joined by track All-Americans Daniel Lincoln and Gi-Gi Miller, baseball All-American Ryan Lundquist and basketball All-American Darrell Walker.
Honorees were elected to the UA Sports Hall of Honor by a vote of former letterwinners in conjunction with the “A” Club.
The official induction is Friday, Aug. 29, at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center adjacent to the Embassy Suites in Rogers. In addition to the 2008 class induction ceremony, former Athletic Director Frank Broyles will be presented the Razorback Foundation, Inc., Distinguished Service Award.
Tickets are $45 and can be purchased from the Razorback Foundation. For more information, call the Razorback Foundation at 479-443-9000.
TOMMY BRASHER
A letterman in 1961, ‘62 and ‘63, Brasher finished his career with 106 tackles as a middle guard. He recorded 68 tackles and five pass deflections in 1961. He had 38 tackles in 1962. Arkansas was 8-3 and No. 8 in the nation in 1961, and 9-2 and No. 6 in the nation in ‘62. The Razorbacks went 5-5 in 1963. The 1961 and ‘62 teams each earned a spot in the Sugar Bowl. He helped the 1962 unit lead the Southwest Conference in total defense (200.1) and rushing defense (90.7), and the 1961 defense lead the league in passing defense (62.9).
RODNEY BRAND
A center and captain on the line of 1969, Brand was named to the Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America and Walter Camp first-team All-America teams. He helped the Razorbacks post a 9-2 record, finish second in the SWC, earn a spot in the Sugar Bowl and finish with a No. 7 national ranking. He helped pave the way for 404.9 yards a game and 33 rushing touchdowns. He lettered in 1967, ‘68 and ‘69, and helped the Razorbacks go 10-1 in 1968 with a share of the SWC title and a Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia. A first-team All-Southwest Conference selection in ‘68 and ‘69, he was named to Arkansas’ all-decade team for the 1960s. Brand played in a pair of 1970 all-star games – the All-American Game in Lubbock, Texas, and the Hula Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii.
BRUCE JAMES
A first-team All-American defensive end by the Football Writers Association of America in 1970, James helped Arkansas go 9-2 and finish with a No. 11 national ranking by the Associated Press. He helped the Razorbacks lead the Southwest Conference in total defense by allowing just 267 yards per game. Also a first-team All-SWC selection, he played in two post-season all-star games – the All-American Bowl in Tampa, Fla., and the Blue-Gray Game in Montgomery, Ala. James lettered in 1968, ‘69 and ‘70. He recorded 53 tackles as a sophomore and 80 tackles as a junior. He was a part of defensive units that led the SWC in total defense in 1970 (267.1), rushing defense in 1968 (138.0) and scoring defense in 1969 (7.6).
DANIEL LINCOLN
Lincoln was a four-time NCAA champion, winning three straight in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (2001-03) and one in the 10,000 meters (2003) for John McDonnell’s Razorbacks. A four-year letterman as a member of the cross country and track and field teams, he was a 14-time All-America honoree. On the SEC scene, he was a seven-time SEC champion, winning the indoor 5,000 meters (2002-03), three straight steeplechase titles (2001-03), and the 5,000 and 10,000 meters (2002). He was named the 2003 NCAA Division I National Scholar Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. In his four years, the Hogs won five NCAA championship titles and 10 SEC titles. Now enjoying a successful professional running career, he is a three-time U.S. champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (2004-06). The American record holder in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:08.82), he was a member of Team USA at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
RYAN LUNDQUIST
An All-American outfielder in 1997, Lundquist also earned All-SEC honors in both 1997 and 1998. He lettered four times from 1996-99 and received the Bill Dickey Award in 1999 for leadership, talent and commitment. Lundquist holds school career records with 241 runs scored, 288 hits, 232 RBI, 68 doubles, 131 extra base hits and 538 total bases. He holds season records with 24 home runs, 190 total bases and a .819 slugging percentage, all in 1997. He also led the team with 78 RBI in 1997. He held the school career record of 56 home runs until 2007. He helped Arkansas go 39-20 with an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1996, 36-20 in 1997, 38-21 with an NCAA appearance in 1998, and 42-23 with an SEC championship and NCAA appearance in 1999. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 10th round of the Major League Draft in 1998 and in the eighth round by the Cincinnati Reds in 1999.
GEORGE McKINNEY
McKinney was a three-time letterman at quarterback for head football coach Frank Broyles in 1959, 1960 and 1961, and was a team captain in ‘61. His teams were 9-2, co-Southwest Conference champion and ranked No. 9 in the final Associated Press poll in 1959; 8-3, SWC champion and ranked No. 7 in the final AP poll in 1960; and 8-3, co-SWC champion and ranked No. 9 in the final AP poll in 1961. His teams played in the 1960 Gator Bowl, 1961 Cotton Bowl and 1962 Sugar Bowl. For his career, he was 82-of-184 passing for 1,298 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also ran 68 times for 244 yards and four touchdowns. As a junior, he threw for 728 yards and led the SWC with nine touchdown passes. That same season, he was recognized as the national player of the week by Sports Illustrated and UPI following games against Texas and Texas Tech, respectively.
GI-GI MILLER
An NCAA triple jump national champion and a four-time All-American, Miller was the SEC heptathlon champion in 2000. Miller was the first Lady Razorback field national champion when she captured the 2001 NCAA indoor triple jump title. The school record holder for the triple jump and heptathlon, Miller was a 2001 World University Games heptathlete and triple jump participant in Beijing, China. Honored as the Salute to Excellence recipient in 2002, she was the runner-up at the USATF Outdoor Championships in 2005 and was a member of Team USA for the 2005 World Championships. Since her junior season at Arkansas, she has ranked in the top 10 in the U.S. for the women’s heptathlon and was ranked No. 2 in the United States in 2006.
DARRELL WALKER
An Associated Press, Converse and UPI second-team All-American for basketball coach Eddie Sutton in 1983, Walker was also first-team All-Southwest Conference and named to the NABC all-district team. A letterman in 1981, ‘82 and ‘83, he played on teams going 24-8 with a SWC title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in ‘81, 23-6 with another SWC title and NCAA Tournament bid in ‘82 and 26-4 with another trip to the Sweet 16 in ‘83. Those teams ended the season ranked No. 20 in 1981, No. 12 in ‘82 and No. 9 in ‘83. He averaged 11.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in 1981, 14.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in 1983, and 18.2 points and 5.7 rebounds in 1983. He is 18th on Arkansas’ career scoring list with 1,325 points and led the team in scoring in ‘83. Walker is also fourth with 230 career steals, ninth with 333 free throws made and ninth with 302 assists. He was a first-round NBA Draft pick, the 12th overall selection, of the New York Knicks in 1983. Currently an assistant coach with the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets, he played 10 years in the NBA with the Knicks, Denver, Washington, Toronto, Detroit and Chicago, and he won an NBA championship with the Bulls in 1993.
STEED WHITE
White lettered in football in 1946 and 47, and had two stints as an assistant coach. He was an assistant in 1957 and again from 1961-63 as offensive line and ends coach. Arkansas went 6-4 in ’57, 8-3 with a Southwest Conference co-championship and No. 9 final ranking in ’61, 9-2 with a No. 6 final ranking in ’62 and 5-5 in ’63. The Razorbacks played in the 1962 and ’63 Sugar bowls. The 1946 team was 6-3-2, but was co-champion of the Southwest Conference and made Arkansas’ first appearance in the Cotton Bowl, tying No. 8 LSU, 0-0. The Razorbacks ended the year ranked No. 16 in the nation. The 1947 team was 6-4-1 and recorded the first bowl victory in school history with the 21-19 win over William & Mary in the Dixie Bowl.
