THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Dwight Johnson

Inducted: 2010
Sports: Track and Field, Football

Dwight Johnson was the dominant force in Ohio Valley Conference Track in the mid-1980's. He came to MTSU in 1983 as both a football player and track star. Track proved to be his forte, as he earned All-American honors in the long jump in 1984 and 1985.

He helped continue the success of MTSU's famed "Grasshopper Gang" that dominated the OVC in the 1980's and 90's. He ran the sprints, both indoors and outdoors, ran on record-setting 400 meter relay teams, and competed in the long jump as well as the 300m indoors in which he still holds the OVC record.

Johnson was OVC Track Athlete of the Year three times (1984-85-86). He won the 200m in a record time of 20.65 seconds in 1985, and also anchored the winning 400m relay team that ran a record time of 40.83 seconds, the 5th fastest time in the nation that year. His other career best marks of 26-6 in the long jump and his 20.65 in the 200m still rank 4th on the all-time MTSU list.

Class of 2012

Mike Caldwell
Football

Diane Cummings Turnham
Athletic Administration

Harry Gupton
Basketball, Baseball

Tawanya Mucker Wilson
Basketball

Jayhawk Owens
Baseball

History of the Hall of Fame

In the early spring of 1975, a pair of long-time supporters of Middle Tennessee State University's athletic program decided that the University should honor its greatest athletes. Homer Pittard, alumni director, and Gene Sloan, public relations director, came up with the idea and asked sports information director Jim Freeman to join them in setting up an athletic hall of fame.

After getting approval for the Hall of Fame from President M. G. Scarlett, the trio began laying the groundwork to select the first inductees. Others, including Bob Womack and Joe Nunley, were also involved.

"We decided not to have categories but to put all candidates in one group," said Freeman. "We also decided against inducting a large group to start with and felt that three per year was the ideal number. That way, everyone got a good share of the spotlight."

The nominating and voting for the first several years was done by members of the old "T" Club, now reorganized and called the Varsity Club. Nominations were solicited, and the the list of candidates was mailed to the voters. They selected Horace Jones, Charles "Bubber" Murphy and Teddy Morris as the initial inductees in 1976.

The Blue Raider Hall of Fame was originally housed in the old Blue Raider Room under the west side of the football stadium. It had to be torn down when then stadium was expanded in 1998. After several years without a home, the Hall of Fame moved into the new Rose and Emmett Kennon Sports Hall of Fame building in 2004.