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BLUE RAIDER HALL OF FAME
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    • Buford "Mudcat" Brewer

    Inducted: 2011
    Sports: Baseball

    When Buford "Mudcat" Brewer ended his baseball career at Middle Tennessee in 1994, he was ranked first, second or third in nine offensive categories. Seventeen years later, upon his induction into the Blue Raider Hall of Fame, he was still ranked in the Top Ten in all of these career categories.

    The Smyrna, TN native was a hitting machine. In the four seasons that he played at MTSU, he hit 33 home runs (3rd on the all-time list), 159 RB's (2nd), hits 245 (1st), Runs 163 (2nd), doubles 51 (1st), and total bases 415 (1st). Known as an aggressive batter, Brewer could not be intimidated by brush-back pitches, finishing his career as the leader in the Hit-By-Pitch category.

    Playing for Coach Steve Peterson, Brewer was a starting outfielder for four years, and was named to the All-Ohio Valley Conference team in both 1993 and 1994. He was the OVC Player of the Year in 1993 and was the OVC tournament MVP in '94. He helped lead the Blue Raiders to NCAA tournaments in 1991 and 1994.

    Brewer was drafted by the Colorado Rockies and spent three years in their organization.

    Class of 2011

    Raymond Bonner
    Football, Track and Field

    Buford "Mudcat" Brewer
    Baseball

    Jacqui Brown
    Track and Field

    Kelly Potter
    Football

    Terry Sweeney
    Football, Track and Field

    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.