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BLUE RAIDER HALL OF FAME
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    • George Dykes

    Inducted: 1987
    Sports: Football

    A 1959 transfer from the University of Tennessee where he had played a year of football, George Dykes had intended to shift his attention from athletics to academics at MT. But an invitation from then football Coach Jack Deere brought him back to the game.

    Dykes went on to lead the Blue Raiders in pass receptions for three seasons. His average 27.0 yards per catch in the 1961 season is still rated among Blue Raider best. His career stats speak to his talent — 62 catches for 1,367 yards and 16 touchdowns. His 647 yards in receptions in 1961 set the stage for today's pass-happy offenses and is another long-standing MT record. Dykes went on to star in the 1961 Tangerine Bowl loss to Lamar Tech.

    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.