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BLUE RAIDER HALL OF FAME
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    • Ray Purvis

    Inducted: 1978
    Sports: Football, Baseball, Track and Field

    A three-sport athlete, Ray Purvis made his mark on MT athletics in football. He lettered in that sport for four years and during his play, MT's record was 35-5-1. Purvis was All-OVC and All-American in 1959. His 9.1 yards per rush season average was an OVC record at the time.

    Captain of the football team in 1960, he also applied his athleticism to track and field where he competed in the 100-yard dash and the long jump.

    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.