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BLUE RAIDER HALL OF FAME
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    • Dennis Mix

    Inducted: 2005
    Sports: Football

    A member of Coach James "Boots" Donnelly's first signing class at MT in 1979, Dennis Mix was a defensive demon whose play forced opposing teams to change their offensive strategies. He led the team in tackles for loss in 1981 and 1982 and was highly ranked with a career total of 46. Mix led the team in 1982 in total tackles with 92 and ranks third at MT with a career total of 313. All-Conference in 1981 and 1982, he was runner-up for 1982 OVC Athlete of the Year.

    A four-year letterman, Mix was voted to the AP's Second Team All-American squad. "I have never seen a better striker," said Donnelly. "You may find an athlete with as much ability, but rarely do you find one with ability and character. Dennis has both."

    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.