KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Several University of Tennessee sports standouts will be honored Thursday night during the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame 20204 induction class.
Hall of Fame inductees with UT ties this year include Coach Dan Brooks, pole vaulter Russ Johnson, Lady Vol basketball player Michelle Marciniak, football wide receiver David Martin and quarterback Heath Shuler.
Other inductees include legendary Farragut football coach Eddie Courtney, elite archer Connie Calloway, Lady Vols basketball sportswriter Dan Fleser, equestrian Victoria Gillenwater, and former SEC football official John Wright.
The ceremony will also honor a few VFLs, including Tennessee football star Jauan Jennings with the Chad Pennington Professional Athlete of the Year distinction and Lady Vol star Gwen Jackson with the Pat Summitt Ignite Greatness award. Veteran football equipment and apparel director Roger Fraizer will be honored with a special distinction.
Mike Capps, who's coached basketball at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley for more than 50 years, will be honored with the Buck Vaughn Legacy Award.
Several East Tennessee high school students will also be honored, including Webb School of Knoxville softball standout Molly Bryant with the Will McKamey Spirit Award. The following current and recently graduated high schoolers earned the distinction of Athlete of the Year:
- Nyla Blue – Bearden High School Soccer
- Sydney Mains – Catholic High School Basketball
- Alivia Stott – Bearden High School Soccer
- Jahvin Carter – Alcoa High School Basketball
- Eli Evans – Farragut High School Baseball
- Tyler Lee – Fulton High School Basketball
Below are the backgrounds UT shared about each of its inductees:
Dan Brooks
- Directed the defensive line at Tennessee from 1994-2008, earning a reputation as a skilled developer of top-notch players.
- Member of UT coaching staff when Vols won the 1998 BCS national championship.
- Tennessee also won SEC titles in 1997 and 1998 during his tenure in Knoxville.
- He mentored 30 NFL draft picks, including seven first-round choices, and three All-Americans.
- Coached in 27 bowl games and 412 total contests during a 33-year career.
Russ Johnson
- Three-time All-American pole vaulter during his days on Rocky Top and a qualifier for the USATF Championships.
- Won the 1998 indoor title at the SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships.
- He still ranks third in program history at 18 feet, 6.5 inches.
- Went on to coach at his alma mater as a volunteer assistant for 13 seasons.
- Unanimously named the 2015 National Collegiate Coach of the Year by the USA Track and Field Pole Vault High Performance and Development Committee.
Michelle Marciniak
- Point guard who led Tennessee women's basketball to the 1996 NCAA national championship after a runner-up finish in 1995.
- Named NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player during that victorious run.
- Starred for the Lady Vols from 1993-96, helping the squad win SEC titles in 1994 and 1995, and SEC Tournament crowns in 1994 and 1996.
- Still ranks third for single season assists at Tennessee with 204 and is ninth in career dimes with 449.
- Her career assists-per-game average of 4.32 stands fifth, as does her 1994-95 season average of 5.7 apg.
David Martin
- Key member of Tennessee football from 1997-2000 as a wide receiver, helping the Vols win the BCS national championship in 1998.
- Martin was selected in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers, who moved him to tight end.
- His 11-year NFL career also included stops with the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills.
- Martin accumulated 1,562 receiving yards on 159 receptions during his professional career, averaging 9.8 yards per catch and scoring 15 touchdowns.
- He currently coaches tight ends in the football program at nearby Maryville College.
Heath Shuler
- Starred at quarterback for the Volunteers, lettering from 1991-93.
- Selected as SEC Player of the Year and finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 1993.
- Shuler remains ninth in the UT record book for passing touchdowns in a season (25) and No. 8 for career passing touchdowns (36), and he is No. 12 all-time in career total yards (4,472).
- Scored a school record 11 rushing touchdowns in 1992, which still ranks No. 2 in program history.
- Was the third overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft by Washington, playing four seasons before an injury forced him into retirement.