MSU’s colorful athletics history was honored Friday as 10 new members received induction into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame at a ceremony Friday at the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center.
The former MSU athletes and coaches will be honored at Spartan Stadium during halftime of MSU’s football game against Wisconsin on Saturday (3:30, ABC).
The class is headlined by former hockey coach and athletics director Ron Mason and former football players Lorenzo White and Percy Snow. The class includes former players and athletes from several different sports.
The ceremony is one of several activities of the “Celebrate 2010” weekend, including the announcement of the Varsity S Club award winners and the inaugural Varsity Letter Jacket Presentation.
Inductees talked about the significance of Friday’s event and their reaction to finding out they would be added.
“I’d like to thank the university that laid the foundation for my life,” former MSU football player and baseball player Steve Garvey said. “It’s an honor.”
Garvey was an All-American baseball player at MSU in 1968 before becoming a 10-time All-Star during his professional career with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers.
He played football in 1967 and earned a letter for his role as a defensive back.
White and Snow played together during the 1986 and 1987 football seasons, helping the Spartans reach the Rose Bowl after the 1987 season.
White rushed for a school-record 4,887 yards and 43 touchdowns from 1984-1987 and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting in his sophomore and senior seasons.
White ranks fifth in Big Ten history with his yardage and will go down as one of MSU’s greatest running backs.
“It’s like one of these milestones that you set out for in your life and you achieve,” White said. “You put time in on the field, and you’re rewarded.”
Snow was the first player to win awards for being college football’s top linebacker and top linemen, doing it in 1989.
Snow is the second-leading tackler in MSU history with 473 tackles and finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting in 1989.
“This is the best honor I could have ever gotten,” Snow said. “I won the Butkus and Lombardi Award and Rose Bowl MVP, but this here puts the stamp on it all.”
The other inductees were Jim Bibbs (track and field), Ed Budde (football), Linda Gustavson (swimming), Neil Jackson (track and field), Julius McCoy (basketball) and Ken Walsh (swimming).
The MSU Athletics Hall of Fame is located in the Clara Bell Smith Center and features big moments in the Spartans’ history.
“This is a tremendous honor for me and the other inductees as well,” Mason said. “It’s a special night.”
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