NORTHERN LIGHTS Sports Hall of Honor lauds eight inductees

— It came from the lips of a South African, although it was echoed by standout quarterback Ron Calcagni and others.

"There's a family here in Arkansas that makes it easy for [an athlete] to go out there and do your job," said Alistair Cragg, Olympian and NCAA champion and university record holder. "No matter what sport you're in - football, basketball, tennis, track - you're a Razorback."

Cragg was one of eight inducted Sept. 18 into the university's sports Hall of Honor. Nearly 1,000 fans and hall members gathered at the Holiday Inn Northwest Arkansas Hotel and Convention Center for the ceremony and dinner. Other honorees included Veronica Campbell-Brown in track, Dr. Jim Counce in basketball, tennis coach Tom Pucci and Richard Bell, Billy Joe Moody, Shawn Andrews and Calcagni in football.

Of Campbell-Brown, the university's most decorated athlete ever (having won two golds and three more medals in the last two Olympic Games), women's track coach Lance Harter called her "the Tiger of golf, the Kobe of basketball," then, because Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was present, "the Dallas Cowboys of football."

He quickly added - "That should be worth a couple tickets to a game. I really want to go."

Throughout, there was lots of teasing between the athletes. When a group of former basketball greats that included Counce and the "Tripletts" - Sidney Moncrief, Marvin Delph and Ron Brewer - waved at former Boston Celtic Joe Klein to join in their picture, he declined on the grounds "I had a much betterteam than they did."

The truth is, several spectators including hall member Tommy Boyer and master of ceremonies Chuck Barrett said they can hardly recall an event that bore witness to more talent past and present.

Northwest Profile, Pages 49 on 09/27/2009

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