Hampden-Sydney College and the Athletics Hall of Fame will
induct its 18th class on Saturday, November 5, 2005, at
11 am in Kirby Fieldhouse. Included in the Athletics Hall of Fame
Class of 2005 are a wrestling great and football player, a football
All American, the first-ever soccer inductee and a former assistant
coach who, after leaving Hampden-Sydney, achieved greatness on the
gridiron as a head coach.
Otis
Bradley,
Wrestling, Football, 1959-63
A four-year letter-winner for the Tiger wrestling squad, Otis
Bradley completed his career as a three-time Mason Dixon Conference
Champion and two-time Mason Dixon Conference Most Valuable
Wrestler. Bradley finished his four-year career with a 42-1
overall record as he placed second in the Mason Dixon in his weight
class during his freshman campaign in 1960 with his only loss of
the season and his career coming during the championship
bout. Bradley captained the Tiger wrestling squad from 1961
through 1963 and won the 191-pound division in 1961 and 1962, while
being voted the most outstanding wrestler. Bradley moved up
to the unlimited weight division and again won the Mason Dixon
crown and was voted most outstanding wrestler in
1963. While a student at Hampden-Sydney, he won the
Virginia AAU Championship in the 191-pound bracket and placed
fourth in the East Coast AAU Tournament in New York.
Bradley also lettered in football for three years (1960-62) as a
linebacker and earned First Team All-Little Eight in 1962 and was
voted top defensive player on the team. Bradley was also a
recipient of the Joshua Warren White Trophy for sportsmanship in
1961.
Bradley is a retired programming manager for IBM Corporation and
resides in Austin, TX.
Tim Smith, Football,
1976-80
Tim Smith earned illustrious honors on the gridiron as a
three-year starter, Kodak All-American and three-time
All-ODAC honoree as a defensive lineman for the Tiger football
team. In 1978, he earned first team All-America honors and
was the only defensive lineman in NCAA Division III football to
earn the accolades on the Kodak team that encompassed all
of Division II and III. In 1978, Smith’s teammates voted him
Most Valuable Player and Outstanding Defensive Player as he led the
Lou Wacker-coached Tiger defense. Smith earned first team
All-ODAC honors three straight seasons (1977-79) and in 1979 was
selected the ODAC Player of the Year, making him one of only five
Tigers to ever receive the honor.
Tim is currently the operations manager for Petra Holding
Incorporated in Blacksburg, VA, and is a resident of Roanoke, VA,
along with his wife, Martha, and daughters Ashley and
Alexandra.
Curtis Player, Soccer,
1991-95
Hampden-Sydney’s first soccer All-American, Player concluded
a stellar career by leading the 1994 team to single season school
records for wins (15), goals (62), assists (74), points (198) and
shots (437), while helping the team to nine shutouts, which ranks
second all-time. A force in the defense, he also netted 16
career goals, with 12 coming during his 1994 All-American season,
which is tied for the sixth-best single-season output. He
earned first team All-ODAC and first team all-south in 1994 to go
with his second team All-America selection. After his four
year playing career at Hampden-Sydney, Player played professionally
as a member of the Columbia Heat of the USISL and in 1997, served
the College as assistant soccer coach.
Player is currently a teacher and girls soccer coach at
Heathwood Hall Episcopal School in Columbia, SC.
SPECIAL
CITATION
Lou Wacker, Football,
Wrestling, Lacrosse,1961-85
Lou Wacker served Hampden-Sydney College as a coach for
24 years before moving to Emory and Henry College in 1985 as head
football coach. During his 20-plus years at Hampden-Sydney,
Wacker helped architect one of Virginia’s greatest football
programs along with legendary Tiger coach Stokeley Fulton.
Wacker’s Tiger defenses dominated opponents for more than 20
years and from 1969 to 1979, his team defense allowed an average of
just 9.5 points-per-game, making the Tiger defense one of only two
Division III programs to limit opponents to a single digit averages
in that span. Wacker’s defense had unprecedented
seasons in 1970 and 1971 as the unit, nicknamed the “coffin
squad,” allowed a total of 73 points in 22 games and posted
11 shutouts as the Tiger football team advanced to the Knute Rockne
Bowl in back-to-back seasons. While at Hampden-Sydeny, Wacker
also coached the Tiger wrestling team (1963-1984) and was
instrumental in the start of the Tiger lacrosse program.
Wacker’s illustrious career continued at Emory and Henry
where he led the Wasps to 11 Old Dominion Athletic Conference
championships, five NCAA tournament appearances and was voted ODAC
Coach of the Year five times as his teams compiled a 164-76
all-time record. Wacker, who also served as athletic
director, retired from Emory and Henry College in 2004.
Hampden-Sydney Athletics Hall of Fame
The Hampden-Sydney Athletic Hall of Fame was created in 1988 and
is designed to honor men who have made outstanding contributions to
Hampden-Sydney athletics and have helped bring recognition, honor,
excellence and distinction to the College and its intercollegiate
athletics program. Members are selected annually by the Hall of
Fame Committee from nominations submitted by alumni and friends of
the College.
