ASU Hall of Honor Gets Four New Members This Week

 

ASU Hall of Honor JH Williams Action Shot

J.H. Williams

 

The Arkansas State Lettermen’s Club will induct four new members into the ASU Hall of Honor when the club holds its annual Lettermen’s Banquet Aug. 30 at the Cooper Alumni Center on the ASU campus.

Former A-State football offensive lineman Tommy Walker, running back David Mitchell, basketball guard J.H. Williams and track and field standout Doug Shouse have been selected as the 2013 inductees.  Mitchell and Williams each attended Arkansas State in the early 1970s, while Walker and Shouse were at the university in the 1980s.

“The Lettermen’s Club is very pleased to announce this year’s inductees into the ASU Hall of Honor,” ASU Lettermen’s Club President Blake Barber said. “All four were very exciting and played key roles in the success of ASU Athletics. The Letterman Club looks forward to an exciting evening, honoring the achievements of these former ASU greats. We also encourage the attendance of all former letter winners and Red Wolves fans as a show of support for these three individuals as well as the ASU Lettermen’s Club.”

Walker was a four-year letterman at Arkansas State from 1980-83 and a two-time Second Team All-Southland Conference selection. He started every game on the

ASU Hall of Honor Tommy Walker Pose

Tommy Walker

offensive line as a true freshman in 1980 and missed only four games in his career at A-State. He helped pave the way for former A-State quarterback Tim Langford, who ranks among the program’s top-15 players in career yardage at ASU. Walker also earned All-Southland Conference Honorable Mention accolades in 1982, despite missing four games at the start of the season due to a knee an injury.

In 1983 he helped anchor an offensive line that helped the team averaged 8.5 yards per carry in a game against UT Martin, which was an ASU record at the time. He also blocked for the second longest play in school history, an 89-yard pass against Lamar in 1982, and spent one season blocking for fellow Hall of Honor member Rickey Jemison.

ASU Hall of Honor David Mitchell Player Head Shot

David Mitchell

Mitchell became the first African-American to receive a scholarship at Arkansas State in 1970 and was a four-year letterman from 1970-73.  He was a member of the 1970 squad that went 11-0 and led the Southland Conference and led the team in rushing as a senior in 1973 with 968 yards to earn first team all-conference honors.  His name can be found in the A-State record books as he’s still tied for sixth all-time with three consecutive 100-yard rushing performances and tied for fourth on the longest plays list with an 80-yard play against Xavier in 1973.

In addition to his career as a player, Mitchell served as an assistant coach from 1975-91.  He was on the coaching staff when the team went 11-0 in 1975 and was part of the coaching staff that led the 1986 Arkansas State football team to a Division I-AA National Runner-Up finish.  As a coach he was part of 103 A-State victories over his 17 seasons on staff.

Shouse burst onto the A-State track and field scene in 1982 and cleared 7-feet, 4.25 inches to take home top honors in the high jump in the Southland Conference Championships to earn the SLC Outstanding Performer for the Outdoor Championships. He repeated the championship performance in the high jump in 1983 with a leap of 7-feet 4.25 inches but his best performances were saved for the 1983 season.

The three-year letterwinner earned All-America status during the 1983 campaign after competing in the NCAA

ASU Hall of Honor Doug Shouse Head Shot

Doug Shouse

Championships. He set the all-time ASU indoor record for the high jump, clearing 7-feet, 4.25 inches, which still stands to this day. He later went on to finish sixth in the high jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships that same year.

Williams had one of the most accomplished careers in the history of the A-State men’s basketball program. He is seventh on the all-time assists list at the school with 323 for his career and led the team in assists in each of his three seasons. During the 1973-74 season he earned Second Team All-Southland Conference honors after leading the team to a 17-8 record.

He is the only Arkansas State men’s basketball player to earn the NCAA’s Post Graduate Scholarship after recording a career high in assists with 133 in the 1974-75 season. He lettered in three straight seasons and won 39 games in his collegiate career.

The Lettermen’s Club would like to encourage all former Hall of Honor inductees to attend.  The banquet will be open to the public, and tickets can be purchased by contacting the Red Wolves Foundation at 870-972-2401.  The event is set to get underway at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30, 2013.

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