ASHOA 2021 Hall of Fame Class cont.
The Board of Directors of the State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOA) recently announced the Class of 2021 to be inducted on May 8, 2021.
A class of eight was selected by ballot through a statewide selection committee. They are Willie Anderson, Hal Baird, Cliff Ellis, Steve Hudson, Lillie Leatherwood, George Teague, Ben Wallace, and Demarcus Ware.
Last week the biographies of Hudson and Leatherwood were presented. This week, Teague, Wallace and Ware are featured.
GEORGE TEAGUE – FOOTBALL | Born February 17, 1971 in Oscoda, Mich. Teague played safety at the University of Alabama where he recorded 14 career interceptions over four years. In 1992, he was named first-team All-SEC and second-team All-American. He was a key member of the 1992 National Championship team. During the Sugar Bowl versus the No.1 ranked University of Miami, he stripped the ball away from a Miami receiver who was sprinting for the endzone. This iconic play gave Alabama the momentum, and the Crimson Tide went on to win 34-13 and claim the National Title. Teague was selected 29th overall by the Green Bay Packers in the 1993 NFL Draft. He was a member of the 1993 All-Rookie Team. Over a nine-year career he played with the Packers, Cowboys and Dolphins.
BEN WALLACE – BASKETBALL | Born September 10, 1974 in White Hall. He attended Cuyahoga Community College and Virginia Union University and signed with the Washington Bullets as an undrafted free agent in 1996. In his NBA career he played with the Washington Bullets/Wizards, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, and Cleveland Cavaliers. Some of his honors include: NBA Champion (2004), four-time NBA All-Star (2003, 2006), three-time All-NBA second-team (2003, 2004, 2006). He was five-time NBA All-Defensive first-team (2002-2006) and NBA All-Defensive second-team (2007). He was the NBA rebounding leader two consecutive years (2002, 2003), NBA blocks leader (2002), and the Detroit Pistons all-time leader in blocks. His jersey No. 3 is retired by the Detroit Pistons.
DEMARCUS WARE – FOOTBALL | Born July 31, 1982 in Auburn. Ware played defensive end at Troy University where he was instrumental in the program’s transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2001. He finished his Trojan career as the school’s all-time leader in tackles for loss with 55.5. He is second all-time in sacks with 27 sacks for a loss of 198 yards. A two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection, he was also named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year in 2003. The Dallas Cowboys selected Ware as the 11th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. During his NFL career, he played 12 seasons; nine with the Cowboys and three with the Denver Broncos. While playing for the Broncos, he was a member of their Super Bowl 50 championship team. His career stats include 654 tackles, 138.5 sacks, and 35 forced fumbles. During his career he was named to nine Pro Bowls, four All-Pro first-teams, and three All-Pro second-teams. Ware is a two-time NFL season sacks leader (tied for NFL record) and two-time winner of the Butkus Award. He was named to the Sun Belt Conference 2000s All-Decade Team. In 2012, he was inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame and in 2014, he was inducted into the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame.
