MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Alabama State University Athletics inducted its first Hall of Fame since 2000 honoring 16 Hornet standouts and the 1991 football team in a ceremony at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. 
 

Alfredda Abernathy	Brad Baxter	Darnall Kennedy	Lewis Jackson	Steve Rogers	Reggie Barlow	Reginald Brown	Rickey Jones
Shameka Jackson	Tarvaris Jackson	Eddie Robinson Jr.	George Lockhart	John Garrick-Hardy	Olean Black Underwood	Charles Mitchell	CJ Dunn

 

The 2022 induction class features 17 members from different decades including multiple leading scorers in basketball, a trio of quarterbacks who stand atop the record book, a record-breaking coach, and a national championship team.

The 1991 Alabama State football team captured the HBCU National Championship with an 11-0-1 record. The team scored 40 or more points five times in the season, and defeated North Carolina A&T in the Heritage Bowl to win the championship.

Alfredda Abernathy finished her career at Alabama State as the leading scorer in women's basketball history and grabbed over 1,000 career rebounds. She would later become a first- round pick for Dallas Diamonds of the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL). During her professional career with the Dallas Diamonds and St. Louis Streak, she averaged 22.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game.
 
Brad Baxter was a three-time all-Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) selectee during his time as running back for the Alabama State Hornets. He finished his Bama State career with 3,728 yards and 30 career touchdowns. He later went on to a stellar NFL career with the New York Jets from 1989-1995.
 
Reggie Barlow finished his Alabama State career as the third-leading receiver in history. His career numbers include 133 receptions for 2,536 yards and 17 touchdowns. His best season came in 1994 when he caught 58 passes for 1,267 yards and 12 touchdowns. Barlow enjoyed a stellar NFL career from 1996-2002, where he won a Super Bowl ring with the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He returned to his alma mater as the head football coach from 2007-2014.
 
Reginald Brown, a member of the 1991 HBCU National Championship team, finished his career just one catch behind fellow Hall of Fame selection Barlow. He finished with 132 receptions for 2,271 yards and 23 touchdowns. He recorded 48 receptions for 815 yards and eight touchdowns during the 1990 season.
 
Charles Johnson (C.J.) Dunn served as head basketball coach between 1934 and 1963, winning 298 games, the most wins of any Hornet coach. Dunn spent 46 years at ASU, serving in several capacities at ASU, including baseball coach, professor, dean of students, and athletic director. Dunn also served as Commissioner of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). There are two facilities on campus named in his honor, Dunn-Oliver Acadome and C.J. Dunn
Tower.
 
John Garrick Hardy moved to Montgomery at the age of four and attended Alabama State beginning in ninth grade. He learned to play sports and musical instruments and currently has the student center named after him on campus.
 
Lewis Jackson roamed the court for 15 years as head basketball coach for the Hornets. During his tenure, Jackson won two regular-season SWAC basketball championships (2008, 2009) and two SWAC tournament championships (2009, 2011). He led the hornets to four postseason appearances (2 NCAA, 1 NIT, and 1 CIT). He was named the 2009 SWAC Coach of the year. Jackson holds the rare distinction of winning Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors in the same conference.
 
Shameka Jackson finished her career as one of the most prolific women's basketball players in SWAC history. She earned Player of the Year honors in 2002-03 and was a three-time All-SWAC selection. She became just the fourth player in conference history to score 2,000 points, finishing with 2,094 – the second-highest mark in conference history.
 
Former quarterback Tarvaris Jackson was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2022 and is the= fourth all-time passing leader in school history with 4,898 yards and 38 touchdowns. He also finished his career fourth in total defense with 5,709 total yards and recorded the third-best passing season with 2,556 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2004.

Rickey Jones, who led Alabama State to the 1991 HBCU National Championship under center, finished his career as the leader in total offense (currently second all-time) with 6,823 yards. He finished his career second all-time with 5,456 yards passing and 49 touchdowns along with 1,273 yards rushing. Jones was recenlty announced that he will also be inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame in December. 
 
Darnell Kennedy finished his career as one of the most prolific passers in SWAC history over four years. He finished with 11,753 yards and 102 touchdowns over four years, completing 859 passes. He also piled 12,888 yards of total offense – both school records.
 
George Lockhart was a long-time coach and administrator at Alabama State University and started the baseball program in 1926. His name is on the current home of the Alabama State volleyball team.
 
Charles Mitchell became the first player from Alabama State to be drafted into the National Football League (NFL). He later went on to become an assistant coach at Alabama State and a long-time high school coach in Michigan. While a student-athlete, he was a quarterback and defensive back, intercepting 13 passes in his first year as a defensive back. He was also a punter and the first Alabama State student-athlete selected to the Blue-Gray Football Game.
 
Eddie Robinson, Jr. a two-time All-SWAC performer and a member of the 1991 HBCU National Championship team, was a two-time SWAC Defensive Player of the Year selection and Sheridan Black College All-American. He was named the Black College Sports Defensive Player of the Year in 1991 and was named a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy before being drafted by the Houston Oilers in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft.
 
Steve Rogers finished his career as one of the most prolific scorers in SWAC history. He was a two-time First-Team All-SWAC selection, earning Newcomer of the Year honors as a sophomore. He was named SWAC Player of the Year and earned All-American honors in 1991 and 1992. Rogers finished his career with 2,471 points placing him third all-time at Alabama State. He was a second-round draft choice of the New Jersey Nets.
 
Olean Black-Underwood served Alabama State University for thirty-three years (1948-1981) as a teacher, tennis coach, dance instructor, and student mentor. The Alabama State University tennis center is named in her honor.