UWA Hall of Fame to induct four individuals

LIVINGSTON – For the first time since the inception of the University of West Alabama Athletic Hall of Fame, four former Tigers will be inducted as the Class of 2018.

Former football players Deon Williams and Robby James, along with baseball player Brandon Dill and former Tiger women’s basketball star Beverly Reed Lockett, will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Annual National Alumni Association Meeting on Sept. 15, 2018.  They will serve as honorary game captains at the football game that day against Valdosta State.

This year’s class increases the number of UWA Athletics Hall of Famers members to 79. Reed Lockett is the eighth former female student-athlete to earn induction. The first UWA Athletics Hall of Fame induction was in 1981.

Despite playing just three seasons at quarterback for the Tigers, Williams concluded his West Alabama football career as the Tigers all-time leader in pass completion percentage (.612), as well as holding school career records in passing, total offense and passing touchdowns. Williams is currently second in all-time in passing yards (7,034), touchdown passes (60) and total offense (7,812). He is currently third all-time in pass completions (471) and passes attempted (769).

Williams led the Tigers to a second round NCAA Playoff berth in 2009 and was an All-Gulf South Conference and All-South Region selection. As a member of the Tiger football coaching staff, Williams has helped lead the Tigers to GSC titles in 2012, 2013 and 2017, as well as NCAA Playoff berths in 2012 and 2017.

After playing an integral role as the starting fullback and second-leading rusher on the 1971 national championship team, James entered into a very successful career as a high school football coach. After spending some time an assistant coach, James took over the head coaching reins at Catherine Academy in 1980 and retired from Marengo Academy 35 years later with a 298-116-1 career record and nine Alabama Independent Schools state championships. Inducted into the AISA Hall of Fame in 2003, he was 46-19 in 28 playoff games.

Already a member of the Gulf South Conference Hall of Fame, Dill finished his West Alabama baseball career with a 22-2 pitching record, a 3.31 ERA, 166 strikeouts and just 44 walks in over 200 innings pitched. He was a first team All-GSC selection and was named the 2008 Rawlings/ABCA South Central Region Pitcher of the Year. A four-year letter-winner for UWA (2005-08), he was the Gulf South Conference Pitcher of the Decade for 2000-2009.

Beverly Reed Lockett owned 22 school records and All-America honors when she ended her basketball career at UWA. Thirty-five years later she still holds 13 records – six single season records, two single game records and five career records.

Single season records include points scored (795), points per game (22.9), field goals attempted (636), free throws attempted (258), rebounds (448) and rebounds per game (13.2). Single game records are 25 rebounds and 18 field goals made. Career records still on the books are 813 rebounds, 611 field goals made, 1,572 points scored, 11.6 rebounds per game and 22.5 points per game.

With her playing career concluded, Lockett coached high school and AAU basketball for several years in the Dallas, Texas area. More recently, she served on the women’s basketball staff at Delaware State University where she earned the 2017 Alliance of Women’s Coaches Judy Sweet Leadership Award. She put together a 211-113 high school coaching record while earning two District 10-5A Championships and four coach of the year honors.

The UWA HOF was founded to honor former student-athletes, coaches, students and administrators who have honored the university with outstanding play, coaching or leadership, both while on campus and/or in their careers. There is a five-year waiting period for former UWA student-athletes and coaches to be inducted. There is no waiting period for administrators.