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In front of a large crowd of family, friends and alumni, the Hall of Fame Class of 2016 of the Mississippi College ‘M’ Club was inducted on Saturday night in Anderson Hall on MC’s campus.
The group includes MC Choctaws sports luminaries from Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Alabama.
“We have another outstanding class of student-athletes that will be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame this year,” says Athletic Director Mike Jones. “This group exemplifies everything that it means to be a Choctaw.”
The new inductees, he said, achieved success on athletic fields. But they also proved to be “even better people that are great ambassadors for this university.”
Jones believes these men and women serve as excellent role models for MC’s current sports teams. “The foundation they laid while competing for MC has set our current standards for success.”
The new class of inductees includes:
— William Craig Kennedy of Mendenhall. A 1978 graduate, he was selected for football and basketball. Kennedy captained the 1977 Choctaws football team. He was a member of the 1977-78 MC men’s hoops quad that won the Gulf South Conference title.
— Willie Thomas of Fort Worth, Texas. The 1996 MC graduate will be inducted for his basketball accomplishments at the A.E. Wood Coliseum and Choctaws games on the road.
— Jimmy Clarke of Dothan, Alabama. A 1982 MC graduate, the senior architect excelled at football and track on the Clinton campus. He was named All-Gulf South Conference in those two sports.
— Laford “Bubba” Hutto of Waynesboro, Mississippi. A 1961 MC graduate, he impressed fans with his baseball talents as a Choctaw for three seasons, from 1958 to 1960. Hutto signed a pro baseball contract with the American League’s Cleveland Indians.
— LaTisha “Tish” Tyes of Baldwyn, Mississippi is a 1996 MC graduate who was selected team MVP for two seasons as a member of the Lady Choctaws hoops squad. She was named to the All Gulf South Conference team for two seasons. LaTisha ranks No. 4 in career rebounds for the MC women’s team.
— Joseph “Allen” Hickman of Carriere, Mississippi is a 1988 Mississippi College graduate who was a football standout for the Choctaws. He served as team captain and was vice president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes on the Clinton campus. The best thing about his MC undergraduate days? Hickman didn’t hesitate. “My MC years gave me my wife, Amy Meadows Hickman.”
— Charles “Chuck” Crosby of Broussard, Louisiana. A 1984 MC graduate, he was a top-notch football player at the Baptist-affiliated university. Crosby was twice named to the All-Gulf South Conference first team. He played on the 1979 Choctaws team that won its first GSC championship.
— The late Tim Watkins. He was a standout pitcher for the Choctaws from 1983 to 1985. An All-Gulf South Conference player, Watkins was drafted by a pro baseball team.
