2005 Hampden-Sydney College Hall of Fame Inductees

Hampden-Sydney College and the Athletics Hall of Fame will induct its 18^th class on Saturday, November 5, 2005, at 11 am in Kirby Fieldhouse. Included in the Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2005 are a wrestling great and football player, a football All American, the first-ever soccer inductee and a former assistant coach who, after leaving Hampden-Sydney, achieved greatness on the gridiron as a head coach.

Otis Bradley, Wrestling, Football, 1959-63
A four-year letter-winner for the Tiger wrestling squad, Otis Bradley completed his career as a three-time Mason Dixon Conference Champion and two-time Mason Dixon Conference Most Valuable Wrestler.  Bradley finished his four-year career with a 42-1 overall record as he placed second in the Mason Dixon in his weight class during his freshman campaign in 1960 with his only loss of the season and his career coming during the championship bout.  Bradley captained the Tiger wrestling squad from 1961 through 1963 and won the 191-pound division in 1961 and 1962, while being voted the most outstanding wrestler.  Bradley moved up to the unlimited weight division and again won the Mason Dixon crown and was voted most outstanding wrestler in 1963.  While a student at Hampden-Sydney, he won the Virginia AAU Championship in the 191-pound bracket and placed fourth in the East Coast AAU Tournament in New York.   Bradley also lettered in football for three years (1960-62) as a linebacker and earned First Team All-Little Eight in 1962 and was voted top defensive player on the team.  Bradley was also a recipient of the Joshua Warren White Trophy for sportsmanship in 1961. 

Bradley is a retired programming manager for IBM Corporation and resides in Austin, TX.

Tim Smith, Football, 1976-80
Tim Smith earned illustrious honors on the gridiron as a three-year starter, Kodak All-American and three-time All-ODAC honoree as a defensive lineman for the Tiger football team.  In 1978, he earned first team All-America honors and was the only defensive lineman in NCAA Division III football to earn the accolades on the Kodak team that encompassed all of Division II and III. In 1978, Smith’s teammates voted him Most Valuable Player and Outstanding Defensive Player as he led the Lou Wacker-coached Tiger defense.  Smith earned first team All-ODAC honors three straight seasons (1977-79) and in 1979 was selected the ODAC Player of the Year, making him one of only five Tigers to ever receive the honor.

Tim is currently the operations manager for Petra Holding Incorporated in Blacksburg, VA, and is a resident of Roanoke, VA, along with his wife, Martha, and daughters Ashley and Alexandra.

Curtis Player, Soccer, 1991-95
Hampden-Sydney’s first soccer All-American, Player concluded a stellar career by leading the 1994 team to single season school records for wins (15), goals (62), assists (74), points (198) and shots (437), while helping the team to nine shutouts, which ranks second all-time.  A force in the defense, he also netted 16 career goals, with 12 coming during his 1994 All-American season, which is tied for the sixth-best single-season output.  He earned first team All-ODAC and first team all-south in 1994 to go with his second team All-America selection.  After his four year playing career at Hampden-Sydney, Player played professionally as a member of the Columbia Heat of the USISL and in 1997, served the College as assistant soccer coach. 

Player is currently a teacher and girls soccer coach at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School in Columbia, SC.

SPECIAL CITATION

Lou Wacker, Football, Wrestling, Lacrosse,1961-85
Lou Wacker served Hampden-Sydney College as a coach for 24 years before moving to Emory and Henry College in 1985 as head football coach.  During his 20-plus years at Hampden-Sydney, Wacker helped architect one of Virginia’s greatest football programs along with legendary Tiger coach Stokeley Fulton.  Wacker’s Tiger defenses dominated opponents for more than 20 years and from 1969 to 1979, his team defense allowed an average of just 9.5 points-per-game, making the Tiger defense one of only two Division III programs to limit opponents to a single digit averages in that span.  Wacker’s defense had unprecedented seasons in 1970 and 1971 as the unit, nicknamed the “coffin squad,” allowed a total of 73 points in 22 games and posted 11 shutouts as the Tiger football team advanced to the Knute Rockne Bowl in back-to-back seasons.  While at Hampden-Sydeny, Wacker also coached the Tiger wrestling team (1963-1984) and was instrumental in the start of the Tiger lacrosse program. 

Wacker’s illustrious career continued at Emory and Henry where he led the Wasps to 11 Old Dominion Athletic Conference championships, five NCAA tournament appearances and was voted ODAC Coach of the Year five times as his teams compiled a 164-76 all-time record.  Wacker, who also served as athletic director, retired from Emory and Henry College in 2004.

Hampden-Sydney Athletics Hall of Fame

The Hampden-Sydney Athletic Hall of Fame was created in 1988 and is designed to honor men who have made outstanding contributions to Hampden-Sydney athletics and have helped bring recognition, honor, excellence and distinction to the College and its intercollegiate athletics program. Members are selected annually by the Hall of Fame Committee from nominations submitted by alumni and friends of the College.