501-313-4158
2024 Inductees and Banquet
“MEET THE STARS VIP RECEPTION”:
Thursday, April 18, 2024 – 5:30-7:30 PM
*Due to scheduling conflicts with Simmons Bank Arena, the entire Reception will be at
Cache Restaurant this year – Hosted by Rush & Linda Harding*
BANQUET:
Friday, April 19, 2024 – Cocktail Reception 5:30 PM – Doors Open 6:00 PM – Ceremony – 6:30 PM Wally Allen Ballroom, Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock, AR
Reception and Banquet tickets sold separately. click below to purchase
You can also complete this form to purchase reception and/or banquet tickets
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Location Change!
2024 Inductees
Regular Category
CARLA CROWDER - COACHING
CROWDER, CARLA (DOB: June 15, 1959) – Coaching – Crowder, a native of Bradford, has coached girls’ basketball for 40 years. During her coaching career, she has led her teams to four state championship titles (Bryant, 1988, 1989, and 1991 and Cabot 2012). She also holds four state runner-up titles (Bryant, 1990, 1993, and 1996 and Cabot 2004). While at Bryant, from 1988-1990, Crowder and her teams captured 63 consecutive wins. Throughout the years, she has received numerous recognitions including: NFICA Girls Basketball Outstanding Coach in AR (1981), Outstanding Coach in Girls Athletics (1987-89), Outstanding Coach in Girls Basketball (1988), AR Democrat Coach of the Year (1987-88), AR Gazette Super Team Coach of the Year (1988-89), AR Gazette Coach of the Decade (1980-90), Nike/WBCA High School All-American Team Selection Committee Member (1994-96), Head Coach – 2004 All-Star Game, NFHS Sectional Coach of the Year (2004), and NFHS National Coach of the Year (2004 & 2012).
GLEN DAY - GOLF
DAY, GLEN (DOB: November 16th, 1965) – Golf – Glen Day lives in Little Rock, but was born in Mobile, Alabama, and raised in Poplarville, Mississippi. Glen started playing golf when he was 2 to 3 years of age. By the age of 10, he held a 5 handicap and was able to regularly shoot par on 18 holes. He graduated from Poplarville High School in 1983, attended the University of Oklahoma, then turned professional in 1988. Day was the first golfer to win a professional tournament using the Nike Golf Ball by defeating Payne Stewart to win the 1999 MCI Classic played at the Sea Pines Plantation Harbor Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, South Carolina. It was his 154th PGA Tour start and his only PGA Tour win. In 2000, the first of two top-10s came at the first event of the season with a T-8 in the Mercedes Championship. In 2001, he came in 4th in the MasterCard Colonial, and tied for 6th in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. In his forties, Day split his playing time between the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour. He later joined the PGA Tour Champions after turning 50. Day is also a golf course architect, forming Day-Blalock Golf Course Design with Alan Blalock in 1999. He has featured in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings, peaking at 30th in 2000.
JEFF GLASBRENNER
GLASBRENNER, JEFF (DOB: 1972) – Para-thlete/Basketball/Triathlons/Mountaineering – Glasbrenner has been a star in the sport of wheelchair basketball since his college days at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He is a two-time world champion, four-time national champion and scored 63 points in the 2004 national championship game. Glasbrenner is also an avid triathlete. He has completed several Ironman triathlons and has completed several Ironman races. His achievements include: 2008 U.S. Paralympic team member – Paralympic Games, Beijing, China, 2008 1st Place – North American Cup, Birmingham, AL, 2006 Silver medal – IWBF Gold Cup (World Championships), Amsterdam, 2004 U.S. Paralympic team member – Paralympic Games, Athens, Greece, 2002 Gold medal – IWBF Gold Cup, Kitakyushu, Japan, and 2000 Bronze medal – Paralympic Games, Sydney, Australia. As though basketball and triathlons were not enough, Glasbrenner has excelled in Mountaineering. On May 18, 2016, he became the first American amputee to summit Mt. Everest. For this amazing feat, Jeff was featured on the cover and in an 8-page spread in the May 2017 edition of Sports Illustrated. He is currently on a mission to be the first physically challenged person to complete reaching the North and South Poles. As of this date, he has accomplished all but two: climbing the Carstensz Pyramid and reaching the North Pole.
PEYTON HILLIS - FOOTBALL
HILLIS, PEYTON (DOB: January 21st, 1986) – Football – Playing at Conway High School as a Super Prep All-American, Hillis was rated by Max Emfinger as the best fullback in the nation. He was named the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Offensive Player of the Year his senior year, received Fox Sports Net “All-South” first-team honors, Landers Award and All-Conference and All-State honors as a junior and senior. With the Razorbacks, he rushed for 959 yds. (avg. 4.7 yds.), receiving 1,195 yds. (avg. 10.1 yds.), kick-off return 213 yds. (avg. 17.8 yds.), and punt returns 257 yds. (avg. 10.3 yds.) Hillis was the 20th pick in the 7th round of the 2008 NFL draft and eventually became the starting fullback for the Denver Broncos. In 2010 Hillis was traded to the Cleveland Browns and then went on to play for the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants. In 2011, Hillis won a nationwide vote which put him on the cover of EA Sports Madden NFL 12 video game. His passing and receiving yards while in the NFL were as follows: Denver Broncos (2008-2009) Rushing 397 Receiving 298, Cleveland Browns (2010-2011) Rushing 1,764 Receiving 607, Kansas City Chiefs (2012) Rushing 309 Receiving 62, New York Giants (2013-2014) Rushing 362 Receiving 183. Hillis retired in 2015.
JASON PETERS - FOOTBALL
PETERS, JASON (DOB: January 22nd, 1982) – Football – A native of Queen City, TX, Peters played collegiately for the Razorbacks. Originally recruited as a defensive tackle, he was moved to the tight end spot. In his junior season, Peters registered 21 catches for 218 yards and four touchdowns, which earned him a second-team All-SEC selection. Peters was picked up by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2004. In 2006, Peters started at right tackle for the Bills. Peters was rewarded for his play, signing a 5-year, $15 million contract extension with the Bills in the offseason. In 2007, Peters saw his best years as a pro, and was selected to start at left tackle on the AFC Pro-Bowl team. Due to an injury, he was unable to attend the Pro Bowl game. In 2009, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Peters to a six-year, $60 million contract for him to remain in Philadelphia through 2014. Peters was selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl and 2011 Pro Bowl as a starter and was a 2010 second team All-Pro selection. In 2012, Peters ruptured his Achilles tendon and was placed on the injury list. In 2014, Peters signed a new five-year deal worth $51.3 million with the Eagles. In 2017, Peters signed a one-year contract extension with the Eagles through the 2019 season. Peters suffered tears to the ACL and MCL on his right knee, which ended his 2017 season. The Eagles went on to win Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots 41–33, giving Peters his first Super Bowl ring. In 2019, the Eagles signed Peters to a one-year contract. In 2020, Peters was named to the NFL's official All-Decade team for the 2010’s. Peters was a seven-time Pro Bowler (2007-2011 & 2013-2104), a two time First-Team All-Pro (2011 & 2013), and four-time Second Team All Pro (2007, 2008, 2010, 2014).
Senior/Posthumous Category
AL FLANIGAN - BASKETBALL
FLANIGAN, AL – (DOB: 1950) – Basketball – Flanigan joined the SAU basketball team in 1968. The Magnolia native played on an AIC championship team that posted a 23-5 record in 1970-71, and on two NAIA tournament teams (1970-71, and 1971-72) when SAU finished with a 22-6 record. As a Mulerider, Flanigan played on teams that went 77-31 in his four-year career. As point guard, he was a two-time First Team All-AIC selection. He holds the SAU season record for free throws made (155) in 1970-71. Flanigan is a member of the SAU 500-Point Club with 559 points in his junior season, a 20.0 average. He is fourth in career scoring at SAU with 1,609 points, a 15.2 average. Flanigan went on to a successful coaching career at Little Rock Parkview, with 7 state championships, 11 conference championships and over 500 wins from 2006-18.
BUTCH GARDNER - BASKETBALL
GARDNER, BUTCH (DOB: January 10, 1955) – Basketball – Gardner played collegiately at Harding University i1973-77. He earned 1st Team All-AIC in 1974, 75, 76, and 77. He was selected as a 3rd Team NAIA All-American in 1975, 2nd Team 1976, and 2nd Team 1977. As of 2020, he still holds career scoring records at Harding with 2,255 career points, scoring avg of 21.1 PPG, field goals made at 927, field goals attempted at 1,948, and rebounds at 983. He is also ranked 5th in free throws made at 401 and 2nd in rebound avg at 9.2 PG.
ED HARRIS - GOLF
HARRIS, ED (DOB: 1932) – Golf – Harris grew up during the Great Depression and WWII. He did not have the opportunity to play college golf when he graduated from North Little Rock High in 1950. The only 18-hole golf course was War Memorial Park and 9-hole courses at Rock Creek and Ft. Roots. By the early 60’s, Harris had established himself as a dominant figure in amateur golf in Arkansas, and he would remain so for 4 decades, winning well over 100 tournaments. He retired from competitive golf around 2000. Under ASGA rules prior to 1970, public course players were not eligible to enter either the ASGA stroke or match play tournaments, which were open only to private club members. Harris entered and won the ASGA stroke play championship in 1970 at age 38. He won the ASGA match play tournament in 1975, and again in 1982 at the age of 50. He won the Little Rock City Championship 7 times, and the 4th of July tournament at War Memorial GC 3 times. In the 60’s and 70’s, he won numerous four ball tournaments. Once he reached the age for senior competition (55 at that time), he won the ASGA stroke and match play senior championships multiple times. Harris was Senior Player of the Year 6 times between 1987 and 1998, 2nd 4 times, and 3rd once. He was inducted into the ASGA Hall of Fame in 2000, and was named the ASGA’s Golfer of the Decade for the 1990’s.
ERIC JACKSON - THOROUGHBRED RACING
JACKSON, ERIC (DOB: 1948?) – Thoroughbred Racing – Eric Jackson worked in an administrative capacity at Oaklawn since 1978. He served as general manager for 30 years and was named senior vice-president in 2015. In the 1980s, he helped develop the park’s interstate full-card simulcasting with merged pool wagering system. Simulcasting of this type now accounts for 80 percent of wagering placed on horse racing in North America. He became Oaklawn's general manager in 1987 and has served on Oaklawn’s board of directors since 1994. It was in 2000, when Oaklawn was under economic stress, that Jackson helped found Instant Racing. Its’ success helped Oaklawn recover from the 1990’s slump exacerbated by gaming interests in bordering states. Revenue from Instant Racing was pumped into live racing, which revived with higher purses.
RYAN MALLETT - FOOTBALL
MALLETT, RYAN (DOB: June 5th, 1988 POST) – Football – Ryan Mallett graduated from Texas High School in Texarkana, Texas, and was ranked as the #2 quarterback and #4 overall player in the nation by Rivals.com. He was also the Gatorade Player of the Year in Texas in 2006. He chose to play at Michigan over Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, Nebraska, and Texas. Mallett started his first Big Ten conference game against Penn State. Overall, he finished the 2007 season with 892 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns, and five interceptions. In 2008, Mallett enrolled at the University of Arkansas. In 2009, as a redshirt sophomore, Mallett began his career as an Arkansas Razorback, under the direction of head coach Bobby Petrino. Mallett earned the starting job in the Razorbacks' first game against Missouri State, going 17-of-22 for 309 yards and a touchdown. After a dismal 3-4 start, Mallett led Arkansas to three consecutive victories. Over those three games, he completed 83.1% of his passes, and had a quarterback rating of 165.05, which was third-best in the nation. Mallett was named to the All-SEC 2nd Team squad by the coaches and the AP. The Razorbacks finished the 2009 season with an 8-5 record and won the 2010 Liberty Bowl against East Carolina. Mallett was named the bowl game's Offensive MVP. Mallett chose to forgo entering the 2010 NFL Draft, and return for his junior season at Arkansas. Mallett was considered among the top five quarterbacks if he had entered the draft. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He also played for the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens. Mallett tragically died in June 2023 in a swimming accident in Destin, FL.