Ten Tigers Named to 2022 Memphis Sports Hall of Fame Class
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – University of Memphis had 10 former student-athletes and coaches named to the 2022 Memphis Sports Hall of Fame class on Tuesday.
Former men’s basketball coach Gene Bartow, baseball and football player John Bramlett, former women’s basketball coach Mary Lou Johns, baseball player Charlie Lea, former football coach Billy J. Murphy, football player Tom Nix, men’s basketball player Elliot Perry, women’s basketball player Linda Street, volleyball player Barbara Whitaker and football player DeAngelo Williams all earned the prestigious honor.
The 27-person class will be formally inducted during a ceremony at 7 p.m. on Oct. 20 at the Renasant Convention Center.
Gene Bartow
Spent four seasons as head men’s basketball coach at the University of Memphis, leading the Tigers to the national championship game in 1973.
John Bramlett • M Club Hall of Fame (1980)
Bramlett was the greatest defensive player in Tiger football history. A linebacker from Humes High School in Memphis, Bramlett came to then Memphis State University in the fall of 1959 and played for former head coach Billy J. Murphy for four seasons. In addition to being a standout football player, Bramlett was also a stellar baseball catcher and lettered for the Tigers for four seasons. A speedy and intense player, Bramlett made the varsity unit immediately and was a starter by mid-season. The Tigers finished the 1959 season with a 6-4-0 record and posted wins against Florida State and Southern Mississippi. During the 1960 campaign Bramlett helped the Tiger record improve to 8-2-0 and in 1961, an identical 8-2-0 record was achieved. As a senior, Bramlett registered two pass interceptions which were returned for a total of 55 yards. The Tiger record improved to 8-1-0 and an important milestone was reached. Bramlett led the defense in allowing Mississippi State to score just seven points as Memphis State won its first ever SEC contest, 28-7, over the Bulldogs in Starkville (MS). The Tigers would finish the 1962 season ranked 17th in the nation by United Press International. Throughout his four years as a Tiger, Bramlett starred on the baseball diamond. He hit .323 as a freshman and .357 during his sophomore season. The Tigers were 5-15 in 1959 but improved to 12-12 in 1960. As a junior, Bramlett led the squad with a .403 batting average and the final record was an impressive 13-6. During his final campaign, Bramlett hit .358 and tallied four home runs and 18 stolen bases.
Mary Lou Johns • M Club Hall of Fame (1996)
Johns coached the Lady Tiger basketball team for 20 years and during that time compiled an overall record of 377-231. She was named the Metro Conference Coach of the Year in 1984, 1986 and 1987 and her teams captured conference titles in 1982 and 1985. Three Lady Tiger teams received NCAA invitations under Johns and her 1984 team was the runner up in the Women’s NIT. While a student at the University of Memphis, Johns was a member of the women’s basketball, volleyball, tennis and badminton teams. She received her degree in 1964.
Charlie Lea • M Club Hall of Fame (1984)
Lea guided the Tigers to the NCAA Regional finals in 1978, was the starting and winning pitcher for the National League in the 1984 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Lea, a Kingsbury High graduate, came to U of M from Shelby State Junior College. He became one of the teams’ leading pitchers in 1978, compiling a 9-2 record with five saves. Lea worked 97 innings in 1978, recording 79 strikeouts. His 3.77 ERA was the third lowest among regulars, and his no-hitter against Arkansas-Little Rock was one of the highlights of the season. Lea’s wins came against such teams as Illinois, South Alabama, Louisville, and North Carolina.
Billy J. Murphy • M Club Hall of Fame (1982)
Murphy entered the coaching profession in 1947 and after serving for 10 years as an assistant coach at such schools as Minnesota, Mississippi State and Memphis State, he received a call from Dr. C.C. Humphreys on his 37th birthday, offering him the head coaching position at Memphis. In 1962, Coach Murphy took his team to Starkville (MS) and defeated the Bulldogs 28-7 marking the Tigers first win over an SEC team in school history. In 1963, his Tigers battled Coach John Vaught’s 3rd ranked Ole Miss Rebels to a 0-0 tie at Crump Stadium before knocking off 11# ranked Miss State 17-10 later that season. During the four-year span of 1960 – 1963, Murphy’s squads compiled an overall record of 33 wins, 5 losses and 1 tie. In September of 1967 Memphis State opened the season in Liberty Bowl Stadium facing Vaught’s Rebels, a team Memphis State had not beaten in 21 attempts dating back to the 1921 season. The final score, Memphis State 27, Ole Miss 17. When he coached his final game for the Tigers, a victory in the 1971 Pasadena Bowl, his record stood at an amazing 91-44-1, ranking Coach Murphy 11th in the nation among active coaches in won-loss record and 15th in total victories. During the fall of 1966, Murphy had taken on the dual role of football coach and athletic director and following his retirement from football, he assumed the full-time duties of AD. With the same determination he demonstrated on the gridiron, he oversaw the construction of multimillion dollar athletic facilities, raised the Tiger athletic budget from a mere $150,000 in 1958 to over $2.5 million and was instrumental in putting together the original Metro Athletic Conference which featured such schools as Virginia Tech, Florida State, South Carolina and Georgia Tech. Murphy will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2022 class.
Tom Nix • M Club Hall of Fame (1977)
Nix, an outstanding football player for the Tigers, is one of the most noted high school coaches in Memphis, played football for Ralph Hatley at Memphis in 1949 and 1950. Nix was a standout offensive and defensive lineman for Hatley’s’ high-scoring Tiger unit. In 1949 he was named the Player of the Game for perhaps Memphis’ most important of modern times. Nix’s defensive performance during the Kansas State victory earned him the honor. That contest is considered the first major win in school history and propelled the U of M into the major college level. He was also selected to the Tigers’ All-Time Team in 1958 which was picked by coaches Hatley, Murphy, Zach Curlin and Cecil C. Humphreys. After graduation he became a coach at Whitehaven High and moved to CBHS in 1956. He remained the coach at CBHS until 1984 when he became the full-time athletic director for the Brothers. His career prep coaching record stands at 239-79-7.
Elliot Perry • M Club Hall of Fame (2002)
Perry, who is the U of M’s second all-time leading scorer, was one of the finest guards to ever play for Memphis. The native Memphian led the Tigers to four straight postseason tournaments and 76 wins over his career. Perry, who started every game of his four-year career, paced the team in scoring, assists and steals three consecutive seasons. The former McDonald All-American led the Tigers to a 20-12 record and an NCAA bid as a freshman. He was named the Metro Conference Freshman of the Year and Sport Magazine’s freshman point guard of the year. Perry led the Metro Conference in scoring as a senior with a 20.8 average and in steals with 85 and was again named to the All-Conference team. He became Memphis’ and the Metro Conference’s career leader in steals with 300 and became just the tenth player in NCAA history to amass 300 steals. His jersey number 34 is retired.
Linda Street • M Club Hall of Fame (1989)
Street was the first Lady Tiger basketball player over 6′ feet tall and along with Hall of Fame inductee Betty Booker, really brought Lady Tiger basketball into the national spotlight. Street came to the University in the fall of 1976 and lettered for four years for former head coach Mary Lou Johns. Despite missing the 1979-80 season with a knee injury, she came back and finished her career with 2,147 points and 1,453 rebounds. She is still the school’s fourth all-time leading scorer and the all-time leading rebounder. Street averaged 15.7 points per game during her career and led the Lady Tigers to an overall record of 102-36 during her four seasons. The Lady Tigers also appeared in the AIAW Tournament in 1977-78.
DeAngelo Williams • M Club Hall of Fame (2014)
Williams, a native of Wynne, Arkansas, arrived on the Memphis campus in the fall of 2002 and began rewriting the Tiger football record book. In four years, he rushed for 6,026 career yards and 55 touchdowns on 969 attempts. In addition, he caught five touchdown passes and registered 723 receiving yards on 70 receptions. Williams was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team in 2002 and went on to be named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the year for three consecutive years. A Heisman Trophy candidate in 2005, Williams ended his career as the nation’s leading rusher with an average of 178.55 yards per game. During his storied career, Williams set the NCAA record for the most 100-yard rushing performances in a career with 34 and still ranks fourth in NCAA history with 6,026 rushing yards. He was also the NCAA record holder for career all-purpose yards with 7,573. Named to 16 All-America teams, Williams was named to the Walter Camp and American Football Coaches Association All-America teams and was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award. He claimed MVP honors in the 2005 Motor City Bowl and the 2006 Senior Bowl.
Barbara Whitaker
Whitaker was a letterwinner with the Tiger volleyball program from 1977-80. She was the recipient of the 2006 Billy J. Murphy Award. Whitaker has been a standout prep coach with the volleyball and girls’ tennis coach at Germantown High School in Memphis and has helped Germantown to six state volleyball championships, including a 3-1 victory in the 2005 TSSAA Class AAA championship game. Whitaker-led Germantown volleyball teams appeared in 21-straight TSSAA state tournaments, claiming state crowns in 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2003 and 2005. Whitaker coached Germantown to six of the program’s TSSAA-record seven volleyball titles, earning six TSSAA Coach of the Year honors, five Best of Preps Coach of the Year awards and helping her team to 18 District Championships and 17 Regional Championships.
How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Athletics, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team’s social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Former men’s basketball coach Gene Bartow, baseball and football player John Bramlett, former women’s basketball coach Mary Lou Johns, baseball player Charlie Lea, former football coach Billy J. Murphy, football player Tom Nix, men’s basketball player Elliot Perry, women’s basketball player Linda Street, volleyball player Barbara Whitaker and football player DeAngelo Williams all earned the prestigious honor.
The 27-person class will be formally inducted during a ceremony at 7 p.m. on Oct. 20 at the Renasant Convention Center.
Gene Bartow
Spent four seasons as head men’s basketball coach at the University of Memphis, leading the Tigers to the national championship game in 1973.
John Bramlett • M Club Hall of Fame (1980)
Bramlett was the greatest defensive player in Tiger football history. A linebacker from Humes High School in Memphis, Bramlett came to then Memphis State University in the fall of 1959 and played for former head coach Billy J. Murphy for four seasons. In addition to being a standout football player, Bramlett was also a stellar baseball catcher and lettered for the Tigers for four seasons. A speedy and intense player, Bramlett made the varsity unit immediately and was a starter by mid-season. The Tigers finished the 1959 season with a 6-4-0 record and posted wins against Florida State and Southern Mississippi. During the 1960 campaign Bramlett helped the Tiger record improve to 8-2-0 and in 1961, an identical 8-2-0 record was achieved. As a senior, Bramlett registered two pass interceptions which were returned for a total of 55 yards. The Tiger record improved to 8-1-0 and an important milestone was reached. Bramlett led the defense in allowing Mississippi State to score just seven points as Memphis State won its first ever SEC contest, 28-7, over the Bulldogs in Starkville (MS). The Tigers would finish the 1962 season ranked 17th in the nation by United Press International. Throughout his four years as a Tiger, Bramlett starred on the baseball diamond. He hit .323 as a freshman and .357 during his sophomore season. The Tigers were 5-15 in 1959 but improved to 12-12 in 1960. As a junior, Bramlett led the squad with a .403 batting average and the final record was an impressive 13-6. During his final campaign, Bramlett hit .358 and tallied four home runs and 18 stolen bases.
Mary Lou Johns • M Club Hall of Fame (1996)
Johns coached the Lady Tiger basketball team for 20 years and during that time compiled an overall record of 377-231. She was named the Metro Conference Coach of the Year in 1984, 1986 and 1987 and her teams captured conference titles in 1982 and 1985. Three Lady Tiger teams received NCAA invitations under Johns and her 1984 team was the runner up in the Women’s NIT. While a student at the University of Memphis, Johns was a member of the women’s basketball, volleyball, tennis and badminton teams. She received her degree in 1964.
Charlie Lea • M Club Hall of Fame (1984)
Lea guided the Tigers to the NCAA Regional finals in 1978, was the starting and winning pitcher for the National League in the 1984 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Lea, a Kingsbury High graduate, came to U of M from Shelby State Junior College. He became one of the teams’ leading pitchers in 1978, compiling a 9-2 record with five saves. Lea worked 97 innings in 1978, recording 79 strikeouts. His 3.77 ERA was the third lowest among regulars, and his no-hitter against Arkansas-Little Rock was one of the highlights of the season. Lea’s wins came against such teams as Illinois, South Alabama, Louisville, and North Carolina.
Billy J. Murphy • M Club Hall of Fame (1982)
Murphy entered the coaching profession in 1947 and after serving for 10 years as an assistant coach at such schools as Minnesota, Mississippi State and Memphis State, he received a call from Dr. C.C. Humphreys on his 37th birthday, offering him the head coaching position at Memphis. In 1962, Coach Murphy took his team to Starkville (MS) and defeated the Bulldogs 28-7 marking the Tigers first win over an SEC team in school history. In 1963, his Tigers battled Coach John Vaught’s 3rd ranked Ole Miss Rebels to a 0-0 tie at Crump Stadium before knocking off 11# ranked Miss State 17-10 later that season. During the four-year span of 1960 – 1963, Murphy’s squads compiled an overall record of 33 wins, 5 losses and 1 tie. In September of 1967 Memphis State opened the season in Liberty Bowl Stadium facing Vaught’s Rebels, a team Memphis State had not beaten in 21 attempts dating back to the 1921 season. The final score, Memphis State 27, Ole Miss 17. When he coached his final game for the Tigers, a victory in the 1971 Pasadena Bowl, his record stood at an amazing 91-44-1, ranking Coach Murphy 11th in the nation among active coaches in won-loss record and 15th in total victories. During the fall of 1966, Murphy had taken on the dual role of football coach and athletic director and following his retirement from football, he assumed the full-time duties of AD. With the same determination he demonstrated on the gridiron, he oversaw the construction of multimillion dollar athletic facilities, raised the Tiger athletic budget from a mere $150,000 in 1958 to over $2.5 million and was instrumental in putting together the original Metro Athletic Conference which featured such schools as Virginia Tech, Florida State, South Carolina and Georgia Tech. Murphy will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2022 class.
Tom Nix • M Club Hall of Fame (1977)
Nix, an outstanding football player for the Tigers, is one of the most noted high school coaches in Memphis, played football for Ralph Hatley at Memphis in 1949 and 1950. Nix was a standout offensive and defensive lineman for Hatley’s’ high-scoring Tiger unit. In 1949 he was named the Player of the Game for perhaps Memphis’ most important of modern times. Nix’s defensive performance during the Kansas State victory earned him the honor. That contest is considered the first major win in school history and propelled the U of M into the major college level. He was also selected to the Tigers’ All-Time Team in 1958 which was picked by coaches Hatley, Murphy, Zach Curlin and Cecil C. Humphreys. After graduation he became a coach at Whitehaven High and moved to CBHS in 1956. He remained the coach at CBHS until 1984 when he became the full-time athletic director for the Brothers. His career prep coaching record stands at 239-79-7.
Elliot Perry • M Club Hall of Fame (2002)
Perry, who is the U of M’s second all-time leading scorer, was one of the finest guards to ever play for Memphis. The native Memphian led the Tigers to four straight postseason tournaments and 76 wins over his career. Perry, who started every game of his four-year career, paced the team in scoring, assists and steals three consecutive seasons. The former McDonald All-American led the Tigers to a 20-12 record and an NCAA bid as a freshman. He was named the Metro Conference Freshman of the Year and Sport Magazine’s freshman point guard of the year. Perry led the Metro Conference in scoring as a senior with a 20.8 average and in steals with 85 and was again named to the All-Conference team. He became Memphis’ and the Metro Conference’s career leader in steals with 300 and became just the tenth player in NCAA history to amass 300 steals. His jersey number 34 is retired.
Linda Street • M Club Hall of Fame (1989)
Street was the first Lady Tiger basketball player over 6′ feet tall and along with Hall of Fame inductee Betty Booker, really brought Lady Tiger basketball into the national spotlight. Street came to the University in the fall of 1976 and lettered for four years for former head coach Mary Lou Johns. Despite missing the 1979-80 season with a knee injury, she came back and finished her career with 2,147 points and 1,453 rebounds. She is still the school’s fourth all-time leading scorer and the all-time leading rebounder. Street averaged 15.7 points per game during her career and led the Lady Tigers to an overall record of 102-36 during her four seasons. The Lady Tigers also appeared in the AIAW Tournament in 1977-78.
DeAngelo Williams • M Club Hall of Fame (2014)
Williams, a native of Wynne, Arkansas, arrived on the Memphis campus in the fall of 2002 and began rewriting the Tiger football record book. In four years, he rushed for 6,026 career yards and 55 touchdowns on 969 attempts. In addition, he caught five touchdown passes and registered 723 receiving yards on 70 receptions. Williams was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team in 2002 and went on to be named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the year for three consecutive years. A Heisman Trophy candidate in 2005, Williams ended his career as the nation’s leading rusher with an average of 178.55 yards per game. During his storied career, Williams set the NCAA record for the most 100-yard rushing performances in a career with 34 and still ranks fourth in NCAA history with 6,026 rushing yards. He was also the NCAA record holder for career all-purpose yards with 7,573. Named to 16 All-America teams, Williams was named to the Walter Camp and American Football Coaches Association All-America teams and was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award. He claimed MVP honors in the 2005 Motor City Bowl and the 2006 Senior Bowl.
Barbara Whitaker
Whitaker was a letterwinner with the Tiger volleyball program from 1977-80. She was the recipient of the 2006 Billy J. Murphy Award. Whitaker has been a standout prep coach with the volleyball and girls’ tennis coach at Germantown High School in Memphis and has helped Germantown to six state volleyball championships, including a 3-1 victory in the 2005 TSSAA Class AAA championship game. Whitaker-led Germantown volleyball teams appeared in 21-straight TSSAA state tournaments, claiming state crowns in 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2003 and 2005. Whitaker coached Germantown to six of the program’s TSSAA-record seven volleyball titles, earning six TSSAA Coach of the Year honors, five Best of Preps Coach of the Year awards and helping her team to 18 District Championships and 17 Regional Championships.
How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Athletics, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team’s social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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