Some of the biggest names in the history of Blue Devil athletics will be inducted into the Duke Sports Hall of Fame this weekend.
The class of 1996 includes basketball greats Johnny Dawkins ('86) and Mike Gminski ('80), soccer star Tom Kain ('86), golfer Mary Anne Widman Levins ('85), football player Jerry Barger ('55), and sportswriter Bill Brill ('52).
This year's class of six inductees brings the Hall of Fame's total membership to 97.
The Hall of Fame was established in 1975 and induction ceremonies are traditionally conducted every other year.
The ceremony, held in Cameron Indoor Stadium Friday evening, honors all of the current members as well as welcoming the new ones. Athletic Director Tom Butters acts as the host for the evening, introducing each of the athletes in attendance and listing their accomplishments.
The expected crowd of over 500 is comprised of the entire Duke athletic family-relatives and friends of the athletes, former teammates and coaches and current and past athletic department employees.
"It means a lot to me because this is sort of a culmination of everything," Brill said. "Being honored by your peers and by your university is about all you can expect out of anyone's career-at least that is all I could've expected. I'm thrilled about it.
"Obviously it means a lot to me because it is my school, and [Duke] has meant enough to me that I took early retirement to come down here."
Dawkins, who played the shooting guard position, is perhaps the most recognizable name on the list. His heroics and 2,556 career points [a Duke record] helped lead the Blue Devils to 37-3 record and a trip to the national championship game in 1986. That season effectively marked the beginning of Duke's basketball dynasty under head coach Mike Krzyzewski. He was twice named to the All-America team and his jersey, No. 24, hangs in the rafters of Cameron as one of only nine retired numbers.
After graduation, Dawkins played in the NBA for nine seasons, primarily with the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers, before retiring last year.
Gminski earned All-America honors three years in a row-making him one of only four Blue Devils to do so. He led Duke to the NCAA Final Four in 1978, where it lost in the championship game. In 1979, he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. His No. 43 jersey is retired alongside Dawkins'.
Gminski represents what is best about Duke athletics as he was also named to the Academic All-America team three times. He had a prolific NBA career as well, playing for 14 seasons in a variety of cities. He retired in 1994.
Duke soccer's first superstar was Tom Kain. During his four years in a Blue Devil uniform, he managed to be named an All-American every year, something no other Duke athlete had done before. In 1985, he won the Hermann Award, which is given to the national player of the year. He finished second for the award the previous year. Kain was also a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic soccer team.
He still stands as the school's all-time leader in scoring. His play not only garnered individual attention, but elevated Duke soccer to a nationally dominate echelon. During his four years, the Blue Devils went 68-13-7 and appeared in the NCAA Tournament three times. The team that Kain helped build won Duke's first national championship in any sport the year after he graduated, capturing the 1986 crown.
Levins dominated women's college golf-winning an astounding 12 tournaments during her career. She was a three-time All-American and was the 1984 National Golfer of the Year. She captured the 1984 ACC title and led the Blue Devils to two NCAA Championship tournaments.
She later used her No. 1 collegiate ranking to vault her way on to the 1984 Curtis Cup team and later, the LPGA tour.
During the early 1950's, Barger starred at quarterback for the Blue Devils. His 603 yards and five touchdown passes led Duke to an 8-2-1 record in 1954 and a trip to the Orange Bowl. There, he led the Blue Devils to a victory over the Cornhuskers of Nebraska. Barger started for three years and was named 1954 ACC Player of the Year.
Brill, only the second sportswriter every inducted into the Hall of Fame, is a former president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. While at Duke, Brill worked in the Sports Information Department and helped out with many of the Blue Devil teams.
He later went on to work as a columnist and sports editor for the Roanoke Times and World-News. He also takes great pride in having written two books on the history of Duke Basketball. His efforts won him the prestigious Jake Wade Award in 1995, which is given by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
"I'm pleased that the Hall of Fame of Fame expands itself enough to take people who didn't achieve anything athletically," Brill said. "It's not necessarily just the people who played the game, but those who've been involved in college athletics."
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