Clemson Announces Hall of Fame Class of 2012 |
Clemson, SC—Clemson will have its largest Hall of Fame induction class in history this fall when 10 former athletes are inducted. The class includes former baseball coach Bill Wilhelm, who has also been inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame and the State of South Carolina Hall of Fame within the last two years. The induction ceremonies will take place the weekend of Clemson’s home football game with Georgia Tech, October 5-6..
The class includes eight former All-Americans, four ACC Players of the Year, and four athletes who were successful at the professional level. In addition to Wilhelm, the class includes one of his former player, All-American, Billy McMillon, who hit .391 on Clemson’s 1991 College World Series team. Two former Clemson football All-Americans are also in the class. The late Gaines Adams, a 2006 unanimous All-American, and Stacy Seegars, an All-America offensive guard from 1990-93 will be inducted. Adams was the number-four selection of the NFL draft in 2006, tied for the highest draft pick in Clemson history. Seegars was a two-time All-American, including 1993 when he was a first-team selection on a top 25 Clemson team. Wojtek Krakowiak, the only national player of the year in the class, led Clemson to the number-one ranking in college soccer in 1998. He won the Hermann Award as the top player in the nation that year, the second Clemson men’s soccer player to win that honor. Deliah Arrington, the all-time leading scorer in Clemson women’s soccer history, is one of four women athletes in the class. She led Clemson to its only ACC regular season title in 2002 when she was named ACC Player of the Year and an All-American. Julie Coin, the star of two Clemson Final Four women’s tennis teams, is another former ACC Player of the Year and All-American in the class. The native of France led Clemson to the ACC Championship in 2004. Karen Ann Jenkins, Clemson’s number-four scorer in women’s basketball history, and Sarah Cooper, a two-time All-American rower, will also be inducted. Warren Clayton was a two-time Southern Conference Champion in boxing (1940-41). He led the Tigers under coach Bob Jones to the Southern Conference title in 1941. Clayton finished his career with 14 career wins, second highest total for the Clemson team during its era of boxing. BILL WILHELM, Baseball Head Coach, 1958-93 •36 years, never had a losing season, had six College World Series, 11 ACC Championships, 16 top 25 seasons, 17 regional appearances, 19 ACC Regular season titles. •Had five years with at least 50 wins, including 1991 when he won 60, still an ACC record. •Posted a record of 1161-536-10 in 36 years at Clemson. •Coached 20 All-Americans, 27 players who went on to play in the Major Leagues, 88 first-team All-ACC players and 100 players who signed professional contracts. •Regarded as one of the coaches who made college baseball in the South. •Still ranked in the top 20 in college baseball history in victories. •Inducted into College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011. Inducted into State of South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2012. BILLY McMILLON, Baseball, 1991-93 *First-team All-America outfielder and first baseman in 1993 according to National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. •Named to ACC Academic Honor roll in 1992. •Set Clemson freshman record for batting average in 1991 with a .391 average, he was leading hitter on Clemson’s College World Series team. First-team Freshman All-American that year •First-team All-ACC in 1991 and 1993. •Fourth in Clemson history in career batting average with a .381 figure, second among players with at least 200 at bats. •Played four years in the Major Leagues with Florida, Philadelphia, Detroit, Oakland •Returned to Clemson and earned his undergraduate degree in May of 2002. •Currently manager in the Red Sox organization. GAINES ADAMS, Football, 2003-06 •Just the second unanimous first-team All-American in Clemson football history, he was named as defensive end in 2006. •First-team All-American by AP, Football Coaches, Football Writers, Walter Camp Foundation and Sporting News in 2006. •Also ACC Defensive Player of the Year for 2006 •Number-four selection in NFL Draft, tied Banks McFadden for highest pick by a Clemson player in history. •Tied Clemson record for career sacks with 28, same total as Michael Dean Perry. •Finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Award and Ted Hendricks Award in 2006 •Led ACC in sacks in 2006 with 12.5 •Had eight straight games with at least one sack, a Clemson record •Graduated from Clemson in December, 2006 •Played in the NFL in 2007, 2008, 2009, for Tampa Bay and Chicago, he died of a heart attack in January of 2010. STACY SEEGARS, Football, 1990-93 *Two-time All-America offensive guard *First-team AP All-American in 1993 and second-team in 1992 *In addition to on-field accomplishments, was first-team Academic All-ACC in 1993 *Just fourth player in history to reach 200 career knockdown blocks *Two-time All-ACC selection, 1992 and 1993 *Prime reason Clemson ranked in top 10 in nation in rushing in 1992 and 1993. •Earned his degree from Clemson in 1994. WOJTEK KRAKOWIAK, Soccer, 1997-98 •Named to ACC 50-Year Anniversary soccer team. •1998 Hermann Award winner, which is given out to the best men’s soccer player annually. •1998 Consensus National Player-of-the-Year. •1998 ACC Player-of-the-Year. •Third in Clemson history in goals scored for a single season with 31. •Took Clemson to number-one ranking at conclusion of the 1998 regular season and the ACC Championship. KAREN ANN JENKINS, Women’s Basketball 1985-1989 •Second-Team All-ACC in 1988 •1988 American Women’s Sports Federation All-American (Honorable Mention) •Fourth on the school’s career list for most points scored with 1,514 points •10th on the Clemson career scoring average list (13.6) •Second on Clemson’s all-time list for best field goal percentage (.538) •Fifth on the Clemson career list for most field goals made (647) and sixth on the career list for most field goals attempted with 1202 •Eighth on the Lady Tiger career list for rebounds with 687 SARAH COOPER, Rowing – 2004-2007 •Finished her Clemson career as one of the school’s most decorated rowers, as she earned a pair of All-America honors, only the second rower in school history to earn such recognition. She was a first-team selection as a junior in 2006, and second-team choice in 2007 as a senior. •Two-time All-Region performer, one of only five student-athletes in school history to earn multiple All-Region selections. •Three-time All-ACC rower, the first Clemson rower to be a three-time selection. •Guided the first varsity 8+ to a national ranking of #12 following a win over Michigan, Michigan State, and Notre Dame. It marked the highest ranking for the program at the time. •Due to her collegiate success, she earned an invitation to the Princeton 4- camp to compete for a spot on the women’s four that represented the US at the 2007 FIBA World Championships. •Two-time member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll. JULIE COIN, Women’s Tennis - 2003-05 •2004 ACC Player-of-the-Year •Three-time ITA All-American, twice in singles, once in doubles. •Three-time All-ACC •Won two individual ACC Championships, one in singles, one in doubles. •Ranked second in the nation in singles and 10th in doubles in 2005. •Led team to 2004 ACC Championship •Led team to NCAA Final Four twice (2004 and 2005). •Advanced to singles Final Four in 2004 and Elite Eight in 2005 •One of seven players in school history with 100+ singles wins (101-20) •Also finished with 90 doubles wins •Knocked off #1 WTA player in the world (Ana Ivanovic) at the 2008 US Open DELIAH ARRINGTON, Women’s Soccer, 1999-02 •Second-team All-American by NCSAA and third team by Soccer Buzz in 2002. •ACC Player of the Year in 2002. •Soccer Buzz Freshman All-American in 2002 •Second-team All-American by Soccer Times in 2000 •National Strength All-American in 2002 •Three-time first-team All-ACC •All-ACC Tournament in 2002 •Led Clemson to its first ACC regular season title in 2000. •Clemson’s career scoring leader with 50 goals and 127 points. •Second leading scorer on Clemson’s fifth ranked team of 2000 WARREN CLAYTON (Warren) WILSON, 1938-41 Boxing, Football, Track, Baseball •Won the heavyweight boxing championship of the Southern Conference in 1940 and 1941. •He was such a revered boxer that some opponents would forfeit the match against him. •He was a tremendous and powerful hitter that boxing great and world heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey once wrote him and told him in the letter that he was going to be the next heavyweight champion of the world, no one hit harder than him. •Went to New York to turn professional but World War II broke out and because of an accident he suffered and his time during the war he retired from the ring. •Boxed in the Sugar Bowl Tournament in New Orleans in late December of 1939. He received word to go from there to Dallas, TX where the Tigers were going to play in the Cotton Bowl on January 1, 1940. Although not on the roster and he only played freshman football for the Tigers, he and Coach Bob Jones took a train to Dallas, TX, and he was ready to play in the Cotton Bowl if Clemson needed him •In 1940, as a junior he won the Heavyweight Championship of the Southern Conference and led the Tigers to the Southern Conference Championship. •In 1941, as a senior, he won the Heavyweight Championship of the Southern Conference and he finished with a undefeated 4-0 record. •He had a career record of 14-4-1, three wins by knockout and one by a technical knockout. •Second on the Clemson career list for most wins with 14.
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