Jason Kirby
Staff Writer
The Appalachian State University Athletic Hall of Fame is one of
the most elite groups a person can be a part of. There is no monetary
fee someone can pay to get in, no connection they can have to gain
access. The only way to get a spot alongside the greatest is to
be great yourself. On Saturday, Sept. 11 the greatest coaches and
players in Appalachian State’s history will make room for
five more of its brothers and sisters.
Among the five new Hall of Fame inductees is Linda Robinson who
coached ASU’s woman’s basketball to school record 236
victories, four Southern Conference regular- season titles, and
five SoCon Tournament crowns. Another inductee is Mark Schwartz
who was a two-time SoCon men’s soccer Player of the Year and
all-time assists leader at Appalachian. Then there are three football
players: Clayton Deskins, Bobby Russell, and Mat Stevens.
Linda Robinson coached the Mountaineers from 1984-1997. In her thirteen
seasons at Appalachian her squads posted winning records 11 out
of 13 times. Seven of those eleven winning seasons came in succession
from the 1984-1985 season through 1990-1991.
Robinson guided her squad to four SoCon regular-season titles: 1987-1989
and 1996. She also captured five SoCon Tournament crowns, 1987,
1988, 1990, 1991 and 1996. Robinson also led her team to a school-best
24 wins in three different seasons and the only five 20 win seasons
in school history. Robinson was the SoCon Coach of the Year recipient
four times. One of her greatest coaching accomplishments was leading
her squad to three NCAA tournaments.
One of Appalachian’s greatest soccer players was Mark Schwartz,
who played for the Mountaineers from 1979 through 1982. Schwartz
was SoCon Player of the Year in 1981 and 1982 as well as All-South
Region honoree in 1980 and 1981.
He was Appalachian’s all-time leader in assists with 39 and
ranks second all-time at ASU with 54 career goals, 147 points, and
264 shots.
Schwartz also ranks among Appalachian’s all-time single-season
top ten with 15 assists in 1980, 13 assists in1982, 45 points in
1981, and 35 points in 1982. He was a member of four SoCon championship
teams.
Breaking all the barriers was Clayton Deskins, the first African-American
to play football at Appalachian State. Deskins was Appalachian’s
all-time leader in career kick-return yards with 1,869 and yards
per return with 24.6 yards from 1968-1971. Deskins led the Mountaineers
in rushing in 1971 with 950 yards and 6.2 yards per carry. On October
23 1971 he had a 98-yard rush for a touchdown versus Blufield State,
the longest run in school history. He led the team in receiving
in 1969 and ’70. He ranks fourth in both punt returns and
punt return yards with 64 and 624, respectively. His 174 career
points are the tenth highest total in school history. Deskins is
also one of only six Mountaineers to score four touchdowns in one
game.
Another football inductee is Bobby Russell who played from 1965
till 1968. Russell was an offensive guard and nose guard who started
all forty of his collegiate games at Appalachian State.
Russell was the captain of the 1968 ASU squad and team leader of
the offensive line that helped pave the way for running back Jack
Roten. He also helped lead the Mountaineers offense to 40.9 points
per game average in 1968. Russell was an All-Carolinas Conference
selection in 1967 and a NAIA All-District and honorable mention
All-America honoree in 1968.
The last of the football players to be inducted will be Matt Stevens
who played from 1991 till 1995. Stevens was a defensive back who
was a two-time consensus All-American during the 1994-1995 season.
Stevens earned first-team All-Southern Conference recognition in
1994 and 1995, as well as second-team honors in 1993. Stevens ranks
second all-time at Appalachian with 21 career interceptions and
holds the ASU single-season record with 10 interceptions in 1994,
which led the SoCon and ranked tenth nationally.
Stevens helped lead the team to the 1995 SoCon championship and
the league’s second-ranked defense. He led the Mountaineers
with 70 tackles and 10 pass break-ups in 1993.
On Oct. 3, 1992 he made 18 tackles versus The Citadel, tying a school
record for single-game tackles by a defensive back. Once out of
college, the Buffalo Bills selected Stevens in the third round of
the 1995 NFL Draft. In 2002 Stevens won Super Bowl XXXVI with the
New England Patriots.
The induction ceremonies will be held on Sept. 11 at 9 a.m. at the
Broyhill Inn and Conference Center. This is the same day as Appalachian’s
football home opener versus Eastern Kentucky University. Tickets
for the breakfast and ceremony are $12 and can be purchased by calling
the Former Athletes Association at (828) 262-4010. |
