Ryan Humphrey, Kevin Lockett, Felix Jones and William Tisdale are among the 19 members in Booker T. Washington’s 2020 Ring of Honor class that was announced Wednesday.
They will be inducted between the varsity basketball games on Feb. 7 when the Hornets host Jenks at the Nathan E. Harris Field House. The girls game will start at 6 p.m.
That will bring the total number to 35 in the Ring of Honor after 16 were included in last year’s inaugural class.
All of the inductees will be honored with their own banner, which will include the original Hornets logo from 1913, that will hang from the field house’s rafters.
Humphrey, currently a Notre Dame assistant coach, was the World’s 1997 state basketball player of the year after he helped lead the Hornets to their third consecutive state title. He then played for Oklahoma and Notre Dame and was a 2002 NBA first-round draft choice.
Lockett was a record-breaking receiver at Kansas State and played seven years in the NFL from 1997-2003. He is the father of Seattle Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett, the keynote speaker at this year’s All World Awards banquet on June 25.
Jones, the World’s state football player of the year in 2004, played at Arkansas and was a first-round draft choice by the Dallas Cowboys in 2008, beginning a six-year NFL career.
Tisdale was the World’s state basketball player of the year in 1981 after teaming up with brother, Wayman, to help lead the Hornets to a state title.
Nine other athletes are being inducted this year — Bill Spiller (basketball/golf, 1932 graduate), Elihue Latimer Jr. (basketball, ’48), Fred Stevenson (basketball, ’73), Greg Goodwin (baseball, ’75), Marcus Peel (basketball, ’77), Mickey Collins (football, ’77), Grant Davis (track, ’84), Heather Burns (track, ’95) and Rebecca Parks (tennis, 2007).
Stevenson and Peel were World state basketball players of the year who helped their teams win state titles. Collins has been a Washington football assistant for 37 years after being one of Wichita State’s all-time rushing leaders. Spiller helped break the PGA Tour’s color barrier. Davis won seven state titles as a sprinter and then was an All-American at Villanova. Parks won three consecutive state No. 1 singles titles for the Hornets before her college career at Princeton. Burns won three state titles in the 100 hurdles. Goodwin was a scout for 15 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers and is in the Georgia Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. Latimer led the Hornets to the 1947 and ’48 National Negro High School Basketball titles.
In addition, six coaches will be inducted — Mike Mims, Ernie Jones, James Furch, Greg Nash, Jose Fernandez and Annette Kennedy.
Mims (1972-82) coached the Hornets to three state basketball titles and was a longtime University of Oklahoma assistant. He receive the Lifetime Achievement Award last year at the All World Awards. Jones (1973-80) coached the Hornets to four state wrestling titles, led Webster to four and is currently Cascia Hall’s coach. Nash (1991-present) has led the Hornets to seven girls state track titles. Fernandez (1997-2003) guided the Hornets to four boys state soccer championships and also won one at Union. Kennedy (1998-2017) led the Hornets to three girls basketball state titles and 12 state tournament appearances. Furch (1973-84) began at Washington as a coach and later became principal before moving into TPS administration.
Advance tickets ($7 adults, $4 senior citizens/students, cash only) will go on sale at the Booker T. Washington bookstore, which is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays.
A special networking and social hour will be hosted by William Tisdale and Marcus Peel at Lefty’s on Greenwood immediately following the boys basketball game on Friday. It is free to the public and features live entertainment from Parry and Val Harding and the Black Wall Street band.
