DATE: Friday, April 4, 1997                 TAG: 9704040955

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY REA McLEROY, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:  145 lines

AFRICAN AMERICAN HALL CREATED 30 TIES TO HAMPTON ROADS ARE NOMINATED FOR INAUGURAL INDUCTION.

The idea grew out of a casual barbershop conversation a year-and-a-half ago.

On Thursday, the Hampton Roads African American Sports Hall of Fame became a reality.

Thirty athletes, headed by former ABA and NBA great Julius Erving, former Norfolk State and NBA star Bobby Dandridge, former NFL star Roger Brown and Olympic gold medalist Steve Riddick, were nominated for the inaugural induction. Three, along with one special contributor to African-American athletics, will be inducted on Nov. 22.

The group has no facility to house awards yet, but has a five-year plan to create one in Hampton Roads.

Any athlete who has ties to Hampton Roads - by birth or by playing here - who is retired is eligible. The Hall accepted nominations from the public as well as from its committee members. A committee will now determine the inaugural class.

``Hampton Roads has a great history in sports, especially since the '60s,'' Hall of Fame president Charles H. Williams Jr. said. ``There has never been any documentation of this. We thought it would be fitting.''

That's what those friends sitting around the barbershop thought as they reminisced late in 1995. No one was able to say on Thursday exactly what the group talked about that day, but among the things they may have recalled were Erving's days with the Virginia Squires; Riddick's rise from Norfolk State to the Olympic gold medal platform in 1976; and Brown's advance from Surry to become a member of the Rams' famed ``Fearsome Foursome.''

And those athletes are just the tip of the iceberg. That's reflected in the list of inaugural nominees. Athletes from just about every sport, along with city officials, coaches and mentors who helped the athletes reach their potential, are nominated.

Dandridge, who embarked on his basketball career at Maggie Walker High in Richmond but gained national acclaim at Norfolk State University, was present at the Waterside Marriott for the announcement Thursday.

``It's quite an honor ... not only as an athlete but as a person,'' said Dandridge, who went on to play for NBA championship teams with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971 and the Washington Bullets in 1978. ``I have a lot of good friends here. This is the first class and it's important to start off with a good mix of sports.''

Dandridge added that he hopes the nominations will continue to recognize not only more recent athletes, but those who inspired his generation.

``There's something about the ones that have paved the way,'' he said. ``Everyone should bask in the glory while they're still here.'' MEMO: AFRICAN AMERICAN HALL NOMINEES

JULIUS ERVING: ``The Doctor'' began his professional basketball

career in Hampton Roads as a member of the American Basketball

Association's Virginia Squires. Won three ABA scoring titles, three MVP

and two league championships. Spent 11 seasons in the NBA. All-Star 11

times. 1981 NBA MVP. Five-time member All-NBA first team. Scored 30,026

points during combined ABA/NBA career - trailing only Kareem

Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain.

ROGER BROWN: Born in Surry County and raised in Newport News. NAIA

All-American. Played for Detroit Lions from 1960-67. Also played for the

Los Angeles Rams in 1967. Made eight Pro Bowls.

HARRISON B. WILSON: Chief executive officer of Norfolk State

University. Head basketball coach Jackson (Miss.) State College from

1951-67 (record: 340-72). Named Norfolk State president 1975.

30,000-seat football stadium and Mary Miller Baseball Complex built

during his tenure.

CORNELL GORDON: Football, basketball and baseball star at Booker T.

Washington. All-CIAA twice at North Carolina A&T. Inducted into A&T's

Hall of Fame in 1983. Drafted by San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets.

Signed with Jets (5 years) then Denver Broncos (2 years). Starting

cornerback in Super Bowl III champion Jets. Former Norfolk State

football coach. Wilson softball coach.

EARL FAISON: Born in Newport News. All-American and All-Big 10 in

football at Indiana. No. 1 pick of San Diego Chargers and Detroit Lions.

1961 AFL Rookie of the Year with Chargers. Played in five AFL All-Star

games, All-League four times.

JIM OVERBY: Booker T. Washington's fourth football coach. Career

record of 117-43-10. Won three Virginia Interscholastic Association

championships (1953, 1956, 1958).

CAL JACOX: Created ``Cal's Corner'' sports column. Chronicled black

sports before integration. Legacy honored with Cal Jacox-Champ Clark

Award.

GEORGE CRAWLEY: Former assistant city manager of Norfolk. Oversaw

recreation department. Began PACE, the Police Assisted Community

Enforcement, in city.

CHARLES STUKES: Chesapeake native played at Crestwood High and

Maryland State College. Was Baltimore Colts' fourth-round selection in

1967 AFL-NFL draft. Played on Colts' 1970 Super Bowl champions. Oscar

Smith assistant principal.

WILLIAM ``DICK'' PRICE: Booker T. Washington and Hampton Institute

football standout. Norfolk State football coach for 10 seasons

(62-41-4). Won three straight CIAA championships (1974-76) and two

Division II track and field championships. Developed Olympians Steve

Riddick and Tony Hall. Was an official at 1996 Olympic Games.

CHARLES CHRISTIAN: Booker T. Washington and Norfolk State basketball

coach. Was 351-60 in 18 seasons as a high school coach and had a .762

winning percentage at Norfolk State. Won more than 20 games in each of

his final nine seasons, including 29-2 (1984) and 28-3 (1987) seasons

when Spartans were ranked No. 1 in final NCAA polls. Won nine CIAA

tournament titles, seven regular-season championships and three NCAA

Division II regional titles. Eight-time CIAA coach of the year.

JOHN MILBOURNE: Played on Booker T. Washington's 1949 state

basketball champions. Played for 1951 CIAA champion West Virginia State.

Booker T. Washington head coach 14 seasons (301-99). Chief scout and

assistant for Elizabeth City State's Division II Elite Eight appearance.

Coached 1991 CIAA champions Hampton.

BOBBY DANDRIDGE: All-CIAA performer at center at Norfolk State, and

led the Spartans to two CIAA titles. As a senior in 1969 led Spartans to

106.1 points per game average. Drafted by Milwaukee Bucks in fourth

round of the 1969 draft, he played until 1982, helping the 1971 Bucks

and 1978 Washington Bullets to NBA titles.

JOSEPH ROSE: Norfolk's first player-coach of a semi-pro football

team. In the early 1940s he founded Brown Bombers semi-pro team.

COLUMBUS AUSTIN JR.: Mentor, coach, supporter of recreation youth

football and basketball. Member Virginia Recreation Association,

National Recreation Association and National Youth Coaches Association.

TOMMY HOLMES: Assistant football coach to Albert Overby at Booker T.

Washington for 11 years. Elizabeth City State track and assistant

football coach.

CHARLES WILLIAMS: Played baseball for South Norfolk Orioles on

barnstorming semi-pro and Negro League teams.

THOMAS BURT: Member of baseball's Indianapolis Clowns. Grandson now

All-CIAA defensive back at Virginia State University.

AMOS THORNTON: Played football at North Carolina Central University.

WALTER BOWSER: Football standout at Newport News Huntington and the

University of Minnesota.

LEROY KEYES: Carver High football standout. Unanimous All-American

(1967 and 1968) and helped the Boilermakers to the 1967 Rose Bowl title.

Set Purdue records for touchdowns in a season (19) and career (37).

Runner-up to O.J. Simpson for 1968 Heisman Trophy.

DONNIE GREEN: Played football with Purdue and in the NFL with the

Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles.

THAD MADDEN: Coached Huntington High of Newport News to 26 Virginia

Interscholastic Association state track titles. Coached 1943-70 (won 102

meets, lost 6). Was 112-13 as basketball coach at Huntington.

STEVE RIDDICK: Norfolk State All-American and 1976 Olympic gold

medalist, anchoring 400-meter relay team. College career (1971-74) ran

100 in 9.3 seconds and 220 in 20.4. Ranked No. 2 in country.

JOHN ``HANK'' MAINOR: 1950 Baltimore Elite Giants pitcher.

TEDDY BACALIS: Former Maury basketball coach.

ERNIE FEARS: Norfolk State basketball coach (152-32 in nine seasons).

VIVIAN GREENE: Norfolk State basketball standout.

SAM ALLEN, baseball

DORIS MANGRUM, basketball

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