Press Contact
LaVar Wright
(910) 988 8447
For Immediate Release
Fayetteville, North Carolina
The National Association of E.E. Smith Alumni and Friends Inc recently formed a Sports Hall of Fame (HOF) and is proud to announce its inaugural class of inductees. Its mission is to recognize and honor the noteworthy achievements and contributions of student-athletes, teams, coaches, school staff, and volunteers who donated extraordinary amounts of time and talent to the athletic program at E.E. Smith High School, Fayetteville, NC.
During the annual E.E. Smith High School alumni reunion weekend, on May 29, the 2022 class will be inducted into the E. E. Smith Sports Hall of Fame at the Ramada by Wyndham at 1707 Owen Drive, Fayetteville, NC. We invite friends, family, alumni, and the community to attend the first of many ceremonies to honor the 2022 Hall of Fame class. This is a semi-formal affair, and you must show proof of vaccination card or negative test result within 72 hours of the event, at the door to attend. Please contact John Brown at jbrown1098@aol.com or (267) 625-4464.
The inaugural class includes 6 coaches and 15 players with distinguished achievements at the high school, college, or professional levels in their respective sports.
E.E. Smith High School High Sports Hall of Fame Inaugural Class
COACHES
Dennis (D.T.) Carter – Graduated from EES in 1939 and returned as coach in 1952. Won a pair of state football titles. Nationally recognized for his intramural program.
William J. Carver Jr. – Versatile athlete who starred at E.E. Smith and Hampton Institute, now Hampton University. He served as an assistant coach for the football and baseball teams before becoming the head coach in both sports. Later served many years in administration for Cumberland County Schools and as Athletic Director at Fayetteville State University.
David (D.S.) Kelly – Head football and basketball coach at EES, winning the state basketball title in 1950.
Isaiah (Ike) Walker Sr. – Member of the 1950 state championship basketball team. He returned to EES in 1960 and coached numerous sports, and took his 1985 basketball team to the state finals.
Latanya (Dee) Hardy – Star basketball player at EES and UNC-Pembroke. As a coach, she guided her team to conference titles in volleyball and basketball. In addition, her 2020 basketball team shared the 3-A state title.
Roy McNeill – Played basketball at Fayetteville State University, where he was twice MVP. He coached basketball at EES from 1993-99 with a 185-62 record. His teams won three sectional titles.
PLAYERS
Charles Baggett – Record-setting quarterback at Michigan State University. He played professionally in the CFL. In addition, he spent many years coaching in Division 1 college football programs and in the NFL.
Brian Bulluck – Three-sport star at EES who played for North Carolina State University and later with the Indianapolis Colts.
Aaron Curry – Played at Wake Forest University where he won the Butkus Award and in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders. He is currently a defensive assistant and linebacker coach for the Seattle Seahawks.
Russell Davis – Played at the University of North Carolina and in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, and the New York Giants.
Joey Evans – Versatile athlete who played defensive end at the University of North Carolina and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Bishop Harris – Three-sport star at EES who attended North Carolina College, now North Carolina Central University (NCCU). He later served as the head football coach at NCCU. He also coached for several Division 1 college programs and spent 14 years as an assistant coach in the NFL.
Joe Harris – Played at Georgia Tech. As a member of the Los Angeles Rams, he was the first Fayetteville player to appear in an NFL Super Bowl game.
Jason Terrell Hunter – Played college football at Appalachian State University, where he made All-Conference and second-team All-American. He also played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, and Oakland Raiders.
Luther (Nick) Jeralds– Played at North Carolina College, now North Carolina Central University, and briefly in the NFL. He was later involved in local and state politics. A Cumberland County Middle School and the football stadium at Fayetteville State University are named in his memory.
Jimmy Raye – A three-sport starter at E.E. Smith, he was All-State in football and basketball. He was the quarterback for the famed 1966 Michigan State University team, which tied Notre Dame University 10-10 in the “game of the century.” Those two teams were National Co-Champions of College football in 1966. He coached briefly in college before spending 36 years as an NFL assistant coach.
Mark Smith – Played running back at EES, went on to play wide receiver at the University of North Carolina, and was drafted by the Washington Redskins.
Larry Tearry – All-ACC center at Wake Forest University, he started two seasons with the Detroit Lions in the NFL.
Demarcus (Tank) Tyler – Starred at North Caroling State University and played in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Carolina Panthers.
Dimitrius Underwood – Played for Nick Saban at Michigan State University. He was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings and also played with the Miami Dolphins and the Dallas Cowboys.
Doug Wilkerson – Star player attended North Carolina Central University. He was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by the Houston Oilers. Spent 14 seasons with San Diego Chargers. He was named to three consecutive Pro Bowls and was first-team All-Pro in 1982.
