Over 20 former Reitz Football players and coaches will be inducted into the Greater Evansville Football Hall of Fame this fall, it was announced Tuesday.
The Panthers, along with many others from the area, will be honored at the newly-formed organization’s induction banquet on Sunday, Oct. 9, at the Holiday Inn Airport.
The Hall of Fame will have a physical presence, as well, according to Tim Turpin, who has been instrumental in bringing the National Semipro Baseball Hall of Fame to Evansville. The two halls will share a facility with others (including the Greater Evansville Baseball Hall of Fame and Greater Evansville Basketball Hall of Fame), and will open sometime in 2017.
“We’ll have a football field made of engraved bricks and black granite pieces,†said Turpin.
Turpin was also excited about Logan’s Square, which will be an area at the Hall of Fame devoted to the memory of the late Logan Brown, the Reitz student who was killed last year by a drunk driver.
“I played on the Outlaws with his dad, Charles,†said Turpin.
Sam Ball, the Henderson native who played for the Baltimore Colts and appeared in Super Bowls III and V, will be the guest speaker at the banquet.
Reservations should be made by Sept. 15 and can be downloaded here.
So far, 19 former Panthers have been announced:
- Jamie Bateman
- Tyrone Browning
- Tom Buck
- Herman Byers
- Pete Fisher
- Marlon Flemming
- Don Hansen
- Andy Hape
- Bill Hape
- John Hart
- Matt McIntosh
- Paul McIntosh
- Bob Padgett
- Duce Reeder
- Mick Schnell
- Tim Shipp
- Bob Stephenson
- Don Waterman
- Tom Wilson
More will be announced as the date gets closer.
“We’ll have over 300 inducted in the first class,†added Turpin. “This should have been done 30 years ago. I figure, if there had been 10 people added over 30 years, that wouldn’t leave anyone out who deserves to be in included.â€
