August 28, 1997
GREENVILLE -- Olympic gold medalist swimmer Angel Myers '90 and standout football quarterback Frankie DeBusk '91 highlight a class of six former athletic greats who will be inducted into the Furman University Athletic Hall-of-Fame on Sept. 26, it was announced today by Paladin Club Director Dr. Zach Kelehear.
Also elected to this year's class were Andrew Burr '91 (soccer/football), Steve Duggan '91 (football), Carl Tremble '93 (football), and late Furman swimming coach Howard Wheeler.
Myers, a double gold and bronze medalist at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, earned All-America honors nine times during her collegiate swimming career, helping Furman to a fifth place finish at the 1986 NCAA National Swimming Championships with four individual national titles. Named Furman and South Carolina Athletic Hall-of-Fame Female Athlete-of-the-Year in 1987 after winning four gold medals at the inaugural Goodwill Games in Moscow, U.S.S.R, the Americus, Ga., native led the Lady Paladins to a 20th-place finish at the 1987 NCAA Division I Championships.
In the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, Myers claimed a gold medal in the 400m relay and a bronze in the 50m freestyle. In Atlanta, she served as captain of America's women's swim team and became the oldest gold medalist in United States women's Olympic swimming history when she claimed gold in the 400m free relay and 400m medley at the age of 29. Her six Olympic medals is the second highest total in U.S. swimming history.
Frankie DeBusk became the first quarterback in Southern Conference history to lead his team to a national championship when he directed the Paladins to a 13-2 record in 1988. The holder of nine school records, including career passing yards (5,851) and total offense (6,726), DeBusk directed Furman to a 31-6 record during his tenure as a starter, including three Southern Conference championships (1988, '89, and '90). As a senior in 1990, the Greeneville, Tenn., product was named Southern Conference Offensive Player-of-the-Year, as well as South Carolina Offensive Player-of-the-Year. In his four seasons with the Paladin program, Furman went 41-12.
Induction ceremonies for this year's class will be held Friday, Sept. 26 at 7:00 p.m at Furman's Hartness Pavilion. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by calling the Paladin Club at (864) 294-3469.
1997 Furman University Athletic Hall-of-Fame Inductees
Andrew Burr '91
Outstanding soccer player and football placekicker...four-year soccer letterman (1987-90) and four-year starter...1988-89-90 All-Southern Conference (1st Team)...1988 NSCAA All-South (3rd Team)...1989-90 NSCAA All-South (1st Team)...1989 Southern Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player...1990 Southern Conference Player-of-the-Year...member of three Southern Conference regular season championship teams (1987-88-90) and two league tournament championship squads (1988-89)...led the Southern Conference in scoring in 1989 and '90...served as a team captain his senior year...holds school single season records for goals (20) and points (45), and also holds career records in both categories (50 goals, 119 points)...tallied a Furman record five hat tricks during his tenure as a Paladin...played one season of football following his soccer career...led Furman and Southern Conference in scoring in 1991, converting 14-of-16 field goal attempts and 45-of-46 PATs for 87 points...football scoring title gave him the distinction of becoming the first athlete in Southern Conference history to lead the league in scoring in two different sports in consecutive years...1991 consensus All-Southern Conference selection...B.A. in health and physcial education...Atlanta, Georgia.
Frankie DeBusk '91
Outstanding football quarterback...four-year letterman (1987-90) and three-year starter...1989-90 All-Southern Conference (1st Team)...1989 All-South Carolina...1990 Southern Conference Offensive Player-of-the-Year...1990 South Carolina Offensive Player-of-the-Year...1990 Furman Most Valuable Player...became the first quarterback in Southern Conference history to lead his team to a football national championship when he directed the Paladins to a school best, 13-2 record in 1988...as a starter, helped Furman post a 34-8 overall record, claim three Southern Conference championships (1988-89-90), and earn three NCAA I-AA playoff appearances...was part of a senior class that posted the best four-year record in Furman history (41-12)...holds outright or shares nine school records, with most notable being Furman's career leader in passing yardage (5,851 yards) and total offense (6,726 yards)...completed 356-of-678 pass attempts, threw 38 touchdowns, and tallied 55 touchdown responsibilities in his career...B.A. in health and physical education...Greeneville, Tennessee.
Steve Duggan '91
Outstanding football center...four-year letterman (1987-90) and three-year starter...1988-89-90 All-Southern Conference (1st Team)...1989 All-South Carolina...1990 consensus 1st Team All-American (Kodak, Associated Press, Walter Camp, Sports Network)...1989 South Carolina Jacobs Blocking Award...1990 Southern Conference Jacobs Blocking Award...is the only three-time All-Southern Conference offensive lineman in Furman history, and the school's only recipient of both the Southern Conference and South Carolina Jacobs Blocking Awards (first Furman recipient of the state's Jacobs Award since 1951)...served as a team captain his senior year...as a starter, helped Furman post a 34-8 overall record, claim three Southern Conference championships (1988-89-90), and earn three NCAA I-AA playoff appearances...1988 team went 13-2 and claimed the NCAA I-AA national championship...was part of a senior class that posted the best four-year record in Furman history (41-12)...holds Furman season record for play participations by an offensive linemen (910)...registered 2,187 plays, 25 "winning" grades, and 10 "exceptional" single game marks in his career...B.A. in sociology...Sumter, South Carolina.
Angel Myers '90
World class swimmer...four-year letterwinner (1986-89) and nine-time All-American...1986 NCAA Division II Swimmer-of-the-Year...1986 NCAA Division II All-American in four events: 200 individual medley, 50 free, 100 fly, and 100 free...1987 NCAA Division I All-American in two events: 200 individual medley, 100 free...1989 NCAA Division I All-American in three events: 200 individual medley, 200 fly, and 100 free...1986 & '87 Furman Female Athlete-of-the-Year...as a freshman in 1986 won four NCAA Division II individual championships (and set three NCAA records) in helping Furman to a fourth place team finish...captured four gold medals and a bronze medal, and set a new American record in the 50m freestyle at the 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow, U.S.S.R...gold medal in the 50m freestyle was the first earned by a participant at the inaugural Goodwill Games...finished fourth and eighth in two events to pace Furman to a 20th-place team finish at the 1987 NCAA Division I national championships -- the school's first year in Division I swimming...finished her collegiate career two years later by claming a national title in the 200 individual medley, as well as second and sixth place finishes in two other events...captured her first Olympic gold medal in the 400m free relay, and also earned a bronze in the 50m free in Barcelona, Spain, in 1992...won four gold medals at the 1995 Pan Am Games...was a double gold and bronze medalist at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta...claimed gold medals in the 400m free relay and 400m individual medley...earned bronze medals in the 100m free and 100m fly...gave her bronze medal from the 100m freestyle to a 19-year old Olympic volunteer and Georgia swimmer who has cancer...at age 29 is the oldest Olympic gold medalist in United States women's Olympic swimming history...former American record holder in the 100m and 100y free...seven-time U.S. national champion...married to former Furman swimmer Mike Martino '87...B.A. in business administration...Americus, Georgia.
Carl Tremble'93
Outstanding football tailback...four-year letterman (1989-92) and four-year starter...1990-91-92 All-Southern Conference (1st Team)...1991-92 All-South Carolina...1992 Associated Press All-America (3rd Team)...1993 Furman Male Athlete-of-the-Year...served as a team captain his senior year...as a starter, helped Furman post a 28-12 record, claim two Southern Conference championships (1989-90), and earn two NCAA I-AA playoff appearances...was part of a senior class that posted a four year record of 34-15...holds outright or shares 18 school records...rushed for a Furman freshman record 987 yards in 1989...paced the Southern Conference and ranked third nationally in rushing in 1992, totaling 1,555 yards and 13 touchdowns...finished his career as Furman and the Southern Conference's all-time leading rusher, and the ninth leading rusher in NCAA I-AA history with 4,746 yards and 50 touchdowns...averaged 112.8 yards and 6.1 yards per rush as a starter...rushed for 100 yards in a school record 25 games...ran a career high 39 times for another career high 228 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-7 win over Tennessee-Chattanoonga in 1992...ranks as Furman's all-time leading scorer with 300 points...B.A. in sociology...Jacksonville, Florida.
Howard Wheeler (Deceased)
Nationally recognized swimming coach who directed Furman University's men's and women's swimming teams from 1979 until 1987...earned 1986 NCAA Division II National Coach-of-the-Year honors after directing Furman's women to a school-best, fifth place finish at the national championships -- the Lady Paladins' fifth consecutive national Top 10 performance...directed Furman swimming's move into the NCAA Division I ranks the following year, helping the Lady Paladins to a 20th place national finish...in eight seasons, posted a combined men's and women's coaching record of 130-71 (.646 winning percentage)...coached over 40 All-American swimmers at Furman, including nine-time NCAA All-American and future Olympic gold medalist Angel Myers...succumbed to a brain tumor on November 16, 1987, at the age of 36.