In a state where football is king, it's not surprising that half the members of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023 excelled on the gridiron.
They are Jeff Herrod, John Magnum, Patrick Surtain and Lewis Tillman. The other honorees introduced during a press conference at the Hall of Fame Museum in Jackson are Paul Maholm, Jim Page, Tony Rosetti and Carol Ross.
Herrod is a Brimingham native who was an all-SEC linebacker at Ole Miss from 1984 to '87. He spent 11 years in the NFL (1988-'98) and holds the Indianapolis Colts' record for tackles with 1,347.
Mangum is a Magee High School graduate. He was a defensive back for the University of Alabama 1986-'89 and the Chicago Bears for nine seasons, 1990-98. He was named to the Tide's Team of the Decade for the 1980s.
Sustain is a New Orleans native who was an All American defensive back at the University of Southern Mississippi 1994-97. His 11-year NFL career was highlighted by his selection as the league's Defensive Back of the Year in 2002 with the Miami Dolphins.
Tillman, from Hazlehurst, played his college ball at Jackson State, where he was SWAC Player of the Year in 1987 when he ran for 1,474 yards, breaking Walter Payton's school record. He played with the New York Giants for five year and the Bears for two years as a teammate of Magnum.
Maholm is a Holly Springs native who is fourth all time in strikeouts and fifth in wins during his three years pitching for Mississippi State. He spent 10 years in the majors pitching for Pirates, Cubs, Braves and Dodgers.
Page has been the baseball coach at Millsaps College since 1989 with a record of 815-554-4 and is an eight time conference coach of the year. As a player at Millsaps, he holds the school record with a .487 batting average.
Bosetti, a Biloxi native, is the first marksman chosen for the Hall of Fame. He was a national skeet champion and a member of the 1972 U.S. Summer Olympics team.
Ross, from Oakland, Miss., played basketball at Ole Miss and was head coach at Florida from 1980 to 2002 and Ole Miss 2003-07. As a player, she holds the Ole Miss record with 333 steals.
Seven of the eight were on hand for the introductions. Surtain could not attend because of his duties as an assistant coach for the Dolphins, but sent a video message. Hall of Fame Induction Weekend will be July 28-29, 2023.
