Vinny Testaverde Headlines Class of 2009 Inductees into the Sports Hall of Fame at Fork Union Military Academy
On the evening of June 18, 2009, Fork Union Military Academy will induct four new honorees into its Sports Hall of Fame: Heisman Trophy winner and record-setting NFL quarterback, Vinny Testaverde; Pro Bowl offensive tackle and Super Bowl Champion, Roman Oben; NBA veteran and the best 3-point shooter in University of North Carolina's history, Shammond Williams; and legendary FUMA football coach, R. L. "Red" Pulliam.
(Vocus/PRWEB ) June 16, 2009 -- Vinny Testaverde has traveled far and wide throughout his long NFL career, but this week he returns to the small village of Fork Union, Virginia where his dream of earning a scholarship to play college football became reality.
Vinny Testaverde at Fork Union Military Academy
On the evening of June 18, 2009, Fork Union Military Academy will induct four new members into the FUMA Sports Hall of Fame: Heisman Trophy winner and record-setting NFL quarterback, Vinny Testaverde; Pro Bowl offensive tackle and Super Bowl Champion, Roman Oben; NBA veteran and the best 3-point shooter in University of North Carolina's history, Shammond Williams; and legendary FUMA football coach, R. L. "Red" Pulliam.
These inductees will join the ranks of the thirty previous honorees in Fork Union Military Academy Sports Hall of Fame, including Eddie George, FUMA’s second Heisman Trophy winner; Green Bay Packer quarterback Don Majkowski; Eagle’s Pro-Bowl receiver Mike Quick; Jim Bunch, the All-American lineman who helped Coach Bear Bryant win two national championships at Alabama; and many more familiar names from the world of college, Olympic, and professional sports.
Fork Union Military Academy has a national reputation for its athletic programs. In football alone, more than 70 Fork Union Military Academy alumni have played in the NFL. In track and field, the school has produced five Olympians and won the private school State Championship 21 out of the past 22 years.
Vinny Testaverde
"Believe it or not, it had nothing to do with the football field," said Vinny Testaverde when asked recently to relate a favorite FUMA story. "They asked me to come be part of the track team and throw the javelin. They didn't have a javelin thrower. I had never thrown it before. We went out there and I think I set the school record in throwing the javelin. That’s one of my favorite memories."
Vinny Testaverde attended FUMA as a postgraduate in 1981-82 and played quarterback on the PG football team under Coach Pulliam. His arm strength was incredible and Vinny's javelin throw of 212' 1" in competition still stands as the FUMA record.
As starting quarterback of Sewanhaka High in Elmont, New York during his senior season, Testaverde racked up almost 700 yards in passing, despite playing in an offensive scheme built around running the veer play. Having a rocket arm wasn't enough for the young athlete to gain a scholarship, however. He also needed to demonstrate the kind of academic achievement that would attract the recruiters from the top Division I programs.
So Testaverde left behind the comfort of his loving family and his status as high school star in order to meet the challenges of Fork Union Military Academy. That choice not only led to a scholarship to the University of Miami, it helped reinforce and develop the qualities of determination, patience, leadership, responsibility, and dedication to hard work that would characterize Testaverde's long football career.
"It saved my football dreams," Testaverde told New York Times writer Bill Pennington in an interview for Pennington's book The Heisman.
"I remember that from 7:30 to 9:45 every night, the entire school was studying," Testaverde told Pennington. "And it made a difference. I learned what you can accomplish when you focus."
Roman Oben
Roman Oben was one of the members of FUMA’s vaunted PG Class of 1991 from which over 50 players went to Division I schools and 13 players ended up in the NFL. One teammate, Kevin Plank, went on to be founder and CEO of Under Armour.
Oben was born in Cameroon, West Africa and moved to the United States when he was four years old. He attended Gonzaga High School in Washington, DC and then came to Fork Union to prep for college.
In addition to football, Oben participated in track and set the standing FUMA discus record at 175' 10".
Drafted in 1996 by the New York Giants, Oben started over 90% of the games in his 12-year career at left tackle with the Giants, Browns, Bucs, and Chargers. He was the starting left tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their Super Bowl victory in 2002, earning a Super Bowl XXXVII championship ring.
Shammond Williams
Shammond Williams’ plans were to earn his bachelor's degree at the University of North Carolina in Industrial Relations and become a financial broker. Getting drafted into the NBA after college was just a bonus.
When asked to recount the basketball accomplishments that bring him pride, this NBA veteran doesn't start by telling stories of playing with his friend and Lakers’ teammate Kobe Bryant, or any of the memorable highlights from his long NBA career. He points to when he helped his Southside High School team in Greenville, South Carolina win the 1992 South Carolina AA Championship.
Williams still returns regularly to South Carolina to host basketball camps for area youth. Williams is also a frequent visitor to Coach Fletcher Arritt's annual basketball camp at Fork Union where he dazzles the young players with his ball-handling skills and flawless shooting technique.
As captain of the PG basketball team in 1993-94, Shammond Williams left his mark on FUMA both on and off the court. Not only did he win the Thomas PG Athlete Award and Frank A. Crockett Captain's Award, he also won the Best Drilled Cadet competition.
Coach R. L. “Red” Pulliam
COL R. L. "Red" Pulliam came to Fork Union in 1956 as an English Instructor and Varsity Football Coach. He served as FUMA's Head Football Coach for 26 years and compiled a remarkable 170-69-7 (.705) record and coached many players who would go on to distinguished playing careers in college and in the National Football League.
Pulliam was inducted into the Randolph-Macon College Hall of Fame in 1999, honoring his standout career from 1949-1953 on the football field, where he was a three-year starter. He earned All-State First Team honors and was named Honorable Mention Little All-America.
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