McNeese announces 10 inductees for school’s sports hall of fame in 2022

LAKE CHARLES – McNeese Football record-breaking head coach Matt Viator, cross country All-American David Rooney and softball standout Alanna Di’Vittorio are three of 10 new members of the McNeese Sports Hall of Fame that will be officially enshrined on February 5, 2022 at halftime of the McNeese Cowboys basketball game in The Legacy Center against Northwestern State.

Joining the trio will be football stars Terence Davis, Alan Heisser, Bryan Hicks, Flip Johnson, Joe Judge, and Reggie Nelson; and men’s basketball standout Tierre Brown.

Ten members for induction this year were agreed upon by the committee due to there not being an induction class last year as a result of the global pandemic.

INDUCTEE BIOS:
TIERRE BROWN (Men’s Basketball) – 1998-01 – Two-time All-Southland Conference 1st Team selection (2000, 2001)… 2001 SLC All-Tournament Team… led the SLC in scoring in 2000 with a 22.0 average… named McNeese Outstanding Player in both 2000 and 2001… McNeese Newcomer Award in 1998… helped guide the Cowboys to a Southland Conference championship in 2001 after posting a 22-9 overall record, the SLC tournament title game and a berth in the NIT… ranks 9th on McNeese career scoring list with 1,692 points and is 16th in career scoring average with a 15.3 mark… 7th all-time with 340 assists and tied for 6th with 3.1 assist average… his 623 points scored in his senior season (2000-01) ranks as the 5th most in a single-season in school history… his 22.0 ppg average as a junior ranks as the third-most by a junior in a season… a native of Iowa, La., Brown played seven seasons in the NBA with the Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, New Orleans Hornets, and Los Angeles Lakers, then another 11 seasons in other professional leagues… a two-time All-NBA D-League First Team selection (2002, 2003)

TERENCE DAVIS (Football) – 1992-95… two-time All-SLC selection including first team honors in 1995… held the school record for most receptions in a career (119) for seven years and is currently ranked No. 5 all-time… continues to hold the school record for most receiving yards in a season with 1,108 yards in 1995… ranked second all-time with 2,636 career receiving yards… continues to hold the school record for most TD catches in a season (16 in 1995) and a career (21)… recorded 100 or more yards receiving in eight games in his career… member of McNeese’s All-75th Anniversary Team.

ALANA DI’VITTORIO (Softball) – 2011-14 – Ended her McNeese career breaking nine McNeese and Southland Conference records including the school and league career and single-season records in runs scored and walks… at the end of her career, school career holder in runs scored and walks… school single-season record holder in runs scored, walks and stolen bases… 4-time All-SLC selection… 2014 SLC Hitter of the Year… 2014 NFCA first team All-South Region… four-time All-Louisiana… 2011 Louisiana Co-Freshman of the Year… three-time Google Cloud Academic All-District… 2014 Google Cloud Academic All-America 2nd Team, becoming only the second softball player in school history to earn Academic All-America honors… 2013-14 Desmond Jones Athlete of the Year.

ALAN HEISSER (Football) – tight end…played 1974 to 1977…played on Independence Bowl championship team… led team in pass receiving and ranked No. 3 in the Southland Conference among all receivers in 1976 (23 catches, 378 yards and 2 tds) and in 1977 (20 catches, 224 yards and td), ranking 8th in the league… at the end of his career, ranked 3rd all-time in school history in receptions (59), receiving yards (800) and was only the third player in school history to record back-to-back seasons with 20 or more catches… he’s currently ranked 5th all-time among tight ends with 59 catches and is 4th with 800 yards receiving… member of McNeese’s All-75th Anniversary Team.

BRYAN HICKS (Football) – defense back – four-year letterman as a defensive back from 1976 to 1979… played in two Independence Bowls… went on to play professionally with Cincinnati and played in Super Bowl… led the team in pass interceptions in 1979 with five…member of McNeese’s All-75th Anniversary Team.

FLIP JOHNSON (Football) – At one time, the career leading pass receiver in McNeese history and currently ranked 6th with 113 catches for 1,605 yards and nine tds…four-year letterman… named team MVP in 1986.. also named all-SLC and all-Louisiana… continues to hold school records for most KO returns in a game (9), a season (30) and in a career (89)… school record holder with 233 KO return yards in a game and in a career with 1,805… went on to play three years with Buffalo Bills… member of the SLC 1980s All-Decade Team… member of McNeese’s All-75th Anniversary Team.

JOE JUDGE (Football) – defensive back – McNeese Athlete of the Year for 2001-02 and team MVP in 2001….all-America honors from Associated Press, Walter Camp, Sports Network…SLC defensive player of year in 2001…all-SLC and all-Louisiana….made 297 career tackles which currently ranks him 14th on the school career record list… member of SLC 2000s Team of the Decade… member of McNeese’s All-75th Anniversary Team.

REGGIE NELSON (Football) – offensive lineman….earned all-America honors from the Associated Press in 1998 and also from Walter Camp, Football Coaches Assn (twice) and The Sports Network (twice) and ESPN-USA Today (twice)…four year starter….all-SLC twice, all-Louisiana three times…drafted in 5th round by San Diego in 1999 and also played for Jacksonville and Green Bay as well as in the CFL….served on the McNeese coaching staff for five seasons… member of SLC 1990s Team of the Decade… SLC All-Time 1st Team… member of McNeese’s All-75th Anniversary Team.

DAVID ROONEY (Track & Field) – 2009-13 – McNeese’s first-ever Cross Country All-American after a seventh place finish at the 2012 NCAA Championships… 5-time SLC Champion in cross country and track… 2012-13 Desmond Jones Athlete of the Year… Southland Conference record holder at the 8k XC meet… school record holder in the 5,000 meters for indoor and SLC outdoor meet record holder in the 10k… named SLC XC Athlete of the Year, SLC Indoor Runner of the Year, and SLC Outdoor Most Outstanding Athlete… also named Louisiana XC Runner of the Year.

MATT VIATOR (Football Coach) – 2006-15 – Three-time Southland Conference Coach of the Year (2006, 2007, 2015)… 2006 and 2015 Louisiana Coach of the Year… compiled a record of 78-33 as the Cowboys’ coach, tied for most wins in school history with Hall of Famer Bobby Keasler… won four SLC Championships (2006, 2007, 2009, 2015)… FCS Playoffs in five of his 10 seasons… Three-time National Coach of the Year finalist (2006, 2007, 2015)… took over as head coach midway through the 2006 season after the Cowboys started the year 2-5 and finished 5-1 with a league title after he took over… posted two undefeated regular season campaigns (2007, 2015)… his teams ranked in the top 25 in 85 of 108 weeks of his career and received votes in another 17 weeks… of 108 weeks of polls, 102 were spent either in the top 25 or receiving votes… ranked in the top 10 for 42 weeks and top five 12 weeks… highest ranking was No. 2 the final two weeks of the 2015 season… coached 36 All-American selections, 135 All-SLC selections including 54 first team selections, and 46 All-Louisiana picks… coached the 2006, 2007 and 2009 SLC Player of the Year, 2008 and 2013 SLC Offensive Player of the Year, , 2008 and 2015 SLC Defensive Player of the Year, 2010 SLC Newcomer of the Year, 2015 Louisiana Defensive Player of the Year, 2009 Louisiana Offensive Player of the Year, and 2009 Louisiana Newcomer of the Year.