New Gator Hall of Fame Class To Be Inducted

On Friday October 7, a group of nine outstanding Gators are set to be inducted into the UF Hall of Fame. This group of inductees was decided off of a basis of three different categories. These categories help the University of Florida F club to decide who will join those in Gator athletics royalty. The ceremony will take place at the Ben Hill Griffin stadium ahead of the UF vs Missouri Homecoming football game.

How do nominations work?

With the nine inductees, there are seven Gator greats as well as a distinguished letterwinner and an honorary letterwinner.

According to the F Club Hall of Fame criteria, these three categories have different requirements needed to be considered.

Gator Greats are athletes who brought prominence and recognition to the University during their collegiate careers. Examples of this include First Team All-American and First Team All-SEC.

Distinguished letterwinners are athletes who showed dedication to the program not just while they were students, but many years after. These inductees have also stood out in their field.

Honorary letter winners are retired coaches or athletic officials who showed outstanding dedication to the intercollegiate athletic program through many years of continued service despite not having athletic careers at UF.

Gator Greats Ready for Induction

This year’s University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame class is deep with Gator legends.

Jeff Demps competed in track and field, as well as playing football during his time at UF from 2008-12. He is the only Gator to win a national championship in two different sports, a tremendous accomplishment.

Conor Dwyer is a former Gator swimmer. He dominated the SEC and the NCAA, and grabbed many awards and titles as a Gator from 2009-11.

Joe Haden was a member of the Gator football team from 2007-09, including the championship team in 2008. As a result of his outstanding play in college, Haden went on to have a solid pro career in the NFL.

Michelle Moultrie competed for the Gator softball team from 2009-12. In her time with the team she became the fourth player in Gator softball history to be named SEC Player of the Year.

Another Gator great, Chandler Parsons, played basketball for the Gators from 2007-11. He became the first athlete in Gator basketball history to win SEC Player of the Year before entering the NBA.

Christian Taylor competed in track and field for the Gators from 2009-11. He is listed in various school records as well as a four-time NCAA triple jump champion and a two-time NCAA team champion.

Mike Zunino was a member of the Gator baseball team from 2010-12. In addition to being named 2011 SEC Player of the Year, he is the only player in Gator baseball history to win the Golden Spikes Award. Zunino currently plays for the Tampa Bay Rays.

The #Gators have a star-studded class entering the #UF Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday night at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Check them out — https://t.co/6wPcZ0rOYK

— Scott Carter (@GatorsScott) October 7, 2022

 Gators Letter Winners Ready for Induction

Steve Beeland is the distinguished letter winner of the 2022 class. After racking up SEC awards and championships as a Gator tennis player from 1967-69, he turned to coaching. Beeland coached for both the Gators women’s (1982-84) and men’s (1985-88) tennis teams. He took second place in the SEC with the women’s team and fourth in the SEC with the men’s team.

Jeremy Foley is the honorary letter winner of the 2022 Hall of Fame class. He first began working with the University of Florida in 1976. Foley then became the Gator Athletic Director in 1992 and held the position until 2016. He is the only AD in Division I history to lead a program with multiple championships in basketball and football during their tenure.

These nine well deserving individuals will be a part of history with the highest honor possible. Congratulations are in order as they enter into Gator athletics immortality.