M Club Welcomes Seven-Member 2023 Hall of Fame Class

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis M Club, the official letterwinners' organization of the university, and Memphis Athletics will welcome seven Tigers to the Hall of Fame on Saturday, February 10, 2024 in its' annual induction ceremony inside the Billy J. Murphy Athletic Complex on the Park Avenue Campus.

The class will also be presented to Tiger Nation on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024 at the men's basketball game vs. Tulane at the FedExForum.

The class of 2023 includes football's Derrick Burroughs and Glenn Rogers Jr., women's soccer's Elise Kuhar-Pitters Davis, volleyball's Amie Hamilton Sherrod, women's golf's Marissa Steen, women's basketball's Vera Webb and men's basketball's Kelly Wise.

The M Club will also present five special awards. Martha and Benjamin C. Bryant Jr. will receive the Dr. Cecil C. Humphrey's Golden Tiger Award, Bubba Luckett will receive the Billy J. Murphy Award, Jim Paulsen will receive the Ralph Hatley Silver "M" Award and Susan Blackwell will receive the Murray Armstrong Award.

To purchase tickets to help celebrate the 2023 University of Memphis M Club Hall of Fame Class, please click HERE.

Derrick Burroughs
Football | 1980-81, 1983-84
Burroughs was a four-year letterman for Memphis from 1980-81 and 1983-84. In 1984, Burroughs earned First-Team All-South Independent honors, as well as the John Bramlett Defensive Player of the Year award. Burroughs finished his Tiger career with 66 total tackles. In 1985, Burroughs was drafted by the Buffalo Bills with the 14^th overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft, which made him the fifth Tiger in school history to be drafted in the first round. He played five years in the NFL, appearing in 58 games, making 41 starts. He finished his NFL career with 123 tackles and six interceptions for his career. He was the head football coach at Lane College for two stints in 2010-13 and 2015-19 and now serves as the Athletic Director for the Dragons.

Elise Kuhar-Pitters Davis
Women's Soccer | 2008-11
Kuhar-Pitters Davis was a four-year letterwinner for the women's soccer program. Since 2003, she ranks fifth all-time in saves with 228, second all-time in goalkeeper goals against average with 0.77 and career wins, third all-time in goalkeeper minutes played and second all-time in shutouts with 38. In 2011, Kuhar-Pitters Davis was recognized as a United Soccer Coaches/NSCAA All-America Second Team selection, was named to the NSCAA All-Central First Team, and to Conference USA First Team. In 2009, she was named NSCAA All-Central Third Team and Conference USA Second Team. She was the C-USA Tournament Defensive MVP during the 2009 and 2010 seasons and named to the CUSA All-Tournament team in 2009. During her career, the Memphis Tigers won four consecutive Conference USA Tournament titles (2008-2011) and were regular season champions in 2008 and 2011.

Glenn Rogers Jr.
Football | 1988-90
Rogers Jr. was a three-year letterwinner for the Memphis Tigers. He is tied for fifth in school history with 12 interceptions and third in career interception return yardage with 229 return yards. In 1990, he was named First-Team All-South Independent and received the John Bramlett Defensive Player of the Year award. Rogers Jr. finished his Tiger career with 146 tackles and 12 interceptions and went on to play one season in the NFL and seven in the Canadian Football League. He was a three-time CFL All-Star, a four-time ALL-CFL player (1993, 1995, 1996, and 1997) and won the Grey Cup for the Eskimos. He finished his CFL career with 303 tackles, 7 sacks, and 31 interceptions.

Annie Hamilton Sherrod
Volleyball | 1998-2001
Hamilton Sherrod was a four-year letterwinner for the Tigers from 1998-2001, earning 1998 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year honors as a freshman. During her senior season, Hamilton led the NCAA in service aces per game with 0.84, totaling 97 for the year. She also broke the Conference USA record in career service aces with 234, which ranks third in school history. Hamilton Sherrod also set the Memphis school record for career digs with 1,491, which is currently tied for third in school history. Following her senior campaign, Hamilton became the second player in program history to make an All-Conference USA team, earning second-team accolades.

Marissa Steen
Women's Golf | 2008-12
Steen lettered for the Memphis Tigers from 2008-12. She set the then single season scoring record of 73.97 strokes/round in 2010-11 season to go along with six career individual tournament victories during her time as a Tiger. In 2010, she was an All-Conference USA Second Team selection. In 2011, she was the Conference USA Championship Runner-up and selected to the Conference USA All-Tournament Team. She was a five-time CUSA Golfer of the Week, a three-time C-USA All-Academic Team selection (2010, 2011, and 2012), a four-time NGCA All-American Scholar (2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012), the 2012 Conference USA Women's Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year, CUSA Academic Medalist, and CUSA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll. As a professional, she has three career wins and was the 2014 Symetra Tour Player of the Year. In 2014, she became the ninth player in Symetra Tour history to win three times in a single season, qualified for the 2014 US Women's Open, and became the first University of Memphis graduate to play on the LPGA Tour.

Vera Webb
Women's Basketball | 1982-86
Webb, a native Memphian, lettered for four seasons as a guard and forward for the Memphis Tigers. She scored a season-high 21 points against Illinois as a true freshman and finished her rookie campaign with 236 points and 89 rebounds in route to a Women's National Invitational Tournament bid. Webb moved to forward for her sophomore season where she averaged 12.5 points per game while making starts in 25 of 26 games. Webb scored 384 points and tallied 177 rebounds in 1985 and finished the season as the second leading scorer. She was a critical part in helping the team to a Metro Conference Championship and an NCAA Tournament bid; Webb finished her collegiate career as the team's leading scorer while recording a career high 39 points against McNeese State. Webb was named as an All-Metro Conference First Team selection in 1985. She currently ranks 14th in all-time scoring with 1,473 points.

Kelly Wise
Men's Basketball | 1998-2002
Wise was a four-year letterwinner for the Memphis Tigers. After being named Third Team All-Conference USA in 2000, Wise earned back-to-back First Team All-Conference honors as a junior and senior. He was selected to the C-USA All-Tournament team in 2001 and was named NABC All-District in 2002. Wise finished his career as the all-time leading rebounder in C-USA history with 1,075 boards. That total was later broken by former Tiger Joey Dorsey in 2008 and currently stands as the second-most in conference history. He also ranks second all-time in the C-USA record book with 42 career double-doubles. He currently stands 12^th on Memphis' all-time scoring list with 1,487 points and is top-10 in five other categories: total rebounds (1,075 – 4^th), double-doubles (42 – 4^th), blocked shots (226 – 6^th), free throw attempts (561 – 7^th) and field goals made (591 – 10^th). For his career, Wise started 94 of his 124 games played and averaged 12.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.

Martha and Ben C. Bryant Jr.
Dr. Cecil C. Humphreys Golden Tiger Award
Presented to individuals for their financial support of Memphis Athletics.
Ben C. Bryant Jr. graduated from then Memphis State University in 1968 with a BBA in Accounting and in 1995 with a MS degree in Management Information Systems. In 1968, Ben married Martha and they moved to St. Louis, Mo., where Ben began his career in the information technology industry at McDonnell Douglas Corporation. In 1974, the Bryant's returned to Memphis, where Ben worked as a management consultant at the CPA firm of Touche Ross (currently Deloitte). In 1976, Ben founded Seltmann, Cobb & Bryant, Management Consultants. He served as the Chairman and CEO of SCB Computer Technology, Inc. until his retirement. He was inducted into the Society of Entrepreneurs in 1999.

Memphis Athletics has long been a primary interest of theirs, as they are charter members of Memphis Athletics' Ambassador program and Tiger Leadership Circle. Ben is a former Executive-in-Residence at the Crews Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Memphis, assisting with advice, direction and mentoring initiatives for the center.

Additionally, Mr. Bryant is a member of the Crews Center for Entrepreneurship Advisory Board and the Management Information Systems Advisory Council. He is a former Vice-Chairman of the University of Memphis Board of Visitors, is a past Present of Tiger Athletics Advisory Board, and past member of the President's Research Foundation Board. In 1999, he was given the Distinguished Alumni Award and in 2010, he received the Tennessee Board of Regents Award for Excellence in Philanthropy. Other organizations Ben has served include Monogram Foods (Board of Directors), Cook Systems International (President), and BCB Investment Group.

Ben and Martha have two children, Martha Lynne Bryant of Little Rock, Ark. and Phil C. Bryant, PHD of Columbus, Ga. and five grandchildren.

Bubba Luckett
Billy J. Murphy Award
Presented to a former student-athlete who excelled in his/her profession since leaving the University of Memphis.
Coach Luckett's passion for basketball began when he was an 8^th grader at White Station Middle. He played for Christian Brothers High School (1975-79), where he was named All-District (1977-78, 1978-79), All-Region (1977-78), All-City (1978-79), All-County (1977-78, 1978-79), All-State (1978-79), and Honorable Mention All-American (1978-79). He still holds school records for points and most field goals in a single game. His No. 43 is retired by CBHS and he ranks second all-time in career points scored with 1,677.

Luckett lettered for the Memphis men's basketball program from 1979-83. Luckett played with the likes of Keith Lee, Hank McDowell, Andre Turner, and Doom Haynes. The Memphis State Tigers were ranked No. 1 in the country his senior season. One of his most memorable moments was hitting the buzzer-beater to beat Saint Louis and advance in the Metro Conference Tournament. He graduated with a bachelor's in business administration in 1983.

At the conclusion of his college career in 1983, Luckett went on to become a teacher and coach at his alma mater Christian Brothers High School. He served as an assistant under Charlie Leonard from 1983 -1990, helping Christian Brothers to its first state title in 1987. In 1990, Luckett became the head coach of Christian Brothers High School Basketball, and since then, he has accumulated a record of 671-284 (making him top-12 in wins in Tennessee all time and top-three among active coaches in Tennessee).

As a head coach, Luckett's teams have won 20 game or more in 22 seasons, had three undefeated seasons (2015, 2021, and 2022), been a nationally ranked program (No. 16 in 2021 and No. 15 in 2022), won the region 10 times, 14 appearances in the state tournament, appeared in the state championship game five times, and won the state title in 2022. In 2022, Luckett's team became the third team in school history to go undefeated with a 28-0 record and the third team from Memphis to go undefeated and win a state title.

Luckett is the all-time winningest head coach in school history at CBHS. During his career, he has been named The Daily Memphian Coach of the Year, The Commercial Appeal Coach of the Year, the Region Coach of the Year 11 times, the Basketball Coaches Association of Tennessee Coach of the Year, the TSSAA Coach of the Year and the Catholic Diocese of Memphis Coach of the Year. He was also inducted into the Memphis Amateur Sports Hall of Fame and the Christian Brothers High School Hall of Fame and received the Key to the City of Memphis.

In his 34 seasons as a head coach, Luckett has had 47 players go on to play college basketball. He is currently a teacher in the Marr School of Business at CBHS and continues to serve as a head coach.

Jim Paulsen
Ralph Hatley Silver M Award
Presented to a dedicated supporter who has given multiple years of exceptional service to Memphis Athletics.
Jim Paulsen is a Memphian through and through. Paulsen graduated from then Memphis State University in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical science. As a student, he was president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He served the United States Military from 1966-72 in the Army Reserve.

Prior to founding Paulsen Printing, he served as the District Sales Manager for American Express Company. In 1978, Paulsen and his wife, Judy, founded Paulsen Printing Company, a full-service printing company in Memphis, Tenn. Today, they have 37 employees. During the past 45 years and with the help of their employees, Paulsen Printing has become one of the largest printing companies in the Mid-South, focusing on customer service and quality printing. Clients include businesses, schools, churches and many non-profit organizations.

In the 1980's, Memphis Athletics and the University of Memphis became one of Paulsen Printing's biggest clients. They have printed media guides, game programs, schedules cards, posters, and many other items. In the past ten years, they began helping the Memphis Athletics Fund (formerly the Tiger Scholarship Fund) with renewal letters, brochures, invoices and many other items. Recently, they helped the Memphis Athletics Development team with a rebrand to the Memphis Athletics Fund by printing the first all-inclusive giving guide.

Paulsen is a lifelong, avid supporter of Memphis Athletics for over 50 years. He attended his first Memphis Tiger football game at Crump Stadium at the age of nine and has fond memories of attending Memphis State basketball games at the field house. Some of his best Tiger memories include the first win over Ole Miss in football in 1963, going to the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio, and the 2019 Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Paulsen and his wife, Judy, have three children and six grandchildren.

Susan Blackwell
Murray Armstrong Award
Presented to a Tiger coach, administrator or employee for distinguished service to Memphis Athletics.
Susan Blackwell is from Mobile, Ala. and graduated from John Shaw High School in 1971. She attended South Alabama for one year and later worked there for seven years in the university bookstore. In 1984, Blackwell moved to Memphis and began her career at the University of Memphis in the transcript office. Later that year, she moved over to athletics and has been a mainstay since.

In the past 39 years, she has served in various roles in the Memphis Athletics Business Office. Most recently, she was the Financial Services Associate with a focus on the annual NCAA report, annual financial report to the Financial Planning Office on campus, acting liaison with the Busar's Office, and assisted in budget planning for all departments and sports. Blackwell retired on Jan. 2, 2024 from the University of Memphis and we wish her well in her retirement.

Blackwell was married to her late husband, Paul Blackwell Sr, for 48 years. They have one son, Paul Blackwell Jr, and one grandchild, Haven Paris.

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M Club Welcomes Seven-Member 2023 Hall of Fame Class

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