2022 Limestone County Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet Ceremony

Jun. 13—The 2022 induction banquet for the Limestone County Sports Hall of Fame took place on Saturday, June 11, from the event hall of the Alabama Veterans Museum in Athens, with 10 new members inducted into Limestone's prestigious sports group.

The 10 members of the 2022 class are Danny Anderson, Mary Fletcher Burton, Adolph Cosby, Mike Davis, Rashad Harris, Venard Hendrix, Walter Hill, John Johnson, John Wayne King and Philip Rivers.

Inductees were given as much time as needed for each of their speeches.

Here are quotes from each of the Sports HOF inductees' speeches:

Danny Anderson — Elkmont basketball legend, current coach of Athens High — Anderson describes his life in one sentence

"If I could sum up my life in one sentence, it would be 'a boy, a ball and an opportunity.' Basketball has given me many opportunities, and without basketball, I would not be the person, the coach, the husband, the father, the employee that I am today. You see, without basketball, I probably never would have graduated high school. I am the first person in my family to graduate out of high school; I am the first person in my family to graduate college. (Basketball) has taken me to places I would never have been able to go otherwise." — Anderson on his mother

"My mother has done so much for me. My father died when I was 13. She had to raise three boys and a daughter. Momma, thank you so much for instilling the values that you did for me." — Anderson on a teacher who greatly impacted his life, Allison Jones

"If it wasn't for the great teachers like Allison Jones ... Mrs. Allison, you might have left school many days feeling defeated, feeling like your job was not done well, but it was teachers like you to help people like me be where I'm at today."

Adolph Cosby — Decorated running back for Athens High, Auburn Tigers — Cosby on overcoming adversity of an injury his senior year at AHS

"My journey at Athens High School was different. There were some difficult times. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you (the Hall of Fame), and tell you this: It's been a great journey. I was fortunate enough to graduate (college) and move on to receive great family support. Like I said, I'm speaking from my heart."

Mike Davis — Ardmore sports icon, who started the girls athletic programs — Davis on starting the Ardmore girls athletics programs alongside Ardmore great, Katherine Conner

"I was approached to start this program. I requested and received the okay to bring Katherine Conner along with us. (She) is not with us tonight, but let me tell you: there is no other person that I could have worked alongside that had the full respect and love of the girls. — Davis' message to all coaches of women's sports

"I must say this, for all women's coaches that may be here tonight: if you are not serious about it, get out of it. Because, these women will work the hardest you will ever see. I wanted to coach girls because they are coachable, they work hard and they believe in themselves."

Venard Hendrix — Athens College, Athens High School sports legend — Hendrix on his time in the city of Athens, at Athens College and Athens High School

"(I received) a scholarship to come to Athens and to play basketball for Athens College, which was great. Come to Athens, what I consider a great place to work, a great place to live and a great place to raise a family. We have enjoyed it. I still enjoy it; it's just great." — Hendrix on the players who came through his program over his career

"It's not about me. We have a lot of accomplishments. That wasn't me. That belongs to all the players that I coached. I am proud of all those players, because it was their accomplishments, not mine."

John Johnson — Clements' dominating tackle on both sides of the line — Johnson keeps it short and sweet

"The first thing I want to do is thank God. Because of him, I am still here. And, I want to thank my mother — I love her very much, my family, my sisters and all my neighbors and friends. I love (football) and I wanted to set an example for my siblings. But, with that being said, I want to thank everyone who thought enough of me to vote for me. From the bottom of my heart, I truly thank everybody.

John Wayne King — Dual-sport champion for Clements High — King on being married for 50 years, and the support he has received along the way

"My wife, Myra (Black King), who I mentioned earlier, she's a godly woman. So hard working. She's a good wife, a good mother, a good grandmother and a member of this Hall of Fame. I have been blessed for her, and in exactly two months from today (June 11), we have been married for 50 years. God will bless you and you're not even looking." — King on his workout with the Atlanta Braves

"Just as I walked in the door, I saw Henry (Hank) Aaron, and I am so scared I didn't have enough sense to ask him for an autograph."

Rashad Harris — Pro football player in multiple countries — Harris on hard work

"Your parents and teachers can only give you so much, but you have to do the work. You have to work hard at whatever you do. I see a lot of young faces out there; don't let anyone fool you. To be whatever you want to be, you are going to have to work very hard and you're going to have to work day and night to even have a chance. — Harris on his mother and father

"That's the foundation I am talking about, right? Because, you can't do anything without that support. There is not enough time (at the event) to express my gratitude for you all. Next to God himself, you're the only reason why I'm breathing and standing up here today."

Philip Rivers — Quarterback destined for the NFL's Hall of Fame

*Unable to attend in person, Rivers was represented by his father, Steve, at the ceremony. However, he still took the time to make a video for his induction.*

"Me and my family moved to Athens in 1996, going into freshman year (of High School). I got to admit, I was a little uneasy with the move, having lived my whole life in Decatur. But, little did I know, what a special place Athens would become for me and my family over the next four years. I tell many people that I come in contact with that some of my favorite memories are in that Athens Golden Eagles stadium and playing high school football. There is something about a Friday night in Athens, Ala. that still gives me goosebumps. Those times were special. More than anything, what makes it special is the people — my teammates, my classmates, the coaches in football and basketball, teachers and the community."

Mary Fletcher Burton — Multi-sport athlete who took the road less traveled — Fletcher Burton on choosing West Georgia for multiple sports, instead of going to Tennessee women's basketball to play for Pat Summitt

"I had the opportunity to attend the University of Tennessee and play for the legendary coach Pat Summitt. I chose not to. A lot of people thought I was crazy. I had a lot of people who were disappointed by me choosing not to go. But, I chose the road less traveled, and I'm so glad I chose a different road. The road that I traveled led me to experiences that I would have never had known had I not chosen West Georgia College. That road led me to a B.S. in political science and a master's degree in public administration."

Walter Hill — East Limestone and Tennessee Tech football star — Hill on how sports have impacted his life for the better

"We moved from Starkville, Miss. It was a truly tough transition for me. I was going into my sophomore year; new school, new kid, having to make new friends. It was a huge adjustment. For me, participating in sports really made that transition go a whole lot smoother, and I was able to establish some kind of identity at East Limestone. The people that sports brought into my life is totally priceless." — Hill on his father, who impacted his life greatly

"My father, there wasn't another guy that I probably loved and respected more. He really had an impact on my life. I can still hear his words right now. I actually still speak those words to a lot of the kids I coach that 'ability is not enough.' He did not let me rely on talent alone. He continued to preach to me to continue to work."