Jimmy Smith Sr., Alexis Hall headline newest Gulfport Sports Hall of Fame Class

Scott Watkins
·2 min read

The eighth Gulfport Sports Hall of Fame class is set to be inducted this summer and the list of names features coaches and athletes who left their marks on their schools and communities.

The Class of 2023 will have 12 members, 10 of which are going in as athletes and two as coaches, from four different schools.

Among the names on the list is Jimmy Smith Sr., a former football player at the old 33rd Avenue High School. Smith went on to play for Jackson State and briefly for the Cincinnati Bengals under legendary football coach Paul Brown.

Smith’s son, Jimmy Smith Jr., grew up in Jackson and became the most successful wide receiver in Jacksonville Jaguars history. Smith Jr. is also the owner of two Super Bowl rings from his time with the Dallas Cowboys.

Along with Smith Sr., Richard Dimas will also be representing the old 33rd Ave. School in this year’s class. Dimas was a championship-winning basketball coach for the Trojans.

Tim McCabe and Robert Hicks are also representing old high schools, as both will enter the Hall of Fame as former football stars at Gulfport East.

Among the names representing the two public schools today are Alexis Hall from Harrison Central, who became a 1,000-point scorer for Southern Miss women’s basketball, and Erich Grabowski from Gulfport, who brought the Admirals a state title in tennis as a coach in 1996.

Dimas, Smith Sr. and 10 others from Gulfport High, Gulfport East and Harrison Central will be officially inducted on June 10.

Here’s the full list of members:

Coaches:

  • Richard Demas (Morehouse College) Championship Basketball coach at 33rd Avenue HS

  • Erich Grabowski (Mississippi St.) Championship Tennis coach at Gulfport High

Athletes:

  • Jim Carr (Gulfport High/Millsaps College) Mens’ Basketball

  • Warren Conway (Gulfport High/Mississippi College) Football

  • Michael DeGruy (Harrison Central/Henderson St.) Mens’ Basketball

  • Anthony Griffin (Gulfport High/Rice) Football

  • Rico Griffin (Gulfport High/Southern-BR) Track & Field

  • Alexis Hall (Harrison Central/Southern Miss) Women’s’ Basketball

  • Robert Hicks (Gulfport East/SE Louisiana) Football

  • Tim McCabe (Gulfport East/Nicholls St.) Football

  • Paul Meyerchick (Gulfport High/Mississippi College) Football

  • Jimmy Smith Sr. (33rd Avenue/Jackson St.) Football

The letterman jacket of 33rd Ave. School alumnus Jimmie Woullard hangs in the East Biloxi Library on Saturday, July 31, 2021. Photos and objects from the 33rd Ave. School are being collected at the library for an exhibit.
The letterman jacket of 33rd Ave. School alumnus Jimmie Woullard hangs in the East Biloxi Library on Saturday, July 31, 2021. Photos and objects from the 33rd Ave. School are being collected at the library for an exhibit.