The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame is set to induct its 2021 class on Saturday.
The induction will air as a two-hour special event statewide at 7 p.m. CT, honoring the best of Tennessee sports, along with Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant and the Seattle Storm’s Alysha Clark as Tennessean of the year and male and female pro athletes of the year, respectively.
Here’s what to know about the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame’s 2021 class and its 11 new inductees:
Mike Keith
Position: Voice of the Tennessee Titans (1999-present)
Why he’s being inducted: Keith is an award-winning broadcaster, growing up in Franklin, Tennessee, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee. He has worked in Tennessee his whole career, including with Vol Radio Network, WIVK-FM in Knoxville and WBIR-TV in Knoxville before taking over as the “The Voice of the Titans.”
What he accomplished: Keith was named Tennessee Sportscaster of the Year 11 times, along with winning more than 20 Associated Press state awards. He has captured two national honors, including the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for nationwide excellence in sports reporting.
Bill Bates
Position: Safety, University of Tennessee (1979-82)
Why he’s being inducted: Bates was a four-year starter at Tennessee, registering 255 tackles throughout his career. He was named All-SEC his final two seasons, with seven interceptions in that time.
What he accomplished: The Knoxville native signed with the Dallas Cowboys after leaving Tennessee and won three Super Bowls in his 15-year career in the NFL. He finished his career with 676 tackles and 14 interceptions.
Cathy Bender
Position: Guard, Vanderbilt women’s basketball (1978-82)
Why she’s being inducted: Bender broke barriers, becoming the second woman and first Black woman to receive a full athletic scholarship at Vandy. She was a leader for the Commodores in her four-year career, helping Vanderbilt eclipse the 20-win mark for the first time in program history.
What she accomplished: Though some of Bender’s records, such as her all-time assists record, were eclipsed, her single-season mark of 262 assists still stands. She also became the first player in program history to have 14 assists in a game, a feat she accomplished three times.
Mike Caldwell
Position: Linebacker, Middle Tennessee State University (1989-92)
Why he’s being inducted: Caldwell made his name as a force at Middle Tennessee State, a linebacker in the NFL and now an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Oak Ridge alumnus was an All-Ohio Valley Conference and third-team All-American as a senior at MTSU, notching 248 tackles and forcing 11 fumbles in his career.
What he accomplished: Caldwell was drafted in the third round by the Cleveland Browns, and played for six teams in his 11 seasons in the NFL. He became an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2007, leaving for Arizona in 2013 before joining the Bucs as linebackers coach in 2019 and helping them win their first Super Bowl since 2003.
Cindy Parlow Cone
Position: President of U.S. Soccer (2020-present)
Why she’s being inducted: The Memphis native was Tennessee High School Player of the Year in 1994, when she led Germantown High School to a state championship during her All-American senior season. Cone was one of the founding players in the Women’s United Soccer Federation, the first professional women’s soccer league in the U.S., and was named the first woman president of U.S. Soccer in March 2020.
What she accomplished: Cone has a long-list of accomplishments, winning a championship in almost every league she has been associated with. She claimed a high school state title and two college national championships during her time with North Carolina, along with college national player of the year honors in 1997 and 1998.
She was named to the U.S. Women’s National team, winning two Olympic gold medals. She claimed a title as a coach in the National Women’s Soccer League’s inaugural 2013 season.
Todd Helton
Position: First base/right-handed pitcher, University of Tennessee
Why he’s being inducted: One of Tennessee’s greatest athletes of all-time, Helton did it all for the Volunteers. The 1995 National Player of the Year still holds UT career records in six categories, including home runs, RBIs and saves. Helton even played football for the Volunteers, starting at quarterback for three weeks before injuring his knee, opening the door for freshman Peyton Manning.
Tennessee notched its most wins ever behind Helton in 1995, advancing to the College World Series before falling to eventual champion Cal State Fullerton in the semifinals. The Knoxville Central High graduate was a five-time All-Star, three-time Golden Glover and four-time Silver Slugger in the MLB, and his No. 17 was retired in 2014 by the Colorado Rockies.
What he accomplished: Helton was named SEC Male Athlete of the Year and National Player of the Year in 1995. He still holds the UT single-season records for RBIs (92) and saves (12), both accomplished in 1995. His No. 3 was retired by Tennessee in 2008.
Mary Lou Johns
Position: Head coach, University of Memphis (1972-91)
Why she’s being inducted: Johns is the winningest coach in Memphis women’s basketball history, posting a 368-215 record in her 19 seasons as coach. Johns was a 1964 graduate of then-Memphis State University, before becoming coach of the Tigers in 1972.
What she accomplished: Along with being the winningest coach in Memphis women’s basketball history, Johns is the fifth winningest coach in the state of Tennessee women’s basketball history.
Reggie Johnson
Position: Forward, University of Tennessee (1976-1980)
Why he’s being inducted: Johnson dominated on the court during his time as a Volunteer, earning first-team All-America honors twice and first-team All-SEC honors three times. He left UT ranked second on Tennessee’s all-time scoring list with 2,103 career points, and currently ranks fifth on that list.
What he accomplished: Johnson followed up his four-year stretch with Tennessee with a four-year career in the NBA, including being drafted 15th overall by the San Antonio Spurs. He played for five franchises and won the 1983 NBA championship as a member of the 76ers.
David Poile
Position: General manager, Nashville Predators
Why he’s being inducted: Poile, already a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, is the winningest GM in NHL history. His 36 years serving as a hockey general manager — 15 with the Washington Capitals and 21 with the Predators — makes him the longest-tenured GM in NHL history.
What he accomplished: Poile is the only general manager to have successfully led two clubs for 1,000 games and 500 wins. He is the second member of the Predators organization to be inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, joining broadcaster Terry Crisp, who was inducted in 2020.
Brandon Rowland
Position: Wheelchair Basketball Champion
Why he’s being inducted: Rowland was born with a condition called disseminated intravascular coagulation, forcing both his legs to be amputated when he was 6 years old. The Jackson, Tennessee, native and UT Martin graduate continued playing sports, becoming one of the top wheelchair basketball players in the country.
What he accomplished: Rowland joined the Jackson Generals, a wheelchair basketball team, during his senior year of high school, leading the team to two National Wheelchair Basketball Association titles. He was named tournament MVP in 2002, averaging a triple-double on the season for the Generals.
Tommy Woods
Position: Forward, East Tennessee State University (1963-67)
Why he’s being inducted: Woods was the first Black basketball player at East Tennessee State, and the first Black player at a non-Black Tennessee public institution. Woods was force on the boards at ETSU, still holding three program records for total rebounds (1,034), rebounds per game average (10.2) and single-game rebounds (38).
What he accomplished: Following his career with the Buccaneers, Woods had an injury-riddled career with the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels, lasting one season. He entered a life of public service after his career as a probation officer for troubled youth for over 30 years. He currently serves as a special assistant to the mayor of Louisville.
How to watch
The special will be broadcast in these markets on these stations:
Nashville — NewsChannel5+, Comcast Xfinity channel 250, Charter Spectrum channel 182, Digital Channel 5.2, Aug. 29, 7 p.m.
Knoxville — MyVLT, Aug. 29, 7 p.m. (ET)
Jackson — EPlusTV6, Aug. 29, 7 p.m.
Johnson City — WJHL CBS 11, Aug. 29, noon (ET)
Chattanooga — WDEF News 12, Aug. 30, noon (ET)
Memphis — WLMT CW30, Aug. 30, 4 p.m.
The event also will be streamed online on the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame website, @TheTSHF on Twitter and @TNSportsHallofFame on Facebook.
Victor Prieto is a sports reporting intern at the Tennessean. Contact him at vprieto@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @victorprieto_11.
