NASCAR Pioneers, Football Legends and a Basketball Star to Join the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in the Class of 2006
 PORTSMOUTH, Va. - For more than fifty years, two brothers have been among the leaders of the surge in auto racing and now Glen and Leonard Wood (photo at right) are leading the pack of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2006.
Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest continuously operating team in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup competition, with 97 series wins including 80 on super speedways. Over the years, the family team has featured many top-name drivers like A.J. Foyt, Cal Yarborough, Neil Bonnett, Kyle Petty and Ricky Rudd. The brothers are credited by many as the inventors of the modern pit stop. And over the years, the Wood Brothers Racing team has featured 17 of NASCAR’s top 50 drivers.
Joining the Wood Brothers in this year’s class are several other great names who have left their mark on the world of sports, including:
- Mark West: The 6’10” center was a three-time All-American at Old Dominion University. West played 17 seasons in the NBA and ranked second in league history in field goal percentage at .580. He is currently the Assistant General Manager of the Phoenix Suns.
- Charles Haley: The first All-American from James Madison University, Haley went on to become the only player in NFL history to play for 5 Super Bowl Champions (San Francisco in ’88 & ’89 and Dallas in ’92, ’93 & ’95). An NFC Defensive Player of the Year and 5-time Pro-Bowler, Haley still holds the current record for sacks in Super Bowl play (4.5).
- Bob Miller: Even after 50 years, Miller still holds 12 football records at Emory and Henry College, where he became Virginia’s first repeat All-American. When he graduated, he held four NCAA records including scoring (379 points) and all-purpose yards (5,851).
- Herb Scott: Considered one of the greatest offensive linemen ever to play for the Dallas Cowboys, Virginia Beach native Scott had three consecutive Pro-Bowl appearances during his ten-year professional career. He was drafted in 1975 and became part of "The Dirty Dozen," a group of 12 rookies credited with sparking the Cowboys to an improbable march to the Super Bowl.
 - Hank Norton: A Lynchburg College graduate, Norton went on to become synonymous with Ferrum College where he served as football coach and amassed 277 wins. During his tenure, Norton guided the Panthers to 29 winning seasons, including 5 unbeaten teams, coached 46 All-Americans and saw 42 of his players sign professional football contracts.
 - Calvin Moses Jacox: A native of Norfolk, Jacox served for 25 years as a columnist and later sports editor for the Journal & Guide, at one time the largest African-American newspaper south of Washington D.C. He is remembered as a crusader in the fight against discrimination, writing about and helping to foster Black sports and athletes before, during and after integration.
The Class of 2006 will be inducted during the Hall's 35th annual awards dinner in Portsmouth at the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel & Waterfront Conference Center on April 22nd , the one-year anniversary of the dedication of the new Virginia Sports Hall of Fame facility. The dinner will be part of the Hall of Fame Weekend which includes a Celebrity Reception and Golf Tournament on the 21st.
Established in 1972, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum has been proud to honor Virginia’s contributions to the world of sports as the Commonwealth’s official sports hall and museum. The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame pays tribute to those men and women who have made a lasting contribution to the cause of sports in Virginia, the nation, and the world through outstanding achievement or service. This includes athletes, coaches, administrators, and other contributors to sports.
Among other criteria, candidates for induction must have lived in Virginia for at least four years or must have achieved national or international recognition while attending a Virginia college or university.
For more information on tickets for Hall of Fame Weekend, contact the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame at (757) 393-8031.
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