Football greats William Perry, Deacon Jones, Sterling Sharpe and Freddie Solomon are the 2014 honorees, which represent the Hall’s second year's class induction. Family and friends of the late Solomon and Jones will be attending. Perry, who was an All-American at Clemson before playing for the Chicago Bears, will be attending as well.
The 2014 Class will be welcomed into the Hall of Fame by members of the 2013 Class, which includes Sam Wyche, Danny Ford, Willie Jeffries, and George Rogers.
Tickets are available by emailing Paula Haney.
The ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 29 at 6 p.m. at The Cliffs Valley Clubhouse, 250 Knightsridge Road, Travelers Rest.
About the honorees:
William Perry, a native of Aiken, played college football at Clemson where he garnered the nickname, “The Refrigerator.” A member of the 1981 national championship team, Perry earned All-American honors as a Tiger and was The Chicago Bears’ first round choice in the 1985 NFL Draft. He played 10 years in the NFL as a defensive lineman, and gained fame by scoring a rushing touchdown in Super Bowl XX.
Deacon Jones played at South Carolina State, and was picked in the 14th round of the 1961 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website, the Rams were scouting running backs when then they noticed the 6-4, 272-pound tackle was faster than them. He quickly became a star with the Rams playing 14 years in the NFL, earning eight Pro Bowl berths and was twice the league’s defensive player of the year. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.
• Freddie Solomon grew up in Sumter where he first played for the all-black Lincoln High School. When integration occurred in 1970, Solomon went to Sumter High School and became the quarterback leading the team to a state championship. Solomon played four years at the University of Tampa. He was chosen in the second round of the 1975 draft and played 11 years in the NFL winning two Super Bowls with San Francisco as a wide receiver.
• Sterling Sharpe is University of South Carolina’s all-time pass receiving leader with 169 career catches for 2,497 yards and 17 touchdowns and was a two-time All-American. He was selected in the first round of the 1988 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He played in five Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro three times in seven seasons with the Packers before a neck injury ended his career.