LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Lexington African American Sports Hall of Fame (LAASHOF) will induct several new members this week, including eight former Kentucky Wildcats or those with close ties to the University of Kentucky.
Those associated with the University of Kentucky include Dermontti Dawson, Tayna Fogle, Jack Givens, James Lee, Marc Logan, Dirk Minniefield, S.T. Roach and John Shelby. More information about each receiver is listed below.
Dawson and Logan were letterwinners for the Kentucky football program, while Givens, Lee and Minniefield starred for the Kentucky men’s basketball program. Fogle was a member of Kentucky’s 1982 Southeastern Conference championship women’s basketball team. Shelby is the father of three Kentucky Wildcats, as his sons John Shelby III, JaVon Shelby and Jaren Shelby all played baseball for UK. Roach was a member of the British Athletics Board for many years.
Enrollees for 2022 were nominated by the public and hand-picked by the founding members of LAASHOF. Tickets to attend the event are available at officiallaashof.eventbrite.com. Those unable to attend can support the Lexington African American Sports Hall of Fame by donating at http://www.laashof.com.
Dermontti Dawson, an All-Southeastern Conference guard and one of the greatest centers in National Football League history, Dawson’s story is that of a hometown hero. He is a product of Bryan Station High School in Lexington, where he was an all-state lineman. He played fullback and center in the UK. He was a four-year letterman from 1984-87 and played on the ’84 Hall of Fame Bowl team. He was named All-SEC after his senior season and was a second-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dawson achieved national recognition during his 13-year professional career, all of which was spent with the Steelers from 1988-2000. He was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection from 1992-98. His efficiency was matched by his durability, as he played in 170 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in Steelers history. He played a total of 184 games in his career, which is the fifth most in team history.
Tayna FogleA captain on Kentucky’s 1982 SEC Championship team, Fogle had an impressive four-year career with the Kentucky women’s basketball program. She played in 30 games during the UK championship season, averaging 10.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Fogle shot 47 percent from the field that season with 55 assists and 35 steals. She played in 116 games for her career, and her senior season was the best of her career. Fogle was named the team’s MVP in 1981. She graduated from Lafayette High School in Lexington.
Jack Givens A Lexington native who graduated from Bryan Station High School, Givens had a storybook career with the Kentucky men’s basketball program. The 1978 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, Givens scored 41 points in the championship game to lead the Wildcats to the title. Givens was a three-time All-America and an inaugural member of the UK Athletics Hall of Fame. Givens played in 123 career games for UK, scoring 2,038 career points with 793 rebounds, 270 assists and a career field goal percentage of 51.5. Givens was selected 16th overall in the first round of the 1978 NBA Draft by Atlanta, playing two seasons in the NBA.
James Lee, Givens’ teammate on the 1978 national championship team, Lee had a stellar career with the Kentucky Wildcats after graduating from Henry Clay High School. An All-SEC honoree as a senior, Lee played in 31 games for the championship team, scoring 350 points with 165 rebounds and 37 assists. All in all, in his four-year career, he scored 996 points with 128 assists, 589 rebounds and shot 54 percent from the field. Lee was selected 39th overall in the second round of the 1978 NBA Draft by Seattle.
Marc LoganLogan was an electric offensive weapon for the Kentucky football program in the mid-1980s. As a sophomore in 1984, he rushed 84 times for 400 yards and three touchdowns, adding 11 catches for 122 yards. As the 1984 Hall of Fame MVP, Logan scored two touchdowns in just five plays, setting two bowl records for longest punt return (85 yards) and longest play from scrimmage (63 yards). As a junior, he rushed for 715 yards and caught 32 passes for 314 yards. In his senior season, he rushed for 546 yards and had 155 receiving yards. Overall, he totaled 2,360 yards from scrimmage with 15 touchdowns as a Wildcat. Logan was drafted in the fifth round of the 1987 NFL Draft and had a successful 10-year NFL career with Cincinnati, Miami, San Francisco and Washington.
Dirk Minniefield The 1979 Kentucky Mr. Basketball from Lafayette High School, Minniefield was a three-time All-SEC performer and the 1982 SEC Tournament MVP for Kentucky. During his four-year career, he scored 1,069 points for the Wildcats, along with 646 assists and 156 steals. He had a career field goal percentage of 52.4 in 123 career games played. Minniefield was selected 33rd overall in the 1983 NBA Draft by Dallas. He played in 222 career NBA games, averaging 5.3 points per game and 3.8 assists per game.
S.T. Roach A longtime member of the UK Athletics Board of Directors, Roach was a legendary basketball coach at Lexington Dunbar, helping to integrate the high school game in the 1950s. As a board member in 1997, Roach suggested the hiring of Orlando “Tubby” Smith, giving UK its first black basketball coach.
John ShelbyShelby is the father of John Shelby III, JaVon Shelby, and Jaren Shelby, who are believed to be the only three African-American brothers playing for UK baseball. Shelby graduated from Henry Clay High School and played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball, including World Series titles with the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers.
About UK AthleticsUK Athletics is a leader in college sport, sponsoring 23 university sports teams (12 women’s teams, 10 men’s teams plus a rifle team) and hundreds of student-athletes, who compete for championships, ensuring their education and well-being, and providing opportunities for present and the future.
About LAASHOF The Lexington African American Sports Hall of Fame, Inc. (LAASHOF, Inc., pronounced “lay-shoff”) consists of a group of like-minded people who believe that our local African-American sports heroes deserve to be commemorated in a special way. We are a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation that strives to uplift, unite and empower our community by shining a light on our sports stars of yesteryear.
