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| Inside the new Trojan Arena |
Read the story in the Saturday Dothan Eagle or on dothaneagle.com HERE.
I did some video interviews with some inductees and was certainly honored when Denise Monroe told me she followed me on twitter. I'll get the videos up either Saturday night or Sunday. I've got to turn back around and go to Troy in the morning for the 11 a.m. scrimmage (no live chat but will tweet out observations) and subsequent media day.
BY DREW CHAMPLIN | dchamplin@dothaneagle.com
TROY – Friday night was a night to honor Troy’s first athletics Hall of Fame class, but the new Trojan Arena stole the show.
It was the first time most people in attendance for the ceremony got a chance to look inside the arena, which opens for play this fall.
“I don’t think there’s a person that came in tonight that won’t be talking about this arena tomorrow,” said Troy men’s basketball coach Don Maestri, one of 11 inductees. “It’s a sign of the direction we’re trying to take in athletics and basketball. I think this is as classy of a facility as there is in the United States and especially in Alabama.”
Count women’s basketball all-time leading scorer Denise Monroe in that group who was impressed. She scored 2,024 points in her career at Troy from 1977-1981 and still plays when she gets the chance.
“My only disappointment is that I don’t have an opportunity to play in it,” Monroe said. “No eligibility left, so that really disappoints me, but I think it’s a wonderful place to play.”
Along with Maestri and Monroe, nine others were inducted. The group includes head football coach Larry Blakeney, track star Charles Oliver, administrator Ralph Adams, the school’s first football coach in Vergil Parks McKinley, national championship quarterbacks Mike Turk and Sim Byrd, national championship coach Billy Atkins, NFL all-pro DeMarcus Ware and the school’s all-time winningest baseball coach Chase Riddle.
It was the first time Blakeney had a chance to see the new arena, even though his office is just a short walk away.
“What a night,” Blakeney said. “I have not been in this building. It is awesome. I never dreamed it would be this nice as far as the facility goes.”
Blakeney credited assistant athletics director Tony Ferrante for the success of the event.
“He has worked diligently and I thought he was going to have a nervous breakdown getting ready for this,” Blakeney said. “It came out without a hitch. I’m very proud to be associated with it and honored to be in it, but I really think a lot of credit goes to the people who got it ready.”
Turk led Troy to national championships in 1984 and 1987. He is now the head coach at Huntingdon.
“This is a great event, first of all, for Troy,” Turk said. “This building and this whole Hall of Fame and the atmosphere in that room tonight was a lot of fun. I’m excited for Troy because Coach Maestri and his basketball team will be playing in there and that’s awesome. That’s a great building.
“Tonight, to me, was very humbling. I’m still not certain why I’m here, but I’m thankful that I’m here and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Byrd, who holds many Troy passing records and led the school to its first national championship in 1968, was another inductee impressed with Trojan Arena.
“I had no idea I was going to see what I saw,” Byrd said. “When I walked in and saw this, I had chill bumps. To be part of the first class of the Hall of Fame is overwhelming. I’m honored to be part of it and proud to be part of this University.
Oliver, who won the NAIA 400-meter national championship at Troy in 1976 before being a coach and administrator at Tennessee, spoke about how he made his first and only official recruiting visit to Troy, knowing right away it was the place for him to attend school.
“I came down and Troy took me into the community,” Oliver said. “I’m just so pleased to be able to be here and be a part of it. This was a tremendous night.”
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