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CU Athletic Hall Of Fame To Induct Nine In 2021 Class

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2021 CU Athletic Hall Of Fame


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BOULDER — The 16th class to be inducted into the University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame this November will feature nine Golden Buffalo legends representing eight different sports, one who lettered in four of those along with a national championship coach, and all who have their special place in history created during their careers in a group that collectively covers over a century of CU athletics.

The nine, including one who will be honored posthumously, cover a period starting in the 1910s through this past winter, representing eight different decades in all. Two in the group won NCAA individual titles, while a recently retired head coach led the Buffaloes to eight national crowns. One was an Olympian; two others on U.S national teams; one was at one time the school's all-time leading scorer in basketball but had his career end sadly with a broken leg; and three football players who all played key roles at various stages or in memorable games for the Buffaloes, one of whom crossed the goal line six times in a certain victory over a rival draped in red.

Athletic director Rick George, as always, personally notified the living members of the upcoming class of their impending induction, as well as the next of kin for Lee Willard, arguably CU's first star athlete. And that could be an understatement: he earned 16 letters in four sports – football, basketball, baseball and track – graduating from the school almost 100 years ago in 1922. Predating state legends like Dutch Clark (Colorado College) and Jack Dempsey (boxing, both late 1920s), as well as Kayo Lam and Byron White (both CU, mid-1930s), Willard may very well have been the state's finest all-around athlete in the first half century after Colorado was granted statehood in 1876 (Clark, Dempsey and White, co-incidentally, comprised the inaugural class of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1965).

The 2021 class will be the 16th inducted into the Hall since it was conceived in 1998, and the nine will join 122 individuals (and the 1959 ski team as a unit) who have been enshrined to date (17 have been honored previously after their deaths).

The group will officially be inducted in the Hall of Fame over the course of Nov. 4-6 (final details pending); they will also be featured in the Pearl Street Stampede parade on Friday night and will be introduced at halftime of the CU-Oregon State football game on Saturday, Nov. 6, the centerpiece of Homecoming, to complete the weekend.

Those to be inducted are (click on each name for the complete bio):
Donnie Boyce, Basketball (1991-95)
Chris Brown, Football (2001-02)
Nikki Marshall, Soccer (2006-09)
Chris Naeole, Football (1992-96)
Mickey Pruitt, Football (1984-87)
Dathan Ritzenhein, Cross Country & Track (2001-04)
Richard Rokos, Ski Coach (1987-2021)
Jack Ryan, Gymnastics (1966-68)
Lee Willard, Football, Basketball, Baseball & Track (1918-22)
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Congrats to the 9 #ForeverBuffs for the WELL-EARNED honors!

Tweets with more on each. (I will need to post them over 2 posts due to Allbuffs system limitations.)









 
Lots of talented Buffs right there loved Naeole and loved Chris Brown, I think he just scored again on the Huskers
 
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