NATCHITOCHES—During Thursday afternoon’s introductory press conference for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024, presented by La Capitol Federal Credit Union, a few sentiments were thrown about—gratitude and relationships.
Memories and stories were shared by all nine of the inductees, or members speaking on their behalf, as they come back to the state where they made a huge mark built a legacy that led them to this point.
Relationships have always been a major theme during every induction, so it makes sense that Glenn Guilbeau and Herb Vincent were two of the first ones to lead the press conference off.
“I am real proud of my friendship with Herb,” Guilbeau said. “We’ve been able to get along, dating back to when we were both at LSU at the same time.
“It was great to follow Herb’s career from the New Orleans Breakers to the SEC. He’s been a great friend to have.”
Guilbeau, a two-time Louisiana Sportswriter of the Year, earned the distinguished service award in sports journalism.
The two were even able to crack a joke at the other’s expense.
LSHOF Foundation President & CEO Ronnie Rantz told a story about Guilbeau, who was working at the Alexandria Daily Town Talk at the time, in the early 1990’s.
Rantz was pitching well and Vincent called him to tell Guilbeau that Rantz had a no-hitter going. Guilbeau called the paper and told them about it before he was called by Vincent moments later that while Rantz had a good outing going, it was not a no-hitter.
“Glen hung up the phone before we can tell him it was a joke,” Vincent said. “We tried to figure out how to call him back to tell him to stop and wondered how long do we let this go? Finally, we called him back and said no.
“But that was when we realized Glen would believe anything if he thought Ronnie was throwing a no-hitter at an LSU baseball game.”
Vincent, the associate commissioner of the SEC, was given the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award, also reflected on his time working with Guilbeau—when he was not pranking him—as well as other legends in his business.
“It was a great experience working with Glen,” Vincent said. “We had a blast. Between Glen, Scott Ferrell and Paul Manasseh. I had a lot of great people I worked for and with. When I was at the SEC for the first time, I saw what Bud Ford did at Tennessee and what Claude Felton did at Georgia and Norm Carlson did at Florida. These are legends in the business of sports communications and to see what they did and then when I went back to LSU, take what they did well and take it and apply it to my job at LSU.”
While those two had a relationship in the workplace, many other inductees didn’t have to look far for their big relationships.
In 1990, Rags Scheurmann was inducted into the LSHOF.
After 34 years, Rags was joined by his son—Joe Scheurmann—who earned his spot this season.
The younger Scheurmann has won 1,207 games as the Delgado CC baseball coach and has lead them to five JUCO World Series appearances.
“It is special being a father-son duo in the LSHOF,” he said. “You grow up and you have idols, my dad was my idol. I just wish he was here. You follow somebody and you try to emulate him. I remember sitting on his lap in the dugout. The fact that we’re in it together is special.”
Three more inductees—Dale Weiner, George “Bobby” Soileau and Ed Daniels—were all represented by family members.
Like Scheurmann, Dale Weiner also coached his way into the Hall of Fame.
Weiner turned around Baton Rouge-Catholic High, leading the Bears to a 317-109 mark and 2016 state championship.
“It means a lot to my dad,” Dale’s son Neil Weiner said. “I think everybody who is being honored this weekend is here because they never made it about themselves and lifted other people up. It is great now after a career is over to finally get that recognition and be proud of himself. As a family, we are so honored. Our dad is our hero.”
Soileau, who was represented by his son Robert, was a four-time state boxing champion at Sacred Heart High School before becoming the 1956 NCAA 125-pound champion for LSU.
While Soileau himself made a name for himself as a boxer, he could also teach his son how to punch as well from a young age.
“We boxed almost every day from the time I was five or six years old,” Robert said. “In the living room, he’d get on his knees and he’d make me put on one of the gold jerseys that is actually on the second floor of the museum and we’d put the gloves on and we’d spar in the living room. He had fun with it. We enjoyed the bonding through boxing.”
To begin the interviews, the late Ed Daniels was represented by his wife Robin and daughter Erin, who was wearing a jersey of LSU 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels.
“Ed would be so humbled by all this,” Robin said. “I know he is looking down at us now. His family is so proud of him and all of his accomplishments and we’re all thankful and grateful for all these accolades and all his contributions are recognized.”
Ed was a five-time Louisiana Sportscaster of the Year, as well as the Sport Director of WGNO-TV in New Orleans for 33 years.
“This is the culmination of his life’s work,” Erin said. “I know that he’d be really proud. He always said that the work day is not done until you’ve worked your hardest and taken the most pride in that day and the opportunities that it provided. That is why he is being inducted this weekend.”
While Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier dominate the present-day WNBA, former Louisiana Tech star Vickie Johnson walked so the current trio could run, as she was one of the players in the inaugural season in the WNBA.
“The WNBA started in 1997, and I was one of the original 32 players in the league and I was placed in New York with some amazing players. It was a journey. We didn’t make a whole lot of money, but it wasn’t about that. It was about the next generation and now you see the league’s growth with Clark and Angel Reese.”
Johnson was a two-time All-American for the Lady Techsters before playing 13 seasons in the WNBA. In her 13 seasons, she averaged 10.4 points per game and made a pair of WNBA All-Star teams.
Legendary LSU gymnast April Burkholder wasn’t worried about school in her childhood—or she was a gymnast first, to be exact.
“Freshman year was kind of rocky,” she said. “The year before my freshman year, I actually had to sit out a year to become academically eligible. I dedicated my life to gymnastics and a lot of sacrifices were made and education was one of them. I was in the gym 10 hours a day at 10 years old. You show up to sixth grade two hours late too many days in a row and they’re wondering what are you doing.”
Burkholder was a 14-time All-American gymnast from LSU and the 2006 NCAA beam champion.
She was a part of the LSU’s rise in women’s athletics, where the program’s gymnastics team, along with the women’s basketball team, LSU softball team and volleyball teams were becoming national powers.
As talented as former NBA All-Star Danny Granger was on the court, former Grace King High head coach Jeryl Fischtziur knew he was even better of a man.
“He’s the kind of young man you’d want your daughter to date,” Fischtziur said. “He had a 32 ACT and a perfect 4.0. He’s the perfect gentleman”
He wanted to be a civil engineer, but turned down Yale to turn go to end up ultimately at New Mexico and then to the NBA.
Granger made the all-star team in 2008-09, scoring a career-high 25.8 points per game. It was the first of three consecutive seasons for Granger that he recorded at least 20 points per game.
“I knew he had the ability to go to the NBA, but didn’t know if he could be an all-star,” Fischtziur said. “His work ethic was there. He was always the first one at practice and last one to leave. He was a team leader and very coachable.”
Rounding out the introductory press conference was legendary basketball coach Danny Broussard, who led St. Thomas Moore High to six state championships and is sixth in the United States in high school basketball coaching victories with 1,162.
“I based everything on fundamentals,” Broussard said. “I figured that at St. Thomas Moore, we didn’t get the greatest athletes, for us to survive, we have to be a fundamentally sound team. So I base my entire coaching philosophy on the fundamentals of basketball.”
If people missed it, they can catch the replay of the 2024 Induction Press Conference on the LSHOF YouTube Channel.
Be the first to comment