Since 2017, Samford’s Athletics Department has put in place a Hall of Fame designed to honor and recognize athletes, coaches and teams for their hard work and their stature within the sports industry.
For the 2026 Hall of Fame, five teams/players were selected to be inducted and acknowledged for their success. The five inductees include a diverse number of sports and a balance between solo players and teams.
Chris Evans and Michael Pierce were both football players at Samford. Evans was a running back for Samford from 2007 to 2010 and has the most rushing yards of any collegiate player in the state of Alabama at 4,575 yards. Pierce just retired March 2025 from playing with the Baltimore Ravens. At Samford he was an All-SoCon lineman who helped lead the charge towards a conference championship.
A women’s soccer player, Jermaine Seoposenwe (2014-2017), holds most of the soccer records for Samford including goals, assists and points. She went on to be an Olympian.
The men’s golf team from 2005 and the 2011 volleyball team are also to be inducted into the hall for their accomplishments to their respective programs.
Martin Newton, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Director of Athletics, helped to put together the Hall of Fame when it was first created. This has been a part of his role at Samford since it first opened.
“We wanted to celebrate the past and all those that came before us that laid the
foundation. We have a saying in athletics to respect the past but represent the
future. The HOF allows us to do just that,” said Newton.
Newton also emphasized the incredible nature of the inductees and their impact on Samford Athletics as a whole.
“This is another incredible class of teams and individuals that represented SU during
their time at Samford and beyond,” said Newton.
One of the team members that worked with Newton on the Hall of Fame was Joey Mullins, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information.
Mullins worked to select the nomination list for the selection committee to look over, wrote all of the text for the plaques for the hall, chose photos and worked to get contact information as well as other things to the correct people.
When talking about the goals and reasoning behind the Hall of Fame, Mullins spoke often of excellence and the pride it brings to Samford and its culture.
“Every year it’s [the goal] to select the people most deserving. When we started in 2017 it was… a way to celebrate our past and to honor people that have done special things at Samford,” said Mullins.
The Samford Athletics Hall of Fame is a symbol of the great history and pride that Samford takes in excellence and community.
The induction ceremony is to take place on April 25, 2026.
Anyone can view the Hall of Fame in the Pete Hanna Center outside of the ticket window.
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