March 25, 2004

NEW ORLEANS, La. - 2004 is proving to be a banner year for a trio of former Green Wave football greats as Tony Sardisco and Eddie Khayat, who played together at Tulane in 1955, and former Tulane coach Vince Gibson will be inducted into the Halls of Fame of their home states this summer.

Sardisco, a four-year letterwinner at guard for Tulane from 1952-55, will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in June while Khayat, a two-year letterwinner for the Wave in 1955-56, was chosen for induction in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Gibson, who coached the Green Wave from 1980-82, was elected to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in the old-timers category.

A native of Shreveport, Sardisco was the first Tulane guard ever to make a major All-America team when he earned that honor in 1955 while also serving as the Wave's team captain as a senior. Sardisco, who also played linebacker for Tulane, was chosen to play in the Blue-Gray, Senior Bowl and College All-Star game in Chicago and was named outstanding lineman in the Blue-Gray contest after making 14 unassisted tackles. He earned All-AFL honors with the then-Boston Patriots in 1961 and served as that team's first captain.

Khayat came to Tulane from Moss Point, Miss. after two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College and lettered in both football and baseball for the Green Wave. He played right end for two Tulane football teams and was named to the university's All-Century team in 1993. Khayat went on to enjoy a 10-year playing career in professional football, spending six seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and three with the Washington Redskins. His 1960 Eagles team claimed the NFL Championship. Following his playing career, Khayat began a coaching career which included a two-year stint as head coach of the Eagles and a Super Bowl appearance with the New England Patriots in 1985.

Gibson led his Tulane squads to winning records in 1980 and 1982 and his Green Wave highlights include a pair of wins over intra-state rival LSU. His 1982 squad posted one of the greatest upsets in Tulane history with a 31-28 win over the 12th-ranked Tigers in Baton Rouge. He led Tulane to an appearance in the Hall of Fame Bowl in 1980. The Birmingham, Ala. product was a head coach for 16 seasons at Kansas State, Louisville and Tulane and spent 27 years as a collegiate coach overall.

The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame will hold its induction ceremonies for Sardisco and his fellow inductees June 26 in Natchitoches, La. while the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame banquet will take place in Birmingham on May 15, 2004, honoring Gibson and other Alabama greats. The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame festivities, where Khayat will be honored, are scheduled for April 2 in Vicksburg, Miss.