Jan. 13, 2003
Elmer Barbour, Dickie Davis and Vic Sorrell, three former Wake Forest University standouts, will be inducted into the WFU Sports Hall of Fame Jan. 25.
The inductees will be honored at the Hall of Fame Banquet Jan. 25 at Forsyth Country Club. The trio will also be recognized at halftime of the Jan. 26 basketball game with Florida State.
Barbour is a two-time All-Southern Conference selection in football in 1943 and 1944. A blocking back, Barbour lettered at Wake Forest from 1941-44, serving as co-captain in 1943 and captain in 1944. He won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as a junior in 1943 and led the Deacons to an 8-1 record as a senior in 1944. Barbour, who was selected in the first round of the 1945 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, went on to serve as a highly successful football and track coach on the high school level. He also served as an assistant coach at Wake Forest from 1956-60.
Davis was a standout on both offense and defense for Wake Forest football teams from 1949-51. He was chosen All-Southern Conference as a quarterback in 1950, and was named all-conference as a safety in 1951, earning the rare honor of being named all-league on both sides of the ball. Davis led WFU to the mythical ˇ§Big Fourˇ¨ title in 1950 and 1951 and he helped lead the Deacons to four consecutive victories over Duke and coach Wallace Wade. In 1952 and 1953, Davis worked as WFUˇ¦s freshman coach and scout.
Sorrell is one of the greatest pitchers in Wake Forest baseball history. He hurled the Deacons to three consecutive state championships from 1924-26. He went on to play 10 seasons for the Detroit Tigers and played on two American League championship teams. Sorrell, who was named to the 1928 American League All-Rookie Team, went on to serve as the head coach at NC State for 21 years, compiling a record of 223-195.
Barbour, Davis and Sorrell are the 91st, 92nd and 93rd inductees into the Hall of Fame, which was established in 1970. Sorrell and Barbour are deceased.
The Hall of Fame Committee meets annually to determine worthy candidates for induction.
