Feb. 7, 2002

Former Wake Forest golf All-American Joe Inman and former Deacon football standouts Tony Mayberry and Ricky Proehl will be inducted into the Wake Forest University Sports Hall of Fame on Friday.

All three former student-athletes enjoyed outstanding college careers at Wake Forest before going on to achieve greatness on the professional level.

The inductees will be honored at a banquet Friday night at Bridger Field House. They will also be recognized at halftime of Saturday's basketball game between the Deacons and sixth-ranked Cincinnati at Lawrence Joel Coliseum.

"Joe, Tony and Ricky were not only outstanding student-athletes at Wake Forest but all three went on to enjoy remarkable professional careers," athletic director Ron Wellman said. "We are excited about inducting these three very deserving candidates."

The Wake Forest University Sports Hall of Fame was established in 1970. The inaugural inductees included Murray Greason, Brian Piccolo, Peahead Walker and Jim Weaver. Inman, Mayberry and Proehl are the 86th, 87th and 88th inductees. Eligibility for the Hall of Fame is defined by 10 criteria, which include being out of school for 10 years (or deceased); receiving national recognition as an athlete, coach or administrator; being of good character and reputation; and having no stronger connection with another university.

Inman directed Wake Forest men's golf from 1966 to 1969. During his collegiate career he compiled quite a resume. Inman was a three-time All-American, earning first team honors in 1969. He proceeded to capture the North/South Amateur title in 1969, was the 1968 Carolinas Open champion and led Wake Forest to three ACC titles from 1967-69. He placed third at the 1968 NCAA Championships and won the prestigious Arnold Palmer Award in 1969 for his contributions to the program.

After graduation, Inman continued his success on the PGA Tour from 1974-86. Ranking consistently in the top 60 throughout his PGA career, Inman captured his one PGA victory at the 1976 Kemper Open. He collected three second place finishes during his PGA career, at the 1974 Tallahassee Open, the 1977 Florida Citrus Open and the 1979 Atlantic Classic. He ranks 300th all-time on the PGA money list.

Inman enjoyed a long and successful career on the PGA Tour before joining the Senior Tour in 1998. Inman dazzled the tour after winning his first senior event, the Pacific Bell Classic, and hence was named the 1998 Senior PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.

In 1999, he earned his second Senior Tour victory at the 1999 Pacific Bell Classic. Inman compiled a second place finish at the Cadillac NFL Classic and a third place finish at the U.S. Senior Open, as well as six other top 10 finishes in 1999, earning him an 11th spot on the money list. In 2000, Inman captured his third Senior Tour title, the SBC Senior Classic, and tallied 10 other top 10 finishes, concluding the season 16th on the money list, pocketing nearly $1 million.

Proehl re-wrote the Wake Forest record books for receiving in the late 1980s and it may be some time before anyone approaches those marks.

Proehl, who lettered at WFU from 1986-89, owns Demon Deacon career records for receiving yards (2,949), receiving touchdowns (25) and single-season receiving yards (1,053 in 1989). All totaled, Proehl caught 188 passes for an average of 15.7 yards per reception. He led the Deacons in receptions three consecutive seasons and earned All-ACC honors in 1989.

The 1989 team MVP, Proehl played on two Deacon teams that posted winning records. After his senior season, he participated in the Blue-Gray All-Star Classic and went on to be a third-round NFL Draft selection by the Arizona Cardinals.

Proehl played with the Cardinals until 1994 before going on to play with the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears. In 1998, he caught on with the Los Angeles Rams and continues to play with the former Super Bowl Champions. Proehl is a standout in the Rams' high-powered offense and he was a key performer in Super Bowl XXXIV. In his 12th NFL season, Proehl has more than 40 career TD receptions and more than 7,000 receiving yards.

Mayberry is one of the premier offensive linemen in the history of Wake Forest football. The three-year letterwinner (1987-89) anchored the Deacon offensive line in the late 1980s, helping the Deacons to a pair of consecutive winning seasons under coach Bill Dooley.

Mayberry was instrumental in helping make the 1987 and 1988 teams two of the most explosive offensive teams in Wake Forest history. Those two teams combined to go 13-8-1 and they scored at least 28 points seven times.

A first team All-ACC selection in 1989, Mayberry also earned Academic All-ACC honors and he participated in the 1989 Blue-Gray Classic along with teammate and fellow WFU Hall of Fame inductee Ricky Proehl. Proehl also earned the Bill George Award in 1989 as Wake's top lineman.

Mayberry was a fourth-round NFL Draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played with the Bucs from 1990-99 and earned Pro Bowl honors three times (1998, 1999 and 2000).