Joseph M. Bryan, Sr

(1896-1995)

Joseph M. Bryan, a well-known Greensboro businessman and philanthropist, was a sports enthusiast and particularly skilled as a fisherman and a target shooter. Bryan supported a wide range of sporting venues in Greensboro and was particularly known for his love of golf. He was an early member of the Augusta National Golf Club. The Greensboro Jaycees approached Bryan in 1937 to assist in guaranteeing the purse of the first Greater Greensboro Open PGA Tournament, which took place in 1938. Bryan later became Honorary General Chairman for the golf tournament, now known as the Wyndham Championship. In 1971, the City of Greensboro named Bryan Park, a new municipal golf complex, in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Bryan. Bryan was instrumental in adding the Bryan Park Soccer Complex to the facility which is regarded as one of the finest in the country. Fishing and shooting were also among Bryan’s favorite pastimes. Bryan particularly liked to salmon fish in Canada and was an award-winning marlin fisherman. Whether in the United States or in Europe, he could be found among the world’s elite shooters.

Bobby T. “bob” Doss

(1939-2008)

A dedicated supporter of youth baseball, Bob Doss was the founder and long-time leader of Palomino Youth Baseball, which provided a new opportunity for players who had aged out of Colt League. One Greensboro team, the American Postal Workers Union, won the Palomino World Series in 1994. Doss was committed to bringing high level baseball to Greensboro and his July 4th Tournament that he hosted for Pony Baseball annually had as many as 64 teams. Doss sponsored numerous baseball tournaments on the youth and high school levels and helped bring the Palomino World Series to Greensboro for a number of years. Doss was responsible for taking his teams to England, Canada, St. Thomas, and Hawaii and was a tireless fundraiser to make those trips possible through raffles and other fundraisers. Doss served proudly in the United States Marine Corps.

william J. “bill” white

(Unknown-1980)

A pioneer in youth baseball in Greensboro, Bill White began the city’s Bronco League, Pony League and Colt League programs. White came to Greensboro in 1952 as the Athletic Director for the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department where he served in that capacity until 1957. White served as the manager of the Colt League program from 1965-1980 and coached its all-star teams for 16 years. In 1965, his Greensboro team won the Colt League World Series. White also coached basketball at the Elks Club and YMCA and was a widely-respected high school football, baseball, and basketball official as well as a booking agent for basketball. White’s determination to provide better baseball facilities led to the construction of the baseball park in Jaycee Park which was named “Stoner-White Stadium” after Bill Stoner and Bill White.

don corbett

(1943-2018)

Don Corbett coached men’s basketball at North Carolina A&T State for 14 seasons, from 1979-80 to 1992-93, and compiled a record of 254-145. Corbett is second on the list of all-time wins at A&T, trailing only Cal Irvin. Corbett’s Aggies won 20 or more games six times, peaking at 26-3 in 1987-88. His teams won seven straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament championships, from 1982-88. The Aggies finished first in the regular season seven times and five times won both the regular season and tournament titles. North Carolina A&T, under the direction of Coach Corbett, shares the NCAA record with the University of Kentucky for consecutive conference tournament championships at seven.

jeff davis

An outstanding football player at Dudley High School, Jeff Davis went on to star as a linebacker at Clemson, where he was named All-American and was the captain of the 1981 national championship team. In his four years at Clemson from 1978 to 1981, he started 35 of 40 games recording 469 tackles, four sacks, and four interceptions. Davis was ACC Player of the Year in 1981. A 5th round selection in the draft, Davis played six seasons with the Tampa Bay Bucs in the NFL. Davis led the Bucs in tackles for three years. Davis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007. Recognized nationally for his off-the-field work with young people, Davis is now Clemson’s Assistant Athletic Director for Player Relations and External Affairs.

otis foster, jr.

A High Point native, Otis Foster, Jr. was a baseball standout at High Point Central High School and High Point College. Foster had an outstanding four-year career for the Panthers and still holds school records with 60 career home runs, 166 RBIs and a .837 slugging percentage. His .380 career batting average ranks second. No Panther has come close to Foster’s 30 home runs he hit during the 1975 season. In 1975, Foster became the first, and only, Panther to be drafted in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Boston Red Sox. Foster played in the Red Sox organization for five years getting as close to the majors as two stints in Triple-A before returning to High Point. Foster continues to support youth baseball in the High Point area as a volunteer in many areas.

sharron frahm

(1949-2014)

Since moving to Greensboro in the early 1980s, Sharron Frahm has immersed herself in the city’s tennis community as a competitor and administrator. A former president of the Greensboro Tennis Association, Frahm oversaw the development of many GTA programs and events, helped expand new divisions in the city tennis tournament and conducted Special Olympics clinics. As a competitor, Frahm has won nineteen North Carolina Age-Group Tennis Titles and eighteen Greensboro City Titles. Frahm was inducted in the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007.

donald moore

Under the leadership of President and General Manager Donald Moore, the Greensboro Grasshoppers have become one of the most successful franchises in minor-league baseball. Moore and his staff have won numerous awards since the team relocated to NewBridge Bank Park in 2005 including being named the South Atlantic League’s General Manager of the Year in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. Baseball America honored Moore and the Grasshoppers with the prestigious Bob Freitas Award for the Single-A level in 2008. Moore has received several civic awards, including Father of the Year and the Unsung Community Hero Award. In 2006, two days after Eastern Guilford High School was destroyed by fire, the Grasshoppers donated $100,000 to the school. Moore chaired the Little Four Invitational from 1999-2003, and made it the largest, most successful high school basketball tournament in North Carolina. Moore played three sports at Page and graduated from North Carolina State.

stuart maynard

(1919-2013)

Stuart Maynard played and was captain of the baseball and football teams at Guilford College, and was named the 1942 Best Senior Athlete. After a stint in the Navy, Maynard began his coaching career at Williamston where he won the state football title in 1950. Stuart Maynard returned to Guilford College in 1952 where he served in numerous capacities including Athletic Director (1952-56), Head Football Coach (1952-56), Director of Physical Education (1952-73) and most notably Head Baseball Coach (1952-84) where he received the nickname “Rock.” During his career, Maynard became the winningest Quaker baseball coach with a record of 436-394-4 and was named the 1966 NAIA Coach of the Year when the Quakers won 25 games and a berth in the NAIA World Series. Returning to the NAIA World Series in 1976, Maynard was selected the Professional Baseball Scouting Association’s Coach of the Year. Maynard won the Carolinas Conference Coach of the Year and four District 26 Coach of the Year honors. In 2010, Guilford dedicated the Maynard Batting Center and installed “Rock’s Rock” to honor the coaching great.

benny phillips

(1936-2012)

Benny Phillips is best-known as a journalist for his work covering NASCAR, winning a host of awards, including National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year seven times. Phillips wrote a monthly racing magazine column for 27 years and was an on-camera commentator for 12 years. In 1986, Phillips was awarded the Buddy Shuman Memorial Award for outstanding contributions and loyalty to NASCAR. Phillips also received the Henry T. McLemore Motor Sports Press Award for excellence in journalism. Phillips, a graduate of High Point College, worked 48 years for the High Point Enterprise, including 32 as Sports Editor. Phillips worked for ESPN and TBS for over 12 years. Phillips has written four books, including the Dale Earnhardt biography “Determined”.

c.k siler

(1929-2021)

C.K. Siler is a native of Siler City and an Elon College graduate where he played football and baseball, earning All-State and All-Conference recognition in baseball. In his 36-year career at Sumner and Southern Guilford high schools, Siler coached football, baseball, men’s and women’s basketball and was Athletic Director. In 26 years as Head Football Coach, Siler compiled a record of 178-84-11 while winning twelve Conference Championships. The football field at Southern Guilford is named in his honor. Siler is a member of the Elon Sports Hall of Fame, a Veteran of the Korean War and was awarded two Purple Hearts.

irwin smallwood

Irwin Smallwood spent nearly a half a century as a writer and editor for the Greensboro News & Record, working in both the sports and news departments. Smallwood held the titles of Managing Editor and Executive Sports Editor along the way. His passion was golf writing, however, and for three consecutive years in the 1960s Smallwood won first place in the news division of the national golf writing competition. Smallwood also won numerous writing awards on the state and regional levels. Smallwood chaired the Greater Greensboro Open’s 50th anniversary celebration in 1988, and in 1999 Smallwood was named Honorary Chairman of the tournament. The media center for the Wyndham Championship was named in honor of Smallwood. Smallwood is a member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame.

fred whitfield

A Greensboro native, Fred Whitfield’s athletic career began at Southeast Guilford where he was an All-Greensboro/Guilford County selection in basketball. Whitfield then attended Campbell University, where Whitfield won MVP and All-South honors as a player and while working on his MBA served as an assistant coach with the Camels. Whitfield continued his education at North Carolina Central, earning a law degree. As an agent and marketing executive, Whitfield has worked with some of the biggest names in sports during his tenure with Falk Associates Management Enterprises and Nike Basketball, including Michael Jordan. But his passion for the game of basketball and commitment to his hometown never wavered, inspiring him to create the annual Achievements Unlimited Basketball School as a way to give back to the community by using the game to teach children the importance of education and a life free from drug and alcohol abuse. Whitfield is now the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Charlotte Hornets.