Jesse morgan “Rube” eldridge

(1888-1968)

Left-hander Rube Eldridge, known as “The Duke of Spero” began his amazing 25- year baseball career in 1909 with the Greensboro Patriots. During this span, Rube played 14 years in Guilford County in both Greensboro and High Point. Eldridge’s finest year came in 1922 when he went 26-9 for High Point. Eldridge returned to Greensboro in 1933 and went 4-0 with the Patriots and won the last of his 285 wins in Greensboro on September 8, 1934. In 25 years in the minor leagues, Eldridge had a record of 285 -218, pitched 4,490 innings and won 20 or more games in seven different seasons.

hunter h. galloway, Jr.

(1919-2007)

When it comes to clay target shooting, few have been better than Hunter Galloway. Galloway won more than 200 trap and skeet shooting championships nationwide. In skeet shooting, Galloway won state championships in all-gauge, 20 gauge, 28 gauge, 410 gauge and the all-around event. In trapshooting, he won the doubles, handicap and all-around events. Galloway was the first person in North Carolina to be placed at the Maximum distance of 27 yards behind the trap house. Galloway was also a founding member of the Greensboro Sports Council and was inducted into the North Carolina Trapshooters Hall of Fame in 1993.

Ralph hodgin

(1915-2011)

A Greensboro native, Ralph Hodgin first appeared in the majors in 1939 with the Boston Bees, who acquired him from San Francisco of the Pacific Coast League. Hodgin returned to the minors until being drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1943. An outfielder and third baseman, Hodgin spent five years with Chicago, including seasons when he hit .314, .295 and .294. In 530 career games, Hodgin hit .285 and drove in 188 runs and was exceptionally difficult to strike out. He also played 16 seasons in the minors, including three years at Triple-A, with a lifetime average of .307.

Ted brown

Ted Brown was a superb athlete at T. Wingate Andrews High School playing both football and basketball. Brown played in the East-West basketball game in 1975, however he was better known for his extraordinary skills on the football field. In four years at NC State, Brown rushed for 4,602 yards, which still stands as the ACC record. Brown was selected All-ACC for four years and was All-American in 1978. A first-round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 1979, Brown played eight seasons and rushed for 4,546 yards, 40 touchdowns, and caught 339 passes for 2,850 yards along with 13 more scores. Brown was selected to the NFL All-Rookie team in 1979. Brown was inducted into the Inaugural Class of the North Carolina State University Hall of Fame in 2012 and the 2013 National College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

Wilt browning

(1937-2021)

Wilt Browning’s career spanned more than 40 years as a writer, columnist, sports editor and publicity director for two teams in the NFL. Along the way, Wilt was the Braves beat writer for the Atlanta Constitution, publicity director for the Baltimore Colts and Atlanta Falcons, sports editor and then columnist for the News & Record for 20 years and sports editor of the Asheville Citizen-Times. Browning is a five-time North Carolina Sports Writer of the Year and has written six books. Browning was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

gayle currie

Gayle Currie had a distinguished and diverse career at Guilford College. Currie coached volleyball from 1974-93, women’s tennis from 1976-93, women’s basketball from 1974-79, and served as Athletics Director from 1992-96. Currie won several NAIA District Coach of the Year honors in volleyball and tennis, and in 1981 was the NAIA Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year. Currie’s volleyball teams had a cumulative record of 400-218. The Quakers qualified for the NAIA National Tennis Championships 11 consecutive years finishing as co-champions in 1981 and runner-up in 1982. Currie was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1991 and was the first woman elected to the Guilford College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984.

woody durham

(1942-2018)

In 1963, Woody Durham became the Sports Director at WFMY where he served for 14 years. In 1971, Woody was selected as the “Voice of the Tar Heels” where he broadcast more than 1,800football and basketball games for the University of North Carolina in 40 years. Durham called 23 bowl games but he was especially known for his basketball broadcasts, which included 13 Final Fours and four national championships, two each for teams of Dean Smith and Roy Williams. Woody received the first-ever Lombardi Excellence in College Broadcasting Award in 2012 and was 13 time N.C. Sportscaster of the Year. Durham was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2005 and North Carolina Broadcasters Halls of Fame in 2004.

ken free

(1936-2021)

A Dudley High School graduate who later earned a degree from North Carolina State University, Free was a standout baseball player and an outstanding collegiate athletics administrator. Free played in the Negro Leagues and professionally with the Hickory Rebels and Raleigh Capitals along with three seasons in the New York Mets system. In five years he had a .289 average. Free moved into athletics administration and in 1978 he became the first full-time commissioner of the MEAC, a post he held for 18 years. Free served on the NCAA Executive Committee and became the first Black appointed to the NCAA Basketball Selection Committee. He also served as Commissioner of the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Free is a member of the N.C A&T State University, Dudley High School Sports, and CIAA Sports Officials Halls of Fame.

wade garrett

(1933-2015)

At Nathaniel Greene High School in Guilford County, Garrett was a star basketball player who once scored 55 points in a game and participated in the 1951 East-West All-Star game. Garrett went on to play basketball at Elon from 1952-54. But Garrett became best known as a fast-pitch softball pitcher, winning 358 games against just 83 losses from 1954-78. Along the way, playing for the Champion Paper team in Canton, N.C., Garrett pitched 40 no-hitters and had a scoreless innings streak that reached 78. He used a rising fastball, a drop, two curves, and a changeup. Wade Garrett is a member of the North Carolina Softball Hall of Fame and was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.

bill harvey

(1931-2013)

Bill Harvey was a four-sport athlete at Ragsdale High School in the late 1940s that went on to an excellent amateur golf career. Harvey played golf at High Point College in 1950. Harvey won the Carolinas Amateur three times, the North Carolina Amateur once, the Carolinas Four-Ball three times, the Carolinas Senior once, and the Greensboro city championship four times. Altogether, Harvey won more than 300 amateur titles, including the prestigious Porter Cup in 1963. Harvey played in the Greater Greensboro Open, now Wyndham Championship, 23 times. Bill Harvey was inducted into the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame in 1984.

tom martin

Tom Martin played for Curry High School on the campus of UNCG where he hit the winning shot in the state playoffs in 1965 to defeat top-ranked Pinehurst and propel the team to a third-place finish. Martin’s sports career remained at UNCG, where he played on the first men’s basketball and men’s tennis teams. Always a supporter of UNCG athletics, he also became a contributor to other community events. Tom was Chairman of the Greater Greensboro Open (now Wyndham Championship) in 1981, tournament director for the 1997 and 1998 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championships at UNCG Soccer Stadium. An active volunteer in the community, Martin has served as the President of the Greensboro Sports Council and the Wyndham Championship Founders Club, Chairman of the of Spartan Club and a team host for numerous ACC and NCAA Championships in Greensboro. Martin was inducted into the UNCG Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002.

jane preyer

A Greensboro native, Preyer played tennis, basketball, lacrosse and field hockey in high school at Chatham Hall and tennis at UNC, where she was named All-American in 1976. Preyer played professionally from 1977-83, reaching a ranking of No. 43. Preyer played in the round of 16 at Wimbledon in 1982. Turning to coaching, Preyer led Duke to five ACC championships in seven seasons, four NCAA appearances, was ACC Coach of the Year five times and had a record of 122-44. Preyer is a member of the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame.

jim winstead

(1925-2018)

Jim Winstead played college tennis at UNC. Winstead won numerous city and state championships, including the North Carolina state title in 1960 and the over-50 state championship in 1981. Winstead became the tennis pro at Greensboro Country Club in 1964 and served in that capacity until 1992. Winstead was active in the growth in the Greensboro Tennis Association and a renowned teacher who coached many of the top young players in the city. Winstead was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1992.