For the first time in the Hall of Fame's 45-year history, a team will be inducted as the 1968 N.C. A&T football team who won the '68 black college football national championship will earn induction. The individuals entering the Hall of Fame are Rudolph “Rudy” Artis (football), Josette Goings Battle (women's track and field), Maseo Bolin (football), George Cale (men's basketball), Herbert Harbison (football), Angela Hill (women's basketball), Samara Dobbins Johnson (women's basketball), Christopher McNeil (football), Claude Williams (men's basketball) and Vernia Wilson (women's track and field).
1968 N.C. A&T Football Team – The 1968 team was the first N.C. A&T team to win a black college national championship. Under the leadership of first-year head coach Hornsby Howell, the Aggies went 8-1 to become the first eight-win team in school history. The 1968 team was also the first team in school history to score 60 or more points twice in a season. Their 7-6 win over Morgan State made the Aggies the first team in three years to beat the Bears. The team also featured defensive coordinator Willie Jeffries who would go on to become the legendary head coach at S.C. State.
Rudolph “Rudy” Artis (1990-93, wide receiver) – Artis won championships in football and baseball during his time as a student-athlete. Artis had 26 receptions during the Aggies 1991 run to the MEAC football championship. He followed up that season by leading the Aggies in receptions (34) and yards (511) as a part of the 1992 MEAC championship team. Artis was also the starting left fielder on the Aggies 1993 MEAC baseball championship team. He batted .271 with 18 stolen bases in 19 attempts.
Josette Goings Battle (1991-95, sprinter) – Battle produced numerous individual titles while leading the N.C. A&T women's track and field team to its first and only MEAC title in 1995. Battle dominated as a sprinter during her time in Aggieland. She earned multiple All-MEAC honors in the 100 and 200 meters and was also a part of the champion 4x100 meter relay team. As indoor runner, she also claimed the 55m. During her time at N.C. A&T she also broke Wake Forest's facility record in the 200 with a time of 23.4. She won the 100 at the Duke Invitational in 1994 and '95.
Maseo Bolin (1991-95, quarterback) – Bolin started at quarterback all four seasons. He holds the Aggies single-season passing record with 2,262 yards set back in 1995. Bolin helped the Aggies win the 1992 MEAC title. Bolin is the program's second all-time leading passer (6,607 yards), and ranks second all-time in completions (500) and touchdown passes (48).
George Cale (1983-87, 6-foot-6 guard/forward) – On a team full of talent, Cale made his presence known almost immediately. As a sophomore, he was the third-leading scorer at 13.0 points per game. By his junior year, he was the Aggies leading scorer at 14.8 points per game and also posted 5.3 rebounds per game on a team that went 12-2 in the MEAC. His senior year he averaged 15.9 points and shot 52 percent from the floor and 87 percent from the free throw line.
Herbert Harbison (1983-86, wide receiver) – Former Aggies quarterback Alan Hooker holds 18 school passing record and Harbison is a major reason why. “Herb turned five-yard routes into 50-yard plays all the time,” said Hooker. Harbison and Hooker are the most lethal wide receiver-quarterback duo in school history. The two connected 161 times for 15 touchdowns. Harbison's argument for the most dangerous receiver to ever play at N.C. A&T is clear. His all-time receiving-yards record of 2,301 still stands after 30 years. His 172 career receptions record has been tied, but not broken over the past 30 yards. Harbison's significance didn't stop with his pass-catching ability. He was also the Aggies top kick returner for four years and he averaged 11.9 yards per punt return in his career.
Angela Hill (1990-94, forward/guard) – Hill came to N.C. A&T and played behind greats such as Helena Creamer, Deidra Cheeks and Tammy Hammonds. When she finally received her time in the spotlight, she became a star. With her first big chance at playing time, Hill was the second-leading scorer at 11.4 points per game during her sophomore year. The next year she averaged 19.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game and was named the 1993 MEAC Player of the Year, becoming the first player in program history to earn the honor. As a senior Hill, averaged 14.4 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 52 percent from the floor as she led the Aggies to the 1994 MEAC championship. She played on the first women's basketball team to ever represent the MEAC in the NCAA tournament.
Samara Dobbins Johnson (1991-95, guard) – From the early to mid-90's, Johnson was the general of the North Carolina A&T women's basketball team. A natural-born leader, Johnson was the perfect fit for the Aggies at point guard. She graduated as the Aggies all-time leader in assists (267). Johnson transformed a young team that was barely .500 her freshman year and was below .500 her sophomore into a championship team. As a junior, she was vital to the Aggies run to the MEAC championship in 1994. The tournament win led to the Aggies being the first team to represent the MEAC in the NCAA tournament. The next year she led the Aggies to a second-place regular-season finish in the MEAC with a 13-3 record. The Aggies were 19-9 overall and advanced to the MEAC tournament semifinals.
Christopher McNeil (1996-97, defensive end) – McNeil transferred to N.C. A&T from N.C. State and had a modest start to his Aggies career. Eleven of his 17 tackles were tackles for loss. Nine of those 11 tackles for loss were sacks. That was good. What he did the next year was astounding, however. Without a doubt, McNeil's 1997 season was the best season any defensive player in school history has ever had. In fact, his 1997 is one of best seasons any defensive player in Division I-FCS (formerly known as Division I-AA) history has ever had. From his defensive end position, he posted 49 tackles, 25 tackles for loss and 21 sacks. He held the NCAA FCS record for sacks until Cal Poly's Chris Gocong broke it 2005 with 23 ½ sacks. Then came the accolades. He was the MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-MEAC and he was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week five times. He was also the Sheridan Broadcasting Network Black College Defensive Player of the Year. The national honors were NCAA Division I-AA Player of the Year, Sports Network first-team I-AA All-American, NCAA first-team I-AA All-American, Associated Press first-team I-AA All-American and Walter Camp I-AA All-American.
Claude Williams (1983-88, guard/forward) – After redshirting his freshman season, Williams stepped on the scene averaged 11.5 points and 8.5 rebounds as a redshirt freshman in 1984-85. he 1984-85 season, Williams averaged 11.5 points and 8.5 rebounds. In 1987-88, Williams became the leader of one of the most historic teams in school history. The 1987-88 squad went 26-3 and 16-0 in the MEAC. The MEAC tournament title that followed the regular season was the Aggies' seventh straight and fourth straight for Williams as an active player. Williams and his Aggie teammates were not finished. After earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, they nearly pulled off a first-round upset against a talented Syracuse team that featured future NBA players Derrick Coleman, Ron Seikaly, Stephen Thompson and Sherman Douglas. Williams is a four-time All-MEAC selection and the conference's player of the year in 1988. He was also the most outstanding performer at the '88 MEAC tournament. He is third all-time in scoring (1,648), second all-time in rebounding (973), fifth all-time in field goals made (604) and fifth in steals (196. He is also second all-time in free throw attempts (676).
Vernia Wilson (1993-97, thrower) – Numerous accolades came Wilson's way as a student-athlete at N.C. A&T. She won the MEAC shot put title seven out of the eight times she competed for it during either the MEAC indoor or outdoor championships. She was the conference outdoor champion in the shot put all four years (1994-97), and the indoor champion three years in a row starting in 1995. She broke the MEAC indoor record in the shot put and the discus in 1996. She was the women's indoor track and field MVP two years in a row as well. Her scoring was pivotal in 1995 when the Aggies won their first and only MEAC outdoor championship.
