GREENSBORO – The North Carolina A&T Sports Hall of Fame will hold a press luncheon at noon, Thursday, September 5, in the Grandover Carlyle Room in Greensboro to introduce the 12 new inductees to its Hall of Fame. The newest members include three women's basketball players, two men's track and field athletes, two men's basketball players, a coach, a baseball player, a philanthropist, an athletics staffer, and a football player. The women's basketball inductees are Stephanie Hammond, Nisha Watson, and Brittanie Taylor-James. Bob Beamon and Pablo Ricardo Smith are the men's track field inductees. Carlton "Chuckie" Becton and James "JJ" Miller are the men's basketball inductees. The North Carolina A&T Sports Hall of Fame will also induct legendary women's basketball coach Tim Abney, baseball great Jeremy Jones, philanthropist James "Jim" Pender, longtime ticket manager Patsy Frazelle, and football standout Stoney Polite.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Stephanie Hammond (1987-91)
Dr. Stephanie Hammond, known as Tammy, fell in love with North Carolina A&T State University the moment she stepped on campus. She remembers her head coach, Tim Abney, discussing the importance of women's basketball and women's sports surviving and thriving at North Carolina A&T. She admired his authenticity and honesty. He told the young ladies if they held up their end of the bargain and worked hard, the program would flourish. Hammonds held up to her end of the bargain, becoming the Aggies floor leader and helping A&T win three consecutive MEAC regular-season championships. Hammonds was known as a fierce defender, which allowed the Aggies to use her defense to create offense. She played in all 116 games on the Aggies schedule during her tenure, averaging 11.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 3.0 steals as a senior. The Aggies 80-36 overall and 46-10 during her time at A&T. After honorably serving active duty in the United States Air Force, later with impressive credentials that led her abroad serving as an Information Management Officer and Network Administrator in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, today she continues to serve as a Cybersecurity Architect for the Department of Defense accredited as a Certified Information System Security Professional, Microsoft Information Technology Professional, Information Technology Infrastructure Library, a certified Project Management Professional and a PhD in Information Technology, specializing in Information Assurance and Security.
Nisha Watson (1993-97)
Nisha Watson became the final piece to the puzzle Tim Abney had been putting together post his three-peat run of MEAC regular-season championships. In the early 90s, the players who had constructed the three-peat were gone, and a new generation of Aggies were trying to continue the legacy. A&T went 9-19 during the 1992-93 season. Even though the Aggies had plenty of talent, Abney and his assistant, Billy Edringston, knew they were missing a savvy shooting guard who could score the ball and defend. They found what they sought at Hillside High School in Durham, NC. Nisha Watson was the guard from heaven. She possessed height, was athletic, could get to the rim, and was a solid rebounding guard. She could also knock down the outside shot if needed. She averaged 13.0 points as a freshman and led the charge during the Aggies' incredible run through the MEAC tournament, leading them to their first NCAA tournament appearance by winning the conference tournament. Watson was named tournament MVP as a rookie. She became one of the best scorers in school history, posting more than 1,400 points in her career.
Brittanie Taylor-James (2006-09)
Brittanie Taylor-James calls her journey to attend North Carolina A&T State University ordained by God. Based on her play on the court and her standing in the outstanding history of women's basketball at A&T, who could argue with her? She enjoyed representing women's basketball at the highest level. She always wants to be an example and to encourage young black females to be their authentic selves. And she indeed led by example while at A&T. Taylor-James was a fearless player with an unbelievable scorer's mentality. Her guard-like skillset and 6-foot height made her a matchup nightmare for opponents. When she decided to transfer from UC Santa Barbara, she wanted to attend and be around her culture at an HBCU. Impressed with the strong black female role model she believed then head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs to be, Brittanie chose North Carolina A&T. Her presence reinvigorated the women's basketball program at A&T. From 2007-09, the Lady Aggies won 51 games, two regular-season championships, the 2009 MEAC tournament. They earned the No. 14 seed in the NCAA tournament, the highest-ever seed by an HBCU at the time. Taylor-James won MEAC Player of the Year in 2009. In addition, she broke the program's single-season scoring record (623 points), which still stands today. She also has the best single-season scoring average (18.9 points per game) in program history.
TRACK AND FIELD
Bob Beamon (1965-67)
Historic track and field legend Bob Beamon was born and raised in New York. In 1965, through some New York connections, including former congressman and A&T Aggie Edolphus Towns, the historic long jumper landed at North Carolina A&T. If all the trees did not freak out the New Yorker, the specter of class work, having to be certain places on time and the responsibilities of being a student-athlete certainly did. Attending North Carolina A&T showed Beamon he had a lot of maturing to do. That does not mean he did not show off his phenomenal talent while at A&T, winning CIAA event titles along the way. He also met a person who would become a legend in his own right, former A&T director of track and field and A&T Sports Hall of Fame, Roy "Spaceman" Thompson. Thompson said during drills at Moore Gymnasium when Beamon would get a running start and leap, his chest would be parallel to the rim. His amazing speed also made him an effective jumper. Even though Beamon attended a southern school during the height of the civil rights movement, his activism took place when he transferred to the University of Texas El Paso. Despite getting suspended at UTEP for refusing to compete against what he considered a school that harbored racism, Beamon qualified for the 1968 Olympics, where he made world history, jumping 29 feet, 4 ½ inches to break the world and Olympic long jump record. The world record has since been broken, but the Olympic record is the longest-standing record in Olympic history. Beamon is a recognizable figure worldwide, and he is considered a North Carolina A&T alumnus, having enrolled in the school.
Pablo Smith (1993-96)
Encouraged by his friend, former teammate, and North Carolina A&T Sports Hall of Famer, the late Shenan Robinson, former A&T men's track and field star Pablo Smith applied to become a North Carolina A&T Sports Hall of Famer. While he wishes his teammate was around to see that he carried out his wishes, Smith sees his induction into the Hall as a celebration of Robinson and those outstanding mid-1990s A&T men's track and field teams. Smith and the Aggies won three straight MEAC outdoor titles from 1993-96 and doubled as indoor and outdoor champions in 1996. For his part, Smith won the outdoor conference title in the 100 and 200 meters twice in his career, in addition to winning a 200-meter indoor title, three 4x100-meter relay titles, and two 4x400-meter titles. He was a four-time NCAA qualifier in the 4x100, 4x400 and 200 meters. He has started two businesses within the last year. One focuses on helping men become better fathers, and the other focuses on married couples.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Carlton "Chuckie" Becton (1985-89)
Add Carlton "Chuckie" Becton to the number of North Carolina A&T Sports Hall of Famers from those men's basketball teams in the 1980s. He joins the likes of Joe Binion, Eric Floyd, Thomas Griffis, George Cale, and head Don Corbett among the gentlemen who made that decade great for A&T men's basketball. Becton helped introduce the 3-point shot to Aggieland. When the NCAA introduced the 3-point shot throughout college basketball in 1986, Becton took full advantage. When Becton arrived on A&T's campus, the Aggies had already won four consecutive MEAC tournament titles. Becton kept the party going by leading the Aggies to three more MEAC tournament titles from 1986-88. Becton rained down a program-record 209 3-pointers along the way. In 1986, he earned MEAC Rookie of the Year honors and All-MEAC Tournament accolades in 1988. Becton also had the distinction of playing on the 1987-88 team that won a program-record 26 games, going 26-3 to post the best single-season winning percentage in program history (.897). That team also went 16-0 in the MEAC before winning the conference tournament. After graduation, Becton played professionally in the CBA and overseas. Today, Becton and his wife Frieda have four children and five grandchildren.
James "JJ" Miller (1997-01)
What JJ Miller did on December 30, 2000, is talked about among the A&T Aggies faithful. Miller went into historic Cameron Indoor Stadium and scored 34 points on 14-for-21 shooting, including four 3-pointers against the eventual national champions that season, the Duke Blue Devils. Even Duke's coach, the legendary Mike Krzyzewski, marveled at JJ's performance. But to sum up Miller's collegiate career and complete basketball history would be unjust. He likes to point to the great MEAC battles the Aggies endured, such as when he scored 30 in a win over Hampton in 2001. Or there was the 24 points he poured in an A&T win at Norfolk State. During his time at A&T, the men's basketball program was among the first in the country to wear the Jordan Brand uniforms. Also, beyond the Duke game, Miller signed two professional NBA contracts. He also played at the highest level in Europe and South America, garnering MVP honors and all-star selections from his European leagues. He retired in 2016 and became an entrepreneur, owning and operating healthcare, sports, and real estate businesses. Despite all those accomplishments, nothing is wrong with being known for dropping 34 against a Coach K team.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH
Tim Abney (1985-99)
Before there were the great Patricia Cage-Bibbs teams of the late 2000s, before there were the great Tarrell Robinson teams from the 2010s, there were the Lady Aggies of the late 1980s and early 1990s who first established the North Carolina A&T women's basketball as a legit Division I program. Tim Abney led those teams. In 1985, Abney departed one of the nation's most successful men's basketball programs as Don Corbett's assistant at A&T to become the interim head coach for a fledgling A&T women's basketball. Abney had the Aggies at the top of the MEAC in two seasons, winning three straight regular-season titles from 1987-90. Four years later, he had the Aggies in the women's NCAA tournament by winning the MEAC tournament in 1994. He convinced young basketball players to attend A&T, promising to provide them with integrity, honesty, and a quality education that would benefit them long after they left the university. His players describe him as a true gentleman. Abney departed A&T with 191 victories, the most in school history before current women's basketball coach Tarrell Robinson broke his record in 2022. Today, the two-time MEAC Coach of the Year, who coached two different players to MEAC Player of the Year awards, is the interim athletics director at Lincoln University.
BASEBALL
Jeremy Jones (2003-08)
Jeremy Jones had an opportunity to play professional baseball after finishing high school at Terry Sanford. Instead of turning pro out of high school, however, Jones chose to play college baseball, and he decided to play at North Carolina A&T State University. His decision changed the trajectory of A&T baseball forever as he led the Aggies to their first MEAC championship in 12 years in 2005 and to their first-ever appearance in an NCAA regional. Jones is one of the best hitters ever to grace A&T's campus. The smooth switch-hitting outfielder had a sweet swing from both sides of the plate. He finished his career at A&T with a .366 batting average. He also slugged .561 for his career, posting 29 home runs and 181 RBI in a whopping 222 games. Indeed, during A&T's days as a Division I program, those numbers made him among the greatest to wear an Aggies uniform. He is the only Aggie during the Division I era to bat better than .400 twice during a career. He was a four-time All-MEAC selection, earning MEAC Player of the Year and Black College Baseball Player of the Year in 2005 after batting .402. In addition to getting drafted out of high school, the Colorado Rockies drafted Jones in 2006. The two-time Louisville Slugger All-American is now known as Dr. Jeremy R. Jones. He has worked in workforce development in higher education, state government, federal government, and non-profits. He is currently a consultant for Deloitte.
PHILANTHROPIST
Jim Pender (1983-still active with A&T Athletics)
A friendly tennis match with former North Carolina A&T Director of Athletics Orby Moss in 1983 improved the direction of A&T Athletics fundraising for decades. Previously, Pender had little connection to A&T. Today, his name is synonymous with Aggieland. In his 40-year association with A&T, Pender discovered new ways to raise money for A&T Athletics, including refurbishing a house, selling it, and donating the money to athletics. Pender has shaped A&T Athletics in numerous ways, from holding a cookout for student-athletes at the A&T Farm before the sports seasons start to sitting on hiring committees to becoming a prominent member of the Aggie Club. Pender eventually became the national vice president of the Aggie Club before the national president, raising more than $1 million. During his time, he also assisted in creating a relationship with Wal-Mart and increased the number of people who donate to A&T Athletics. A US Air Force veteran, Pender has worked in corporate most of his life. For 30 years, he has served as Executive Vice President of Sales with Mill Chem. Jim and his wife Barbara have two daughters and four grandchildren. From his fate-filled tennis match in 1983 to spearheading A&T's fundraising efforts, Pender has made it to this moment where he is a North Carolina A&T Sports Hall of Famer. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Jim Pender to the North Carolina A&T Sports Hall of Fame.
ATHLETICS
Patsy Frazelle (1988-2024)
An ever-presence fixture at North Carolina A&T ticketed events for five decades, mainly at football and basketball games, Patsy Frazelle became an essential part of Aggie Athletics regarding generating ticket revenue and ensuring everything went smoothly on game days. She retired in 2014 but returned each year to assist with football and basketball in the ticket office until finally leaving her post in 2024. According to Ms. Frazelle, she kept returning because she "loved her job." She thrived in the A&T ticket office on two fundamental principles. Be organized. Know and understand your customers. Frazelle quickly understood about budgets and the importance of ticket sales to the athletics budget. Thus, she created an initiative to make numerous phone calls each year to ensure repeat customers renew their season tickets. Frazelle performed this initiative despite having other responsibilities outside of athletics, such as homecoming, theatre, and concert events. The best parts of her career were the people she got to meet, whether they were the customers, her co-workers, the athletes, or the personnel from athletics. In her retirement, Ms. Frazelle is enjoying her two daughters and three grandchildren, who accompanied her during her journey in the North Carolina A&T ticket office.
FOOTBALL
Stoney Polite (1984-87)
A&T football in the 80s has long been defined by passing the football because of names like Alan Hooker and Herbert Harbison. However, when it came to putting the football over the goal line, only one name should come to mind – Stoney Polite. Discovering North Carolina A&T through a strength coach at his high school who once coached at A&T, Polite started his collegiate football career in 1984, where he rushed for 425 yards as a freshman. By his junior year, he was fully established as a force in the Aggies offense, scoring a single-season program record of 18 rushing touchdowns in 1986. In doing so, he helped the Aggies win their first outright MEAC championship. He finished his career with a program-record 39 rushing touchdowns. That record lasted almost 30 years before Tarik Cohen broke it in 2016. His single-season rushing touchdown record stood for 30 years until Cohen tied it in 2016, and Jah-Maine Martin broke it in 2019. Polite became the perfect back for A&T's high-powered passing offense because not only could he gain yards, but he was also an outstanding receiver and blocker in the passing game. Today, Polite is a deputy chief in the Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services, a position he has held for 25 years. Prior to, he joined the United States Navy in 1991, retiring in 2019 after 28 years of service as a Senior Chief Petty Officer. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome North Carolina A&T Sports Hall of Famer, Stoney Polite.
