Harry Carson and John Stallworth to be inducted into Division II Hall of Fame

FLORENCE, Ala. -- Three legends of NCAA Division 11 football who went on to cam a combined seven Super Bowl rings, will be honored on December 8 as the second class of inductees into the Division II Football Hall of Fame in Florence, Ala.

Former South Carolina State University linebacker Harry Carson, former Angelo State Univ. defensive lineman Pierce Holt, and former Alabama A&M University receiver John Stallworth comprise the 2000 class of inductees into the Division 11 Football Hall of Fame.

The three inductees were selected by a 20-member Division 11 Football Hall of Fame selection committee and will beinducted on December 8 as part of a combined Harlon Hill Trophy and Division 11 Football Hall of Fame Banquet at the Florence Conference Center.

The initial class of inductees in 1999 included running back Johnny Bailey of Texas A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville), quarterback Jeff Bentrim of North Dakota State and the late Walter Payton of Jackson State University.

The Division II Football Hall of Fame is housed at Braly Municipal Stadium, which has hosted the Division 11 Football Championship Game since 1986.

The 26th annual Division 11 Football Championship Game will be played at Braly Stadium on December 9. 2000 and the Harlon Hill Trophy presentation to the Division II Player of the Year, and the Hall of Fame inductions are part of theShoals area's championship week activities.

The Division 11 Football Hall of Fame is sponsored by Coca-Cola, The Florence Utilities Gas Department the Real Yellow Pages from BellSouth and Northwest Airlink.

Carson was a four-year letterman at South Carolina State from 1971-75. He set a then school record and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference record for sacks with 17 in 1975. He also set school and conference records with 112 tackles as a senior. He was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Year in both 1974 and 1975, becoming the first player to win the honor back-to-back. He was All-State, All-MEAC and All-American in 1974 and 1975, and runner up for South Carolina Player of theYear in 1975,

He anchored the 1975 team that set a still-standing NCAA record for points allowed with 29 in 10 games. The team had six shutouts, and his team finished with a 23-6-2 regular season record during his three years as a starter.

Carson was drafted in the fourth round of the National Football League draft by the Now York Giants in 1976. He went on to a stellar 13-year career, that included nine Pro Bowl appearances in 10 years from 1978-1987, with 1980 as theonly season in that period where he wasn't selected for the Pro Bowl. He was voted All-NFL in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985 and 1986. His 13 years with the Giants is the sixth longest period by any player in franchise history and is just two seasons shy of the record of 15 years by Phil Simms and Me Hein. He played on the Giants' 1986 Super Bowl Championship team.

He was named to the Sheridan Broadcasting Network 100 Year Anniversary black College All-America Team, the Division 11 Team of the Quarter Century (1973-96), and he is a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame and the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.

Stallworth set numerous receiving marks at Alabama A&M in 1972 and 1973 At A&M he caught 103 passes, including 48 as a senior for 925 yards, and was a two-time All-Southem Intercollegiate Athletic Conference pick. He played in the Senior Bowl, following the 1973 season. He later had his jersey number retired. He earned a B.S. degree in management and later added a master's degree in business administration with a concentration in finance.

Stallworth went on to become an All-Pro receiver in the National Football League. From 1974-87 he set numerous Pittsburgh Steeler records, including 63 touchdowns in a career, 67 straight games with one or more pass receptions,25 games with 100 or more yards receiving, seven games in one season with 100 or more yards receiving, 8,723 career yards receiving, 1,395 receiving yards in a single season and 80 catches in a season. In addition to his 80 catches in 1984. he added 75 in 1985 and 70 in 1979 for the top three performances in Steeler history.

His 537 career catches is also a record. He led the team in receiving five times, was Steeler MVP in 1979 and 1984, Pro Bowl selectee in 1980, 1983 and 1985 and was a member of the championship team in Super Bowls IX, X, XII and XIV. He was twice chosen as the Steelers' Most Valuable Player and was named Dapper Dan Man of the Year in 1984. He was also named to the All-Time Steelers' team in 1982 and he was selected Vector's Sports Man of the Year in 1987.

He was voted to the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1989. In 1997, Stallworth was named to the Division II Football Team of the Quarter Century.

Stallworth, a native of Tuscaloosa, Ala., was born on July 15, 1952. He bag been honored with John Stallworth Days in Huntsville. Ala., Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Los Angeles, Calif.

He serves as President of Madison Research Corporation - an aerospace engineering company in Huntsville.

The inductees into the Division II Football Hall of Fame were selected by a nationwide panel comprised of media representatives, sports information directors and current and former collegiate administrators.

To be eligible for consideration for the Division II Football Hall of Fame, a player must have competed at least two years in Division II football since the division was created in 1973. A player becomes eligible 10 years after his last year of intercollegiate competition, Players who are still competing on the professional level are not eligible until after thyretire. Coaches and other persons associated with Division 11 football will become eligible for consideration beginningin 2002.

The initial ballot for the Division 11 Football Hall of Fame was comprised of players nominated for the Division II Team of the Quarter Century in 1997.The Division II Football Hall of Fame has a potential pool of 278 schools to draw from. NCAA Division 11 football began in 1973 and currently has a membership of 156 schools competing in football, There are an additional 122 schools that have competed in Division 11 at some point since 1973.

Tickets for the Harlon Hill Trophy and Division II Football Hall of Fame Banquet can be purchased at the Shoals Chamber of Commerce at 205-764-4661.

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