OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss M-Club Alumni Hall of Fame will get a little more prestigious this weekend.
Five Rebel greats, representing four different sports, will be welcomed to the Hall of Fame at a ceremony Friday night – Dori Carter (women’s golf, 2006-09), Johnny Neumann (men’s basketball, 1971), Dawson Pruett (football, 1987-90), John Shaw (baseball, 1968-70) and Patrick Willis (football, 2003-06).
The M-Club Alumni Chapter will also recognize former football and basketball student trainer Andy Kilpatrick (1974-75) with its Lotterhos Service Award. Established in 2008, this award is based on leadership, dedication, service and commitment to the M-Club.
The M-Club Hall of Fame reception and banquet will take place Friday at the Inn at Ole Miss, Gertude C. Ford Ballroom beginning at 6 p.m. CT. For more information on the event, please contact Sunny Eicholtz at 662-915-7375.
The Hall of Fame recipients will also be distinguished on the field at halftime of Saturday’s football game vs. Vanderbilt, which kicks off at 6 p.m.
Visit OleMissMClub.org to learn more about the Ole Miss M-Club, including membership, benefits and the exciting new Letterwinner Walk. And follow on Twitter at @OleMissMClub.
Below are brief bios on the newest additions to the M-Club Hall of Fame:
Dori Carter (2006-09): A four-year member of the Ole Miss women’s golf team, Dori Carter is one of the most decorated golfers to don the Red and Blue. She has the distinction of being the first All-American in Ole Miss women’s golf history and is the only in program history to earn first team All-SEC honors in multiple years. A Valdosta, Georgia, native, Carter closed her collegiate career with a 72.78 stoke average along with earning four top-five finishes. She also took care of business in the classroom and was a three-time Academic All-SEC selection and Women’s Golf Coaches All-American Scholar. She currently plays on the LPGA Tour after earning her LPGA card in 2011.
Johnny Neumann (1971): One of the most exciting players in college basketball history, Johnny Neumann electrified crowds in Oxford and across the Southeast in his one season at Ole Miss and left his marks in the record books that might never be touched. Neumann led the nation in scoring as a sophomore at 40.1 points per game and was named to several 1971 All-America squads. The SEC Player of the Year, Neumann holds the Ole Miss single-season scoring record with 923 points. Off the court, he received Academic All-America and Academic All-SEC accolades. He left Ole Miss after the 1971 season to play for the ABA Memphis Tams. His professional career also included stints in Indiana, Los Angeles and Utah, and he has played or coached overseas including serving as a head coach in China, Greece, Israel and Japan.
Dawson Pruett (1987-90): A four-year letterman and a starting center for the Rebel football team, Dawson Pruett was honored as one of the all-time Ole Miss greats when he was named the center for the Team of the Century in 1993 during the centennial anniversary of the program. He helped the Rebels return to postseason play with appearances in the 1989 Liberty Bowl and the 1991 Gator Bowl. A native of Mobile, Alabama, Pruett was selected to play in the 1990 Senior Bowl following his career. The 6-foot-1, 269-pound standout on the gridiron was also excellent in the classroom. He was a three-time Academic All-SEC honoree from 1988-90.
John Shaw (1968-70): A three-year letterman for the Ole Miss baseball team, John Shaw played second base for legendary head coach Tom Swayze. Shaw led the Rebels to a combined 72-35 record during his career, including an NCAA District III Championship in 1968 and SEC Championship in 1969. The two-time All-SEC selection made an immediate impact on the team as a sophomore, hitting .344 with 23 stolen bases. He was known for causing problems on the base path as the program’s all-time stolen bases leader with 73 steals throughout his career. He led the SEC in steals for three straight years; including a career-high 28 as a senior. Shaw is the son of Eleanor Shaw, a longtime supporter of Ole Miss Athletics and the 2007 recipient of the M-Club Service Award.
Patrick Willis (2003-06): One of the nation’s top linebackers when he earned first team All-America honors in 2005 and then became a consensus All-America selection as a senior in 2006, Patrick Willis set the standard for defensive play, not only in college football, but the pros as well. He received the Butkus Award and Lambert Award as the nation’s top linebacker in 2006. A two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year from Bruceton, Tennessee, Willis was named the South Team Defensive MVP at the 2007 Senior Bowl. He won the Chucky Mullins Courage Award and Conerly Trophy and was selected in the first round (11th overall pick) of the 2007 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He went on to make seven Pro Bowls and be selected All-Pro six times before he retired earlier this year. Willis led the NFL in tackles in 2007 and 2009. He was named to the Athlon and SI.com SEC All-Decade teams for 2000-09 and Athlon’s All-BCS Era team for 1998-2014.
Lotterhos Service Award Recipient:
Andy Kilpatrick: A football, baseball and basketball trainer in 1974 and 1975, Andy Kilpatrick received his bachelor’s degree from Ole Miss in 1975 and his J.D. from Mississippi College in 1979. He served as President of the M-Club Alumni Chapter from 2004-06 and has served many roles on the Board since then. The M-Club and Ole Miss have benefitted tremendously from his selflessness over the years. The Wobble Davidson Scholarship, Grove Bowl and the M-Club’s $1 million donation back to the Athletics Foundation are all projects that Kilpatrick helped craft. In addition to his service with the M-Club, he served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors, the Athletics Committee and as general counsel for the Mississippi Bar. He currently serves as counsel for the Mississippi State Board of Architecture.