Two grid stars, one a rare three-sport standout, a golf All-American, and a long-time administrator highlight Furman University’s 2012 Athletic Hall of Fame class, which was announced today.

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Football All-American Ingle Martin ‘06, three-sport star Ted Yakin ‘54, golf All-American Brandi Jackson ‘03, and former NCAA faculty representative and vice president for intercollegiate athletics Dr. John Block ‘63 will be enshrined on Oct. 13 prior in ceremonies at the Melvin and Dollie Younts Conference Center on campus prior to the Paladins’ home football game against Chattanooga.

Martin passed for 5,751 yards and 42 touchdowns in two seasons as Furman’s starting quarterback, helping pace the Paladins to a 10-3 record and Southern Conference championship in 2004, 11-3 mark in 2005, and back-to-back NCAA I-AA (FCS) playoff appearance. The owner of numerous school season and career passing/total offense standards, he earned All-SoCon honors as a quarterback and All-America accolades as punter in 2005 after averaging 43.2 yards per attempt. The Nashville, Tenn., native was named Furman Male Athlete of the Year for the 2005-06 school year.

A four-year letterman in football, baseball, and track & field, Yakin rushed for 924 yards and five touchdowns in helping Furman post an 18-10-1 record from 1952-54, including a pair of wins over Florida State and victories over West Virginia, and N.C. State. As a baseball first baseman, he set a school single game record with three triples in a 13-9 win over Clemson in 1954, and in track & field he excelled in both sprints and in the long jump.

Jackson, a three-time All-SoCon selection and 2003 league player of the year honoree, earned National Golf Coaches Association All-America honors after winning medalist honors at the 2003 NCAA East Regional following a final round 66 — the second lowest round ever recorded by a Paladin golfer. South Carolina’s Women’s Match Play champion in 1999 & ‘00, the former Palmetto (S.C.) High School standout advanced to the finals of the 2002 U.S. Women’s Amateur and played several years on the Futures and LPGA Tours.

Block, a Chicago, Ill., native who taught history at Furman for over three decades and delivered radio color commentary for Paladin basketball in the 1970s, served as Furman’s faculty athletic representative to the NCAA from 1990-96. He assumed the role of interim director of athletics in 1996 and then vice president for intercollegiate athletics from 1996-01. During his tenure as head of Furman athletics, the school captured 33 SoCon regular season and tournament championships.

INGLE MARTIN — Football (2004-05)…quarterback/punter…transfer from the University of Florida…played and started in all 27 games in a brilliant two-year career, helping key Furman to a 21-6 overall record and 11-3 SoCon mark that included the 2004 Southern Conference championship…squad went 10-3 (6-1 SoCon) in 2004 and came back to go 11-3 (5-2 SoCon) in 2005, earning NCAA I-AA (FCS) playoff berths both years…passed for 2,792 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2004 and 2,959 yards and 20 scores in 2005 to finish his Paladin tenure as Furman’s all-time passing yards leader (record since broken by Jordan Sorrells)…still holds or shares 16 school passing/total offense standards, including season (22) and career (42) touchdown passes, and season (3,193 yards) and career total offense (6,277 yards) marks, among many others…owns four of the top 20 passing yard games in Furman history and five of the program’s top 20 total offense performances…signal caller of a 2005 Paladin offense that averaged a school record 470.0 yards per game and statistically ranks as the best in school history by most every measure…engineered one of the most memorable last minute scoring drives in recent Paladin football history, directing Furman’s offense on a 9-play, 74-yard drive for a 9-yard touchdown strike on the game’s final play in a 37-35 road victory over Jacksonville State in the 2005 season opener…consensus All-SoCon second team selection in balloting by league head coaches and media…punted as a senior, averaging a SoCon best 43.2 yards per attempt on the way to earning first team All-SoCon honors in balloting by league head coaches and third team All-America accolades from The Sports Network….credited with a 70-yard punt vs. Nicholls State in 2004 first round playoff action…three-time SoCon Offensive Player of the Week selection…2005 Furman Paladin (MVP) Award recipient…named Furman Male Athlete of the Year for the 2005-06 school year…two-time SoCon Academic Honor Roll pick…subject of sports front page feature story in the New York Times…selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft.

TED YAKIN — Football/Baseball/Track & Field (1951-54)…four-year letterman in three sports…played halfback in football…rushed 163 times for 924 yards and five TDs in his career…also played defense…member of 1952 Furman team that posted a 6-3-1 record and defeated West Virginia (22-14) and Florida State (9-0)…1953 squad went 7-2 and recorded victories over Florida State (14-7) and Wake Forest (21-19)…in 1954 helped Furman to a 5-5 campaign that featured a 7-6 victory over N.C. State…played first base in baseball..helped Furman post win over Clemson, South Carolina, Duke, among others…set Furman record most triples in a game (3) in a 13-9 victory over Clemson on May 12, 1954…competed in several events in track & field, including 100 and 200 yards and broad jump…coached football and baseball at Carolina and Hillcrest High School…worked with the Palmetto Games.

BRANDI JACKSON — Golf (2000-03)… Four-year letterwinner…earned 2003 second team NGCA All-American honors, NGCA All-Region honors and Southern Conference Player of the Year accolades…three-time All-SoCon selection (2001, 2002 and 2003)…ranks fourth in single season stroke average with 74.13 average in 31 rounds during the 2003 season…fired rounds of 68-71-66=205 to claim individual medalist honors at the 2003 NCAA East Regional in Clemmons, N.C…final round 66 at NCAA East Regional ranks as the second best round ever by a Paladin golfer…captured 2002 SoCon individual medalist honors (70-72-72=214) while helping Furman to the SoCon team title at Wescott Plantation In North Charleston, S.C…posted a 76.68 career stroke average…totaled 11 career top 10 finishes and two tournament victories…helped Furman to three SoCon Championships (2000, ‘01, ‘02) and four NCAA Regional (2000, ‘01, ‘02, ‘03) appearances…guided the Paladins to four team tournament titles during her career…1999 and 2000 South Carolina Women’s Match Play champion… finalist at the 2002 U.S. Women’s Amateur…current member of the LPGA Tour…recorded 19 top-10 finishes, including three second place finishes on the Duramed Futures Tour.

JOHN BLOCK — Honorary…Faculty Athletics Representative (1990-96), Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics (1996-00)…came to Furman in 1959 and was a member of Furman’s basketball program for two seasons…graduated cum laude in 1963 and later earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in history from the University of Wisconsin before returning to join the Furman faculty in 1968…served on Furman’s Faculty Athletics Committee for many years…witnessed first-hand Furman’s prolific basketball success in the 1970s serving as radio color commentator…awarded Furman’s Meritorious Teaching Award in 1984…succeeded the late Dr. Francis Bonner as Furman’s NCAA Faculty Representative in 1990…served as Furman’s William Montgomery Burnett Professor of History and department chair…stepped in to serve as interim athletics director in late 1995 and was soon thereafter tabbed vice president for intercollegiate athletics, a position he held for five-plus years before retiring in 2001…helped oversee the construction of Timmons Arena and Pepsi Softball Stadium, as well as the revitalization of Irwin Belk Complex for Track & Field…Furman teams during his tenure as interim AD and VP for Intercollegiate Athletics combined to win 33 Southern Conference regular season and tournament championships.

By Furman University Sports Information