Carson-Newman Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2020

Steve Adams (Men's Basketball '84), Jennifer Bock Ryan (Women's Soccer '06), Eddie Carter (Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball Coach and Administrator '79), Whitney Hickam Cruze (Softball '08), Quez Rumph (Football '00), Robert Thomas (Football '92) and Kenneth Tyson (Football '88) headed into the Hall during a ceremony Feb. 21, 2020 in the Stokely Memorial Building on Carson-Newman's campus.

Steve Adams – One of the smoothest shooters in the history of the Carson-Newman men's basketball program, Steve "Twinetime" Adams finishes his Eagle career with 2,034 career points.  At the time of induction he is fourth all-time in men's basketball history in scoring.  Adams earned All-America honors in his career and was the, VSAC and NAIA District 24 Player of the Year his senior year.  He helped Carson-Newman to a pair of NAIA National Tournament Appearances, including an Elite Eight finish in his junior year.

Jennifer Bock – Jennifer Bock's name is etched throughout the Carson-Newman women's soccer record book. From 2002-2005, she helped C-N to a trio of SAC titles and a pair of Final Fours.  A four-time All-SAC selection, she was the league's player of the year in 2003 as a sophomore.  In 2005 she was named an All-American.  At the time of induction, her 155 career points are good for second all-time in C-N history, as are her 62 career goals.  She is one of six players in program history to tally 20 goals in a single season. 

Eddie Carter – Eddie Carter could be inducted into the Hall of Fame three times for his role as a men's basketball player, head women's basketball coach and administrator.  On the hardwood, he is one of three players in school history with at least 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.  He had 1,255 career points and 1,064 career boards. As a senior, he pulled down 29 rebounds against Tennessee Wesleyan, a record that has stood through his induction.  As head coach of the women's basketball program from 1989-2001 he coaches C-N to a record of 251 wins and 148 losses. He is third all-time in league history in career wins, guiding C-N to a quartet of national tournament appearances and three SAC titles. 

Whitney Hickam – One of two players since Carson-Newman moved to Division II to be named a two-time All-American, Hickam is one of Carson-Newman's all-time greats at second base.  Her 214 career starts are the second most in program history and she holds the program records for career doubles with 61 and RBI with 185. Her 2008 season is the stuff of legends.  She hit .379 with 19 doubles, eight bombs and 69 RBI – the fourth most in SAC and school history.  The Eagles went to the NCAA tournament all four years of her career and won a pair of SAC regular season and tournament titles. 

Quez Rumph – The only four-time All-American in the history of Carson-Newman's football program, Rumph helped lead Carson-Newman to a trio of national title game appearances and four SAC titles.  In four years, he piled up 1,539 yards worth of punt return yards, the second most in NCAA Division II history at the time of his induction.  He holds a Carson-Newman record for punt return touchdowns with five in his career.  Rumph ended his Carson-Newman career as one of six 2,000-yard receivers in program history.  He is fifth all-time in receiving yards and number one in all-purpose yards with 5,380.

Robert Thomas – A force to be reckoned with as a part of Carson-Newman's veer option attack, Thomas is Carson-Newman's all-time leader in rushing yards with 4,156 yards.  He started his career in 1988 by being named the SAC's Freshman of the Year, and finished it in 1991 with Offensive Player of the Year recognition from the league and All-America honors from two organizations.  With Thomas in the backfield, Carson-Newman won a pair of national championships and a quartet of SAC titles.

Kenneth Tyson – Carson-Newman's second all-time leading rusher, Kenneth Tyson powered his way to 4,042 yards in his four years. Carson-Newman played for a national title in all four of his years on the roster and won three.  He holds Carson-Newman's single-season record for rushing yards with 1,867 in his senior year. He is one of two players in school history to find the end zone 50 times in a career.  Tyson is a two-time All-American and two-time Offensive Player of the Year in the South Atlantic Conference.  Tyson had seven 200-yard rushing performances in his career, including four in his senior year alone.