Several weeks ago, Samford announced its Hall of Fame Inductee Class for 2019. The group, which has left a mark on Samford athletics as a whole, includes five athletes and one team. The group is the third Hall of Fame class inducted into the Samford Athletics Hall of Fame and include: The 1971 Samford football team, former track and field athlete Cameron Bean, former men’s basketball coach John Brady, former football player Gary Fleming, former Howard College basketball player Jimmy Harrison and women’s basketball player Emily London.
The 1971 Samford football team finished the season with a 9-1 record that year, which matched the second-most wins in school history. The team finished the season ranked seventh in the country and won the NCAA College Division II West Region Championship. The 1971 season marked the first year Samford competed as an NCAA member institution.
Cameron Bean ran both cross country and competed in track and field during his career at Samford from 2005-2011. He was named the 2010 SoCon Most Outstanding Indoor Track Performer. He also earned the honor of being named the 2006 Ohio Valley Conference Men’s Track and Field Freshman of the Year. Bean was struck by a vehicle and killed on September 19, 2015 while out for a run in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Cam Run: Cameron Bean Memorial 5K & Magnum Mile, which aims to both remember and capture the energy and essence of Bean, has been held in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
John Brady was the men’s basketball coach at Samford from 1991-1997. During his time with the Bulldogs, he led the program to back-to-back Trans America Athletic Conference West Division titles in 1996 and 1997. He compiled an overall record of 89-77 while at Samford. He moved on from Samford to become the head basketball coach at LSU, leading them to four NCAA Tournament appearances.
Gary Fleming was a four-year letterman on the Samford football team. He was named the Most Valuable Defensive Player on the team in 1968. Fleming was drafted in the seventh round of the NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts in 1969 after graduating from Samford. Following his playing career, Fleming went into high school coaching in Alabama, winning five state basketball championships and one state football championship. Fleming also founded Eagle’s Rest Ministries in 1998, which is a non-profit organization that helps at-risk children and youth experience salvation through a relationship with Jesus Christ, and teaches men to be spiritual leaders through life coaching.
Jimmy Harrison was a basketball player at Howard College in the mid-1950s. He holds multiple school records, including most points scored in a single game. After graduation, Harrison grew his drug store, Harco Drugs, into one of the nation’s top community drug store chains. Harrison has been honored for his distinguished service to Samford University, the Auburn University School of Pharmacy and the University of Alabama.
Emily London played basketball for Samford from 2007-2011. She holds multiple school records, including points scored, free throws made, three-pointers made, and free-throw percentage. London helped lead the program to its first ever SoCon title in 2011, as well as its first postseason action, going to the WNIT in 2010 and the NCAA Tournament in 2011. As a senior, she was named SoCon Player of the Year in 2011. She was also a two-time SoCon Academic Honor Roll Member.
