By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Five individuals whose impact on Tennessee Tech Athletics will never be forgotten will be honored for their contributions to the University, their respective teams, and the community, as the 48th class for induction into the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame has been selected.
The Class of 2022 honors a quintet of phenomenal athletes, supporters, and overall human beings, including David Collett (football), Tacarra Hayes Barnes (women's basketball), Kevin Murphy (men's basketball), Ottis Phillips (football/supporter), and Dave Pratt (baseball).
"We are incredibly honored and excited to welcome the 48th class into the TTU Sports Hall of Fame," Tech director of athletics Mark Wilson expressed. "Our Hall of Fame Committee has an increasingly difficult task each and every year with choosing the most deserving individuals for induction, and they did a spectacular job once again. Every single of our newest inductees is absolutely deserving of the honor and we are excited to recognize them at this year's Hall of Fame Weekend."
The Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame will hold its 48th induction during Homecoming weekend, Nov. 4-5. The Hall of Fame Dinner will be held on Friday, Nov. 4, at 6:30 p.m. CT in the Multipurpose Room of the University Center. Tickets are available through the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office by calling 931-372-3940 or by visiting TTUSports.com. The group will also be recognized at the Homecoming football game on Saturday afternoon against Lindenwood, which features a 1:30 p.m. CT kickoff.
The Class of 2022 includes:
David Collett | Football | 1998-01
One of the greatest kickers ever to don the purple and gold, Collett will enter the TTU Sports Hall of Fame as the all-time career leader in scoring for the Golden Eagle football team. A four-time All-Ohio Valley Conference selection, he contributed 253 points to the Tech effort, including the third-highest scoring season in program history with 67 in the 2000 campaign. That total now ranks 11th all-time. A model of consistency, he racked up 64 points as a freshman, 63 as a sophomore, and 59 during his senior season. In a 2000 game against Tennessee State, Collett was one PAT short of tying the single-game record for PATs made with eight against the Tigers. Collett wrapped up his career as the program's all-time leader in field goals made, converting 49-of-68 attempts. His 106 career PATs were the most when his time as a Golden Eagle came to an end, and still rank second to this day. Following his 1999 campaign, he picked up a pair of All-American nods, including Associated Press I-AA Second Team and TeamLink Third Team honors. He earned OVC Specialist of the Week accolades five times during his career, as well as Sports Network National Special Teams Player of the Week once. Collett was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Indianapolis Colts in 2002.
Tacarra Hayes Barnes | Women's Basketball | 2008-12
One of the most well-balanced players in Tennessee Tech women's basketball history, Hayes Barnes could do it all. Over the course of her career, she led the Golden Eagle women in scoring, rebounding, assists, and steals from 2009-10 to 2011-12, while also leading the team in blocks during her sophomore campaign. Earning the OVC's Defensive Player of the Year in 2010-11 – the same year she helped lead the purple and gold to their 17th regular-season title – she had 234 rebounds, an average of 7.5 boards, while also collecting 53 steals. Her game was much more than defense though. As a three-year leading scorer, Hayes climbed up the all-time leaders in points, finishing her career ninth in scoring with 1,786 points, averaging 14.3 per game. Hayes is one of just five Tennessee Tech women's basketball players in the program's 52 seasons to record a triple-double. She accomplished the feat on January 7, 2010 against Morehead State as she posted 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Hayes had a career-high 41 points against Tennessee State on February 15, 2010, which tied her for the eighth-most points in a single game in program history. She was named to the All-OVC First Team three times and to the OVC All-Tournament Team twice. A team captain in 2010-11 and 2011-12, she helped lead Tech to an OVC regular season title in 2011, as well as a bid to the WNIT. Hayes led Tech back to the postseason as a senior, earning a bid to the WBI.
Kevin Murphy | Men's Basketball | 2008-12
Little doubt can be had on the effect Murphy had on the Tennessee Tech men's basketball program during his four-year career from 2008-12. The program's all-time record holder with 128 games played, he became just the second player in school history to surpass 2,000 career points, finishing with 2,109, just 87 shy of Earl Wise. His 681 points scored during the 2011-12 campaign ranked as the third most ever by Golden Eagle. That senior season was highlighted by the single greatest scoring display in program history, a 50-point outburst over SIUE in front of the Tech faithful. The performance broke a more-than 50-year-old record of 48 points set by Jimmy Hagan in February 1959 and tied by Ron Filipek in February 1966. As a junior and senior, Murphy led the Golden Eagles to two of the program's seven total postseason appearances, invites to the CIT in 2011 and 2012. For his on-court efforts, Murphy was a two-time member of the All-OVC First Team in 2010-11 and 2011-12, as well as an OVC All-Newcomer Team selection as a rookie in 2008-09. He was twice named to the OVC All-Tournament Team as a junior and senior and collected NABC All-District honors both years as well. Murphy became the third-highest and ninth-ever NBA draft pick in program history, taken in the second round with the 47th overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz.
Ottis Phillips | Football / Supporter | 1969-72
Phillips was a four-year letterman for the Golden Eagle football team under coach Don Wade from 1969 to 1972, helping Tech capture the OVC championship and a bid to the Grantland Rice Bowl in his senior season. Playing as a tailback, halfback, and fullback, he tallied 103 carries and rushed for 380 total yards and three touchdowns. In those 103 tries, he was tackled behind the line of scrimmage just one time for a one-yard loss. Including his pass receptions and kickoff returns, Phillips finished with 452 all-purpose yards. During his final two seasons, Tech posted an 18-4 overall record and went 12-2 in OVC play. As a member of the football team, his determination and desire made him a formidable player and those same characteristics have made him a successful businessman and community leader. Phillips' involvement in Tech athletics, as well as the community, has stood out since his days as a Golden Eagle student-athlete. In 1990, he helped establish and continues to sponsor the annual Golden Eagle Football Alumni Reunion Weekend and Golf Classic, the largest fundraiser for Tech football each year. His company was one of the original sponsors of the Golden Eagle Scramble, the Athletic Department's largest annual fundraiser. Phillips is co-chair of the committee tasked with raising $15 million for a new football operations center and is one of the largest donors annually as well as lifetime to Tennessee Tech Athletics.
Dave Pratt | Baseball | 1964-67
In four years on the diamond, Pratt made a name for himself as one of the best pitchers in school history. A southpaw on the mound from 1964-67, established three career pitching records, all three categories of which he still ranks in the top five today. He tallied a 2.43 ERA, totaled 22 victories, and carved up 210 strikeouts, becoming the first of only seven players in program history to record 200 or more strikeouts. Pratt became the first Golden Eagle ever to be named OVC Player of the Year in 1966, establishing a program record for single-season ERA with a team-best mark of 1.52, which still ranks as the third lowest in school history today. Following his incredible junior campaign, Pratt became the first known Tech player to be selected in the MLB Draft, earning the 78th overall selection in the January draft by the Cleveland Indians and 79th overall selection by the San Francisco Giants in the June secondary draft. He elected to return to Cookeville for his senior season, earning his third consecutive All-OVC Eastern Division honor in 1967, making him the first Golden Eagle to earn All-OVC accolades three times in a career. Pratt also spent three seasons as a member of the Golden Eagle basketball team (1964-1967), averaging 10.5 points and 2.6 rebounds in 66 games, as well as 13.9 points as a senior.
