Gary Baldinger, Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues and Jack Williams will join the 82 current members.
Jan. 17, 2001
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Three former outstanding Demon Deacon student-athletes - one football player and two basketball players - will
be inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame during festivities taking place on campus this weekend. Gary Baldinger, Tyrone
"Muggsy" Bogues and Jack Williams will join the 82 current members of the Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony and banquet held
Saturday evening. Baldinger, Bogues and members of Jack Williams' family (Williams is receiving the honor posthumously) will then be
recognized at halftime of the Wake Forest basketball game versus Clemson on Sunday afternoon at Joel Coliseum.
Gary Baldinger
From 1983 through 1985, Gary Baldinger was the anchor of the Wake Forest defensive line. The Most Valuable Player on the 1985 team,
Baldinger was a two-time first team All-ACC selection in 1984 and 1985.
Wake Forest went 14-19 during his three-year career, including a 6-5 record in 1984. Baldinger played his entire career under coach Al Groh.
In 1985, Baldinger and teammate Foy White served as team captains.
Baldinger was well-decorated at Wake Forest. In addition to earning All-ACC honors twice, he earned the prestigious Arnold Palmer Award
(Athlete of the Year) in 1986. In 1984, he won the Bill George Award (WFU's standout lineman). In 1984, he shared the prestigious Beattie
Feathers Award (most improved) with White. And in 1985, he was an honorable mention All-America selection (Leslie O'Neal and Bruce Smith
were the first team All-America selections at defensive tackle that season). Not bad for a guy who tried his hand at lacrosse before casting his
lot with football.
Baldinger went on to enjoy an outstanding career in the National Football League, playing for Kansas City (1986-88), Indianapolis (1989) and
Buffalo (1990-92). As a member of the Buffalo Bills, Baldinger participated in three Super Bowls.
Playing football was a tradition in the Baldinger family. His father, James, played in the early 1950s at the U.S. Naval Academy. Brother, Brian,
was an offensive guard at Duke and brother, Richard, was a standout offensive lineman at Wake Forest from 1979-81. Gary was the first
family member to play on the defensive side of the ball. His sister, Cheryl, was a swimmer at Long Beach State.
Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues
Still one of the most popular players to wear a Wake Forest uniform and holder of WFU's all-time assists and steals records, Tyrone "Muggsy"
Bogues continues to play in the National Basketball Association.
At 5-foot-3, Bogues was initially known for his size but was later measured by the size of his heart. One of Wake's quickest players ever,
Bogues caused havoc on both ends of the floor. With 781 career assists, he recorded 200 more assists than any player in Wake Forest history.
He is the only player in WFU history to record 200 assists in one season and he achieved that feat three times. Bogues also holds the school's
all-time steals record with 275, some 71 more than his closest competition. Bogues is the only player in WFU history to record 70 steals in one
season and he achieved that feat three times as well.
Bogues never saw his height as a disadvantage. In fact, he thought his small frame gave him an advantage over bigger opponents. "I don't
think being short is a problem," Bogues once said. "In fact, I look at it as an advantage I have on those big guys. I'm low to the ground, and
when they put the ball on the floor, I'm already there. They have to worry about me."
In 1987, Bogues' senior season, he earned first team All-ACC honors and was well-known throughout the country. Earlier in his career, in
1984, he played a key role on a Deacon team that advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, defeating DePaul in the round of 16
before losing to Houston.
Bogues enjoyed a remarkable prep career at Dunbar High School, leading the Baltimore school to a mythical national championship. On a team
that included Georgetown signee Reggie Williams, Bogues was named the team MVP. He was recruited heavily by Virginia's Terry Holland,
Maryland's Lefty Driesell and Syracuse's Jim Boeheim, but chose coach Carl Tacy and Wake Forest.
In his 13th season in the NBA, Bogues is playing this season for the Toronto Raptors after previously playing at Golden State (1998-99),
Charlotte (1989-97) and Washington (1988).
Jack Williams
Jack Williams was a consistent standout performer on Wake Forest basketball teams in the 1950s. After earning second team All-Southern
Conference honors in 1953, Williams spent two years in the military. When he returned, he helped lead the 1956 and 1957 teams to consecutive
19-win seasons.
Today, Williams ranks as the 15th-leading scorer and 8th-leading rebounder in Wake Forest history, even though he played just three seasons.
He led the 1957 team in scoring (16.2 points per game) and he led the 1956 team in rebounding (11.0 rebounds per contest). He played much of
his career with a back brace, resulting from a slight spinal deformity.
Williams played on balanced and unselfish Demon Deacon teams that included Lowell "Lefty" Davis, Ernie Wiggins, Jack Murdock and Jim
Gilley. In his first season in 1953, he played alongside the great Dickie Hemric. In fact, many followers of college basketball called Hemric and
Williams the best one-two punch in the nation. In 1957, Williams shared the very first Deacon Award with teammates Murdock and Wiggins.
Williams played his entire career for Murray Greason, the winningest coach in Wake Forest history. Horace "Bones" McKinney took over the
reigns one year after Williams' departure in 1958.
Williams saw many changes during his college career. When he returned from the military, Wake Forest had moved from the old Southern
Conference to the new Atlantic Coast Conference. Between his junior and senior seasons, Wake Forest University moved its campus to
Winston-Salem.
During his two-year stint in the military, Williams kept his skills sharp by playing for the Eielson Warriors in Alaska. He earned a spot on the
Armed Forces All-Star team, which played in the Pan American Games in South America.
Born and raised in Johnston City (Ill.), Williams was a remarkable overall athlete. In high school he was an all-state fullback in football and team
captain of the Johnston City High School baseball team.
Williams worked as a teacher, coach and administrator until retiring on July 1, 1992.
The Hall of Fame committee meets annually to determine worthy candidates for induction. Eligibility for Hall of Fame members is defined by
criteria established by the WFU Department of Athletics, which includes being out of school 10 years (or deceased), having achieved national
recognition as an athlete, coach or administrator that has brought fame to the inductee as well as the university, and being of good character and
reputation.
Baldinger is the 32nd football player to join the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame, while Bogues and Williams are the 17th and 18th men's
basketball players to be inducted.