NORFOLK, Va.- March 14, 2013–  Former South Carolina State football standout John Alford (1977-80) will be among five former athletes and coaches inducted into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Hall of Fame tomorrow (Mar. 15) during a brunch at the Sheraton Waterside Hotel in Norfolk, Virginia. The event will begin at 9 a.m.

”I'd like to applaud the 2013 Hall of Fame class for all of their accomplishments both athletically and professionally,” said Dennis E. Thomas, MEAC Commissioner. “They have made significant contributions to their communities, institutions and the conference.”

Joining Alford in the prestigious Hall will be Louis Breeden (Football), NC Central; Yvette Lewis (Track & Field), Hampton; Sharon Brummell (Bowling Coach), Maryland Eastern Shore; and Steve Wilson (Football Coach), Howard.

The MEAC Hall of Fame highlights former student-athletes, coaches, university and/or conference administrators as well as special contributors, who have enriched the legacy of the conference since its inception in 1970. Enshrinees were selected by a 13-person committee made up of administrators and representatives from member institutions.

The inaugural Hall of Fame class was inducted on May 29, 1981, during a 10-year anniversary banquet in Greensboro, North Carolina. Since its establishment, the Hall of Fame has enshrined 118 people, including the class of 2013.

A Dillon, SC native, Alford led a South Carolina State football defense that ranked among the best in NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) during his junior and senior seasons. The Bulldogs won three MEAC titles during his tenure (1977, 1978 and 1980). He was the defensive leader on the SC State 1980 team that went 10-1 overall and 5-0 in the MEAC.

He led the team in tackles, was named an All-MEAC first team, garnered MEAC Defensive Player of the Year accolades, and was selected to the Black College All-Star Team.

Alford was drafted in the 12th round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. The Bulldogs standout was inducted into the South Carolina State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998 and was named to the university's Centennial (1907-2007) football team in 2007.

Alford, who was also a member of the Bulldog wrestling team during his playing days, is currently a member and treasurer of the former South Carolina State Former Athletes Association.

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