News-Times Staff
EL DORADO - Six new inductees have been selected by the Union County Sports Hall Of Fame advisory committee for the Class of 2017. This is the 7th consecutive year for a group to be selected. This year’s induction banquet will be held July, 29th at the El Dorado Conference Center.
“This is our 7th year and we feel like we have another great class representing four different Union County high schools and inductees whose age range from 67 to 94,” said Randy Ross of the advisory committee.
The late Mike Bender, a 1961 Graduate of Strong High School Bender was high school All-State and played in the high school All Star game. Collegiately he was an All-Southwest Conference lineman with the Arkansas Razorbacks and a member of the 1964 National Championship team. He coached on the high school level, including El Dorado High School, the collegiate level and on the professional level. He was Arkansas legend Brandon Burlsworth’s line coach at the University of Arkansas. When he retired he was the Athletic Director at El Dorado.
Tom Bullock is a 1944 graduate of El Dorado where he was an All-State and All-Southern selection in football. He played football at LSU his freshman year and then attended West Point graduating in 1949. He was a member of Army Coach Earl “Red” Blaik’s National Champion football teams and was a teammate of Heisman Trophy winners Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard. Bullock was also All-American Honorable Mention in Lacrosse. He was a decorated pilot during the Korean War and returned to coach at West Point in 1956.
John Gross, who only played his senior year of high school basketball, was an All-State selection and played in the high school All Star game. He graduated from Fort Smith St. Anne’s high school in 1966. He continued his basketball career at Arkansas Tech playing under Coach Deward Dopson, a native of Strong. In college he was selected All- AIC twice and still holds the school career rebounding record. In 1970 he began his coaching career as the Girls & Boys basketball coach at Parkers Chapel. His demeanor was always evident in his players as they were highly competitive and were very successful. In his 41 years at Parkers Chapel he has been a coach, principal and superintendent. The sports complex at Parkers Chapel was named in his honor.
Gary Miller, a 1968 graduate of El Dorado, participated in football until he learned about Judo, a sport that he is still greatly involved in today. Miller was the founder/coach of the El Dorado Boys Club Judo team. In the early 70s he was approached by Cecil Kellum to start a program with the El Dorado Boys Club. Not only did he start the program but he led the team to seven consecutive AAU State Championships during his 17 years with the Club. Miller has coached numerous individual State Champions and 11 National Champions. He has coached hundreds of boys and girls during his entire career. In a recent tournament this year he competed, winning a gold medal in his age division.
Wren Worley is a 1942 graduate of El Dorado High School, Worley was a two-time All-State selection and also chosen as an All-Southern selection in football. He continued his football career playing for LSU in 1942. In 1943-45 he served in the United States Army. In the fall of 1946, he returned to LSU where he became a teammate of quarterback Y.A. Tittle. He was selected first team All-SEC at guard that year and played against Clyde Scott and the Arkansas Razorbacks in the 1947 Cotton Bowl. In 1947 and 1948, he was a second team All-SEC selection. Worley at the age of 94 is the oldest living Wildcat letterman.
Jimmy Howard is a Meritorious selection. Howard is a 1957 graduate of Washington High School in El Dorado. As a youngster growing up in El Dorado, Howard developed a love for the game of golf. As a 16-year-old, he learned by being a caddie at the El Dorado Country Club and picking up pointers from Country Club Pro Hogan Rountree and future professional player Richard Crawford. Howard was one of the first black golfers to play on the local course. He has for many years taught the game of golf and the life lessons learned from the game to hundreds of youngsters, both black and white, in the 40-plus years of being a volunteer coach. He currently is a coach with the Kids n Golf program. Howard himself was one of the area’s top golfers and won many tournaments until his vision began failing him.