Elegant decor and sparkling purple and gold lights decked the PMAC on Tuesday night in honor of the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame’s newest inductees. The winningest coach in LSU football history, known affectionately to fans as “Charlie Mac,” was posthumously inducted. Charles McClendon’s induction makes him the first coach ever elected to the Hall of Fame, since the rules were recently amended to allow coaches and administrators. The rest of the 2007 inductee class includes women’s basketball guard Marie Ferdinand, baseball slugger Eddy Furniss and two former football centers Joseph “Nacho” Albergamo and Kevin Mawae. Mawae’s acceptance speech was the most emotional moment of the night, as he choked back tears before beginning his speech. “It’s not about the record; it’s about the purpose,” said Mawae, who now plays for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. “It’s about the honor and privilege of wearing the purple and gold.” Ferdinand, who plays for the WNBA San Antonio Silver Stars, thanked deceased former LSU women’s basketball coach Sue Gunter for her inspiration as a mentor. “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be standing here tonight,” Ferdinand said. Albergamo, now a practicing physician in Baton Rouge, said he was “overwhelmed with the fanfare” upon arriving at the PMAC. “I’m just going to try to put into words what it meant for me to be at LSU,” Albergamo said before his speech. The inductees join the ranks of 106 LSU greats, such as basketball guard “Pistol Pete” Maravich, football running back Kevin Faulk, basketball center Shaquille O’Neal and LSU’s sole Heisman trophy winner, football running back Billy Cannon. To be inducted, former student athletes must hold an undergraduate degree and have achieved national recognition in their chosen sport. “It’s really nice to see young people being honored because of their deeds and actions,” Cannon told The Daily Reveille. “Coaches and players come and go, but the institution really lasts forever.” Jerry Stovall, a former LSU All-American running back and head football coach, was also in attendance. Stovall, who serves on the selection committee, said he is pleased coaches can now be inducted. Stovall played for coach Paul Dietzel during the majority of his LSU career but played for McClendon his senior year. “My best LSU memory is having the opportunity to play for the two greatest coaches ever,” Stovall told The Daily Reveille. “Charlie Mac emotionally touched a vast majority of the people here tonight.” McClendon’s widow, Dorothy Faye McClendon, accepted his award to conclude Tuesday’s ceremony. “[McClendon] never felt coaching was a job, but a privilege,” she said. Athletic Director Skip Bertman closed the ceremony by thanking Senior Associate Athletic Director Herb Vincent for organizing the event. Tuesday’s event marks the first time the ceremony was held in the PMAC and only the second time a banquet has been held in honor of the inductees.
—-Contact Amy Brittain at [email protected]