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Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker and Dr. Jim Jarrett will highlight a group of seven who will be inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame on April 30.
Whitaker, a Norfolk native, is a six-time world champion boxer with a professional record of 41-3-1 with 17 knockouts.
In 1984, Whitaker won the gold medal at the Olympics as a lightweight. Ring Magazine crowned him "Fighter of the Year" in 1989 and 2002, and ranked him No. 10 on the list of "t he 100 greatest fighters of the past 80 years."
Jarrett served as athletic director for Old Dominion from 1970 to 2010. During that time, ODU athletic programs won 28 national championships. In 1974, Jarrett became the first athletic director in Virginia to offer athletic scholarships to women.
Jarrett was a charter member of the NCAA Women's Basketball Committee and also served as president of the Colonial Athletic Association, the Sun Belt Conference and Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Also in the class:
- Jeff Rouse, a former Olympic swimmer who won three gold medals and one silver in the Olympics and was a seven-time national champion at Stanford.
- Bill Littlepage, the winningest basketball coach in Virginia High School League Class AAA history with 755 wins. Littlepage was the head coach at Hopewell High for 44 years, winning the state title in 1972.
- Tiki Barber, a former NFL running back with the New York Giants who finished with more than 10,000 yards rushing and ranks second all-time in rushing at the University of Virginia.
- Johnny Newman, the all-time leading scorer at the University of Richmond, spent 16 years in the NBA with seven teams.
- Eugene "Pappy" Thompson, who spent 50 years as a journalist with the Bristol Herald Courier and retired in 1979 as Executive Sports Editor.
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If Jarrett blocked football
and I'm not conceeding he did, he was right. Football would not have worked at ODU in the 1980's or mid 90's. Until the Ted was built and the revenue benefits realized (first sellout other than opening was Jan 2005 vs Wilmington). Football could not be fathomed. Look at how poorly NSU, Hampton and W & M (except for this past season) draw for football. ODU with weaker schedule had 14 sellouts. It was only after the success of the 2004-5 BB season (both teams winning conf BB title) that Football was studied. When it was authorized in May of 2006, the Men had made the NIT Final Four and there were three more sellouts. Each generates a minimum of $100,000.00 after the cost of opening the Ted.
The community response gave the Board the confidence
Jarrett Just OK
As a long time resident (50+ years) of Tidewater and after multiple discussions with ODU alumni through the years, I'm convinced that Mr. Jarrett was "the" obstructionist to bringing back football to ODU for soooooo long. Look out there today; seems football is the best thing to happen to ODU (and Tidewater) in a very long time. Yes, I am a college grad and professional; but, not from ODU. Congrats on his other accomplishments; but, ...
JARRETT OK
Truth be told, Jarrett stood in the school-house door (Webb Center) like some old-time segger and said "We will not have football at ODU". His obstructionist policy retarded football progress at ODU for 25 years. Hall of SHAME worthy.
ODU Football
THANK YOU JIM JARRETT FOR STAYING THE COURSE AND DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY.
All those years that ODU did not have a football program ODU could not afford the expense. ODU was too small, the Alumni base was not big enough and there were many other places to put what funds were available.
In 1975 ODU was very fortunate to hire Dr Al Rollins as the new Univ. President. He had become unwelcome as the VP at The Univ. of Vermont because he had the courage to cancel their football program. A program that was not winning games,was not making any money and satisfying only
a handful of Alumni.
Jim saw to it that ODU did it the right way and at the right time. ODU
has been very fortunate to have Jim Jarrett as AD thru these many years.
ODU 77
congrats sweatpea
congrats to you sweatpea on your Hall Of Fame induction. I still remmember when you brought home the gold and you were the greatest pound for pound boxer of your time, we are proud of you.
OFER
ODU : 28 National Championships CHOKIES O for ETERNITY.