The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame has officially inducted its 2024 class of standouts from a myriad of sports.
On Saturday night, eight new members had their names further etched into Mississippi’s sports history books and were commemorated during a banquet held at the Clyde Muse Center in Pearl.
Including a two-time Super Bowl MVP recipient, a world-class sports broadcaster, a record-setting wide receiver at the professional ranks, an NFL defensive standout, the winningest high school basketball coach in Mississippi history, a legendary bass fisherman, an Olympic medalist in track and field, and an all-time tennis great, this year’s group of inductees represents some of the best the state has to offer.
Eli Manning
Before going on to win two Super Bowl MVPs with the New York Giants, Manning broke or tied 47 records at Ole Miss on his way to becoming the program’s most decorated offensive player in school history. He’ll once again follow in the footsteps of his father, Archie, who not only played at Ole Miss as well but was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1989.
Walter “Red” Barber
A Columbus native, Barber was the voice of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1939-53 before moving over to Yankee Stadium to call games from 1954-66. Considered a mentor by Vin Scully, Barber was one of the first two broadcasters inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995.
Jimmy Smith
Smith, a Jackson native who stayed home to play at Jackson State, was the 36th overall pick in the 1992 NFL Draft. He went on to become the Jacksonville Jaguars’ all-time leading receiver with 12,287 yards and 67 touchdowns.
Jimmy Webb
A Florence native, Webb played at Mississippi State and was in the NFL before they began keeping sack totals. However, a sportswriter at the time said Webb spent so much time in opposing teams’ backfields, that “they should have charged him rent.”
Richard Duease
Going into his 49th season as a high school basketball coach and 42nd season at Madison-Ridgeland Academy, Duease enters the hall after recently becoming the all-time winningest high school coach in Mississippi history. On top of 33 state championships, he has a boys’ basketball record of 1209-433 and a girls’ record of 592-271.
Paul Elias
Paul Elias is now the first professional bass fisherman inducted into the hall. A native of Laurel, Elias began tournament fishing in 1979 and still competes today. In 1982, he won the Bassmaster’s Classic Championship, and in 2008, he set a record for the largest four-day five-bass limit in one tournament of 132 pounds, 8 ounces.
Savanté Stringfellow
Stringfellow joins other track and field greats such as Ralph Boston (1976) and Calvin Smith (2014) to have his name enshrined. The long jumper out of Jackson, who attended Ole Miss, was a silver medalist in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Becky Vest
A Jackson native, Vest went on to play on the Virginia Slims European Tour and competed in the French Open, U.S. Open, and Wimbledon. She joins her mother, Dorothy Vest, as the first mother-daughter duo to be inducted.