Sam Alford, Class of 1964, has been inducted into the Franklin College Athletic Hall of Fame as a player. A resident of New Castle, Alford earned ten varsity letters at Franklin, including four in basketball and four in baseball.
During his senior year, Alford led the nation in free throw shooting with 91.2 percent, successfully sinking 124 of 136 attempts. That same year, he was named Little All-American and Most Valuable Player for Franklin and received the Wil B. Nelp Award as the outstanding senior male athlete.
Alford was a member of Lambda Chi Fraternity and is listed in the Who’s Who among College Students. After graduating from Franklin as a physical education major, he received his master’s degree from Indiana University in 1967.
Alford is beginning his 26th season as a high school basketball coach, having guided varsity teams at Monroe City, South Knox, Martinsville and presently New Castle. In 1984, he was named head coach of the Indiana All-Stars and selected to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Silver Anniversary Team. Alford has coached his teams to 13 sectional titles, four regional titles, a semi-state title and a Final Four appearance in 1984.
Alford has conducted annual summer basketball camps at Franklin and carious other sites and has assisted in recruiting student-athletes for Franklin College.
Bruce Hickman, Class of 1971, has been inducted into the Franklin College Athletic Hall of Fame as a player. Hickman, who played as a receiver and a safety under longtime football coach Stewart “Red” Faught, was the last two-way started to play for Franklin.
As an athlete at Franklin, he earned four varsity letters in football, four in track, and one in basketball. In 1970, Hickman was named most valuable Runner for track. In football, he was named the Grizzlies’ Most Valuable Player, and All-NAIA District 21 honoree and a member of the NAIA’s All-American team. During his career at Franklin, Hickman broke seven individual football records for receptions and interceptions. Hickman was a member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity at Franklin.
Hickman signed as a free-agent with the National Football League’s Pittsburg Steelers in 1971. A resident of Indianapolis, he has been an eighth- and ninth-grade health and physical education teacher for over 20 years. Hickman has also coached junior high football, basketball, and track.
His daughter, Amy, has carried on the Franklin tradition and is presently a sophomore on campus.
Evan “Big Cat” Williams, Class of 1971, has been inducted into the Franklin College Athletic Hall of Fame as a player. Originally from New Jersey, Williams earned eight varsity letters while a student at Franklin.
Williams lettered for three years in golf and was named all-conference in 1969, NAIA All-Indiana in 1970 and Franklin’s Most Valuable Player in 1970 and 1971. He competed in the NAIA national golf competition in 1969 and 1970. Moreover, he set school records in track for the triple jump and long jump and in football for the longest punt with a kick of 76 yards.
In basketball, Williams set a school record for the most rebounds in a game, 27, and was named the Most Valuable Player his senior year. In 1971, he was invited to the rookie camp of the National Basketball Association’s New York Knicks.
A member of the Professional Golf Association since 1975, Williams has been victorious in several professional invitational and long drive contests. He won the World Challenge Long Drive Contest in 1974 with a 366- yard hit and the National Long Drive Championship in 1976 and 1977 with drives over 300 yards.
He has been a professional at several country clubs, a commentator for ESPN and a spokesman for Special Olympics. In 1979, Williams wrote a golf handbook entitled, You Can Hit the Golf Ball Farther.
Jenny Johnson, Class of 1972, currently a Franklin College professor of physical education and women’s athletic director, has been inducted into the Franklin College Athletic Hall of Fame as a player. Johnson graduated magna cum laude and was a member of the basketball, field hockey, volleyball, softball, and track teams.
As an athlete, Johnson excelled particularly in softball and basketball. During her senior year, she helped lead the basketball, averaging 20 points per game. Johnson was named to the Indiana Collegiate Field Hockey All-Start Team in her sophomore year and helped Franklin finish undefeated her senior year.
In 1981, Johnson became the first woman inducted into the United States Slo-Pitch Softball Association Hall of Fame. She led her team to world championship in 1986, 1987, and 1988 and was named Outstanding Defensive Player and to the All-World team in 1989.
Considered to be one of the best shortstops ever to have played, she has been named to the USSSA All-World Team 11 times and Most Valuable Player 33 times. Johnson has served as the women’s national director for USSSA and traveled to the Soviet Union as a part of the organization’s softball tour.
Johnson received her master’s degree from Indiana University and has coached softball, field hockey and basketball at Franklin. She recently was named 1990-91 Female Athletics Administrator of the Year for District 21 of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
