ST. LOUIS – Former Illinois State two-sport star Mike Prior was selected as one of six inductees into Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame class of 2020, revealed by MVC Commissioner Doug Elgin Tuesday.
In addition to Prior, the 23rd MVC Hall of Fame class features a baseball student-athlete in Bill Mueller (Missouri State); a four-time NCAA track & field pole vault champion in Kylie Hutson (Indiana State); coaching legends Richard "Itchy" Jones (Southern Illinois baseball) and Phog Allen (Kansas basketball) and basketball star Larry Humes (Evansville).
"The Missouri Valley Conference has always been recognized for the great success of its athletics programs, with a rich history that dates back more than a century," Elgin said. "Our MVC Hall of Fame has provided us with an opportunity to honor the student-athletes, coaches, administrators and contributors who have played important roles in the Conference and in intercollegiate athletics. The individuals we will be honoring in the Class of 2020 have brought significant honor to themselves, their institutions and to the Conference. We are truly humbled to have this opportunity to salute them for their achievements."
Prior is the 14th Illinois State representative in the MVC Hall of Fame, joining Kenneth "Buzz" Shaw (1998), Doug Collins (1998), Cathy Boswell (2003), Will Robinson (2003), Jill Hutchison (2008), John Coughlan (2009), Linda Herman (2014), D.A. Weibring (2015), Dave Bergman (2016), Sue Daggett Miller (2016), Charlotte Lewis (2017), Christian Goy (2018) and Kristi Cirone (2019).
"Mike was a tremendous multi-sport student-athlete during his career at Illinois State," ISU Director of Athletics Larry Lyons said. "He is easily one of the greatest athletes to ever compete for the Redbirds or for any MVC school. He could have played at the highest level in professional baseball, had he not chosen to play in the National Football League for 13 seasons. Mike has represented the Redbirds so well over the years and we are thrilled that he has been selected as a deserving member of the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame class of 2020."
Prior was dual-sport standout for the Redbirds from 1981-85, lettering three years in baseball and four times in football as one of the best all-around athletes in school history. A three-time Division I-AA (now FCS) All-American defensive back and a three-time first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference defensive back, Prior holds the ISU career record for interceptions (23) and is tied for second with three interceptions in a game. He also ranks second in the ISU record books with three career punt return touchdowns.
"I'm extremely honored to be a part of the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame class of 2020," Prior said. "I will be forever grateful to Illinois State for taking a chance on me, when there weren't many other offers out there, and giving me the opportunity to play both football and baseball for the Redbirds. I'm looking forward to sharing this experience with my family and friends in March and will represent ISU proudly as a member of this wonderful class of honorees."
The Chicago Heights, Illinois, native finished his collegiate career as ISU's all-time leader in punt return yards (906 yards), a record that still stands. Prior recorded eight interceptions in two separate seasons, while earning the team MVP honor in both 1982 and 1984. His number 15 jersey is just one of three retired by the Redbird football program. On the diamond, Prior was a two-time All-MVC selection and still holds the ISU career records in batting average (.388) and slugging percentage (.715).
Prior is one of three student-athletes in ISU history to be drafted by two professional sport leagues, as he was selected in the fourth round of the MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers and the seventh round of the NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His illustrious 13-year NFL career (Tampa Bay, Indianapolis, Green Bay) is decorated with 691 tackles, 35 interceptions, 7 forced fumbles and a Super Bowl title. He participated in "The Big Game" twice with Green Bay, winning a ring for the Packers following a 35-21 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI.
Prior was inducted into the Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. He received the Contribution to Amateur Football Award presented by the National Football Foundation in 2014, and currently works for the Indianapolis Colts as the Youth Football Commissioner in the Marketing/Community Relations department.
The league will conduct its annual Hall of Fame ceremony as part the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Championship next March 5-8. The March 6 festivities will begin with an 8:00 a.m. breakfast, followed by the induction ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Tickets to the 2020 Hall of Fame event – scheduled to be held at Stifel Theatre (formerly known as the Peabody Opera House), which is adjacent to Enterprise Center (formerly known as Scottrade Center) – can be obtained by calling the league office at (314) 444-4300. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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