June 16, 2005
ORLANDO - Five Golden Knight greats, including UCF's first athletics director, have been selected to comprise the 2005 class of the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame. Frank Rohter, who served as AD from the time classes began at the school in 1968, until 1974, will be joined in the Hall by soccer All-American Rony Francois, place-kicker Franco Grilla, wrestler Johnny Rouse and single-season rushing leader Marquette Smith. They will be formally inducted in a ceremony Sept. 23 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel on International Drive.
Rohter helped lay the foundation for the early success in athletics enjoyed by UCF, then known as FTU, all while serving as the chair of the physical education department. He was responsible for hiring some of UCF's most successful coaches during his tenure, including UCF Athletics Hall of Fame inductees Torchy Clark, Gerry Gergley, Dennis Kamrad and Jim Rudy. What made his hiring of these successful coaches more amazing was the fact UCF had little funding and no facilities for athletics and each coach also had to accept a teaching position at the University in addition to their coaching duties.
Francois played soccer from 1980-83 and led the team to two Sunshine State Conference regular season and tournament titles and its first two NCAA Tournament appearances in 1982 and 1983. He was a three-time All-South performer and earned All-America honors in 1982. Francois earned first-team All-Sunshine State Conference honors three times and was named the league's offensive MVP twice. He finished his career with 39 goals, 23 assists and 101 career points.
Grilla is probably most recognized for his game-winning kick as time expired on a frozen field in Youngstown, Ohio in 1990 that gave UCF a first-round win in the I-AA playoffs against previously unbeaten Youngstown State. He served as UCF's place-kicker from 1989-92 and was named to the Orlando Sentinel's 25th Anniversary UCF Football Team. He owns the school record with 103 consecutive PATs made and is second in career field goals made with 47.
Rouse wrestled at UCF in 1971 and 1972 and finished second in the state his first year and third his second year. He returned to UCF in 1973 as an assistant coach and stayed until 1976. He served one year as head coach in 1982. He won the Regional Olympic Trials in 1976, but an injury prevented him from competing at the National Finals. Rouse coached Winter Park High School for 19 years. He was honored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame with a Lifetime Service Award and is a member of the Winter Park High School and Metro Conference Hall of Fames. Currently, he is currently coaching UCF's highly successful wrestling club.
Smith played tailback in 1994 and 1995 after transferring from Florida State and led UCF in rushing both seasons. He set the school's single-season record for rushing yards with 1,511 and also set a record with 14 touchdowns as a senior. He is the only player in UCF history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons and is third in career rushing with 2,569 yards, despite having played only two seasons. Smith earned second team All-America honors in 1995, and was an honorable mention selection on the Orlando Sentinel's 25th Anniversary Football Team. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fifth round, but knee injuries in successive years during the pre-season cut his NFL career short.
The induction of these five brings to 36 the number of inductees into the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame. The UCF Athletics Hall of Fame was formed in 1998 to honor those individuals who, through their demonstrated athletics achievement or service, have distinguished themselves and the University. Eligible categories for inclusion are former UCF athletes, coaches and administrators. Athletes must wait four full academic years from the completion of their eligibility, while coaches and administrators are immediately eligible upon the completion of their tenure at UCF.
An eight-member committee, comprised of representatives of the UCF faculty, Golden Knights Club, Alumni Association, local media and the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame, trimmed a list of 43 initial nominees to 14 finalists. That list was further trimmed to the five inductees.
The induction ceremony will begin with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner. Admission for the event is $40 for Golden Knights Club donors and UCF Alumni Association members and $50 for all others. For more information or to reserve your spot, please call the UCF Alumni Association at (407) UCF-ALUM, or 1-800-330-ALUM.
UCF Athletics Hall of Fame Members
Member, Sport(s), Class of Michelle Akers, Soccer, 1998 Amy Allmann, Soccer, 1999 Tim Barker, Baseball, 1999 Sean Beckton, Football, 2000 Bo Clark, Basketball, 1998 Mike Clark, Basketball, 2001 Torchy Clark, Basketball Coach, 1998 Tamika Coley, Basketball, 2001 Daunte Culpepper, Football, 2002 Robert Damron, Golf, 2002 Winston DuBose, Soccer, 2000 Willie English, Football, 2003 Tim Foskett, Baseball, 2002 Rony Francois, Soccer, 2005 Gerry Gergley, Wrestling Coach, 2003 Bill Giovanetti, Football, 2000 Franco Grilla, Football, 2005 Mike Gruttadauria, Football, 2004 Tyra Harper, Volleyball, 2004 Shawn Jefferson, Football, 2002 Dennis Kamrad, Rowing Coach, 2003 Ken Leeks, Basketball, 2004 Cal Lingelbach, Basketball/Baseball, 2001 Renata Menchikova, Volleyball, 2002 Susan Patz, Basketball, 2000 Tari Phillips, Basketball, 2003 Jerry Prather, Basketball, 1999 David Rhodes, Football, 2003 Karen Richter, Soccer, 2000 Heikki Ritvanen, Soccer, 2004 Frank Rohter, AD, 2005 Johnny Rouse, Wrestling, 2005 Jim Rudy, M&W Soccer Coach, 2001 Scott Ryerson, Football, 2002 Laura Smith, Volleyball, 1999 Marquette Smith, Football, 2005