Fulmer part of Knoxville Hall's class

Three members of the new Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame class once shared a locker room and ran through the "T" together on Saturday afternoons.

Two others were guys you'd want in your Calcutta on any area golf course.

Nine men and one former Lady Vols basketball player will be inducted on July 17 in what is one of the most anticipated gala events on the local sports calendar.

Phillip Fulmer, Tim Priest and the late Jackie Walker were University of Tennessee football teammates in 1969-70. They will be joined by two other former UT gridiron veterans, Ron McCartney and Mack Gentry.

Also among the 2008 class are: golfers Ricky Gregg and Randy Wylie; distance runner Coppley Vickers; minor-league baseball player Buddy Gilbert; Lady Vols basketball player Lisa McGill Reagan.

The dinner and induction will be at the Knoxville Convention Center. Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Bench is the featured speaker. Proceeds go to fund the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley.

"I'm thrilled about that,'' Fulmer said. "It's a great honor.

"I've been associated with the Boys and Girls Club for a long time to raise money. So it's a fantastic honor and to be going in there with two guys I played with makes it even more special.''

Here's a rundown on the 10 inductees.

- Phillip Fulmer: The Winchester native came to UT as an offensive lineman from 1968-71. Except for two assistant coaching stints in 1974-79, he's been here ever since. Fulmer has been head coach since Nov. 29, 1992. His 147-45 record the past 16 years is among the nation's leaders.

- Coppley Vickers: The 1960 Fulton High graduate was a state champion distance runner who went on to win Southern Conference titles at Furman University and then SEC titles at Tennessee in 1964-65.

- Buddy Gilbert: A Central High alum, Gilbert played minor-league baseball from 1954-61, making several all-star teams. He appeared briefly with the 1959 Cincinnati Reds.

- Lisa McGill Reagan: She was a pioneer of the Lady Vols program from 1975-79, playing on the first teams coached by Pat Summitt. The Gatlinburg product played on two teams that finished third in the AIAW national tournament.

- Mack Gentry: Gentry played football at UT 1962-66, graduated from law school and was an assistant coach at West Point. But he's best known as an official in the SEC from 1979-97.

- Randy Wylie: The 1983 Holston High grad played collegiate golf at Texas A&M. An instructor at Fairways and Greens Golf Center, Wylie is known as one of the top teaching pros in the state.

- Ricky Gregg: A 1974 Young High grad, Gregg became UT's No. 1 player and twice won All-SEC honors. Gregg won more than 50 tournaments as an amateur, including three Knoxville City Men's championships and four Knox County Amateur titles.

- Ron McCartney: A tough defensive end at UT from 1973-76, McCartney was All-SEC in 1975. He played four years in the NFL, making the 1979 Pro Bowl as an Atlanta Falcon.

- Tim Priest: Long before he became color analyst for UT games on the Vol Network (since 1999), Priest was an All-SEC defensive back at UT from 1968-70. He still holds the career interception record of 18.

- Jackie Walker: The Fulton High alum was a star linebacker at UT from 1969-71. He made both All-SEC and All-America in 1970 and 1971. A speech and drama major, Walker once appeared in a production of "Fiddler on the Roof.'' He passed away in 2002.

Tickets: Tickets can be purchased by calling 544-3825, ext. 221, or online at gkshof.org. Individual tickets are $150; a table for 10 is $1,400.