The Florida Sports Hall of Fame had its enshrinement ceremony Tuesday night in Tampa, inducting five members into the class of 2016. It was the first time that it featured champions of the Stanley Cup, World Series, Olympics, NCAA, and the Super Bowl. To get into the Florida HOF, for the most part, one must belong to a team based in Florida, have been born in Florida, or have spent a great deal of one's life there.
Phil Esposito was the inductee for hockey, for his work in founding the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, he was already a hotshot in the hockey community, having been inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 1984, a 10-time NHL All-Star, and long regarded one of the best in NHL history in goals and assists. It was his hard work after his retirement in bringing an NHL franchise to Florida — which resulted in the Lightning taking the Stanley Cup in '04 — that got him into the Florida HOF.
Representing baseball was two-time World Series champion Johnny Damon. Damon was inducted under the “great deal of life” for being raised in Orlando; although his championships came with the Boston Red Sox and the Yankees, Damon did spend one season playing for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Allison Jolly is an Olympic gold medalist in sailing, and is also the sailing coach at USF, a position she’s held for 13 years. In addition to her gold medal, she also won multiple championships during her time as a student at Florida State University, as well as being named U.S. Yachtswoman of the Year at the young age of 20.
Jeremy Foley is the ticket office intern turned athletic director for UF. Since 1992, he has overseen nearly the entire university's athletic department. Under his watch, the Gators saw themselves become a powerhouse in the NCAA, with the school being named inside of the top 10 nationally during each year he was in charge. Foley is in a list all his own, as a Division I athletic director who has seen his school gain multiple national titles in both football and men’s basketball.
And then, of course, there's Jon Gruden, the coach responsible for bringing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers their lone championship in 2002. His win came over his original team, the Oakland Raiders, which he also helped to become an NFL powerhouse during his time there. His coaching career came to an end in 2009 with a record of 100-85, and he became commentator for ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
Also being honored was the Fame For Fitness award winner, former Tampa Bay Ray outfielder Sam Fuld. Fuld was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 10; his response to the diagnosis was enjoying a decade playing in the major leagues. He is also the founder of T1D Sports Camp, a sports camp held at USF every year to help kids with Type 1 Diabetes learn how to cope while playing sports.
