From DeAngelo Hall, who went from the Virginia Tech football roster to 14 seasons in the NFL, to Hampton’s own two-time Olympic gold medal sprinter Francena McCorory, the 50th induction of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, taking place in Virginia Beach on April 22, promises to be a star-studded affair. Since its first class in 1972, the Hall of Fame has inducted 345 athletes, coaches and contributors from across the state. The Class of 2023 will feature nine inductees including Hall and McCorory along with Jimmye Laycock, Joe Montgomery, Shawn Moor, Jerry Ratcliff, Bob Rotanz, Sheila Trice-Myers and Ryan Zimmerman.
Following the closure of its museum location in Portsmouth in 2017, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame moved its primary operations to Virginia Beach Town Center, where its displays are accessible to the public through a series of exhibits that are part of a free pedestrian tour known as the “Walk the Hall.” The Hall of Fame also has a presence in the new Virginia Beach Sports Center and at Williamsburg’s Kingsmill Resort and supports youth athletes with its Student-Athlete Achievement Awards scholarships and sports and mental health programming.
