KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (WVLT) – VFL legend and NFL Hall of Fame member Peyton Manning was the guest speaker at the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame banquet on Tuesday night.
Among those in the 2021 class is former Peyton UT quarterback coach David Cutcliffe. Other attendees included former Knoxville City amateur golf champion Jay Wise. Former UT Track star and longtime track official Donnie Graham, who attended Powell High School. And this year’s member of the media is Tennessee Lady Vol game man Mickey Dearstone.
This was the 40th induction class for the GKSHOF and the first in person since 2019. The return of a live audience also resulted in a huge harvest for Boys and Girls clubs with some $ 213-Thounsad raised at the time of the banquet and that number may even go up.
Here is the full list of this year’s inductees:
GKSHOF INTRODUCED 2021:
Heather Sumpter Blakemore — Athletics
All Americans in track and field in Tennessee in the mid-90s.
Mike Caldwell — Football
Notable LB at MTSU and has played for several NFL teams.
David Cutcliffe — Coach
46-year coaching career, 19 at UT and 14th at Duke.
Mickey Dearstone — Media
Has been the voice of Lady Vols basketball for twenty years.
Donnie Graham — Official
Dedicated his life to the Knoxville athletic community and later as an official.
Chris Groer — Tennis
An athlete in two sports in Farragut (golf and tennis) became the school’s first state tennis champion to win in ’91 and ’92.
Lee Guetterman — Baseball
The “Goot”, as it is called, lives in Lenoir City. Played in the Majors from 1984 to 1996.
Carly Pearson — Para-athlete
Paralyzed from the waist down, Carly has done very well in snow skiing, triathlons, hand cycling and the National Para-cycling Championships.
Charlie Petrone — Trainer
The Petrone Training Center has become the offseason home for some of the world’s best athletes.
Jay Wise — Golf
One of the great local golfers of all time. Golf / tennis champion in Fulton, Jay has won the Knoxville City Amateur eight times, the last in 2017.
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