Three new members of the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame will be inducted during the Rutgers-Washington State Cougars’ football game on Thursday, Aug. 28.
The inductees are longtime ABC-TV sportscaster Keith Jackson, Indy 500 winner Tom Sneva and WSU quarterback Jack Thompson.
Four additional inductees – the late softball barnstormer Eddie Feigner, basketball star Detlef Schrempf, hydroplane racer Chip Hanauer and “Mr. Mariner” Alvin Davis, were honored earlier this month with their induction prior to a Mariners game at Safeco Field.
With this year’s inductees, the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame grows to a total of 189 members. Plaques of the inductees are on display in the ShanahanSportsMuseum in the Tacoma Dome. The hall of fame was founded in 1960 by Tacoma broadcaster Clay Huntington.
Georgia-born Jackson got his start in broadcasting at WashingtonStateUniversity and worked for KOMO radio and then KOMO-TV from 1954-64. Jackson is best known for his more than 50 years of football telecasts. The phrase “Whoa, Nellie!” was his signature phrase.
Jackson is also credited with creating and popularizing the description of the Rose Bowl as “The Granddaddy of Them All”.
Often forgotten is that Jackson was the first play-by-play announcer on Monday Night Football and covered major-league baseball, PGA golf, the NBA, major auto races, boxing matches and the Olympics during his career.
Sneva won the 1983 Indianapolis 500. He won season Indy car championships in 1977 and 1978. In 1977 he became the first driver to qualify for the Indy 500 at a speed of more than 200 mph.
Sneva is a graduate of Lewis & ClarkHigh School in Spokane and after graduating from EasternWashingtonUniversity was a school teacher and junior-high principal before becoming a full-time racer.
Thompson may have the best nickname in state history. The “Throwin’ Samoan” was nicknamed by late Spokane Spokesman-Review columnist Harry Missildine.
Thompson was the most prolific passer in NCAA history with 7,818 yards when he concluded his WashingtonState career. He is only one of two players to have his WSU number (14) retired. He was the third player taken overall in the 1979 NFL draft (by Cincinnati) and played six seasons in the league. He starred at EvergreenHigh School in White Center.
Marc Blau, executive director of the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame said, “We have another strong class of inductees this year and we’re proud to be part of the fabric of the Washington sports scene. Fans will enjoy cheering again for athletes who entertained them and enriched their lives as sports fans.”