Jan. 30, 2008

RALEIGH - The 2008 North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame honorees includes acclaimed football and basketball players and coaches, a multi-championship stock car team owner and former driver, an innovative sports promoter and a major college athletic director.

"Outstanding athletic achievement and high standards of professionalism are hallmarks of these inductees. They have brought honor and prestige to themselves, their sports and the state of North Carolina. Their achievements have brightened the sports heritage of our state," said Wilt Browning of Kernersville, President of the Hall.

The 2008 inductees are:

* Tom Butters of Durham
* Richard Childress of Welcome
* Leo Hart of Duke
* Bill Hensley of Charlotte
* Ken Huff of Durham
* Jack Jensen of Greensboro
* Curly Neal of Greensboro
* Roy Williams of Chapel Hill

The eight inductees will be enshrined at the 45th annual induction ceremony in Raleigh on May 15, 2008. They will be introduced at an afternoon news conference at the N. C. Museum of History. Formal induction will come during an evening banquet at the North Raleigh Hilton. Banquet ticket information is available from the NC Sports Hall of Fame in Raleigh at (919) 845-3455 or at the Hall's website (www.ncshof.com )

The N. C. Sports Hall of Fame, with 252 members, was established in 1963 and is housed in the N. C. Museum of History in Raleigh. The permanent exhibit includes sports artifacts ranging from a Richard Petty race car to the Homestead Grays' uniform worn by the late Walter "Buck" Leonard, who played baseball in the Negro National League.

The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday from noon until 5:00 p.m. Admission to the Museum is free.

Biographical data on the inductees is as follows:

Roy Williams - A Buncombe County native, he is currently Head Basketball Coach at the University of North Carolina. He coached the 2005 Tar Heels basketball team to the NCAA National Championship. Williams ranks number one among active coaches with a .804 winning percentage. He is the only coach in the nation to win at least one NCAA Tournament game in each of the last 18 seasons. Coach Williams was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.

TOM BUTTERS - Retired in 1998 after 21 years as Vice-President and Director of Athletics at Duke University. He was largely responsible for the Blue Devils' development into one of the nation's most respected and successful programs. He is listed in The Top 50 Most Powerful People in Sports by College Sports. He served as Chairman of the College Football Association's Football Championship Study Committee, and the NCAA Men's Basketball Selection Committee. Butters played professional baseball for the Pittsburg Pirates

RICHARD CHILDRESS - NASCAR team owner won six Winston Cup championships with Dale Earnhardt behind the wheel, the Busch Grand National championship in 2001 and the Truck Series title in 1995. Childress drove his own car from 1969 - 1981 and had six top-five and 76 top-10 finishes.

LEO HART - A native of Kinston, Hart was Duke's starting signal-caller from 1968 through 1970 and remains one of only two Duke Players to earn All-ACC honors for three seasons. He was selected the team's Most Valuable Player as a junior and as a senior. Hart completed 487 of 872 passes for 6,116 yards, establishing ACC records in all three categories. He still ranks fourth in ACC history in attempts, completions and total offense and stands fifth in passing yardage.

BILL HENSLEY - Co-founder of NC Sports Hall of Fame who served as sports information director at Wake Forest University and NC State University, where 12 players earned All-America honors. Hensley established his own public relations firm 30 years ago and has coordinated media and promotions for 20 major golf tournaments, including five US Opens. He founded the North Carolina Golf Panel that rates golf courses throughout the state.

KEN HUFF - Earned first-team All-America and All-ACC honors in 1974 anchoring the University of North Carolina's offensive line that helped the Tar Heels accumulate 4,691 yards. He won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the most outstanding blocker in the Atlantic Coast Conference, opening holes for two 1,000-yard rushers, James Betterson and Mike Voight, that season. Huff had an outstanding career in the National Football League and played for the Baltimore Colts from 1975-82 and for the Washington Redskins from 1983-85.

JACK JENSEN - A coach at Guilford College, his teams won 1973 NAIA basketball championships and NAIA golf title in1989. His golfers won the NCAA Division 111 title in 2002 and 2005. His honors include NAIA Golf Coach of the Year (1989) and NCAA Division 111 Golf Coach of the Year (2002 and 2005). He is a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame. Jensen was recently inducted into the 2008 Golf Coaches of America Hall of Fame.

CURLY NEAL - While at Johnson C. Smith University, Neal earned All-CIAA honors in 1961 and 1963. In his senior year, he averaged 23.1 points per game and led his team to the CIAA title. Neal went on to play in 6,000 games, over 22 years, with the Harlem Globetrotters. He traveled millions of miles, performed in 97 countries as a dribbling sensation. Neal continues to work with the Globetrotters in their Public Relations Department.