Dec. 12, 2012
AUBURN—Former Auburn athletes Ronnie Baynes, Forrest Blue and Vickie Orr, along with former coach Bill Oliver, are among eight individuals that will be part of the Class of 2013 for induction into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, announced the Board of Directors of the ASHOF.
Baynes was a three-year starter on the football team (1962-65) and a two year starter on the baseball team (1963-64) at Auburn. A native of Talladega, Ala., he was an SEC and NFL official for twenty-six years. He was a line judge in two Super Bowls (XXIX and XXXIII) and a member of officiating crews for three NFC and one AFC Championship Games.
Baynes also officiated three divisional playoff games and four wildcard games and one Pro Bowl. From 2001 to 2008, he was the supervisor of NFL Officials and also has been Director of Scouting and Officiating Development for the NFL. He officiated 13 years in the Southeastern Conference.
Blue was a three-year letterwinner at center (1965-67) at Auburn. He was named to the Auburn Team of the Sixties, while helping the Tigers to a Sun Bowl appearance his senior year.
A native of Tampa, Fla., Blue was a first-round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers in 1968. He played seven seasons with the 49ers and is regarded as one of the top centers in franchise history. Blue was named to the first-team All-Pro in 1971 and ’72 and played in four consecutive Pro Bowls while helping the 49ers to three straight divisional titles in the early 1970’s. He ended his career with the Baltimore Colts playing four seasons. Blue passed away on July 16, 2011.
One of Auburn’s greatest women’s basketball players, Orr was a Kodak All-American three consecutive years in 1987, 1988 and 1989. The 1988 SEC Player of Year, Orr is second all-time at Auburn scoring with 2,035 points and is one of only two Tiger players to score more than 2,000 points and have 1,000 rebounds.
Orr helped led the Tigers to two straight NCAA Championship games and was the MVP of the NCAA Mid-East Regional and All-Final Four team in 1989. Internationally, Orr was a member of the 1990 U.S.A. Team that won a Gold Medal in the World Championships and a member of the 1990 Goodwill team that won the Gold Medal. She was also a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team that won a Bronze Medal. She went on to play professionally in Italy from 1990-92.
Oliver, who spent more than 30 years coaching football at the college level, had two stints at Auburn, from 1966-70 and from 1996-98. He was Auburn’s secondary coach under Shug Jordan during his first tenure, while serving as defensive coordinator from 1996-98. He served as Auburn’s interim head coach for five games during the 1998 season. Oliver, who played collegiately at Alabama, also had coaching stints at Alabama (1971-79, 90-95), Chattanooga (1980-83), Clemson (1986-89) and the Memphis Showboats (1984-85) of the USFL. He was Chattanooga’s head coach, where he compiled a 29-14-1 record.
The newly elected inductees for the Class of 2013 also include: Forrest Blue Jr. (posthumously), Eric Davis, Bill Jones (posthumously), Nick Saban and Dannette Young Stone.
The newly elected eight inductees will bring the total of all inductees since 1969 to 313.
The 2013 Induction Banquet will take place in the Birmingham Ballroom at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel on Saturday, May 18, 2013. Reception and banquet tickets can be purchased by contacting the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame museum.