Seven Ferris State Legends Inducted into the Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame

Ferris State University inducted a star-studded class of seven into the Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame, recognizing athletes who performed in 1910 through 2015.

Ferris State President Bill Pink paid tribute to the great contributions of the inductees and the legacy they established that will forever be recognized.

"What's special about tonight is that we get to celebrate greatness,” Pink said. “When I think about Hall of Fame celebrations, in my experience, we are honoring you not just for what you did at the university but what you have continued to in your life and your profession - and in many cases, are still doing today. Thank you for continuing to hold our Bulldog banner is such a strong way."

The Class of 2023 represents the hall’s 13th group of inductees, featuring: Jeff Blashill, from the hockey team (1994-98); Lucy (DeMartin) Prior, women’s basketball (2000-04), Dannie Hayes, men’s basketball (1991-95); Tianna Kirkland, women’s basketball and track and field (1997-01), Brad Morris, wrestling (1985-89); Jason Vander Laan, football (2012-15); and the late Gideon Smith, football (1910-11), represented by his grandson John Belcher.

Combined, this class of inductees includes four individuals who earned All-America honors at Ferris State, including Prior, Kirkland, Vander Laan and Morris. The class also features one of the top men's basketball scorers in school history, in Hayes, a former head coach of the Detroit Red Wings and current Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach in Blashill. Also included is a two-time Harlon Hill Trophy winner as the nation's top football standout in Vander Laan, along with Smith, who was an early college football pioneer as one of the school's first African-American players and is currently named on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame.

"We're here to recognize the achievements and accomplishments of eight incredible individuals who clearly left their mark on this institution and on this Athletic Department," said Steve Brockelbank, director of Athletics.

In addition to the inductees, the Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame Selection Committee honored longtime supporter and former administrator Carma Burcham as a recipient of the Athletics Special Service Award.

A longtime supporter of Bulldog Athletics and dedicated employee of Ferris State University, Burcham served as the school's coordinator of records and NCAA eligibility for more than 30 years where she impacted thousands of student-athletes prior to her retirement.

Honorees are:

• Jeff Blashill (Hockey, 1994-1998) - The former head coach of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings and the current assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Blashill began his coaching career by spending three seasons (1999-2002) as an assistant under head coach Bob Daniels at Ferris State, his alma mater, before moving on to the professional ranks in a distinguished coaching career. The former goaltender spent four seasons between the pipes for Ferris State, earning the Bulldogs' Rookie of the Year award in 1994-1995 and a spot on the CCHA's All-Academic Team for 1996-1997. He also garnered the Ferris State University President's Award for three straight years for having the team's highest-grade point average. Blashill ranked among the top 15 netminders in school history with 27 career victories and his 78 games played between the pipes also ranked among the top 10 all-time in a Ferris State uniform.
  
  
• Lucy (DeMartin) Prior (Women's Basketball, 2000-2004) – The all-time leading scorer in women's basketball with 1,721 career points, her play as a senior helped the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament along with a runner-up finish in the GLIAC. The Mason product was a two-time honorable mention All-American on the hardwood for the Bulldogs and averaged in double-figures each of her final three seasons in a Ferris State uniform. She was a four-year letterwinner and has her jersey retired in Wink Arena.
  
  
• Dannie Hayes (Men's Basketball, 1991-1995) – Hayes is regarded as one of the top performers on the floor in Ferris State men's basketball history. He remains one of the all-time leading scorers with 1,846 career points. The two-time first-team All-GLIAC honoree averaged 21.5 points per game as a senior and twice led the team in rebounding during his memorable career. Ferris State claimed a league title and posted two runner-up finishes during his career under head coach Tom Ludwig. The Bulldogs won at least 12 games in all four of his seasons in the Ferris State lineup. He also finished his career among the top 10 in school history with 129 career made three-pointers and 125 steals while his 551 career rebounds ranked among the top 20 all-time performers in Bulldog history. 
  
  
• Tianna Kirkland (Women's Basketball/Track, 1997-2001) - A two-sport standout, Kirkland enjoyed a stellar four-year playing career at Ferris State from 1997-2001. The team's leading scorer and rebounder in her final two seasons, Kirkland guided the Bulldogs to a combined record of 74-37 and their first-ever NCAA Division II Tournament appearance in 2000.  Kirkland put together her finest collegiate season as a senior co-captain in 2000-2001, leading Ferris State to a 16-11 record while posting career-high averages of 15.2 points and 9.7 rebounds. She was named a Women's Basketball Bulletin third-team All-American, as well as the GLIAC Player of the Year and has her jersey retired in Wink Arena. Kirkland also lettered in track and field at Ferris State, earning NCAA Division II All-America honors in the indoor and outdoor shot put and the discus in her final season. 
  
  
• Brad Morris (Wrestling, 1985-1989) - A three-time All-American wrestler, Morris was a two-time national runner-up (1987 and1989) and placed fourth in 1988 in the 167-pound weight class. He also was a two-time Academic All-America Honorable Mention selection. In four years, Morris never lost a GLIAC match and was a four-time GLIAC Champion. Morris earned GLIAC Freshman of The Year Award in 1986 and in 1989, as a senior, was voted GLIAC Most Valuable Wrestler and was ranked as high as No. 1 in Division 2 and No. 8 in Division 1. Morris was victorious in a head-to-head match with Division 1's national runner-up in a 2-1 match and tied Division 1's No. 4 ranked wrestler 2-2. Morris' two national runner-up finishes are tied for the program's top individual finishes in school history. He owns the school record for most matches in a season with 53 during the 1988-89 campaign. 
  
  
• Gideon Smith (Football, 1910-1911) - One of the first African American players at the school, Smith was a star football player at Ferris Institute during the 1910 and 1911 seasons, earning a varsity sweater after the 1910 season. Regarded as one of the team's top linemen, Smith learned to play football at Ferris Institute where he was noted as a "star player" under head coach W.C. "Top" Taggart. Smith continued his college football career as a star player at the Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University) and was a member of Michigan State's inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame induction class in 1994 after becoming the school's first African American athlete.

The Ferris State University Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame, which inducted its Charter Class in 2000, was established to honor those student-athletes and coaches who have distinguished themselves in their sport or honorary members who made truly exceptional contributions to athletics.