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Former BYU football stars Rob Morris and Luke Staley are among five former Cougar All-Americans who will be inducted into the BYU Athletic Hall of Fame later this month.
Track and cross country star John Hedengren, track coach Willard Hirschi and volleyball great Nina Puikkonen Mortensen will join Morris and Staley in the induction ceremony at the Gordon B. Hinckely Center on Oct. 15.
The five inductees will be honored during halftime of the BYU-Cincinnati football game on Oct. 16.
Since its inception in 1975, more than 200 student-athletes, coaches and administrators have been inducted into the BYU Hall of Fame. Inductees have to have graduated from a university and have some All-American status to be inducted.
Staley produced one of the greatest single seasons ever by a BYU running back in 2001, rushing for 1,582 yards and a school-record 24 touchdowns. He averaged 8.1 yards per carry, best in Division I and won the Doak Walker Award that year.
Morris earned All-America honors as a junior and a senior at BYU and played running back before being switched to linebacker. He was the WAC Defensive Player of the Year in 1998 and a semifinalist for the Butkus Award in 1999.
Hedengren helped BYU win a combined 11 conference championships during his career in both cross country and track. He earned first-team All-MWC honors in cross country three years in a row, and won an individual title in 1999.
Puikkonen led BYU volleyball to a Sweet 16 appearance in 1999 and made the A-2 US Women's National Team. She received All-American accolades in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
Hirschi was a standout hurdler at BYU before being appointed head men's track coach in 1988. In his 12 years as head coach, the Cougars won 11 straight indoor conference championships and nine outdoor conference championships.