Mark Campbell, Jewuan Long, Meg Griffin Nethery, Preston Overbey and Jabriel Washington became the newest members of the Jackson-Madison County Sports Hall of Fame when the 35th annual event was held at the Carl Perkins Civic Center, Thursday.

HIx ‘Sonny’ Foote was the recipient of the Billy Schrivner Distinguished Service Award.

Stevie Ray Hamer, an all-state basketball player at Middleton High School in the 1990s who also played professionally with the Boston Celtics was the guest speaker.

Hamer is presently the Athletics Discovery Coordinator at the University of Tennessee, where he was a four-year starter and twice earned All-Southeastern Conference honors.

Each inductee thanked those who helped get them into the Hall of Fame, and Jewuan Long, who played basketball at Murray State University, and helped lead Liberty High School to back-to-back state basketball titles in 2006-07, was no different.

“God has blessed me,” said Long, who was also the first basketball player from Jackson named a TSSAA Mr. Basketball, “I definitely want to give the people who were involved in my life credit for where I am today and the success I’ve had.”

Long, who works as a safety manager for a construction company in Orlando, Florida, said he hasn’t completely walked away from the game he loves.

“My passion is basketball,” Long said, “To some extent … coaching young kids or whatever, I definitely want to continue.”

Mark Campbell is the women’s basketball coach at Union University, where he has won five national titles and compiled a record of 658-105, for a winning percentage of .862.

Meg Griffin Nethery played basketball at Union University, where she was a member of the 1998 NAIA National Championship team, and the Class 3A state champion 1996 Jackson Central-Merry High School Lady Cougars.

Preston Overbey played baseball at Ole Miss, and played in the 2014 College Baseball World Series after a standout career in baseball, basketball and football at the University School of Jackson.

Jabriel Washington, a 2011 graduate of Trinity Christian Academy, played football at the University of Alabama, where he was part of three national titles.

Washington, an assistant scout with the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, was unable to attend the event.

(PHOTO: From left, Preston Overbey, Meg Griffin Nethery, Steve Hamer, Mark Campbell, Jewuan Long)

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