FUMA Sports Hall of Fame

Michael Quick was born in Hamlet, NC as one of nine children. He starred in football and was on the state championship track team at Richmond (NC) High School before coming to Fork Union Military Academy. He set a record for receptions during his football career at FUMA and then went on to have an excellent basketball season as well. Quick lead the nation in high hurdles and was named Track Most Valuable Player. He was highly recruited in all three sports before accepting a full scholarship to NC State were he was the leading receiver in the college's history with 116 catches for 1,934 yards. He was named All-ACC at wide receiver and named Honorable Mention All-America as a senior. Quick played in the Olympia Gold Bowl and received Offensive Most Valuable Player of the Blue-Gray Game. He continued his success in track at NC State and had a best time of 13.6 for the 110-meter hurdles.

Quick was the Philadelphia Eagles first draft pick in 1982 and remained with the team until his retirement in 1991. He was voted to the Pro Bowl 5 straight years (1983-1987). Over those five seasons, he caught more touchdown passes (53) than any other NFL player, and ranked 3rd in yardage. He ranked among the top three in the NFC in TD receptions from 1983-87 and is the only player in Eagles' history to have 3 consecutive 1,000 yard receiving seasons (1983-1985). Adding to his honors, Quick was named 1st Team All-NFL and 2nd Team All-NFC in 1987.

At age 15 Vernon Morgan was signed by the New York Giants Baseball Team. His contract was voided because of a technicality, so the young man from Emporia came to FUMA. He became a standout in football, basketball and baseball. As captain of the football team, he received FUMA's Outstanding Athlete Award and was named to the All-Star Military Football Team. Morgan went from Fork Union to the University of Richmond where he planned to play the same three sports.

His start on the football field was delayed because his eligibility was questioned due to the pro contract that he had signed at age 15. Morgan was the first athlete to take a college athletic conference into court. It was November 1947 before the case was resolved in his favor and he made his debut as a halfback for the Spiders. Morgan's plans to play basketball at Richmond were thwarted due to an emergency appendectomy in December. He had also been expected to become Coach Mac Pitt's shortstop but he signed a pro contract and left before ever playing for Coach Pitt. A third baseman who saw big league service with the Chicago Cubs in 1954-55, he joined the Twins Organization as a player with the Chattanooga affiliate in 1956, served his first of 8 seasons as a manager in 1961 and was elevated to the Minnesota Twins as a coach in 1969 where he remained until his death in November 1975. Morgan holds the longevity record for Twins Coaching.

In 1959, Fletcher Arritt came to Fork Union Military Academy from Fayetteville, West Virginia as a postgraduate cadet. That year he was co-captain of the basketball team and member of the track team. Upon his graduation in 1960, Arritt spent four years playing basketball at the University of Virginia where he also ran track and cross country.

Arritt returned to Fork Union in 1966 to teach biology and also coached basketball, track, and junior-prep football. After serving as an assistant basketball coach, Arritt became head of the postgraduate team in 1971. He has sent close to 500 players from his program to play among the college ranks, including over 200 Division-I basketball players. Of his 46-year history of basketball, it has been said that there is no coach who has done a better job of preparing kids for college. Seven players have been sent to the NBA, and nearly 25 former players have coached at either the high school or collegiate level. Arritt has seen over 800 wins in his career by using his old-school principle of coaching - instilling the corps of cadets with the values of "Body, Mind and Spirit."

Coach Arritt's reign over the postgraduate basketball program has made Blue Devils one of the nation's premier scholastic basketball programs. He started the Fork Union Basketball School in 1985 and continues to serve well over 100 campers each summer. The Passing Game with Fletcher Arritt is broadcast on sports-radio stations throughout Virginia. Fletcher Arritt's passion is most evident when he shares insights with students and players. "Be proud of that uniform. You'll always be something special while you wear it. Once you take it off, you're just another person walking the streets."

“Believe it or not, it had nothing to do with the football field,” said Vinny Testaverde when asked recently on our radio show Shuman Says to relate his favorite FUMA memory. “They asked me to come be part of the track team and throw the javelin. They didn’t have a javelin thrower. I had never thrown it before. We went out there and I think I set the school record in throwing the javelin. That was one of my favorite memories.”

Vinny Testaverde attended FUMA as a postgraduate in 1981-82 and played quarterback on the PG football team under Coach Pulliam. His arm strength was incredible and Vinny’s javelin throw of 212’ 1” in competition still stands as the FUMA record.

Testaverde was born to be a football player, with his father Al Testaverde his biggest fan. As starting quarterback of Sewanhaka High in Elmont, New York during his senior season, Testaverde racked up almost 700 yards in passing, despite playing in an offensive scheme built around running the veer play.

Having a rocket arm wasn’t enough for the young athlete to gain a scholarship, however. He also needed to demonstrate the kind of academic achievement that would attract the recruiters from the top Division I programs.

So Testaverde left behind the comfort of his loving family and his status as high school star in order to meet the challenges of Fork Union Military Academy. That choice not only led to a scholarship to the University of Miami, it helped reinforce and develop the qualities of determination, patience, leadership, responsibility, and dedication to hard work that would characterize Testaverde’s long football career.

It was, truly, a choice that would prove life-changing for Testaverde.

“It saved my football dreams,” Testaverde told New York Times writer Bill Pennington in an interview for Pennington’s book The Heisman.
“I remember that from 7:30 to 9:45 every night, the entire school was studying,” Testaverde told Pennington. “And it made a difference. I learned what you can accomplish when you focus.”

During his two years as starting quarterback for the University of Miami, he led the team to a 21-1 record and set a number of passing records, many of which still stand today, more than two decades later.

Testaverde was awarded the Heisman Trophy honoring him as the best college football player in 1986. It was a dream come true for his father. Al Testaverde, a construction worker, used to eat his lunches on the street outside the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City and imagine the day he would enter as a guest of honor to see his son, then just a young boy, win the prestigious award.

Picked first overall in the 1987 NFL Draft by Tampa Bay, Testaverde went on to play for 21 years in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (’87-92), Cleveland Browns (’93-’95), Baltimore Ravens (’96-’97), New York Jets (’98-’03, ‘05), Dallas Cowboys (’04), New England Patriots (’06), and Carolina Panthers (’07).

He ranks among the top ten quarterbacks in history in career statistics for passing yards, passes attempted, passes completed, touchdown passes, and he holds a number of NFL passing records outright. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1996 and 1998.

In one of his most memorable games, Testaverde led the Jets to their greatest comeback win ever, 40-37 over the Dolphins in October 2000. Entering the fourth quarter down 30-7, Testaverde connected on four touchdown passes to win the game that became known as the “Monday Night Miracle.” This game was voted by fans in 2000 as the “greatest game televised on ABC’s Monday Night Football.”

Bossolina was a top athlete at Fork Union, playing basketball, football and track. He was well-regarded by his teammates and fondly remembered as an athlete whose leadership was respected both on the athletic field and in the daily life of the Cadet Corps. He served as the football team's Defensive Captain in 1948 and became Captain of the team in 1949. He was All-State during his senior year. During the same year, Bossolina was President of the FUMA Varsity Club.

Many sports articles boasted Bossolina's leadership on the field while at Fork Union. One such article ran the headline: "Bossolina, Fork Union Center, Is Team's 'Coach on the Field'." His expertise as lineman helped lead the team to success in many games, four seasons in a row. He is remembered by fellow alumni as having great spirit and determination. This factor rated him as one of the best centers in the state. Bossolina's team spirit carried through in his role as cadet as he was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned as Executive Officer of his company during his second year at Fork Union.

Bossolina's success at the Academy helped him receive a full scholarship to Furman University where he carried on his tradition as an outstanding center. In 1951, he received Honorable Mention Guard for the All-State Team.

After graduating from college, Bossolina built his own vending business and owned two restaurants in the New York metropolitan area. His fellow alumni still remember him fondly: "I knew Charlie most of my life - he was a quality person" and "Charlie was an inspiration to all who knew him on and off the athletic field."

Herman A. Clark made his name on the gridiron and in the coaching ranks in Virginia and the Carolinas. His passing skills led Fork Union to the state military schools football championship in 1950. Clark was an all-around athlete, lettering in football, baseball, and basketball. It was football that he made a name for himself. The team captain of 1950 was named All-State both years at FUMA. As the leader of the Blue Devils, Clark lost just one game in two seasons, while throwing 20 touchdown passes. He went on to win the Orchid Bowl after his senior season.

Clark played one year of freshman football at the University of Richmond, then transferred to Chowan Junior College where he became the school's first All-American in 1955. In 1986, Clark was inducted into Chowan's Hall of Fame.

Clark returned to Chowan as an assistant coach for one year, then went on his own. During his 10-year stint as head coach at Murfreesboro (NC) High School, he never endured a losing campaign. He was named the state's Coach of the Year in 1972, and coached the "East" Squad in the North Carolina East-West Shrine Game. Clark also coached at Scotland Neck (NC) High School for five seasons.

Stevenson Clarke played tennis like no other at FUMA before or since. When he laced up his shoes, victory was almost a certainty. In four years at Fork Union, Clarke compiled a 109-1 combined singles and doubles record, including 72 consecutive victories. He was ranked as one of the top 50 high school players in the country at the time.

Clarke's skills were evident even before he came to Fork Union. He was winning junior tournaments in the Washington, DC area, and by the time he turned professional, he had accumulated more than 60 amateur championships. Clarke graduated from FUMA and went on to star for nationally ranked Louisiana State University. He was a four-year starter for the Tigers and was team captain in 1981. After college, Clarke continued to tour as an amateur, claiming the National Indoor Doubles Championship in 1982. That same year, he was ranked as the second-best amateur player in the nation. He finally took a shot at the professional tour that year, and attained a world ranking from 1982 through 1985.

Voted the Best Athlete of his class in 1948, Dom Cataldi has long been remembered for his prowess in football, basketball, and baseball, where he lettered in all three sports. Captain of the basketball squad in 1946, he was also a member of the All-State Basketball Team (1946 and 1948) and the All-State Virginia Military Academy State Squad (1947). In 1948, Cataldi signed with the Utica blue Socks, a Philadelphia Phillies Farm Club. In 1949, he attended Stout State, where he lettered in football, basketball, and baseball. During this time he was also a member of the Menomonie Eagles Amateur Baseball Championship Team. Still active in sports, Cataldi is a member of the All-Star 70+ Softball Travel Team and a member of the San Diego "Top Guns" - finalists for the senior softball world championships in 1997.

Jim Bunch's impressive football career started in 1974 at Lee Davis High School in Midlothian, VA. There he was named Football MVP and Lineman of the Year for Virginia. He followed that performance up with a postgraduate year at FUMA where he was also named Football MVP. At the University of Alabama, Jim shined. He was a member of the All-SEC Team for 1986, '77, '78, and '79; SEC Sophomore Player of the Year ('77), and was a member of two national championship teams (1978 and 1979). He was named to the Kodak All-American Team, the Associated Press All-American Team, and the Sports Writers All-American Team. He also received the General Douglas MacArthur Memorial Award and was named to the 1st Team Alabama Team of the Decade and the 2nd Team Alabama Team of the Century. In 1999, Jim was nominated for the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

Like his brother Wilson, Pliny Marshall Cropp was voted FUMA's Best Athlete in 1936 when he lettered in three sports - baseball, basketball and football. He was captain of the undefeated State Championship football team of 1935, while the 1935 basketball tam was also undefeated. Cropp himself was an honorable mention to the All-State Prep Basketball Team. At VPI and SU he was on the basketball team his freshman year. Cropp's love of sports continued past college where he was the baseball Coach of the Cardinals Athletic Club and the Albemarle Weaving Company team.

Ed Merrick came to Fork Union in 1932 and played football, basketball and baseball all three years. In 1936 he entered the University of Richmond where he started off once again playing three sports. It wasn't long before he was regarded as "The greatest football center ever to play for the University of Richmond." He was named All-State in football in 1938 and 1939 as well as being voted the Outstanding Tackle in 1938, 1939, and 1940. Merrick was named to the All-Southern Team three years and was the first college player from the state of Virginia ever selected to the College All-Star Game.

He played with the Richmond Rebels in the Dixie League and was named to the 1st Team All-Dixie League. Merrick stared coaching the University of Richmond Freshman Football Team in 1940. He enter the U.S. Air Force in 1942 and left in 1946 as a major after receiving the Soldier's Medal for Heroism and five Battle Stars.

In 1946 he returned to FUMA as Head Football Coach and compiled a 41-10 record, defeating Columbia Military Academy's undefeated team in the Orchid Bowl in 1950. During Merrick's 14 year reign as Head Football Coach at the University of Richmond (1951-65), his teams played the toughest schedule in the history of the University against football powers Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, West Virginia and Syracuse. He was State Coach of the Year in 1956 and State and South Carolina Coach of the Year in 1958. he is a Charter Member of the University of Richmond's Hall of Fame.

Steve Meilinger came to FUMA for his senior year and was voted Fork Union's football player of the year from a team that lost only one game. While he remained an honor roll student, Meilinger won letters in football, basketball and track. He was also named to the 1st Team All-State Military Football League. At Fork Union high pressure recruiting caught up with Meilinger. He had offers from 36 different schools, but finally decided to play at the University of Kentucky, where he was coached by Bear Bryant.

Undoubtedly, he ranked as one of the greatest collegiate football players ever. He played both offense and defense at eight different positions. After his sophomore year, he made the All-SEC Team and was named All-American by the N.E.A. At the end of his junior year, he was the team's leading scorer and named to almost everyone's All-American Team as an end. He was also chosen as the quarterback on the All-SEC Team. In his senior year he made virtually every All-American Team and was chosen to play in the East-West Shrine Game, The Hula Bowl and the College All-Star Game. In 1954 he was a 1st round draft pick of the Washington Redskins, but due to his enlistment in the Army he didn't join the team until 1956. Starting in 1958 he played fro three years with Coach Vince Lombardi in Green Bay. Since his playing days, Meilinger has been selected to the All-Time SEC Team for the years 1950 to 1974. Kentucky has retired his jersey The Lehigh Valley has named him to its Hall of Fame.

John Hilton came to Fork Union as a postgraduate cadet in 1959. He played basketball, football and track and excelled in each to such an extend that he was named FUMA's Best All-Around Athlete for 1960. Hilton attended the University of Richmond on an athletic scholarship. He was one of the finest tight ends ever to play at University of Richmond and is eighth on Richmond's career receptions list with 87; ninth on the career yardage list with 1,289; and fourth in career touchdown receptions with 14. Hilton was selected All-State in 1961, 1962, and 1964, as well as All-Southern Conference in 1964. While at Richmond he participated in the Senior Bowl and the Blue-Gray All-Star classic. Hilton is a member of the University of Richmond's Hall of Fame.

After college, John was drafted by the Detroit Lions and spent nine years playing in the NFL - five years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, one year with the Green Bay Packers and two years with the Detroit Lions. He had a split year with the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Redskins during his career. In 1996 Hilton was voted the Most Valuable Offensive Player for the Pittsburgh Steelers after breaking a 25 year Steeler's record for tight ends by making 46 catches. After his playing days John spent seven years coaching the NFL including three with the Chicago Bears. His coaching career also included three years with the Washington Redskins and one with the Green Bay Packers.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing

FUMA's most valuable player for the postgraduate basketball squad, Mel Turpin was also voted the number one player in the state for varsity basketball. While at FUMA, he averaged 19 points, 12 rebounds, and six blocked shots per game. At the University of Kentucky, Turpin made the 1st Team All-SEC for 1982 and 1983, and was a starter for the NCAA Final Four Kentucky Wildcats Team (1983-1984)., In 1984, he was the SEC scoring leader, and he still holds the record for the most field goals made in SEC tournament play. He still is co-holder for the individual with the most points scored in a single SEC tournament game (1984). A first-round draft pick by the then Washington Bullets, Turpin was in the National Basketball Association for nine years, also playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The captain of a FUMA football team should be a large young man, shouldn't he? Not necessarily, as evidenced by Billy Duke, FUMA's football and track captain for 1949-1950. In 1950, he led his football team to a state military title and was named the most valuable backfield performer by his squad, However, Duke is best know as a track star, a sport in which he also lettered, as he led his squad to numerous championships. He also set the state indoor pole vault record in 1949. After graduating from FUMA, Duke attended the University of North Carolina, where he ran track and field, played soccer, and won the Freshman Decathlon in 1950. In 1957 he coached the Air Force team to victory in the Annual Air Force, Army, and Navy Track and Field Championships, winning the pole vault event at that meet.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing