Commerce, Texas – Ryan Ivey, A&M-Commerce's Director of Athletics, has announced the six members of the 2014 Lion Athletic Hall of Fame class and the inaugural member of the Lion Hall of Honor, who will be inducted on October 4, as announced by the school Friday.
 
Football's Michael Scott Trigg '88, Eric Turner '92 and Billy Watkins, Jr. '94, men's basketball's Jason Hall '96 , men's golfers Casey DeVoll '99 and women's soccer's Catherine (Cole) Just '98 will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Gene Casselberry will be inducted as the inaugural member of the school's athletic Hall of Honor on October 4 at the Hall of Fame luncheon at noon. The luncheon is open to the public with a cost of attendance of $25 per person or $40 for two people.  Following the luncheon there will be a tailgate held for the inductees prior to the 7 p.m. A&M-Commerce football game against Tarleton State. The group will also be recognized on the field at half time of the contest.
 
To be eligible for the Lion Athletic Hall of Fame a player must have completed at least two seasons, must be removed from exhausting eligibility for 10 years and individuals should have athletic awards that display a high level of athletic ability and contribution to the team.
 
Michael Scott Trigg '88 - Football
Trigg is a 1988 graduate of then East Texas State and a four-year member of the Lions football team where he was a three-year starter at quarterback.  He was a three-year captain of the squad and a Lone Star All-Conference Second Team selection following his senior season in 1988 and his freshman year in 1985.  Trigg led the Lions to an 8-3 overall record and a 5-2 mark in Lone Star Conference play as the Lions finished in a tie for second that season.  The team was ranked as high as No. 2 in the country in week nine of the season following a five game winning streak and wins in eight of their first nine games.  In 1985, Trigg was the team's leader in total yards averaging 175.3 yards per game.  He led the squad again in yards per game with 104.3 during the 1988 season.  His 3,294 career passing yards still stands as the tenth best mark all-time in the Lion record book.
 
Eric Turner '92 – Football
Turner was a 1992 graduate of then East Texas State and a four-year letter winner on the Lion football team.  Turner was a All-American in three consecutive years including seven total first team All-American selections from five different publications following the 1991 and 1992 seasons.  In 1990, he was a third team All-American and a second team All-American.  He is one of only 10 former Lions to earn First Team All-Conference from the Lone Star three times, 1990, 1991 and 1992.  During the 1990 season, Turner led the NCAA Division II in interceptions with 10 picks in 11 games and anchored a passing defense ranked 15th in country.  That season the Lions allowed only 13.1 points per game, the sixth best mark nationally that season.  That same year, the Lions went 10-3 overall and 7-0 in the LSC taking the conference title and advancing into the NCAA DII quarterfinals.  The following season, the Lion defense, led by Turner, allowed 15.8 points per game, the 21st best mark in the NCAA, and again the Lions advanced into the NCAA DII tournament's quarterfinal round after an 8-4-1 overall record and a 4-1-1 LSC record finishing in a tie for second.  During his senior year, he was named to four different publications First Team All-American lists, the Lions had the third best defense in the country averaging 222.7 yards per game.  He also racked up the LSC Defensive Back of the Year honors and Don Hansen's Defensive Back of the Year honors that campaign.
 
Billy Watkins, Jr. '94 – Football
Watkins was a 1994 graduate of then East Texas State and a four-year letter winner on the Lion football team.  He was one of only ten players to earn First Team All-Conference honors from the Lone Star Conference in three seasons.  In 1990, he was a unanimous LSC Freshman of the Year selection.  He earned five different All-American honors from four different publications including two first team nods from Don Hansen's Football Gazette.  Watkins broke 17 different kicking records from ETSU, the LSC and the NCAA over his career.  He was the NCAA Division II all-time kick scoring leader at the time his Lion career ended.  He led the Lions in scoring all four years and finished his career as the Lions all-time points leader, 281, a mark that still stands.  His mark of 83 kicking points in 1991 stood for 22 years until it was broken in 2013.  His 15 field goals in 1991 led all kickers at the NCAA DII level. 
 
Jason Hall '96 – Men's Basketball
Hall was a 1996 graduate of A&M-Commerce and a four-year letter winner on the Lion men's basketball team.  He was named to the Lone Star All-Conference's First Team following the 1994-95 season and the 1995-96 season.  He was one the conference's Tri-Most Valuable Players following his senior season in 1995-96 and was named the leagues Defensive Player of the Year after the 1994-95 season.  He amassed 1,726 career points including 591 points in the 1995-96 season -- a mark that still stands as the tenth best in single-season in the A&M-Commerce record book.  He accounted for 224 steals over his career including three seasons that still rank in the top ten for steals in a single-season:  80 steals in 1995-96, 55 steals in 1994-95 and 53 steals in 1993-94.  His 80 steals in 1995-96 is the Lion school record.
 
Casey DeVoll '99 – Men's Golf
DeVoll was a 1999 graduate of A&M-Commerce and a four-year letter winner on the Lion's men's golf team.  DeVoll had his best season on the links in 1998, his junior year, when he finished third at the Lone Star Championship.  His finish placed him on the league's all-conference first team list.  His performance helped lift the Lions to their first Lone Star men's golf championship since 1965, a span of 33 years.  DeVoll and the Lions went on to compete in the NCAA Championship Division II West Regional, where Devoll's finished tied for second and A&M-Commerce took fourth.  In the NCAA Championship, DeVoll finished tied for 20th,while the Lions finished ninth.  DeVoll's scorching three-tournament streak was the best close to the season by a golfer during the 1998 season.  He followed up with an 11th place finish at the LSC Championship in 1999, his senior season, earning him second team all-conference.
 
Catherine (Cole) Just '98 – Women's Soccer
Just was a member of the first women's soccer team at A&M-Commerce in 1995 and is a 1998 graduate.  She was a four-year letter winner for the Lions and an anchor between the woodwork in goal.  She was named to the Lone Star Conference's First Team in 1996, 1997 and 1998 as a goalkeeper.  She still ranks in ten different all-time career categories in the Lion record book including first in saves per game at 5.36.  She is second all-time in saves with 316, and her 32 career wins is third all-time.  Her 6.62 saves per game average still stands as the best single-season mark.  She was also an Academic All-Conference performer in the classroom all four years with the Lions.
 
Gene Casselberry – Hall of Honors
Casselberry is a local resident of Commerce and has shown meritorious service to Lion Athletics.  He can be seen at every game.
 
This will be the 35th Lion Athletic Hall of Fame class since the association's inception in 1978.  Currently there are 149 former student-athletes, coaches and administrators and 12 teams that have been inducted.  The 2014 class will be the largest class since the 2010 Hall Fame class had seven members, including three teams.