ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Former Tusculum University football All-America and Academic All-America® tight end Dr. Jarrell NeSmith has been named to the 2020 induction class of the South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame announced league officials Wednesday.
This year's SAC Hall of Fame class includes NeSmith, Mars Hill cross country standout Stacy Mark Fisk, Catawba golfing legend Paige Haverty Stalcup and Wingate softball great Kerri Porter Unger. The SAC will also honor Newberry alum Wendell Davis with the Conference's Distinguished Alumni Award as part of this year's induction class.
"It is a privilege to add these extraordinary individuals to our already impressive Hall of Fame inductees," said SAC commissioner Patrick Britz. "The SAC is honored to commemorate each of them for their numerous and outstanding accomplishments. They are all shining examples of the rich tradition that the SAC has for both academic and athletic excellence."
NeSmith becomes the ninth Tusculum representative named to the SAC Hall of Fame. He joins former TU greats Ed Hoffmeyer (athletic director), Lesley Murray Hawk (tennis/basketball), Ricardo Colclough (football), Alan Dunn (football), Amanda Musick Hale (cross country), Bob Dibble (golf coach), Dr. Nancy B. Moody (president) and Corey Russell (football).
NeSmith, a 2009 graduate of Tusculum University, was a two-time All-SAC first team tight end and 2008 consensus All-American for the Pioneers.
The Russellville, Alabama native was a three-time SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year becoming the first football player to earn the award three times in league history. He is a two-time SAC Presidents Award winner (2008-09 & 2009-10) and was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American® twice, while also being named to the 2009 National Football Foundation (NFF) Scholar-Athlete Team and the NFF Hampshire Society. NeSmith was also the only NCAA Division II finalist for the 2009 William V. Campbell Trophy, recognizing academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership.
On the field, NeSmith started 43 games at tight end where he amassed 158 receptions for 1,670 yards and 12 touchdowns -the most by a Tusculum tight end. He earned All-America accolades in 2008 while leading the Pioneers to a 9-4 record, the SAC Championship, and the program's first berth to the NCAA Division II Playoffs. Off the field, NeSmith was an honor student majoring in pre-medicine with his goal of becoming a physician.
After graduating from Tusculum in 2009, he moved onto medical school and graduated from Lincoln Memorial University's DeBusk College of Medicine in 2014 with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.
Since earning his doctorate, he has served the Upstate region of South Carolina for the past five years in the medical field. In 2016, he was the recipient of the Dr. Rubel Award for Outstanding OB/GYN Service. He is currently with the MGC Immediate Care Center in Gaffney, South Carolina working in family medicine and sports medicine.
NeSmith was inducted to the Tusculum Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
The 2020 South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame Banquet is currently scheduled to take place as a part of the Conference's Spring Meetings in Greenville, South Carolina, May 28, 2020. However, with the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SAC will continue to monitor the situation and adjust the date if needed.