Hany Mukhtar, Josh Heupel, More To Be Honored By Tennessee Sports Hall Of Fame

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Pictured (top-bottom): MTSU Women’s Basketball Team, Josh Heupel and Hany Mukhtar

The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame has announced the honorees for the 2023 Achievement Awards, with Josh Heupel, Hany Mukhtar, MTSU Women’s Basketball, Hendon Hooker, Danny White and more topping the list.

The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame previously announced the 2023 induction class. The star- studded list of inductees includes Eric Berry, Keith Bulluck, Mike Fisher, Tim Harris, John Henderson, Tianna Madison, the late Carl R. Moore, Teresa Lawrence Phillips, Zach Randolph, Loren Roberts, Les Robinson and Stephen B. Smith.

Full list of 2023 Achievement Awards honorees:

Tennesseans of the Year, Presented by the Tennessee Lottery – Josh Heupel, Danny White and Donde Plowman

University of Tennessee football saw a return to prominence this past season, including a thrilling win over Alabama, and a No. 1 overall ranking in the College Football Playoff Rankings, the team’s first No. 1 ranking since the 1998 National Championship season.

Chancellor Plowman’s role in the hiring of White, and White’s hiring of Coach Heupel were the catalysts to a resurgence in football on Rocky Top. The impact it had on the University of Tennessee was felt in fan excitement and economics. Over 1,500 students applied to Tennessee in the two days following the team’s win over Alabama in October, nearly doubling the previous year’s cycle.

David Williams Significant Historical Achievement Award, Presented by Alexander Thompson Arnold, PLLC – 1958 Oak Ridge Football Team

The 1958 Oak Ridge Football team was the first school in Tennessee to be named National Champions. Seven members of that team were recruited to SEC schools, and the undefeated Wildcats won the mythical state of Tennessee Championship. On the 65th anniversary of the championship team, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame will honor their contributions to sports of the state with the David Williams Significant Historical Achievement Award.

Pat Summitt Lifetime Achievement Award, Presented by Curb Records – Jerry “The King” Lawler

Jerry “The King” Lawler, a life-long Tennessean and a graduate of Treadway High School in Memphis, is one of the most recognizable names in professional wrestling. Since his debut in the squared circle in 1970, Lawler’s contributions to the industry have included not only his work as a wrestler and a commentator–where he teamed up with Jim “J.R.” Ross to form the most well- known commentary duo ever–but as a company owner and promotor. Along the way, he competed in the National Wrestling Alliance, Continental Wrestling Association, the American Wrestling Association, World Class Championship Wrestling, United States Wrestling Association, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment.

Lawler is also a musician, actor, author, artist and owner of King Jerry Lawler’s Memphis BBQ Company in Cordova. He is a member of the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. Lawler was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

Professional Team of the Year – Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies posted a 51-31 record and earned the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference entering the 2022-2023 NBA Playoffs. The Grizzlies won the Southwest Division, capturing the division in back-to-back seasons. The 51 wins are the third most in franchise history.

Male Professional Athlete of the Year – Hany Mukhtar, Nashville SC

Mukhtar was named the 2022 Landon Donovan MLS MVP after receiving 48.03 percent of the total votes. He led the league with 34 goal contributions (23 goals, 11 assists), which tied for the fifth-most in a single MLS season. He earned the league’s honor of the 2022 MLS Golden Boot after scoring a league-high 23 goals. Mukhtar became the first Nashville SC player to win the awards. He also accounted for 44.2 percent of Nashville’s goals (23 of 52) in 2022, which was the highest percentage in MLS.

Female Amateur Team of the Year – MTSU Women’s Basketball

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) posted a 28-5 record and dominated Conference USA on their way to the program’s 20th Regular-Season Championship and 17th Conference Tournament Championship. The Lady Raiders reached the postseason for the 19th consecutive year and earned their 20th berth in the NCAA Tournament. The 28 wins were third most in program history. They were one of just 16 Division I teams with 25 or more victories. MSTU won 16 straight during one stretch, the fifth-longest winning streak in C-USA history.

Female Amateur Athlete of the Year, Presented by the TSSAA – Mya Jones, University of Memphis Soccer

Jones was named to the All-South Region First Team after finishing the season with a team-high 20 points, while netting nine goals and assisting on two. She posted three game-winning goals. An American Athletic Conference First-Team selection, Jones was instrumental in pacing Memphis to a historic season in which they won the American Athletic Conference and reached the third round of the NCAA Championships.

Male Amateur Team of the Year – University of Tennessee Baseball

Tennessee earned the nation’s No. 1 ranking and had one of the best seasons in college baseball history, setting records for victories (57) and home runs (158) while also winning the SEC regular season and tournament titles for the first time since 1995. The Vols season ended in the Super Regionals as well as gained the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.

Male Amateur Athlete of the Year, Presented by the TSSAA – Hendon Hooker, Tennessee Football

Hooker earned SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors by the Associated Press and SEC coaches, while finishing fifth in voting for the Heisman Trophy. He received 17 first-place votes and recorded 226 points during Heisman voting, and became the first Vol to earn SEC Player of the Year since Peyton Manning in 1997. Hooker was also a finalist for the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Manning Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. He produced 3,565 yards of total offense, completing 229-of-329 passes (69.6) percent for 3,135 yards with 27 touchdowns and only two interceptions, while rushing 104 times for 430 yards and five scores on the ground. Hooker became the fifth Vol in program history to pass for more than 3,000 yards in a season, and claimed five wins over opponents ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time of the meeting.

The honors will be formally presented as part of the 2023 Banquet, presented by the Tennessee Titans on July 22 at the Omni Nashville Downtown. For more information, click here.

Steven Boero
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