Summerville High School has announced the inductees for its Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2018.
The five new traditional inductees are Randall “Randy” Ward (Graduating Class of 1980/track and cross country), Jerome “Tank” Bryant (Class of 1998/football and baseball), Reggie Williams (Class of 2001/football and track), Tillman U. Millhouse IV (Class of 2005/football, baseball and basketball), and A.J. Green (Class of 2008/football, basketball and track).
To be eligible for regular admission into the hall, SHS graduates must be out of school at least 10 years, be in good standing in the community and be able to present a substantial body of work in high school athletics and beyond. Annually, only five regular admissions are selected by the Hall of Fame Selection Committee.
The committee can also admit up to two applications each year under the special admission category. To be eligible for this category, an individual’s application for admission must demonstrate a substantial impact on the SHS athletic program or its student-athletes.
This year’s special admission category inductees are Heather Tucker and the late Johnathan “J.L.” Simmons. They will both be featured in part two of this series.
All the 2018 SHS Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized at a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 14 in the Spann Elementary School cafeteria and honored later that evening at halftime of the Summerville/Cane Bay football game at Memorial Stadium.
Funding for the SHS Athletic Hall of Fame comes solely through the annual Hall of Fame Golf Tournament. This year’s tournament is scheduled for July 21 at Summerville Country Club. For more information on the tournament visit the club’s pro shop, call 843-873-2210 or visit http://www.summervilleathletics.com.
A.J. Green (2008) – A. J. Green reached the pinnacle of high school athletics, starring as a football, basketball and track athlete.
As a wide receiver, he was considered one of the top players in the country for his class and was even named the top college football prospect in the nation by Sports Illustrated. Green’s efforts on the football field led the Green Wave to two Class AAAA State runner-up finishes. His 5,373 receiving yards rank second among the National Federation of High Schools records and his 279 receptions rank fourth for all-time career receptions. Green earned All-American honors from numerous sports publications both his junior and senior seasons and participated in the Under-Armour All-American All-Star Game.
Green was a team captain for the SHS basketball team that won the 2007-2008 state championship game against Spartanburg High School. He also competed as a long jumper and triple jumper for the SHS Track Team.
He went on to play football at the University of Georgia (2008-2010) and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals as the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He broke nearly all of Cincinnati’s rookie receiving records and led all NFL rookies in receptions and receiving yards.
Green is a perennial All-Pro performer who was selected to seven straight Pro Bowls. His SHS jersey (No. 1) was retired shortly after he was drafted and remains the only retired number in the history of the storied Green Wave Football program.
Randall “Randy” Ward (1980) – Randy Ward was an avid runner who earned five varsity letters and seven all-state honors during his SHS career. He was a member of the 1978 Lower State Runner-Up Cross Country Team and returned in 1979 to win the Lower State Championship. He placed second at the 4-A state championship meet that year.
The SHS Track Team also achieved high marks during Ward’s time at SHS. With his help, the Green Wave won the 4-A Track Team State Championship in 1979 and finished as the runner-up the following year. The Post and Courier named him the High School Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 1979. Outside of SHS, Ward won the Carolina Relays Mile Championship and Francis Marion Relay Mile Championship in 1980.
After high school, he attended Brevard College and the Georgia Institute of Technology. He was a guide runner for the USA Paralympics team and won numerous road, track and cross country races along the East Coast and Europe. He was a six-time USA Master Track and Field All American, placed second at the USA Master Championship, and ranked 10th for the 3000-meter steeplechase in the 2002 World Master Rankings.
Jerome “Tank” Bryant (1998) – Tank Bryant was a three-time varsity letter winner in football and four-time varsity letter winner in baseball.
He helped the Green Wave Baseball team to the 1996 Hanahan Invitational Tournament Championship and the 1997 Region 6AAAA Championship. In his senior season, his team earned an overall record of 25-5 and again claimed the 6-AAAA Region Championship. He was also a member of the American Legion baseball team that won the state championship and played in the National Championship in Virginia.
During his high school football career he scored 21 touchdowns in one season. In his junior season, the team played in the state semi-final, losing in the final seconds to the eventual state champion.
“Tank was a proto-typical fullback … the throwback style,” Hall of Fame Member Joe Call, a former teammate of Bryant, said. “He didn’t mind blocking and he was a tough inside runner who had good enough speed to break away from defenders. He prided himself on ball security and we knew we could count on him to get the tough yards when it was short yardage”.
He was also a high performer in the classroom, earning multiple academic honors. He went on to attend Presbyterian College, where he played football and earned four letters.
After returning to Summerville he volunteered as a coach for the Dixie Youth tee-ball and YMCA U8 soccer programs.
Reggie Williams (2001) – Reggie Williams starred for the Green Wave as a football and track athlete during his three-year varsity career.
As a football player, he earned All-Region, All-Lowcountry, and All-State honors both his junior and senior seasons. During his sophomore year, he was a member of the 1998 4A State Championship Team. As a senior, he competed in the 2000 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-star Game.
As a track-and-field athlete, he earned All-State honors in both 2000 and 2001. He was also named All-Region and All-Lowcountry both years. As a senior, he was the 4A State Runner-up in the discus and his efforts helped the Green Wave to the 4A Track Team State Championship.
After high school, he played football for Florida A & M University. He is currently the president of Centillion Sports. Former SHS track coach Brion Rutherford described him as, “a fun loving guy who enjoyed athletics but could also turn into a fierce competitor whenever he needed to.”
Tillman U. Millhouse, IV (2005) - Tillman Millhouse earned many awards across multiple sports during his time at SHS.
He earned three varsity letters in football (2002-2004). His efforts as a defensive back on the grid iron led to multiple All-Region, All-Lowcountry and All-State honors. As a senior he participated in the Shrine Bowl All-Star Game.
He also received multiple letters for basketball and baseball (2003-05) and was a member of multiple region championship teams for those sports.
He was also an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club during high school. Tillman went on to attend The Citadel, where he played football (2005-2009). He then played at South Carolina State University. He was just as successful academically, earning Dean’s List honors in the classroom.
Hall of Fame member and former Green Wave coach Tee Newman described Millhouse as, “a skilled performer in football, basketball and baseball who is a consummate leader with a great Summerville family.”
