GSU HOF 2021

Athletics

Georgia State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Announced

ATLANTA –The Georgia State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2021 was announced on Tuesday, an elite group of five encompassing five different sports. The group will be honored at the homecoming football game on Oct. 23, as the Panthers take on Texas State.

The class includes two male student-athletes, one female student-athlete, a legendary coach, and a husband and wife who have been a huge part of the success of Georgia State University and the athletics department.

After being honored on Oct. 23, the Class of 2021 will be brought back to campus in April for the annual Student-Athlete Banquet to receive their awards as their names will be added to the new Wall of Fame currently in Center Parc Stadium.

The Class of 2021 includes: J.J. Grey, Wil Lutz, Chuck McCuen, Abigail Tere-Apisah, along with Tom and Patty Lewis.

The Hall of Fame Election Committee was appointed in the spring of 2015 with the task of creating guidelines for nomination and selection. This same group decided the first five classes over the last six years. There are now 35 members of the Georgia State Athletics Hall of Fame.

Nearly 100 nominees are now on the ballot for inductions into the Georgia State Athletics Hall of Fame. Georgia State started competing at the NCAA Division I level for the 1963-64 season, however, limited teams existed prior to that season.

Among the criteria for inclusion in the Georgia State Athletics Hall of Fame is a five-year window once a student-athlete exhausts their eligibility and earns a college degree. Coaches and administrators must be removed from their position for a minimum of two years.

More Information on Each Honoree:

J.J. Grey (Men's Golf)
One of the most accomplished student-athletes in program history, J.J. Grey made a splash from the first day he walked on campus winning the first two events of his career. During his career he became the first golfer to earn four All-Sun Belt First Team honors, was recognized as a PING All-American in 2013, earned PING Freshman All-American honors in 2013, garnered 2016 Sun Belt Conference Golfer of the Year honors, and set multiple records along the way. He won the 2012 Mason Rudolph Championship, 2012 Brickyard Collegiate, 2013 Mission Inn Spring Spectacular, and 2015 Southern Intercollegiate. He led the Panthers to the 2014 NCAA Championship, where the Panthers finished in 22nd place. He finished his career with a school-record four individual titles, played in more rounds (146) than any golfer in program history, set the school record with 78 rounds of par or better, and set the single-season mark with 41 rounds played. He earned 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team honors and earned academic honors in each semester at GSU. Upon graduation he turned his sights to the professional ranks and has enjoyed a career on the mini tours while continuing to give back to Georgia State.

Wil Lutz (Football)
Becoming the first football player in program history to be inducted in the GSU Athletics Hall of Fame, Wil Lutz accomplished a great deal at GSU and has gone on to a remarkable NFL career while continuing to represent the blue and white proudly. Lutz was a four-year starting place-kicker who added punting duties as a senior and earned all-conference honors. He remains Georgia State's career leader in field goals (31), extra points (120) and points (213), and also owns the top career punting average in school history at 42.84 yards on 92 punts. When he graduated, he had played in more games (47) than any player in Georgia State history. From GSU, Lutz was signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Ravens. After training camp, he signed with the New Orleans Saints where he has been the starting kicker since 2016 and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2019. In his first five years in the NFL, he has made 86.6 percent of his field goal attempts and 97.3 percent of his extra point attempts.

Chuck McCuen (Men's Tennis)
One of the most accomplished coaches in the history of the athletics department, Chuck McCuen led the Georgia State men's tennis program to unprecedented heights. McCuen served as the director of tennis for 19 years and was named TAAC/A-Sun Coach of the Year five times. He led the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament in 1999, 2000, and 2002. During his tenure, he coached 14 all-conference selections and three players of the year, as well as 31 All-Academic honorees. The Panthers won five conference titles during his time at GSU while building a perennial top 50 program in the country and compiling a 261-162 record. Always one to give back, McCuen championed for the development of Wheelchair Tennis as a recognized NCAA sport and led the Panther program which competed at a national level. McCuen now serves as the Director of Tennis Operations at Clemson where he has been for the last 16 years, including eight years as head coach.

Abigail Tere-Apisah (Women's Tennis)
Perhaps the most decorated student-athlete in Georgia State history, Abigail Tere-Apisah was a two-time All-American (2012, 2014), three-time NCAA Singles Championship participant, two-time NCAA Double Championship participant, and earned both Sun Belt Conference and CAA Player of the Year honors. Tere-Apisah earned all-conference first team honors four times in singles, three times in doubles, and led the 2014 women's tennis team to the Sun Belt Conference Championship. As a senior in 2014, she finished 15th in the final ITA singles rankings and No. 23 in doubles with Masa Grgan. She set a school-record with 32 wins and reached the semifinals of the NCAA Women's Tennis Singles Championship. She concluded the year earning the GSU Blue Carpet Award as Female Student-Athlete of the Year. Upon graduation, Tere-Apisah turned her attention to the professional ranks where she reached as high as No. 276 in the world in singles play.

Tom and Patty Lewis (Contributors)
Although Tom and Patty Lewis have been fixtures at Georgia State athletic events for decades, it has been their work away from campus that has helped raise the profile of both the University and the Athletics Department. Tom joined Georgia State in 1991 after serving as chief of staff in the office of Gov. Joe Frank Harris, before retiring two years ago after serving as a Senior Advisor to GSU President Mark Becker. Tom served under four presidents during his time at Georgia State; John Palms, Sherman Day, Carl Patton and Mark Becker. He was active in civic affairs throughout his career. He was instrumental in bringing the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games to Georgia State, the addition of football, and played a huge roll in the acquisition of Turner Field as well as the land for the new GSU Convocation Center which will open in August 2022. Patty has been a huge supporter of the University and especially since witnessing the expansion of the program with football. Along the way she has been cheering on the Panthers with Tom for more than 30 years.
 
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