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Pirates welcome four members into Hall of Fame
By JOHN SWARTZ, Sports Writer
GREENVILLE -- Four former East Carolina athletes were recognized for their trek into the Pirates' Hall of Fame at halftime of Saturday's contest against Cincinnati.
Glen Dyer (diving), Robert Jones (football), Gary Overton and Al Vaughan (baseball) were inducted Friday night in the Hall of Fame during a ceremony in the Murphy Center.
Dyer, a three-time All-American, was killed while serving for the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War.
His All-American awards came while competing in the one-meter and three-meter dives in the late '50s and early '60s.
Jones, an All-American from the 1991 Peach Bowl season, was a member of the Pirates' team that finished ranked ninth overall after an 11-1 mark.
The linebacker finished his career with 478 tackles, and was drafted into the NFL with the 24th overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys. In his 11-year NFL career, Jones won three Super Bowl rings.
Overton has spent the better part of four decades associated with East Carolina. As a player, coach and lecturer for the university, he makes his entrance into the Hall of Fame.
Overton coached the baseball team to 427 victories, and departed as the winningest coach in team history.
He guided the team to five NCAA tournaments and two CAA regular season titles.
He currently lectures in the ECU School of Health and Human Performance.
Vaughan was the captain of the only undefeated conference championship team in ECC history. In 1959, he set the stolen base record which stood until 1976.
Pirates draw first blood
With Cameron Broadwell's 36-yard field goal in the first quarter, East Carolina secured its first lead of the season at 3-0.
"It was just an opportunity for me to do my job," Broadwell said. "I was hoping I was going to be kicking an extra-point, but we had to settle for a field goal. I had a job to do, so I did it."
The lead was short lived, as Cincinnati's Gino Guildugli found tight end Brent Celek for a 10-yard touchdown less than six minutes later.
Koonce KOs QB times two
On Cincinnati's first drive of the fourth quarter, defensive lineman Richard Koonce sacked Guildugli twice.
The two sacks were enough to end the Bearcats' drive
"He sold out," said East Carolina head coach John Thompson. "He made some big, big plays. Especially that fourth down stop. That was a pass rush designed especially for him ... to cut him loose."
Firsts for Pinkney
In the first quarter, East Carolina quarterback James Pinkney got the yards he needed to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for his career.
Another first for Pinkney happened on the first Pirates' offensive drive of the game. He went down in the backfield for the first time this season when Trent Cole recorded the sack. Cole later got to Pinkney in the endzone for East Carolina's first safety since last years match up with UC.
For the game, the Bearcats' defense sacked Pinkney six times.
"It was very frustrating," Thompson said. "James just couldn't get out of there. They were good; that's a very good pass rush. We knew going in that was going to be a factor in the game. We've got to get that fixed."
Whimper on offense
ECU's Guy Whimper made his offensive debut Saturday as he made the move from defense to tight end.
"It was weird for me at first," Whimper said. "As the game got longer, and the more time I was in there, it all came back to me. I felt comfortable."
Whimper took offensive snaps at Havelock High School.
This day in 1999
The last time East Carolina took the field on Sept. 25 was against the University of Miami at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. After spending a week in South Carolina because of the devastation by Hurricane Floyd, the Pirates took on Miami and won 27-23.
ECU came back from a 20-point, second half deficit, and defeated a top-10 team for the first, and only, time in school history.
Glen Dyer (diving), Robert Jones (football), Gary Overton and Al Vaughan (baseball) were inducted Friday night in the Hall of Fame during a ceremony in the Murphy Center.
Dyer, a three-time All-American, was killed while serving for the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War.
His All-American awards came while competing in the one-meter and three-meter dives in the late '50s and early '60s.
Jones, an All-American from the 1991 Peach Bowl season, was a member of the Pirates' team that finished ranked ninth overall after an 11-1 mark.
The linebacker finished his career with 478 tackles, and was drafted into the NFL with the 24th overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys. In his 11-year NFL career, Jones won three Super Bowl rings.
Overton has spent the better part of four decades associated with East Carolina. As a player, coach and lecturer for the university, he makes his entrance into the Hall of Fame.
Overton coached the baseball team to 427 victories, and departed as the winningest coach in team history.
He guided the team to five NCAA tournaments and two CAA regular season titles.
He currently lectures in the ECU School of Health and Human Performance.
Vaughan was the captain of the only undefeated conference championship team in ECC history. In 1959, he set the stolen base record which stood until 1976.
Pirates draw first blood
With Cameron Broadwell's 36-yard field goal in the first quarter, East Carolina secured its first lead of the season at 3-0.
"It was just an opportunity for me to do my job," Broadwell said. "I was hoping I was going to be kicking an extra-point, but we had to settle for a field goal. I had a job to do, so I did it."
The lead was short lived, as Cincinnati's Gino Guildugli found tight end Brent Celek for a 10-yard touchdown less than six minutes later.
Koonce KOs QB times two
On Cincinnati's first drive of the fourth quarter, defensive lineman Richard Koonce sacked Guildugli twice.
The two sacks were enough to end the Bearcats' drive
"He sold out," said East Carolina head coach John Thompson. "He made some big, big plays. Especially that fourth down stop. That was a pass rush designed especially for him ... to cut him loose."
Firsts for Pinkney
In the first quarter, East Carolina quarterback James Pinkney got the yards he needed to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for his career.
Another first for Pinkney happened on the first Pirates' offensive drive of the game. He went down in the backfield for the first time this season when Trent Cole recorded the sack. Cole later got to Pinkney in the endzone for East Carolina's first safety since last years match up with UC.
For the game, the Bearcats' defense sacked Pinkney six times.
"It was very frustrating," Thompson said. "James just couldn't get out of there. They were good; that's a very good pass rush. We knew going in that was going to be a factor in the game. We've got to get that fixed."
Whimper on offense
ECU's Guy Whimper made his offensive debut Saturday as he made the move from defense to tight end.
"It was weird for me at first," Whimper said. "As the game got longer, and the more time I was in there, it all came back to me. I felt comfortable."
Whimper took offensive snaps at Havelock High School.
This day in 1999
The last time East Carolina took the field on Sept. 25 was against the University of Miami at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. After spending a week in South Carolina because of the devastation by Hurricane Floyd, the Pirates took on Miami and won 27-23.
ECU came back from a 20-point, second half deficit, and defeated a top-10 team for the first, and only, time in school history.
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| Close, but no win for the Pirates | Hokies' mishap gives Wolfpack the win |
