Fresno State Athletics
Three Former Bulldogs Inducted Into Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame
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Sept. 18, 2002
FRESNO, Calif. - Three former Fresno State standouts -- football players Kevin Sweeney and J.D. Williams and men's basketball player Mike McFerson -- will join five others in being inducted to the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame this fall. The enshrinement dinner will take place Nov. 7 at the Fresno Convention Center Exhibit Hall, starting at 7 p.m.
Kevin Sweeney, son of former Fresno State head coach Jim Sweeney, was the Bulldog signal caller from 1983-86. During his career in which he was a four-year starter, Sweeney set or tied 30 school, conference and NCAA records. He finished as the NCAA's all-time leading passer with 10,623 passing yards. Sweeney was a two-time honorable mention All-American and finished runner-up in balloting for the Davey O'Brien Award as the national quarterback of the year his senior season. He currently ranks 13th on the all-time passing yardage list. Sweeney still shares the record of seasons over 2,000 yards with four. His No. 9 is one of five retired in FS program history.
J.D. Williams played at Fresno State from 1986-89, where he was an All-Big West selection his junior and senior seasons as a cornerback. He was a second-team All-American his senior year. Williams set school records for most blocked kicks in a season (six) and career (nine). In 1990, he became the first Bulldog ever to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, chosen as 16th overall by the Buffalo Bills. Williams also lettered in track and field while at Fresno State. He placed 15th at the NCAA championships in the triple jump and ran leg on the conference championship 400-meter relay team that set a school record of 40.18. Williams was also an assistant coach with the football team for the 2000 and '01 seasons.
Sweeney, Williams and McFerson will join six others in the 2002 induction class. The class includes San Francisco Giants broadcast team, Lon Simmons and Bill Thompson.