The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday announced the Class of 2021: Willie Anderson, Hal Baird, Cliff Ellis, Steve Hudson, Lillie Leatherwood, George Teague, Ben Wallace and DeMarcus Ware.

The latest class was selected by ballot through a statewide selection committee and will be inducted on May 8, 2021, said Executive Director Scott Myers. Votes were tabulated by the accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Starting with the first class in 1969, this will be the 53rd class inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. The eight new members will bring the total number of inductees to 377.

Class of 2021 highlights

Willie Anderson. (contributed)

Willie Anderson – Born July 11, 1975 in Mobile, Anderson played offensive tackle at Auburn University from 1993-95 where he was an All-American and two-time All-SEC. He was selected 10th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. A four-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro selection, Anderson played 12 seasons with the Bengals and his final season with the Ravens in 2008. He played in 195 games, starting 184. Anderson only surrendered 16 sacks in his 13-year career and did not give up a sack between 1999 and 2001.

Hal Baird. (contributed)

Hal Baird – Born Aug. 23, 1949 in Fayette, Baird pitched at Eastern Carolina University, where he recorded 105 strikeouts in the 1970-71 season. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians and also played for the Kansas City Royals organization. In 1977, he returned to ECU as an assistant and was named head coach in 1980. He had a 145-66-1 record, three NCAA tournament appearances, and two ECAC-South championships. In 1985, he was hired as head baseball coach at Auburn University, where he would coach until 2000. Under his tenure, Auburn had a 634-328-0 record, which was the most wins in Auburn history. Baird’s team earned three NCAA Regional titles, an SEC Western Division Championship, an SEC Tournament Championship and College World Series appearances in 1994 and 1997. Ten of his players earned All-American honors and 51 were drafted (including Bo Jackson, Tim Hudson, and Frank Thomas).

Cliff Ellis. (contributed)

Cliff Ellis – Born Dec. 5, 1945, in Marianna, Florida, after starting his college basketball coaching career at Cumberland University, Ellis was hired as head coach at South Alabama in 1975. Four years later, he had the Jaguars in the NCAA tournament and six seasons later, they were ranked in the nation’s Top 10. From 1975 to 1984, he led the Jaguars to three Sun Belt titles, two NCAA tournament appearances, and two NIT appearances. After the 1984 season, he was named head coach at Clemson University. In 10 years at Clemson, Ellis led the Tigers to postseason play eight times, including three NCAA tournaments. During the 1989-90 season, Ellis led Clemson to its only ACC season title in school history and made it all the way to the Sweet 16. He was a two-time ACC Coach of the Year (1987 and 1990) and is the winningest coach in Clemson history. From 1994-2004 Ellis was head coach at Auburn, where he won 186 games, second only to Joel Eaves. Ellis led the 1998-99 Tigers to the SEC Championship with a 29–4 record and the Sweet 16. The Tigers also reached the Sweet 16 during the 2002-03 season. Since 2007, Ellis has coached at Coastal Carolina, where he is second all-time in school wins. Going into the 2020–21 season, Ellis’s 780 NCAA Division I wins rank him 15th all-time and third among active coaches.

Steve Hudson (right). (contributed)

Steve Hudson – Born Dec. 2, 1958 in Jasper, Hudson golfed collegiately at the University of Alabama, where he was a member of the Tide’s first SEC Championship-winning team in 1979. He played in the U.S. Amateur Championship at Canterbury Country Club (Ohio) in 1979 and was a two-time co-captain of the UA golf team. From 1981-87 he played professionally, three times being named Alabama Golf Association (AGA) Player of the Year and twice AGA Senior Player of the Year. He won the AGA State Mid-Amateur Championship twice and the AGA State Senior Championship twice. In 2014, 2016 and 2017 he won the Senior Amateur Masters Championship. He reached the Top 10 in the Golf Week national rankings four years and in 2017 was named the Society of Seniors Player of the Year.

Lillie Leatherwood. (contributed)

Lillie Leatherwood – Born July 6, 1964 in Tuscaloosa, Leatherwood was a three-time NCAA champion in the 400 meters for the University of Alabama and a 10-time All-American from 1984-87. She was an eight-time SEC champion, including three wins at the 1987 SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships (200 meters, 400 meters, 4×100-meter relay). In 1984, she became the University of Alabama’s first female Olympic gold medalist as a member of the United States 4×400-meter relay team at the Los Angeles Games. In 1987, she was named SEC Female Athlete of the Year, won silver in the 400 meters at the World Indoor Championships, and won bronze in the 4×400-meter relay at the World Outdoor Championships. Her UA school records in the 200 meters and 400 meters have stood since 1987. In 1988, she won an Olympic silver medal as a member of the 4×400-meter relay team at the Summer Olympics in Seoul. In 1991, she won silver at the World Outdoor Championships with the 4×400-meter relay team and bronze at the World Indoor Championships with the 4×400-meter relay team.

George Teague. (contributed)

George Teague – Born Feb. 17, 1971 in Oscoda, Michigan, Teague played safety at the University of Alabama, where he recorded 14 career interceptions in four seasons. In 1992, he was first-team All-SEC and second-team All-American. He was a key member of the 1992 National Championship team. During the Sugar Bowl versus No.1 University of Miami, he stripped the ball away from a Miami receiver who was sprinting for the endzone. The iconic play gave Alabama the momentum, and the Crimson Tide went on to win 34-13 and claim the national championship. Teague was selected 29th overall by the Green Bay Packers in the 1993 NFL Draft. He was a member of the 1993 All-Rookie Team. Over a nine-year career, he played for the Packers, Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins.

Ben Wallace. (Getty Images)

Ben Wallace – Born Sept. 10, 1974 in White Hall, Wallace attended Cuyahoga Community College and Virginia Union University before signing with the Washington Bullets as an undrafted free agent in 1996. In his NBA career, Wallace played with the Washington Bullets/Wizards, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. His honors include NBA Champion (2004), four-time NBA All-Star (2003-06) and three-time All-NBA second team (2003, 2004, 2006). He was five-time NBA All-Defensive first team (2002-2006) and NBA All-Defensive second team (2007). He was the NBA rebounding leader in 2002 and 2003, NBA shot block leader (2002) and the Detroit Pistons all-time leader in blocks. His No. 3 jersey was retired by the Pistons.

DeMarcus Ware. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

DeMarcus Ware – Born July 31, 1982 in Auburn, Ware played defensive end at Troy University, where he was instrumental in the program’s transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2001. He is the school’s all-time leader in tackles for loss (55.5). He is Troy’s second all-time in sacks (27) for a total loss of 198 yards. A two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection, he was named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year in 2003. The Dallas Cowboys selected Ware as the 11th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. During his NFL career, he played nine seasons with the Cowboys and three with the Denver Broncos. He was a member of the Broncos Super Bowl 50 championship team. His career stats include 654 tackles, 138.5 sacks and 35 forced fumbles. He was named to nine Pro Bowls, four All-Pro first-teams and three All-Pro second teams. Ware is a two-time NFL season sacks leader (tied for NFL record) and two-time winner of the Butkus Award. He was named to the Sun Belt Conference 2000s All-Decade Team. In 2012, he was inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame and in 2014 he was inducted into the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame.

The 53rd Annual Induction Banquet and Ceremony will be in the Birmingham Ballroom of the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Museum at 205-323-6665.