Pittsburg State University

Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame

Bill Samuels
Carthage, Missouri
Meritorious Service
Bill Samuels served as a coach, instructor and athletic administrator at his alma mater for 29 years, including seven years as athletic director (1990-96). Samuels was a guiding force in PSU's transition from the NAIA to NCAA affiliation and he helped lay the groundwork for the formation of PSU's Gorilla Club. He also was a three-year letterwinner on the Gorilla football team and kicked the winning PAT in PSU's 1957 NAIA National Championship victory against Hillsdale College.

Rick Simoncic (1983-86)
Frontenac, Kansas
Track & Field Athlete
Rick Simoncic was a two-time NAIA All-America javelin thrower at Pittsburg State. Simoncic captured the NAIA National Championship in the event as a senior in 1986 with a throw of 247-feet, 7óinches -- one of the longest marks in the world at that time under the new modern weight specifications. He also placed third at nationals in the event as a junior in 1985.

Sam Pittman (1980-83)
Grove, Oklahoma
Football Athlete
Sam Pittman was a first-team NAIA All-America defensive end as a senior in 1983. Pittman also was a three-time All-CSIC performer (1981-83), earning first-team honors his final two seasons. He set PSU school records for single season quarterback sacks (22.0, 1982) and career quarterback sacks (46.0) at the time of his graduation. He finished his career among the school's all-time tackle leaders with 263 career stops as well.

Jesse Wall (1985-88)
Midwest City, Oklahoma
Football Athlete
Jesse Wall was a two-time first-team NAIA All-America offensive lineman for the Gorillas (1987-88). Wall also earned first-team All-America honors from the AFCA and Football Gazette and honorable mention All-America on the Associated Press Little All-America team in 1988. Additionally, he was a two-time first-team All-CSIC performer those two seasons, helping PSU lead the nation in rushing, scoring, and total offense in 1987.