Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Robert Covington highlight Tennessee State Hall of Fame class

After taking a pause in its inductions, the TSU Athletics Hall of Fame added its 2024 class Sunday, which was highlighted by NFL veteran Dominique Rogers-Cromartie and NBA veteran Robert Covington.

It had been 14 years since the last class was enshrined. The induction ceremony took place at the Grand Hyatt Nashville. The 25-members of the class representing 12 different sports were also recognized before kickoff of the Blue and White Spring football game Saturday at Hale Stadium.

Rogers-Cromartie was an FCS All-American defensive back in 2007. He made 39 starts and finished his career with 11 interceptions and 25 deflections. He was a three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference first team pick.

Rogers-Cromartie, who also ran track for the Tigers, was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals and went on to play 11 seasons in the NFL. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and made the All-Pro second team in 2016.

Covington was an All-American, who made the All-OVC first team and all-conference tournament team in 2013. He averaged 17.8 points and 7.9 rebounds for his TSU career before going on to play in the NBA. He is currently in his 11th season and in the first year of his second stint with the Philadelphia 76ers.

He made the NBA All-Defensive Team in 2018 and has nearly 7,000 career points and more than 3,000 rebounds.

Other in the class:

∎ Carolyn Aldridge (basketball, 1992-95)

∎ Antionette Armstrong (softball, 2001-02)

∎ Darlene Crawley-Morrow (basketball and volleyball, 1991-94)

∎ Kelly Davis (volleyball, 2004-07)

∎ Robert Dinwiddie (golf, 2001-05)

∎ King Dunlap IV (football, 1965-69, posthumous)

∎ Onzy Elam (football, 1982-86)

∎ Sean Foley (golf, 1993-97)

∎Kirk Forbes (baseball, 1976-79)

∎ Mark Hickman (tennis, 1996-99)

∎ Nicholas Horton (track & field, 2000-04)

∎ Veronica Hunter (basketball, 1983-86)

∎ Kenneth Joyce (baseball, 1975-79)

∎ Jerrold McRae Sr. (football, 1973-77)

∎ Brenda Morehead-Campbell (track & field, 1975-79)

∎ Tamara Perkins (softball, 2006-10)

∎ Mamie Rallins (track & field, 1971-75, posthumous)

∎ Malcolm Taylor (football, 1978-81)

∎ Jesse Thomas (swimming, 1973-77)

∎ JoAnn Terry-Grissom (track and field, 1956-60)

∎ Dwight Wheeler (football, 1974-77)

∎ Dawn Gates-Hill (tennis, 1997-2000)

∎ Monty Wilson (basketball, 1992-97).

Former Austin Peay coach Lin Dunn of the Indiana Fever lands Caitlin Clark in WNBA Draft

There is always a Nashville connection. Lin Dunn, coach of the Indiana Fever, landed women's college basketball phenom Caitlin Clark with the first pick in the WNBA Draft.

Dunn is a Nashville native who became Austin Peay's first basketball coach in 1971. Dunn, a UT Martin graduated, spent seven seasons at Austin Peay before moving on to become the coach at Ole Miss. She later coached at Miami (Florida) and Purdue before entering the pro ranks. She has been the Fever's coach since 2008.

The Tennessean named Dunn part of its "Legendary Ladies: Elite Eight" in 2014.

"For some time now we've had (Clark) penciled in as our No. 1 pick, but we didn't want to let the cat out of the (bag)," Dunn said. "We didn't want to let anybody know. We wanted to build up some excitement and now it's official. Caitlin Clark is coming to Indianapolis and going to have a huge impact not only on our city, but our franchise too."

Darrell Waltrip throwing out first pitch for Nashville Sounds game

NASCAR Cup Series Hall of Fame driver Darrell Waltrip will throw out the first pitch for the Nashville Sounds vs. Omaha Storm Chasers baseball game Friday (6:35 p.m.) at First Horizon Park.

Waltrip, a Franklin resident, was a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.

Nashville Superspeedway will partner with the Sounds for all promotions Friday.

A specialty theme ticket will be available, which will get fans into the baseball game and the Tennessee Lottery 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at Nashville Superspeedway on June 29.

There will be fireworks after the game.

Overton running back great Charles 'Fruit' Bell dies

Charles "Fruit" Bell, who helped lead Overton to the 1981 football state championship died Sunday. He was 59.

The Tennessean listed Bell, who also played linebacker, on its Nashville area All-Decade 1980s High School Football Team and among Nashville's 100 Greatest High School Football Players of All-Time.

Bell, 59, was a three-year starter who signed to play football at Cincinnati, but instead played baseball at Aquinas Junior College and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox.

If you have an item for Midstate Chatter contact Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Robert Covington in Tennessee State Hall of Fame