ECU Hall of Fame Grows With Four New Selections
August 15, 2003 | General
Emory, Smith and VanSant will be inducted at a banquet on Friday, October 24 on the ECU Campus and then introduced to the public during halftime of the ECU-Louisville football game on Saturday, October 25. Due to the National Football League (NFL) game between the Arizona Cardinals, quaterbacked by Blake, and the San Francisco 49ers that same weekend, Blake will be unable to attend the ceremonies and will be enshrined at a later date.
Under the direction of Ed Emory, ECU made its first appearance in the final national Associated Press poll in 1983 with a ranking of 20th after posting an 8-3 record, losing three games to Florida State, Florida and Miami (Fla.) by a combined 13 points. Emory served as the Pirates' head coach for five seasons from 1980-84. A native of Lancaster, S.C., Emory earned three varsity letters at ECU in the late 1950s.
Vinson Smith supplanted his name among the best linebackers to ever play football at ECU. As a junior and senior, Smith led East Carolina in total tackles in 1986 and '87. In 1986, Smith tallied 116 total tackles and followed that season with an 118 tackle campaign in '87. Smith signed with Atlanta as an undrafted free agent in 1988 and spent 12 years in the NFL, winning one Super Bowl as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.
Dr. Henry VanSant's association with ECU spanned over six decades as he served as both coach and administrator at his alma mater. VanSant played on the Pirate football team from 1957-60 and then served as an assistant coach under the legendary Clarence Stasavich. VanSant began his administrative tenure at ECU in 1985 as assistant to the athletic director before being named Associate Athletic Director two years later, a position he held until he retired in 2001. VanSant also served as Interim Athletic Director following Dave Hart's departure in 1994.
Jeff Blake orchestrated the greatest season in Pirate football history leading ECU to an 11-1 overall record and a final national ranking of No. 9. During his senior season of 1991, Blake finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting, and was named second team All-America and East Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
The three new inductees brings the total athletes enshrined into the ECU Athletics Hall of Fame to 102.
