Inductees

A 60 year football career as a player, scout, and coach. Two-time All-American at the University of Pittsburgh, consensus in 1956. Played 8 years in the NFL for the Redskins and Giants. Following injury, scouted 4 seasons for the Giants. Coached professional and college football for 43 seasons. Assistant Coach for the Giants, Redskins, Jets, and Steelers during a 23-year stretch. Head coach of Jets, leading them to playoffs game twice in 7 seasons. Recently retired after a 20-year career football program founder and head coach at Robert Morris University, winning two division 1-AA National Championships and six Northeast Conference Titles.

Arthur J. Rooney Jr. is the second son of Arthur J. Rooney, founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played football at North Catholic High School and St. Vincent College. He began his employment with the Steelers in 1961 and from 1966 until 1987 oversaw the Steelers scouting department. During that time the Steelers won four Super Bowls and was voted the NFL 1970s “Team of the Decade.” Nine players drafted during that period became pro football Hall of Famers. He has been nominated 8 times to join his players in the pro football Hall of Fame.

She was a four-year starter on Nazareth Academy’s basketball team that won three consecutive championships from 1962-64 when she led the team in points and rebounds her senior season. Her teams won three consecutive championships from 1962-64. She was the leading scorer and rebounder her senior year.

At Temple University, Murphy earned eleven varsity letters in field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Health & Physical Education. She was a member of the Lady Owls basketball team from 1965-1968 and led the team in scoring her senior and junior seasons. Murphy was also a member of Temple’s lacrosse (1966-68) and field hockey (1966) teams. She was awarded the Women’s Athletic Association (WAA) Blazer Award as the most outstanding female athlete, and also served as president of the WAA for three years (1966-68). Murphy’s academic honors at Temple include the President’s Scholar and the College of Education Awards. She was inducted into Temple’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.

At Neshaminy High School, where she coached the field hockey team for nineteen seasons and amassed a record of 259-52-29. Her team won 11 consecutive league championships, a District 1 Championship in 1983, and two PIAA state championships in 1983 and 1990. Stearing the softball team, Murphy bolstered a record of 140-63 and won 2 league titles in 1976 and 1980. She was named Coach of the Year in field hockey five times and in softball twice by the Bucks County Courier Times and earned the Gold Medal Award for coaching from Scholastic Coach. She was appointed as the assistant principal in charge of athletics in 1993, a position she held until retirement in 2007. Murphy also coached basketball at Neshaminy and Little Flower High Schools, as well as the collegiate level at Beaver College (now Arcadia University) and Penn State Ogontz. Her softball team’s record was 140-63 and won 2 league titles in 1976 and 1980.

She was named Coach of the year and Field Hockey five times and softball twice by the Bucks County Courier Times. Gold Medal Award for coaching from Scholastic Coach. Inducted into Neshaminy High School Sports Hall of Fame, Temple University Hall of Fame and the Philadelphia All Stars Hall of Fame.

As a senior at Cathedral Prep in Erie, he was named team captain and was chosen First Team All-State as he led the Ramblers to the state championship game. His #20 was retired by the school in 2007. At Iowa he was named to three All-Big 10 teams and was a Second Team All-American as a senior. Played in the Senior Bowl and won numerous college awards. Drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He was named AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2007, the first Colt to win the award. Was an integral part of the Colts’ defense that led the team to a victory in Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears. Also played for the San Diego Chargers.

Wil Robinson was a high school All-American and led Laurel highlands to the 1968 PA State Championship. He tallied 1,841 points in high school. In 1972, he had the highest season scoring average in WVU history (29.4), breaking a record set by Jerry West. Robinson scored 1,850 points at WVU, trailing West (2,309), Rod Hundley (2,180), and Da’Sean Butler (2,095). He holds the WVU Coliseum record for points in a game by a Mountaineer player (45 vs. Penn State in 1971). He was named 1st team All-American by Basketball Weekly, United Savings and Helms Foundation. Played in the ABA.

Wil Robinson hasn’t played basketball in a long time, but the former Laurel Highlands High School star hasn’t been forgotten.

Robinson was surprised when he was notified that he had been elected for induction into the first class in the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame.
Wil Robinson

Robinson was also a star at West Virginia University and was inducted into the WVU Hall of Fame in 1997 and the western chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, but he feels this latest honor is very special.

“This is home and it means a lot to be recognized where you grew up,” he said.

Robinson’s credentials are impressive. He was a high school All-American with a 30-point scoring average and led Laurel Highlands to the 1968 Pennsylvania state championship.

Robinson played in the 1968 Dapper Dan Roundball Classic and scored 20 points as the Pennsylvania stars fell to the United States All-Stars 103-90.

During his playing career at West Virginia he garnered All-America honors during his senior season in 1972 when he forged the highest season scoring average in WVU history when he scored 706 points in 24 games (29.4), breaking a record set by Jerry West. The flamboyant Robinson scored 1,850 points in his career, trailing only All-Americans West (2,309) and Rod Hundley (2,180).

He holds the WVU Coliseum record for points in a game by a Mountaineer player (45 vs. Penn State in 1971). In fact, Robinson owns six of the Mountaineers top seven all-time single game scores at the Coliseum.

Looking back, the Laurel Highlands state championship still stands out for Robinson.

“That’s a highlight that you can’t forget,” Robinson remembered. “It is hard to beat as far as being the number one thing in your career unless you take an NBA championship or NCAA championship. The run to the state championship was something I’ll never forget.”

What made it so special was the way the community was caught up in the championship run and the great rivalry with Uniontown High School that made the whole town hoop crazy.

“You don’t see that too much anymore,” Robinson explained. “The whole town was caught up in it and for us to take the championship — you look back and you say, ‘Did we really do that?’ We went all the way and we won everything and that’s something that’s hard to do.”

Harold “Horse” Taylor was the architect of the Laurel Highlands basketball program and played a big role in Robinson’s development on and off the court.

“That is the bread and butter and that’s what makes you and breaks you after leaving high school,” Robinson said. “Either you’ve got it or you don’t and the high school coach is so important in developing people. Not only the basketball skills but the people skills and how you treat people and how you respond to pressure and how you respond to adversity and Horse taught us all that.

“He wanted to make sure that I got into college and that was most evident. He was concerned about basketball, but that wasn’t his main priority, it was to make sure that I grew up to be a man and carried responsibility and go on from there.”

When he ponders his career at West Virginia, Robinson sees unfulfilled promise. The 1971-72 squad got off to a 6-0 start before a terrible traffic accident involving players Larry Harris and Sam Oglesby ended their hopes for a great season.

Robinson is mentioned in the same breath in the record book at WVU with Jerry West and Rod Hundley and that is special.

“I didn’t go there trying to break records, I didn’t go there trying to be the number one scoring leader,” Robinson said. “I just went there to play basketball and do the best I could. When it all ended and I was number one in some categories and hold some records there I was just happy to be mentioned with the likes of Jerry West and Hot Rod Hundley.”

Following his college career, Robinson was selected in the fourth round of the NBA draft by the Houston Rockets and the fourth round of the ABA draft by the Pittsburgh Condors. He played one year in the ABA (1974) with Memphis and Utah.

“It was a disappointment because politics played a role in my pro career,” Robinson lamented. “That caused me to end my career short. When I was with Houston I had actually made that team, but due to political reasons they wanted to keep an older player; they kept him as a player-coach for pension reasons and that took my spot and when they did that the season was getting ready to start the next day and all the rosters were filled and I couldn’t get picked up.

“I had to leave basketball and once I did that it was an uphill battle just to get back to the ABA. Once I got back into the ABA and things were going good the leagues merged. I was starting in Memphis and that summer they merged and I had to make a decision. Was I going to keep on going? I just didn’t have it in me and I decided to go back to school. I made a decision on what I wanted to do in life. Am I going to be a basketball traveling bum or am I going to try and get my education and do something with it?”

Robinson returned to WVU to complete his bachelor’s degree in 1975 and eventually finished his master’s degree in safety in 1984.

Robinson, 59, and his wife, Pam, were married in 1987 and they have one son, 18-year-old Lance. Robinson is working for a company called The Shoe Show and is the district manager for 16 stores in western New York.

Coach Jerry Conboy received the 2009 Pittsburgh Sports Legends award for his lifetime achievement as a basketball coach with 800 wins in a fifty-year career. At South Hills Catholic HS. (1956-1967) he had a 203-46 record. He won four league championships, 2 state championships, 4 Coach of the Year awards, and was selected to coach the first two Roundball Classics. At Point Park College (1969-1989) he had 305 wins including 14 consecutive NAIA District 18 playoffs, 12 Championship wins, 2 District Championships and 3 NAIA National Tournaments. He returned to coach three WPIAL schools to 196 wins, 2 section championships, and 1 WPIAL title. He is in the Western Chapter, Point Park University, and South Hills Catholic Halls of Fame.

Elected to the College Football of Fame in 2015. Former Marshall quarterback and won the Walter Payton Award in 1992. First player to earn National Player of the Year and Male Athlete of the Year. Set FCS national record in 1991 for highest single-season pass efficiency (181.3) and most yards passing in a half when he threw 383 yard in first half against VMI. Inducted into Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. Spent two seasons with Saskatchewan Roughriders of CFL.

Joe played on two undefeated John Harris High School teams and was a major contributor to the Gettysburg College 1966 University Lambert Cup Team. He was named the MVP of the Mid-Atlantic Conference, University Division, and was the only player in conference history to be named first team offense and defense in the same season. Joe was named to the Associated Press Little All-American First Team; Kodak All-American, First team; The Lutheran College All-American, first team; and the All-Pennsylvanian First Team. He played professionally with the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Boston Patriots and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was inducted into The Capital Area Chapter (1992), Gettysburg College (1991), and John Harris High School (1963) Halls of Fame

Coached University of New Hampshire football for 27 years . . . 175 wins, most in Yankee Conference history and top 25 in FCS history . . . claimed four conference and three division titles . . . four-time YC, three-time American Football Coaches Association District I and two-time New England Coach of the Year . . . helped 1975 team to Division II semifinals . . . earned four NCAA Tournament bids . . . 2002 New England Football Writers Contribution to Football award . . . mentor and college coach of Eagles’ coach Chip Kelly . . . 1964 Penn State captain . . . played in 1964 Blue-Gray Football Classic . . . 2000 PSU Alumni Athlete Award . . . Quarterback of undefeated 1960 Lock Haven HS team and played in the 1961 Big 33 game . Elected to College Football Hall of Fame 2016.

1956 1st Team National High School All-American Football at Centerville H. S. (Beth-Center); Scholastic Magazine All-American; 4X All WPIAL; 2X winner-Thom McAn Bronzed Shoe Award; PA Big 33 All Star selection; PIAA shot put and discus records; Recruited by 135 colleges, attending Penn State. Broke all rushing records w/ undefeated freshman team-scoring 6 td’s in game vs. Navy Plebe team featuring their future Heisman Award winner, Joe Bellino.

Penn State established the “Red Worrell Memorial Award” following his accidental death at home, 1957. Inducted into the Washington-Greene Hall of Fame in 1998 and Mid-Mon Valley Chapter Hall of Fame in 2007.

Pennsylvania’s all-time winningest high schoolboy’s basketball coach with 852 career wins in 41 years at Loyalsock Township HS . . . has won 19 district titles . . . led team to three PIAA state Eastern finals . . . 1993 state runner-up . . . helped team to 26 conference titles . . . helped Lancers to 35 20-win seasons . . . coached girls’ basketball team at LTHS for four years (1975-78), leading team to two district titles, four conference titles and state quarterfinals in 1978 . . . one of two high school coaches in Pennsylvania history to win 900 basketball games.

Harter graduated from the Hill School in 1948 after a distinguished athletic career. He played basketball at the University of Pennsylvania for 3 years. He was the Head coach at Penn and received Coach of the Year in 1970-71 season. Then was named Coach of the Year at Oregon in 1976. He also coached at Penn State and Rider and went on to be Chuck Daly’s top assistant with the NBA Champion Detroit Pistons. First head coach of the Charlotte Hornets and also was an assistant coach for Indianapolis Pacers and the Philadelphia 76ers. Had a 30+ year coaching career and was regarded as having a “great defensive mind.”

Sam “The Jet” Jethroe was a center fielder in the Negro League and Major League Baseball. While with the Cincinnati and Cleveland Buckeyes he won a pair of batting titles, hit .304 over seven seasons from 1942 to 1948, and helped the team to two pennants and the 1945 Negro World Series title. He was the fifth African-American played in history to play in the major leagues and was named the National League’s Rookie of the Year in 1950 (oldest player ever to achieve that honor) with the Boston Braves. Jethroe led the NL in stolen bases in his first two seasons. He was called “the quickest human being I’ve ever seen” by former minor league teammate Don Newcombe.