HONORING THE HEROES OF THE MUCK; PRESERVING ITS HISTORY, PROMOTING ITS VALUES & CELEBRATING ITS EXCELLENCE
MUCK CITY HALL OF FAME
Inaugural Class of 2022
Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Took Place: Sunday June 5th, 2022
Location: Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center
1977 SW College Drive, Belle Glade, FL 33430
The Muck City Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Inductees
FOOTBALL
Rickey Jackson
Santonio Holmes Jr.
Jimmy Spencer
Jessie Hester
COACH
Milton Watson
LIFETIME
ACHIEVEMENT
Clarence Anthony
Former Mayor of South Bay
Earl Poitier
Actor
Janet Taylor
Community Advocate
Willie Gary
Attorney
OTHER SPORTS
Evette Lyman
Basketball / Track & Field
Jerry Seymore
Wrestling
The 2022 Muck City HOF Football Semi-Finalist Nominees
* The Semi-Finalist Nominees are listed in no particular order
RICKEY JACKSON - Inducted
Rickey Anderson Jackson (born March 20, 1958) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints (1981–1993) and the San Francisco 49ers (1994–1995). With the Saints, he led the team's Dome Patrol linebacker corps. In 1997, Jackson was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame.[1] Jackson won a Super Bowl ring with the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX one year before retiring. On February 7, 2010, Jackson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
FRED TAYLOR
Frederick Antwon Taylor (born January 27, 1976) is a former college and professional American football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized as an All-American. Taylor was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the ninth overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, and played for the Jaguars and New England Patriots of the NFL. Taylor is a member of the 10,000 yard rushing club.
Taylor was born in Pahokee, Florida. He attended Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Florida, where he was a standout high school football player for the Glades Central Raiders. He was also a letterman in track. Taylor initially played linebacker, but switched to running back as a junior. As a senior, he ran for 1,700 yards and 22 touchdowns, including a 301-yard, 5-touchdown outing. He received Florida "Super Senior" and all-state honors. In 2007, 13 years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) recognized Taylor as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football.
In track & field, Taylor competed as a sprinter. He recorded personal-bests of 10.85 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.32 seconds in the 200 meters. He was also a member of the 4 × 100 m (42.05 seconds) relay team.
JESSIE HESTER - Inducted
Jessie Lee Hester (born January 21, 1963 in Belle Glade, Florida) is a former professional American football wide receiver who played 11 years in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Raiders, the Atlanta Falcons, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Los Angeles / St. Louis Rams from 1985 to 1995.
He played college football at Florida State University. He finished his college career with 107 catches for 2,100 yards and 21 touchdowns. He was a taken with the 23rd pick in the 1st Round of the 1985 NFL Draft.
In his career, Hester played in 147 games and caught 373 receptions for 5,850 yards and 29 touchdowns.
After retiring from the NFL, Jessie returned home to Belle Glade, Florida to become the head football coach at his alma mater, Glades Central High School. He also owns a home in Wellington, Florida.
On December 17, 2010, Hester was fired from his position of Head Coach at Glades Central High School after guiding the team to a record of 36-4 over three seasons. Hester had led the Raiders to the playoffs for three consecutive years and appearances in two consecutive state championship games, which they lost. In 2011, he went 3-7 as head football coach at Suncoast High School.
In the spring of 2012, Hester became Athletic Director for Lake Worth Community High School. In December 2012, Hester was named football coach.
JIMMY SPENCER - Inducted
James Arthur Spencer, Jr. (born March 29, 1969) is an American former college and professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons during the 1990s and early 2000s. Spencer played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos of the NFL. Spencer was born in Manning, South Carolina. He attended Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Florida, and he played high school football for the Glades Central Raiders.
Spencer accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Galen Hall and coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football teams from 1988 to 1990. In 1990, he blocked a punt late in the fourth quarter, which Richard Fain recovered and returned twenty-five yards for a touchdown and providing the margin of victory in the Gators' 17–13 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Spencer decided to forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility after his junior season in 1990, and made himself eligible for the NFL Draft.
ANQUAN BOLDIN
Anquan Kenmile Boldin Sr. (born October 3, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver who spent 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State and was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2003 NFL draft. He also played for the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions.
Boldin was the 2003 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, was selected to three Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl XLVII with the Ravens. In 2015, he was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year for his community service.
Boldin played football, basketball, and ran track at Pahokee High School. His ability playing as a quarterback led him to be named Florida's Mr. Football in 1998. During his senior season, Pahokee held a 10–0 regular season record including a 34–14 win over Glades Central in the annual Muck Bowl. After the season, he was a USA Today first-team selection and named Florida Player of the Year.
Also a standout track athlete, Boldin competed in sprinting, jumping and throwing events at Pahokee High. He was timed at 52.34 seconds over 400 meters. In jumps, he recorded a personal-best leap of 6.13 meters in the long jump. As a thrower, he got a top-throw of 13.53 meters in the shot put.
In 2007, he was named to the Florida High School Association All-Century Team, a team compiled of the top 33 players in the 100-year history of high school football in the state of Florida.
ANDRE WATERS
Andre Maurice Waters (March 10, 1962 – November 20, 2006) was an American football safety who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) from 1984 to 1995. Waters was regarded as one of the NFL's dirtiest players, serving as an integral part of one of the league's top defenses. On November 20, 2006, Waters committed suicide and was subsequently diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
Waters was born in Belle Glade, Florida and grew up in extreme poverty in rural Florida, and attended Pahokee High School. Waters received some attention in high school but ended up attending Cheyney University At Cheyney University of Pennsylvania Waters was recognized as All-PSAC three straight years.
In 1984, Waters was signed as an undrafted free agent by Philadelphia Eagles head coach Marion Campbell. He returned a kickoff for an 89-yard game-winning touchdown against the Washington Redskins as a rookie in 1984. When Buddy Ryan took over for Campbell in 1986, he welcomed Waters' aggressive style as a fierce tackler and ferocious hitter, earning Waters a position in the starting lineup for the next eight years. He blossomed under defensive coordinator Bud Carson. His tackle of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jim Everett in 1988 led to a rule prohibiting defensive players from hitting quarterbacks below the waist while they are still in the pocket; for a while, it was unofficially termed the "Andre Waters Rule". NFL broadcaster Dan Dierdorf notoriously nicknamed the Eagles defender "Dirty Waters". He scored a touchdown in 1989 when he took a lateral from William Frizzell after Reggie White caused a fumble by New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms.
Waters served as part of the Eagles' defensive unit that was regarded as one of the league's all-time best, in 1991 ranking first statistically in both run and pass defense, as well as total defense. His hard-hitting style translated into leading the team in tackles for four seasons and endeared him with Philadelphia fans but often led to penalties and fines for some of his tackles. He led the Eagles in tackles in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1991. He recorded 15 interceptions in 156 games. In 1994, he was replaced by Mike Zordich due to his contract ending.
LOUIS OLIVER
Louis Oliver, III (born March 9, 1966) is an American former college and professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. Oliver played college football for the University of Florida, and was twice recognized as an All-American. He was a first-round pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL.
Oliver was born in Belle Glade, Florida in 1966. He attended Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, and was a standout high school football player for the Glades Central Raiders. Memorably, Oliver blocked two punts in the same game as a junior.
After graduating from high school, Oliver attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he was a walk-on player on head coach Galen Hall's Florida Gators football team in 1985. Subsequently, Oliver not only earned an athletic scholarship, he became a starting free safety and team captain, and totaled 11 career interceptions. He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection in 1987 and 1988, a first-team All-American in 1987 and a consensus first-team All-American in 1988, and a two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll honoree. Oliver was also the recipient of the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award recognizing the "senior football player who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage."
Oliver graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice in 1989, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2000. In one of a series of articles written for The Gainesville Sun in 2006, the Sun sports editors chose him as No. 24 among the greatest 100 Gators from the first century of Florida football.
SANTONIO HOLMES JR. - Inducted
Santonio Holmes Jr. (born March 3, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State University. In 2009, Holmes was named MVP of Super Bowl XLIII as the Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals. In 2010, Holmes was traded to the New York Jets in exchange for the Jets' fifth round pick. Holmes also played a season for the Chicago Bears.
Holmes attended Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Florida. He was a letterman in football, basketball, and track. In football, he helped lead his team to two state titles and a 12-1 record as a senior. In basketball, he helped lead his team to a state runner-up finish as a senior. In track, his team won the state title during his junior year, and he was the member of a 4x400 meter relay team that won two state titles, and recorded a personal-best time of 49.85 seconds in the 400 meters. Santonio graduated from Glades Central High School in 2002 with a 3.4 GPA.
Holmes attended Ohio State University where he was red shirted when the Buckeyes won the 2002 National Championship. Holmes caught 140 passes for 2,295 yards and 25 touchdowns, while gaining 3,123 all-purpose yards. His 140 career receptions and 3,496 yards were ranked the fifth highest totals in school history at the time. His 25 touchdown catches ranked him 3rd in the NCAA.
In Super Bowl XLIII, Holmes secured the Steelers' NFL-record 6th Super Bowl win after catching a 6-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 35 seconds left in regulation. Holmes caught nine passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, including four receptions for 73 yards on their final game-winning drive. He was named Super Bowl MVP, becoming the sixth wide receiver to win the award, and also was the third Pittsburgh receiver to win the award, following Lynn Swann in Super Bowl X and Hines Ward in Super Bowl XL.
REIDEL ANTHONY
Reidel Clarence Anthony (born October 20, 1976) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1997 to 2001. Anthony played college football for the University of Florida, and received consensus All-American honors. He was a first-round pick in the 1997 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.
Anthony was born in Pahokee, Florida, in 1976. He attended Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Florida, and he was a stand-out high school football player for the Glades Central Raiders. He is the son of former South Bay, Florida mayor Clarence E. Anthony.
Anthony accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he was a wide receiver and a key target in head coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1994 to 1996. Anthony showed his stuff as a freshman in Spurrier's "fun 'n' gun" offense in 1994, when he caught an 87-yard touchdown pass from Gators quarterback Eric Kresser against the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles. As a junior in 1996, he played an instrumental role in the Gators' 12–1 national championship season, catching seventy-two passes to lead the Southeastern Conference (SEC) with 1,293 yards (an average of 18.0 yards per reception), and setting the SEC regular season record with eighteen touchdown catches. Both Anthony and his fellow Gator wideout, Ike Hilliard, were first-team All-SEC selections and earned consensus first-team All-American honors. During his three college seasons, the Gators won three consecutive SEC Championship Games in 1994, 1995, and 1996.
In the aftermath of his All-American junior season and the Gators' Bowl Alliance national championship victory over the Florida State Seminoles in the Sugar Bowl, Anthony decided to forgo his final season of NCAA eligibility and enter the NFL Draft. He finished his college career with 126 receptions for 2,274 yards and twenty-six touchdowns (a career average of 18.0 yards per reception). His eighteen receiving touchdowns in 1996 remains the Gators' team record and was the SEC record until it was surpassed by Ja'Marr Chase and DeVonta Smith in 2019 and 2020 respectively. The scores are tied for third with Justin Jefferson.
In a 2006 series written for The Gainesville Sun, Anthony was recognized as No. 17 among the 100 all-time greatest Gators of the first 100 years of Florida football. He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2009.