UMass Athletics Announces 2018 Hall Of Fame Class

AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts Athletics announced the 2018 George "Trigger" Burke UMass Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2018 on Tuesday. The newest members of the hall of fame include Jennifer Butler (1999-2003, women's basketball), James Ihedigbo (2002-06, football), Zack Simmons (2004-08, men's soccer) and the 1998 Football Team.

UMass Athletics will host an on-campus induction ceremony for Butler, Ihedigbo, Simmons and the 1998 Football Team on Fri., Oct. 5 at 6 p.m.

Contact Jason Germain in the Minutemen Club at 413-577-0267 for more information on the 2018 Hall of Fame Induction. Online registration for the induction ceremony is available through the UMass Amherst Alumni Association website.

Jennifer Butler • Women's Basketball Student-Athlete • 1999-2003

Four-year standout Jennifer Butler averaged 13.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game for the UMass women's basketball team over a career spanning the 1999-2000 through 2002-03 seasons. Her name appears in the top-15 UMass rankings for nearly 40 combined single-season and all-time statistical categories.

Butler is the UMass all-time leader in career rebound (1,328) and steals (239), while she posted 47 career double-doubles. Fifteen years after her final game, Butler still ranks sixth in career scoring (1,490) and is one of only 19 Minutewomen in the team's 1,000-Point Club.

Butler was a Kodak All-America national finalist as a senior in 2002-03 when she also won Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year and Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team. She was named an Atlantic 10 Conference Legend in 2015.

James Ihedigbo • Football Student-Athlete • 2002-06

Amherst, Massachusetts, native James Ihedigbo won four letters at defensive back for head coaches Mark Whipple (2003) and Don Brown (2004-06) over the course of a stellar playing career which began as a walk-on who redshirted his first year with the team and ended with a decade spent competing in the NFL.

Ihedigbo was a consensus I-AA All-America First Team choice following his senior season in 2006, while he also won two Atlantic 10 All-Conference accolades. A tri-captain in 2006 when he helped Massachusetts reach the NCAA FCS Championship Game, Ihedigbo capped his collegiate career with 256 total tackles, including 12.5 sacks among his 23.5 TFLs.

Ihedigbo went on and signed an undrafted free agent contract in the NFL, which he turned into 10 seasons playing for the New York Jets (2007-10), New England Patriots (2011), Baltimore Ravens (2012-13), Detroit Lions (2014-15) and Buffalo Bills (2016). He played in 117 career NFL games with 394 tackles, 24 passes defended, 9.0 sacks, eight interceptions, eight forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

Zack Simmons • Men's Soccer Student-Athlete • 2004-08

All-American goalkeeper Zack Simmons ranks among the most successful men's soccer student-athletes in program history and, to date, holds the Massachusetts career records for saves (386), shutouts (30) and wins (42). He concluded his UMass playing days with a 0.97 goals-against average and .821 save percentage during more than 7,800 minutes in net.

For his efforts, Simmons won All-America in 2007, collected three Atlantic 10 All-Conference and two NSCAA All-Region laurels, and was the 2008 Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year. Simultaneously, Simmons took home Academic All-America and was a three-time selection to the Academic All-District Team.

Simmons was a major part of the Minutemen's dramatic run to the 2007 NCAA College Cup, during which Massachusetts downed Boston University, 2-1; the tournament No. 2 seed Boston College, 2-1; Central Connecticut, 3-1 and Illinois-Chicago, 2-1. He also guided the team to the Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship with only one goal allowed over the three-game series.

The 1998 UMass Football Team

The 1998 University of Massachusetts football program won the NCAA FCS National Championship and finished the year with 12 victories, then the most in program history. The team defeated five nationally ranked opponents over the course of the campaign, including three during the improbable postseason run.

To win the 1998 National Championship, the team defeated No. 6-ranked McNeese State, 21-19; Lehigh, 27-21; No. 2 Northwestern State, 41-31 and No. 1 Georgia Southern, 55-43. Over the 15-game season, Massachusetts reset a number of program records, including for points scored (524), total touchdowns (73), total yards (7,074), average yards per play (5.9), passing yards (4,050), completions (306) and first downs (354).

Individually, five Minutemen received recognition as All-America selections, including quarterback Todd Bankhead, wide receiver Jimmy Moore, linebacker Khari Samuel, running back Marcel Shipp and tight end Kerry Taylor. Additionally, head coach Mark Whipple won the 1998 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) FCS/I-AA Coach of the Year Award.

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