Austin is working his 25th year as an NFL official (referee since 1990) and has received a post-season assignment every year, including three Super Bowls. The former ACC official also serves as coordinator of officials for Conference USA.  An Asheville native, Austin retired from public school administration.  He is a graduate of Western Carolina and holds a doctorate from UNC-Greensboro.

After a sterling high school career in Benson, Beasley played women’s basketball at NC State from 1977-1980.  She scored 2,367 points, and remains first in NC State history and 3rd in ACC history. Her career 1,245 rebounds is first in NC State history, and 3rd in ACC history. Beasley is second in ACC history with 1,017 field goals. She made the All-ACC Tournament teams in 1978, ’79, and ’80 and was MVP of the1980 ACC Tournament, won by NC State. Beasley earned Kodak All-America honors also.

Brennan was a member of UNC’s 1957 NCAA basketball championship team and its leading rebounder.  He led the ACC in scoring (21.3) and rebounding (11.7) his senior year (1958).  Brennan’s honors include Final Four 1st team (1957), ACC Player of the Year, Dixie Classic MVP, All-America 1st team.  He ranks third in career rebounds per game (10.5) at UNC. 

Dave Bristol never made it to the major leagues as a player, but became a manager in the Cincinnati Reds farm system in 1957.  He won the Pacific Coast League pennant as San Diego's manager at the age of 31.  He became the youngest major league manager in 1966 when he took over as skipper of the Reds.  After three and a half years, Cincinnati fired Bristol, despite winning 53% of his games.  He also managed at Milwaukee, Atlanta, and San Francisco.

Tom Butters enjoyed a prominent career in intercollegiate athletics while serving as the director of athletics at Duke University for two decades. A graduate of Ohio Wesleyan and a former professional baseball pitcher, Butters came to Duke in 1967 as director of special events. He coached the Blue Devils’ baseball team from 1968-70 and worked in several other administrative capacities before his appointment as director of athletics in 1977. By the team he retired in 1998, he had left a firm imprint on the university by raising millions of dollars to improve facilities, by instituting a scholarship endowment program that has been emulated elsewhere and by directing his department to a high level of national distinction based upon a philosophy of excellence with integrity.

 The Lincolnton native was the dominant NC State defensive lineman from 1965-67 and the Wolfpack’s first consensus football All-America (1967).   Byrd was the first three-time All-ACC player and NC State retired his #77 jersey in 2002.  He was a 1968 first round draft pick of Boston Patriots, but injuries forced early retirement.  Byrd was also named to ACC’s 50th Anniversary team in 2003.

  He played in 4 post-season all-star games.  He played in the AFL with San Diego and led the league in interceptions in 1962.  With Oakland he led the AFL in punt returns in ’63 and ’64.  His college coaching career started with NC State in 1967 as defensive backs coach; three years as head coach at Tulsa; and 10 years as head coach at Mars Hill College.

Hardison, a Newton Grove native, was the first UNC defensive player who was not a two-way performer to earn 1st team All-America honors. In 1977 he led the Tar Heels to the number one scoring defense ranking (7.4 ppg), allowing just 10 TD’s in eleven games.  Hardison started every game during his three year UNC career.  He had a 10-year career in the NFL with Bills, Giants, Chargers, and Chiefs.

In 1974 Huff was a 1^st Team All-ACC and Consensus All-American Offensive Lineman at UNC.  He won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, Jim Tatum Medal, two time recipient of the Bill Arnold Award, Captain of the College All-Stars and came in 2^nd for the Outland Trophy Award.  Huff lead UNC to an 11-1 Atlantic Coast Conference championship and set school total offense records. In 1975 he earned a degree in Psychology and was the 3^rd pick in the first round of the NFL draft.  Huff played 11 years in the NFL and was one of the “Hogs” with the Redskins in the 1983 Super Bowl.