Farrior and Murray Named to Virginia Sports Hall of Fame

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Jan. 19, 2016

Charlottesville, Va. – The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame announced its class of 2016 today (Jan. 19) and it includes former UVA football standout James Farrior and former sports information director Rich Murray.

A native of Ettrick, Va., Farrior was a Parade High School All-America selection at Matoaca High School before attending Virginia. As a Cavalier, he racked up 381 tackles, ranking him third on the school’s all-time list. The linebacker was selected as the eighth overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, where he spent the next five seasons. Following the 2001 season, Farrior signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, making him one of the greatest free agent signings of all-time. Over his 15-year NFL career, Farrior was a two-time Pro Bowl selection, first-team All-Pro selection and two-time Super Bowl Champion.

A 1971 graduate of Washington and Lee, Murray served in the sports information industry for nearly 40 years at James Madison University and the University of Virginia. He is a founding member of the Virginia Sports Information Directors Association, and was the organization’s inaugural president. In 2007, the Virginia Sports Information Directors Association named its Excellence in Sports Journalism Scholarship for Murray.

In addition to Farrior and Murray, the Hall of Fame’s 2016 Class also includes: Virginia Union standout and NBA All-Star Charles Oakley; Dave Rosenfield, who spent over 48 years as the General Manager of the Norfolk Tides; Marianne Stanley, who led Old Dominion’s women’s basketball team to three national championships; Charlie Stukes, an eight-year NFL veteran and Robert Ukrop, who had a 12-year professional soccer career playing for his hometown Richmond Kickers.

The 45th annual induction banquet will take place on Saturday, April 30 at the Renaissance Portsmouth-Norfolk Waterfront Hotel in Portsmouth, Va.