MONTICELLO, Ark. – Four former student-athletes, one former coach, and a supporter of UAM Athletics have been chosen for induction into the UAM Sports Hall of Fame and to receive the UAM Spirit Award, Director of Athletics Hud Jackson announced on Monday.
The new inductees will be honored in the 2025 UAM Hall of Fame Ceremony on Thursday, October 2nd. The inductees will also be recognized during pregame ceremonies at Willis 'Convoy' Leslie Cotton Boll Stadium on October 4th prior to the 2:00 p.m. kickoff when Arkansas-Monticello hosts Southern Nazarene in a key Great American Conference game. Both events will be live-streamed on the official UAM Sports YouTube Page.
The 2025 induction class was chosen by a selection committee, and includes former Baseball All-American Starting Pitcher Braden Chambers; Felicia Crowe, an Academic All-American and Dual Athlete in Women's Basketball and Cross Country; Von Mixon Jr., an All-American Honor recipient and First Team All-Gulf South Conference football player; Scott Howell, a First Team All-AIC Conference, Second Team All-AIC Conference, NAIA Honorable Mention All-American and North/South National All-Star Classic selectee football player; the late Harold Tilley, former UAM Head Football Coach and AIC and NAIA District 17 Coach of the Year; and a supporter of UAM Athletics as this year's Spirit Award winners.
"We are extremely excited about this year's inductees into the 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame," said UAM Athletic Director Hud Jackson. "Several sports are represented by some great people who had outstanding careers here at UAM. We're also very excited about Coach Harold Tilly being inducted as a coach. I find it very rewarding, being able to call the inductees to give them the great news. You can always feel the excitement in their voices. And I know their families are pumped up for them as well. Looking forward to having them back on campus to celebrate their great accomplishments."
Inductees were nominated by UAM Athletics supporters, friends, or former teammates and are required to have earned a college degree to be elected for induction into the UAM Sports Hall of Fame. The committee then evaluates their careers to determine their selection into the HOF. The induction ceremony is scheduled to be held on Thursday, October 2nd, in the Green Room of the UAM University Center.
The first of the inductees is Braden Chambers, who played as a right-handed pitcher for the baseball team at UAM from 2015-2018. Over his four-year career at UAM, he received national, regional, and conference recognitions. Chambers graduated in 2018, yet his name continues to rank at the top of many Weevils records for both individual season and career records, including being the all-time career wins leader at 28. In 2016, Chambers was selected as one of 41 semifinalists for the Brett Tomko award, presented annually by D2 Baseball News to the most outstanding pitcher at the NCAA Division II level.
National, Regional, and Conference Recognitions:
- 2016 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II All-American Honorable Mention
- 2016 First Team All-GAC (Starting Pitcher)
- 2016 NCBWA First Team All-Region
- 2016 ABCA Second Team All-Region
- 2016 D2CCA First Team All-Region
- 2016 Brett Tamko Semifinalist
Record Book Stats:
- 1st in Career Victories (28)
- 3rd in Career Innings Pitched (288.1)
- 3rd in Career Strikeouts (246)
- 2x Single Season Victories
- 11 wins in 2016
- 10 wins in 2017
Felicia Crowe was a dual athlete in both Women's Basketball and Cross Country at UAM from 1991-1995. Over a four-year career as a Blossom on the basketball team, Crowe earned an Academic All-American nod. In addition, Crowe set many top 10 records with the Blossoms that still stand today. Her 223 made three-point field goals rank second all-time and helped her become a member of the Blossoms' 1,000-point club.
National, Regional, and Conference Recognitions:
- 1994-95 Academic All-American
Record Book Stats:
- 1st in Career Three-Point Field Goals Attempted (574)
- 2nd in Career Three-Point Field Goals Made (223)
- 3rd in Season Three-Point Field Goals Made (79)
- 4th in Career Leaders in Assists (395)
- Tied for 5th in game leaders for three-point field goals made in a single game
- Vs. Northeast Oklahoma on 11/21/92 (8)
- 5th in Season Leader Three-Point Field Goals Attempted (177 | 94-95 Season)
- 6th in Season Leader Three-Point Field Goals Attempted (176 | 92-93 Season)
- 9th in Career Leaders for Free Throws Made (291)
- 10th in Career Leaders for Free Throws Attempted (386)
- 11th in Total Scoring (1,288)
Von Mixon Jr. was a wide receiver at UAM in both the 2004 and 2005 seasons and was a 2-year letterman. During his first year as a Weevil, Mixon made a name for himself when he earned All-American honors from D. His career-defining game was against Delta State in 2004 when he recorded 10 receptions for 170 yards and two touchdowns, his performance in this game led him to break the school record of most receiving yards in a season at 1,245 yards, a record that still stands today.
National, Regional, and Conference Recognitions:
- 2004 D2football.com 2nd-Team All-American
- 2004 First-Team All-Gulf South Conference
- 2004 Daktronics All-South Region
- 2004 First-Team Football Gazette All-Region
Record Book Stats:
- Most receiving yards in a season (1,245)
- Most receptions in a single season by a junior (66)
Scott Howell played as an offensive tackle for UAM from 1992-1995. After starting midway through the 1992 season, Howell would play 40 consecutive games, earning him first-team and second-team All-AIC nods. In addition, Howell earned an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention selection in 1994, alongside a selection to the North/South National All-Star Classic. During his senior year, Howell stayed with Arkansas-Monticello during their transition into the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference, forcing himself and the entire team into a probation year, which rendered UAM ineligible for any postseason award selections. However, it is safe to say that if eligible, Howell may have seen more awards in his favor.
National, Regional, and Conference Recognitions:
- 1993 Second Team All-AIC
- 1994 NAIA All-American Honorable Mention
- 1994 First Team All-AIC
- 1994 North/South National All-Star Classic Selectee
The late Harold Tilley served as the head coach for Boll Weevil Football from 1978-1985. Coach Tilley took over a struggling team that had won just 21 games in the previous 10 seasons, to a 39-29-1 record in his seven seasons as head coach. His 1979 team remains one of the best in Boll Weevil history, achieving an AIC 9-2 record and producing many top spot holders in the record books, four of which still stand in 2025. Coach Tillley was named AIC and NAIA District 17 Coach of the Year in 1979, becoming the first coach in school history to lead a UAM athlete selected as a first-team All-American. He mentored Melvin Patrick, who was named an NAIA First Team All-American. If his records and achievements weren't enough, Coach Tilley was inducted with the 1979 team into the UAM Hall of Fame in 2019, and his seven teams have produced eight UAM Sports Hall of Famers.
National, Regional, and Conference Recognitions:
- 1979 AIC Coach of the Year
- 1979 NAIA District 17 Coach of the Year
- 1979 AIC Championship Team
Record Book Stats:
- 1978 Team
- 1st in Most Rushing Yards in a single game
- 479 vs. Southern Arkansas
- 1st in Most Rushing Attempts in a Season (660)
- 1979 Team (All 1st-Ranking Spots)
- Most Rushing Touchdowns (32)
- Most Forced Turnovers (59)
- Most Turnovers Forced in a Game (10 at Harding)
- Most Recovered Fumbles (32)
- Most Tackles for Loss (114)
- Most Rushing Attempts in a Game (82 vs. Central Arkansas)
- Most Interceptions in a Season (27)
- 1985 Team
- Fewest Rushing Yards (-17)
UAM Spirit Award
Introduced in 2006, the UAM Spirit Award is given to individuals who show exceptional support and dedication to the University of Arkansas at Monticello's athletic programs. This award is given to someone who goes above and beyond for our student-athletes and sports programs. The recipient of this award embodies the heart and soul of the team. They are not only there for the wins, but for the losses, rain delays, and the nail-biting moments. They truly bleed green and white. The 2025 honoree will be announced at a later date.
2025 UAM Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Class
• Braden Chambers, Baseball
• Felicia Crowe, Women's Basketball and Cross Country
• Von Mixon Jr., Football
• Scott Howell, Football
• Harold Tilley, Football Head Coach (Posthumous)
• Spirit Award Honoree
#WeevilNation | #BlossomNation
