The County Sports Hall of Fame
To say that our County coverage area fielded its productive share of successful professional athletes in a variety of sports is an understatement! We’ve done our diligent online research, and here is a list – or think of it as our own Hall of Fame – of those who were born and began their careers in our small towns and went on to hit the fields, ring, courts and courses on a national scale. Go, team, go!
Rufus Bess Jr. (1956- ), born in Hartsville, played college football at South Carolina State University and took it to the next level in the NFL as a cornerback for the Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings. The next natural step for Bess was from the field to the sideline as a football coach at North Community High School in Minnesota, where he was also a teacher. Today, he’s at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School, also in Minnesota.
Roderick Blakney (1976- ) was born in Hartsville, but has family roots in Bulgaria. The point guard played basketball at South Carolina State University, followed by several professional league assignments around the world, including the Greek League, Russian Superleague, Turkish League and more. Blakney was also a member of the senior Bulgarian National Basketball Team.
Thomas Brewer (1931-2018) was a towering pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1954-1961 for the Boston Red Sox. He was born in Wadesboro, North Carolina, but was a lifelong resident of Cheraw and attended Elon College. The U.S. Army veteran achieved seven straight seasons of double-digit wins for Boston; after retiring because of a shoulder injury, he became the pitching coach for the Cheraw High School Braves baseball team, where the baseball field was named in his honor in 2009.
Jaron Brown (1990- ) is currently a free agent wide receiver in the NFL. He began his football at Cheraw High School, leading the team to two state titles and landing all-star, all-area, and all-region titles, as well as being named the #57 athlete in the country. Brown was also an accomplished basketball player and all-region runner on the track team. He chose to play football at Clemson University over quite a few college offers and was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2013.
Harry Byrd (1925-1985) dominated on the pitcher’s mound for the Philadelphia Athletics, Yankees, Orioles, White Sox and Tigers. Born in Darlington, Byrd was named to the all-star team and Rookie of the Year in 1952; his career ended in 1957. Darlington named a road after him, Harry Byrd Highway, which would eventually become Bobo Newsom Highway, a local fellow pitcher who also shined in “The Show”.
Robbie Caldwell (1954- ), a native of Pageland, currently serves as the offensive line coach for Clemson University, where he has been on the sidelines since 2011. Former football coaching credits include head coach of the Vanderbilt Commodores and assistant coach at Furman University (his alma mater, where he played football, was a three-year letterman, and graduated with a BS in health and physical education), NC State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Vanderbilt.
James Campbell (1943- ) was known exclusively as a pinch hitter in the MLB, starting with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1962 and for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1970. Born in Hartsville, Campbell worked his way up from the minors, Campbell batted left-handed, threw right-handed and weighed in at 6 feet tall, 205 pounds.
Joe Cheves (1918-2007), born in Cheraw, was most well known as a professional golfer and co-founder of the American Golf Association. The U.S. Army veteran medal honoree is also distinguished with such accolades as being a member of the North Carolina, Carolinas Golf, Carolinas PGA, and Burke County Halls of Fame, as well as the title of 1964 Carolinas Section Golf Professional of the Year. Locally, Cheves once served as a club professional in Bennettsville.
Justice Cunningham (1991- ) once played as a tight end for the Colts, who drafted him in 2013 from the University of South Carolina. He graduated from Central High School in Pageland, where he racked up a long list of accolades in football, including a spot on the All-State First Team, the 2008 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, and PrepStar’s All-Atlantic Region Team.
Chad Dawson (1982- ) is a professional boxer with multiple light heavyweight world championships under his belt. Born in Hartsville, Dawson is a second generation pro boxer to Dad, Rick. In 2007, he became the World Boxing Council’s champion in that category, and in 2008 and 2009 he took home the IBF and IBO titles. And, in 2012, The Ring magazine ranked Dawson as the world’s 10th best active boxer.
James DeBerry (1938- ) was originally a four-sport varsity letter winner at Cheraw High School in baseball, football, basketball and track. He went on to play at Wofford College, where he lettered in football and baseball, and today is retired, after serving as head football coach at the U.S. Air Force Academy from 1984-2006 as the most winningest coach with the highest winning percentage in the team’s history. DeBerry was inducted as a coach into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Charles English (1910-1999), born in Darlington was a third baseman in the MLB for the White Sox, Giants and Reds from 1932-1937.
Ty Gainey (1960- ), born on Christmas Day in Cheraw, is a former MLB outfielder for the Houston Astros from 1985 to 1987. He also had a baseball career playing in Asia, followed by a stint of giving baseball lessons in Pennsylvania.
Tommy Gainey (1975- ), also known as “Two Gloves,” has played on the PGA Tour since 2008. Born in Darlington, Gainey earned a degree in industrial maintenance from the Central Carolina Technical College in 1999 and worked on an assembly line at A.O. Smith Corporation before turning pro. In 2005 and 2007, he appeared on Golf Channel’s “The Big Break” reality competition show, which he won in 2007; he was the first show alumnus to earn a PGA Tour card.
Andrew Hall (1980- ) once played as an NFL, AFL and af2 quarterback. The Cheraw native was drafted in 2004 in the sixth round by the Philadelphia Eagles. Before that, he was QB for University of Delaware, leading them to the 2003 Division 1-AA National Championship.
Dale Hatcher (1963- ) of Cheraw made a career in the NFL as a punter for the LA Rams and Miami Dolphins. In 1985, he was named to the Pro Bowl and AP All Pro First Team. Post-NFL, the Clemson alum worked at Freightliner Custom Chassis in Gaffney.
Albert Haynesworth III (1981- ) made a name for himself as a defensive tackle for 10 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Tennessee Titans squad. He didn’t go far from his alma mater of the University of Tennessee, where he was ranked as one of the best overall players in the nation, according to ESPN’s Top 100, and named to the Pro Bowl and first team All-Pro teams. Born in Hartsville, Haynesworth was on the high school’s football, and track and field teams.
Terrance Herrington (1966- ), a Hartsville native, is a retired middle-distance runner who excelled in the 1500-meter event. He made the cut to the 1992 United States Olympics Team and won three consecutive World Championships.
Orlando Hudson (1977- ) played second base from 2002-2012 for the Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, LA Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. Because of his finesse with fielding the ball, he won the American League Gold Glove Award in 2005. Born in Darlington, Hudson was the quarterback for Darlington High School’s first football team (and was also the punter), played basketball and baseball (named Player of the Year and a member of the All-State team). After high school, Hudson went on to play baseball for Spartanburg Methodist College.
Shannon “Pee Wee” Johnson (1974- ) was once an accomplished point guard in the WNBA for more than a decade, mostly affiliated with the Seattle Storm. A University of South Carolina alum, the Hartsville native became the head coach at Coker College in 2016.
Jordan Lyles (1990- ), currently a free agent MLB pitcher, has played for the Houston Astros, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee Brewers and Texas Rangers. As a Hartsville High School alum, Lyles made waves in baseball, leading the team to a 4A championship. He also made school history in football, with a record 81 receptions and 23 touchdowns.
Cliff Matthews (1985- ), is a defensive line coach at Reinhardt University in Georgia. Before that, the Cheraw native was a defensive end for the Ottawa Redblacks in the Canadian Football League (CFL) starting in 2018, he was signed by the Tampa Buccaneers in 2016, drafted in the seventh round by the Atlanta Falcons in 2011, and played college football at the University of South Carolina.
Anthony McDaniel (1985- ), born in Hartsville, played football at the University of Tennessee and was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent in 2006. The former defensive tackle also played for the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints and San Fran 49ers.
Corey Miller (1968- ), born in Pageland, was first drafted in the NFL in 1991, and is now a retired linebacker. He played for the Giants and Vikings as a pro and for University of South Carolina on the college level. Previously a host of “The Corey Miller Show” on Columbia Sports Radio 560, Miller joined WACH-TV, a Fox affiliate in Columbia, in 2013. (Son Christian Miller followed in his father’s footsteps and is a linebacker for the Carolina Panthers.
Kevin Moses (1976- ) held a trifecta of positions in the NFL for the Jets and the NFL Europe’s Frankfurt as linebacker, gunner and kick returner. Born in Hartsville and a Hartsville High letterman, Moses was named an all-state honoree and MVP. He also played five seasons of football at Wake Forest University.
Van Mungo (1911-1985) was a five-time all-star and the MLB’s National League strikeout leader in 1936. The right-handed pitcher commanded the mound from 1931-1945 for the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants. The Pageland native, known for not only his crazy fastball, but also his colorful antics off the field, began his pro baseball career at age 18 with the Charlotte Hornets.
Louis Newsom (1907-1962) is a well-known local figure who made it big as a starting pitcher for nine teams in the MLB from 1923-1953. The Hartsville player was also known as referring to himself as “Bobo” or “Buck.”
Harry Newsome (1963- ) was born in Cheraw and remains in his hometown today, living here with his family and working at his landscaping he founded. Prior to that, his career was on the football field as a punter for nine seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings. Newsome actually holds the record for the longest punt in Three Rivers Stadium at 84 yards.
Cameron Newtown (1982- ). Not to be confused with NFL QB Cam Newton, Cameron Newton was a safety in the NFL. Signed by the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2005, he also played for the Carolina Panthers and Georgia Force and played college football at Furman University. Born in Darlington, Newtown played defensive back and quarterback for Marlboro County High School’s football team and led them to a state championship in 1998.
James “Big Jim” Tatum (1913-1959) earned his nickname because of his 6-foot-3-inch stature. The McColl native also earned the reputation as a successful college football coach, serving as head coach at UNC, University of Oklahoma, and University of Maryland (which one a national title in 1953), with an overall career record of 100-35-7. He was also the head baseball coach at Cornell University from 1937-1939 and inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1984. As a college football player, Tatum played as tackle for UNC and was named to the All-Southern Conference team as a senior, and, as a baseball player, he played in the minors as a catcher for the Kinston Eagles.
