Hinds Community College’s annual Homecoming festivities on Oct. 16 include honoring Sports Hall of Fame inductees and alumni award winners.
The award ceremony is at 4:30 p.m. in Cain-Cochran Hall on the Raymond Campus before the 7 p.m. match-up with Southwest Mississippi Community College. The ceremony is free and open to the public.
Lou Anne Askew
Lou Anne Askew
Basketball, Volleyball, Softball | 1969-1971
Lou Anne Polk Askew’s connection to Hinds spans nearly four decades, beginning when she was a standout athlete in basketball, volleyball and softball.
Askew of Raymond served as a dedicated Career-Technical Instructor from 1975 to 2014. Her commitment to education was recognized early, earning her the 1989 Outstanding Vocational-Technical Teacher of the Year award. She made a profound impact beyond the classroom as well, notably serving as the Hinds cheerleading coach and athletic department tutor from 1985 to 2000.
Under her leadership, the Hinds cheerleading program flourished nationally. Her squads earned the Universal Cheerleading Association’s Superior Cheer Squad Award every year from 1986 to 2000, alongside multiple UCA Most Collegiate Cheer Squad and Leadership Awards. Her teams also achieved national rankings, placing in the UCA Top 10 and reaching No. 5 in the nation twice. Her efforts extended to mentoring mascots, with several earning UCA Superior Mascot honors.
From 1985 to 2000, Askew guided countless student-athletes, particularly football players, toward academic success. Her dedication was instrumental in the college receiving the David M. Halbrook Academic Excellence in Athletics Award six times.
She was honored with the college’s highest award, the 3E Award (2014), the Hinds Community College Life Star Award (2007–2008) and inclusion among the “100 People Passionate About Hinds” during the college’s 2017 Centennial celebration.
Since retirement, Askew continues her service as an alderwoman for the town of Raymond.
Major Christopher “Ron” Davis
Major Christopher “Ron” Davis
Football | 1987-1988
Ron Davis of Raymond made his mark on Hinds Community College as a standout defensive lineman for the Eagles in 1987 and 1988. A key leader on the 1988 state championship team, Davis earned All-State Honorable Mention honors for his dominant play.
He continued his football career at Southwest Baptist University, where he again received All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Honorable Mention recognition while earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He earned a master’s degree in history and political science from Mississippi College. He is currently working on a doctorate in Urban and Regional Planning at Jackson State University.
After Mississippi College, Davis returned to Raymond and joined the Hinds football coaching staff as the defensive line and strength coach. Under his guidance, numerous players — such as Dedrick Johnson, Grady Jackson, Michael Myers, Jerome McDougle, Andrew Williams, Mark Word and Mark Smith — went on to play at Division I college football and in the NFL.
His calling led him into service with the Mississippi Army National Guard and the United States Marine Corps, where he has built a distinguished 33-year career.
Currently, Coach Davis serves as Chief Recovery Officer with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, helping communities rebuild after disasters.
Ervin Dillon
Ervin Dillon
Men’s Basketball | 1982–1984
Ervin Dillon of Ridgeland arrived at Utica Junior College (now the Utica Campus) in 1982 and quickly established himself as a force on the men’s basketball team. He was a product of Canton High School where he started for the Tigers.
As a freshman, he averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds per game, earning First-Team All-Conference honors. He elevated his game even further in his sophomore year, posting impressive averages of 24 points and 12 rebounds per contest. That season, he was named Conference Player of the Year and selected to play in both the Mississippi Association of Junior Colleges All-Star Game and the prestigious National Association of Junior Colleges All-Star Game.
Dillon’s leadership was instrumental in guiding Utica to a South Division Championship and a runner-up finish in the State Tournament. His dominant play on the court earned him All-American recognition.
Following his Utica Junior College success, Dillon continued his basketball career at Mississippi State University, where he was a two-year starter at forward. Over 57 games with the Bulldogs, he averaged 6.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting an efficient 57.4 percent from the field and 64.5 percent from the free-throw line.
After college, Dillon played professionally for the Mississippi Coast Jets and the Wichita Falls Texans, continuing to showcase the skill and work ethic that defined his basketball journey.
Matt Fulton
Matt Fulton
Men’s Soccer | 2003-2005
Clinton resident Matt Fulton left an indelible mark on Hinds soccer during his time as a student-athlete from 2003 to 2005. As a forward, Fulton was a key leader on the historic 2004 team that won both the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges State Championship and National Junior and Community College Athletic Association Region 23 Championship.
That year, the Eagles posted a 17-4 record and set an MACJC record by scoring 117 goals in a single season — including a dominant 10-0 victory in the state championship game.
In 2004, he scored 22 goals and tallied 17 assists, earning NJCAA All-American honors and cementing his place among the top junior college soccer players in the nation.
After Hinds, Fulton earned a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Southern Mississippi, a master’s in education from Mississippi College and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Belhaven University. He went on to coach soccer and teach history at Jackson’s Wingfield High School and Rankin County’s Richland High.
Today, he serves as Principal of Sumner Hill Junior High in Clinton and remains active in his community as an elder at Parkway Baptist Church.
Robert Saums
Robert Saums
Football | 1994-1995
Robert Saums of Raymond began his football career at Hinds in fall 1994 on a full athletic scholarship. As a freshman offensive lineman, he was a part-time starter who contributed as the Eagles won the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges South State Championship, State Championship and a victory over Blinn Community College in the Mineral Water Bowl in Missouri.
In 1995, he was the leader on the offensive line and played a vital role as Hinds captured the South State, State and National Junior and Community College Athletic Association Region 23 Championships. The team also competed for a national championship against Blinn Community College in another Texas Shrine Bowl in Tyler, Texas.
Individually, Saums was recognized as the Most Valuable Offensive Lineman in South State, MACJC First Team All-State, NJCAA All-Region 23 and NJCAA First Team All-American. He also achieved NJCAA Academic All-American honors, exemplifying excellence both on and off the field.
Saums continued his football career at Louisiana Tech University, where he earned a starting position on the offensive line. He graduated with honors, earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. During his time at Louisiana Tech, he started 19 games, earned the Joe Aillet Leadership Award and was selected by the coaching staff as a team captain in six games during the 1997 season.
Saums is entering his 14th season as a volunteer football coach at Central Hinds Academy and has served as the president of the board of directors for eight years. He currently serves as the president of the board of directors at Gateway Rescue Mission in downtown Jackson.
Saums is vice president of Security & Investigative Support Services, an investigative business in Jackson.