Three Football Legends Inducted Into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame

Saturday morning, West Virginia University officially welcomed eight new members into its Hall of Fame.

On the football side, three were inducted but only two were able to make it in town for the ceremony. Tight end Anthony Becht will be honored during the Iowa State game when his son, Rocco, and the Cyclones come to Morgantown on October 12th.

I think it’s safe to say Murrell was the greatest Mountaineer to ever come out of Hawai’i, but that’s a pretty short list of folks. What’s even more impressive is that he remains West Virginia’s all-time leading rusher in the NFL. During his nine-year career, he rushed for 5,199 yards and 23 touchdowns. He spent the first five years of his career with the New York Jets before joining the Arizona Cardinals for two seasons, Washington for one, and then a cup of coffee with the Dallas Cowboys in 2003. While at WVU, he ran for 2,097 yards and 13 scores.

Becht was the last West Virginia tight end to lead the team in touchdown receptions in a single season until Kole Taylor accomplished that feat in 2023. Over his final two years in Morgantown, Becht caught 64 passes for 903 yards and nine touchdowns. In the spring of 2000, he would be selected in the first round (27th overall) by the New York Jets. In addition to the Jets, he also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals, and Kansas City Chiefs. He caught 298 passes for 1,537 yards, and 21 touchdowns as a pro and is now the head coach of the St. Louis BattleHawks in the United Football League (UFL).

Marshall played a massive part in getting the WVU football program turned around under head coach Rich Rodriguez. Following the 2004 season, Marshall was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year as he threw for 1,886 yards and 19 touchdowns while adding another 861 yards and four scores with his legs. One of the most memorable plays of his career came in the Backyard Brawl in Pittsburgh where he hit Phil Braxton on a big touchdown pass to help lead the Mountaineers to an upset win.

Chris Brooks (Basketball)

Bob Donker (Cross Country & Track)

Bette Hushla (Swimming & Diving)

Mark Landers (Baseball)

Liz Repella (Basketball)

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