The rain that saturated the brand new turf at Williams Stadium all through the primary half cleared out close to the top of the primary half. It offered an opportunity for the followers who weathered the dreary circumstances within the opening half-hour of play to honor the most recent crop of Liberty Athletics Corridor of Fame inductees.
The six-member class was honored at midfield following the conclusion of the primary half of the Flames’ residence opener in opposition to UAB.
The 14th corridor of fame class featured the winningest coach in program historical past, the soccer program’s first marquee quarterback, males’s soccer’s first convention participant of the 12 months, and All-People in softball, discipline hockey and observe & discipline.
Paul Wetmore gained 547 video games throughout his 20-year tenure because the softball coach. He guided this system to its first two NCAA Match appearances in 2002 and 2011.
One among his gamers, Jessica Moore, joined him within the class. Moore was this system’s first All-American in 2007 and holds 16 program data effectively after her commencement.
Glenn Inverso was the soccer program’s first four-year starter at quarterback. He threw for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons and had the primary season with 10 or extra passing touchdowns with 11 in 1980.
Inverso signed as an undrafted free agent with the New York Jets in 1981.
Jose Gomez was males’s soccer’s first convention participant of the 12 months when he took the Massive South Convention’s high honors in 2000. His 32 profession objectives are fifth-most in program historical past.
Natalie (Barr) Lyttle is the sector hockey program’s first inductee into the corridor of fame. She was a third-team All-American in 2015 and led the Flames to back-to-back NorPac championships in 2013 and 2014.
Jacob Swinton claimed All-America honors in 1994 by putting seventh within the 100-meter sprint on the NCAA Division I out of doors observe & discipline championships. He holds this system report within the 55-meter sprint at 6.20 seconds.
Swinton was posthumously honored after dying in February 2022 at age 50 after battling most cancers.
Extra takeaways
Liberty was one of many nation’s worst groups at creating takeaways final season. The Flames had 9 interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
These numbers are wanting significantly higher to start out the 2022 season.
Liberty recovered three fumbles within the first half Saturday and one within the second, and has tallied 9 takeaways by way of its first two contests.
DeWayne McBride fumbled twice, and Jermaine Brown Jr. and Starling Thomas V additionally fumbled for the Blazers.
Liberty linebacker Ahmad Walker, defensive sort out Dre Butler, and safeties Robert Rahimi and Javon Scruggs scooped up the free balls.
Liberty has recovered six fumbles and provide you with three interceptions.
The Flames’ 5 takeaways within the season opener had been essentially the most in a recreation since 2012 in opposition to Stony Brook.
Former observe star hauls in first reception
Cole Peterlin arrived at Liberty for the 2019-20 college 12 months as a member of the observe group. He competed within the heptathlon in the course of the indoor season and served as a decathlete within the out of doors season.
The 6-foot-1 Peterlin joined the soccer program for the 2021 season and made one look.
His first play on offense in 2022 was a memorable one.
Peterlin caught an 11-yard cross from Kaidon Salter within the first quarter. It was Salter’s first completion of the sport and Peterlin’s first profession reception.
Peterlin impressed throughout coaching camp and entered the extensive receiver rotation with Brody Brumm being dominated out. Brumm sported a strolling boot on his left foot earlier than the sport.
Jennings begins new podcast
Rashad Jennings has stored busy since his enjoying days within the NFL ended after the 2016 season.
The Forest native gained the twenty fourth season of Dancing with the Stars, he has written youngsters’s books and has appeared in tv reveals.
The previous Liberty working again is including one thing else to his busy schedule: podcasting.
Jennings and sports activities and enterprise journalist Lindsay McCormick have launched a podcast titled “The Bag with Rashad Jennings and Lindsay McCormick,” produced by iHeartMedia and Sports activities Illustrated.
The sports activities and enterprise podcast’s first episode aired Sept. 6, and new episodes can be out there each day. The subjects will assist listeners perceive the enterprise behind sports activities, from NFRs and cryptocurrency to fantasy and athletic contracts.
Liberty groups up for meals financial institution program
Liberty is one in every of 33 faculties and universities which have joined Meals Lion Feeds’ Sack to Give Again program for this season. The retailer will donate 1,000 meals (as much as 30,000 meals per college) for each quarterback sack made by the taking part establishment to every college’s native meals financial institution.
Liberty, which had one sack within the season opener at Southern Miss, is donating its meals to the Blue Ridge Space Meals Financial institution. The College of Virginia and James Madison are also donating their meals to that meals financial institution.