2017 Crimson Club Hall of Fame Class Honored

SALT LAKE CITY – University of Utah Athletics is honoring five former Ute athletes and one dual coach/athlete honoree by inducting them into the Crimson Club Hall of Fame this weekend. The 2017 Hall of Fame class includes Staci Burt (soccer), Kent Crawford (men's tennis), Jo Evans (softball coach and player), Jordan Gross (football), Chris Shelton (baseball) and Steve Smith Sr. (football). The group was formally enshrined Friday night and will be honored during the Utah-Arizona State football game Saturday afternoon.

Staci Burt (Soccer)
A four-time all-conference performer who led Utah soccer to its first league title, Staci Burt went on to become the program's most accomplished player on the professional and international levels.

Burt led the Utes with 22 points and had nine goals as a sophomore, earning the first of her three consecutive first team all-league citations. Burt scored a career-high 13 goals in 1998 and was named to the SoccerBuzz All-West Region third team. Her senior year, Burt earned second team NSCAA All-West Region honors as she led the Utes to a share of their first-ever Mountain West Conference title and a 13-7-1 record.

Burt was selected in the eighth round of the inaugural WUSA Draft in 2001 by the Carolina Courage and developed into one of the league's best defenders. She rarely left the field in three seasons and helped lead Carolina to the 2002 WUSA championship. Burt also represented the United States in international play, earning a call-up to the women's national team for the 2001 Nike U.S. Women's Cup.

Kent Crawford (Men's Tennis)
A two-time first team All-American, Kent Crawford led the Utah men's tennis team one Western Athletic Conference title and a top 20 national ranking all four years of his career.

Crawford wasted little time in asserting himself at Utah, earning the No. 1 spot in both the singles and doubles lineups as a freshman. He led the Utes to their first conference title in a dozen years in 1977, as well as a No. 6 national ranking. Crawford earned first team All-America honors in singles play as a sophomore and junior. His final year, Crawford teamed with Dave Sherbeck to finish second at the National Indoor Doubles Championships. The duo also earned the No. 8 seed at the 1978 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

One of the top players in the Intermountain West before and after his Utah career, Crawford was a five-time winner of the McIntosh Award and twice claimed the David Freed Award for Excellence. After graduating from the U., Crawford was the head coach for the Ute women's team in 1980 and '81.

Jo Evans (Softball)
One of Utah softball's all-time greats, Jo Evans is the only person in the program's history to lead the Utes to the College World Series both as a player and as a head coach.

Evans hit .433 and set the school records for triples and walks as a second baseman for the Utes from 1979-82. She earned all-conference honors in 1982, and as a senior team captain led the Utes to the AIAW College World Series.

Evans took her first head coaching job at Colorado State in 1986. She returned home four years later and led Utah to back-to-back conference regular season and tournament titles in her first two seasons, as well as the 1991 NCAA College World Series. Evans put together her best Utah team in 1994, setting the school record with 51 wins. The Utes advanced to their second College World Series in four years, placing fifth.

After going 222-143 in seven seasons at Utah, Evans took over at Texas A&M. She ranks seventh among active NCAA coaches with 1,149 wins. She was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association Hall of Fame in 2015.

Jordan Gross (Football)
The only Outland Trophy finalist in school history, offensive lineman Jordan Gross earned Consensus All-America honors in 2002 and played for more than a decade in the National Football League.

Gross worked his way into a starting role on the offensive line the final three games of the 1999 season. His emergence helped the Utes claim a share of the Mountain West Conference championship and defeat Fresno State in the Las Vegas Bowl. As the anchor of Utah's "O" line for the final 37 games of his college career,

Gross received honorable mention all-conference honors in 2000 and 2001. Among his many accolades in 2002, Gross earned first team All-Mountain West Conference honors and was named a first team All-American by seven organizations. He was also voted one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy, recognizing the nation's best interior lineman.

Gross then moved on to the National Football League and was selected eighth overall in the 2003 draft by Carolina. Gross was voted first team All-Pro in 2008 and played in three Pro Bowls during his 11-year NFL career.

Chris Shelton (Baseball)
Utah baseball's first-ever conference MVP, Chris Shelton enjoyed one of the best home run streaks in Major League history as part of a 10-year professional career.

Shelton joined the Utes from Salt Lake Community College in 2001 and hit .374 with 22 doubles and 66 RBI that season. He ranked 12th in the nation during the regular season with 19 home runs. Shelton was named the 2001 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and earned a spot on the Collegiate Baseball All-America second team and the NCBWA All-America third team.

Shelton was selected by Pittsburgh in the 33rd round of the 2001 Major League Draft. He made his big league debut with Detroit Tigers in 2004 and a year later hit .299 with 18 home runs and 59 runs driven in. He belted nine home runs in the first 13 games of the 2006 season, setting the American League record and becoming one of just four players in MLB history with that many long balls at that point in the season. He played in the majors with the Rangers in 2008 and the Mariners in 2009.

Steve Smith Sr. (Football)
One of the most electrifying athletes to ever play at Utah, Steve Smith Sr. continued to amaze during a 16-year career in the National Football League, making five Pro Bowl appearances.

Smith earned all-league honors as both a wide receiver and punt returner in 1999. He led the team with 860 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches. As a punt returner, Smith eclipsed the Utah single-season records with 495 punt return yards and three TDs. His senior year, Smith earned All-MWC honors for a second time. He rolled up over 1,100 all-purpose yards with a team-high 743 in receiving and 365 more in punt returns. Smith left Utah as the program's all-time leader by averaging 20.55 yards per catch. He also set the top mark with four career punt return touchdowns.

Smith was taken in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers, where he spent the next 13 seasons. He played the last three years of his career with Baltimore. A three-time first or second team All-Pro selection, Smith is the 14th player in NFL history to amass 1,000 career receptions. He ranks seventh in league history with 14,731 receiving yards.

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Completed Event: General versus Arizona on January 18, 2002

Completed Event: General versus Utah St on November 30, 2001 , Win , 3, to, 1

Completed Event: General versus San Diego St on November 17, 2001 , Win , 166, to, 120

Completed Event: General versus UNLV on November 10, 2001 , Loss , 114, to, 117

Completed Event: General versus UNLV on November 10, 2001 , Loss , 89, to, 189.5

Completed Event: General at Oregon St on October 26, 2001 , Loss , 89, to, 116

Completed Event: General versus Utah St on October 23, 2001 , Win , 3, to, 1

Completed Event: General versus UNLV on November 10, 2000

Completed Event: General versus UNLV on November 10, 2000 , Loss , 82, to, 120

The University of Utah Athletics

2017 Crimson Club Hall of Fame Class Honored

Related News

Related Videos