Greater Buffalo Hall of Fame names Class of '06

Dick Harvey led his team to multiple state championships on the hardwood. Bill Hurley racked up the accolades in multiple sports and found a profession on the gridiron. Billy Scherrer has multiple pieces of jewelry to display his baseball talents.

These three men all succeeded in different athletic areas but have two things in common: they hail from the Kenmore-Tonawanda area and they will all soon hold an everlasting position in Buffalo sports as they become enshrined in the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame as part of its 16th class.

A total of 11 sports greats - Hurley, Harvey, Scherrer, Paul Fitzpatrick, Joe Ehrmann, Bruce Smith, Dave Andreychuk, Rudy Pikuzinski, Jody Swanson Starck, Jeremy Jacobs, and Bobby Banck - will take their permanent home in the Hall at HSBC Arena on Oct. 26. Tickets for the event are $90 and can be purchased by calling 855-4863 or going to the official web site at www.buffalosportshallfame. com.

Dick Harvey

Harvey may have grown up in Dunkirk and starred on the hardwood at the University at Buffalo as a collegian, but his legacy lies in the old gym at Kenmore West. It was there in 35 years as the head coach of the Blue Devils that Harvey became one of the winningest coaches in both Western New York and New York State high school basketball history.

Harvey won 445 games guiding the Blue Devils, a figure that ranks fifth all-time in Western New York and 45th in state basketball annals. His teams accumulated nine NFLtitles, five divisional championships, four Section VI titles, and one Western Conference title.

Along the way, Harvey earned numerous honors and awards, including the New York State Coaches Award (1986), the Section VI High School Sports Coach of the Year (1993), and ultimately induction into the Kenmore West Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003.

Well-respected in area hoop circles and the author of several coaching books, Harvey also coached the Empire State Games Western Scholastic team from 1992-96 and was an ever present figure at numerous camps and clinics.

Bill Hurley

Hurley was a triple threat at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute in the early 1970's. A three-year starter in football, Hurley was named first team All-Catholic, first team All-Western New York, first team All-State and first team All-America - New World Magazine. He was voted team MVP and MVP in the 1975 city/county all-star game, and won the 1975 Billy Kelly Award as Outstanding Athlete

in the Msgr. Martin Association - Burke League. He set the New York State single game rushing record (381 yards on 17 carries) against Bishop Turner.

As a three-year starter in baseball, Hurley was first team All-Catholic, team MVP, two-time American Legion all star and two-time AAABA all star. In hockey, as a three-year starter, he was team MVP.

Hurley went on to star in football at Syracuse University and as a four-year starter was twice selected team captain, twice team MVP, twice honorable mention All-America, and twice named the All-East quarterback. In 1979, Hurley was ECAC Offensive Player of the Year while his team won the Independence Bowl; he was selected to play in the Blue/Gray football classic, and was MVP in the East/West Shrine game and Hula Bowl. He finished his collegiate career ranked first at SU in passing, first in total offense, and third in rushing.

Hurley was selected in the fourth round of the 1980 NFLdraft by Pittsburgh and he later played for New Orleans and Buffalo. His coaching career at Duquesne University as defensive back coach included the 2004 and 2005 MAAC Championships.

Billy Scherrer

Scherrer was a star baseball player at Cardinal O'Hara, earning All-Catholic and All-Western New York honors. In his senior session, he yielded just one earned run, garnering Parade Magazine Second Team All-American status in the process.

Originally drafted by Cleveland in 1976, he went on to play parts of seven seasons with Cincinnati and Detroit, pitching 311 innings in his career with 207 strikeouts and 11 saves. He would complete his career with the distinction of having earned three World Series rings with three different organizations.

His finest season was in 1983, when he appeared in 73 games for the Reds as their top reliever, earning 10 saves and striking out 57 in 92 innings. He would go on to earn his first World Series title with Detroit in 1984, appearing in 18 games down the stretch and three more in the World Series as the Tigers upended San Diego in five games.

After his playing career ended, Scherrer became an area scout for the Florida Marlins, earning his second World Series ring in 1997. He would later serve as a scout for Cincinnati and would earn his third ring as assistant to the general manager for the Chicago White Sox in 2005, a position he has held since 2002.

Scherrer resides in Grand Island and for 14 years has served as an instructor at Rick Lancelloti's Buffalo School of Baseball.

Paul Fitzpatrick

A true South Buffalo legend, Fitzpatrick excelled in baseball, football, and basketball at Bishop Timon High School in the mid-1960's. During his senior year of 1966, he was selected to the All-Catholic and All-Western New York teams in football, selected to the All-Catholic team in basketball, and voted Most Valuable Player in both football and basketball the same year.

Fitzpatrick's football prowess earned him a full scholarship to play at the University of Maryland, where he was recruited by another legend to-be, Coach Lou Saban, and was selected as the Unsung Hero for the University of Maryland football team his senior year.

Fitzpatrick returned to Western New York in 1970 and spent seven years as assistant football coach at Baker High School in Lackawanna. Later, he began his career as head football coach at his alma mater, Timon High School - one he would continue for 28 years.

His Timon record of 164-84-5 set a school record. His 1983 and 1985 teams were ranked first in the Buffalo News large school poll. His win total ranks as the 11th-best record in Western New York football history.

Joe Ehrmann

Ehrmann was a standout football player at Riverside High School, starting all four years on both the offensive and defensive lines, and earning All-Western New York honors as a junior and senior and High School All-American honors as a senior.

Ehrmann went on to star at Syracuse University in the late 1960's and early 1970's, where he was named All-American as a junior and was later selected to the Orange's All-Century Team in 1999.

Drafted by the Baltimore Colts as the 10th overall pick in 1973, Ehrmann played for the Colts from 1973-80, earning Pro Bowl honors in 1976. He played two seasons with Detroit and three more in the USFL.

Ehrmann's life took a dramatic change after the death of his younger brother and best friend, Billy, and the story was chronicled in the book "Season of Life: a Football Star, a Boy, a Journey to Manhood," written by Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter Jeffrey Marx.

Ehrmann went on to become a minister in Baltimore, launched several projects to benefit inner city children, and volunteers as a football coach at the Gilman School in Baltimore, where a Parade Magazine story called Ehrmann the "most important coach in America" for teaching young men new meanings of manhood based on relationships and having a cause beyond one's self.

Dave Andreychuk

Hamilton, Ontario native Andreychuk began his 23-year National Hockey League career in Buffalo in 1982, the year the Buffalo Sabres made him their number one draft choice, the 16th player chosen in that year's draft.

Andreychuk scored in his very first Sabres' game and played 11 seasons in Buffalo where he would go on to hold the club records for most goals in one game (five), most career power play goals (160), most single-season power play goals (28), most power play goals in a game (four), and most career assists (436) and points (804) by a left winger.

His finest Sabres' season occurred in 1991-92, when he scored 41 goals and assisted on 50 others. The following season, after 52 games, Buffalo traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs, scoring 54 goals and 45 assists between the two teams.

Andreychuk, who continues to make his home in WNY, also holds NHL records for power play goals in a season (28) and career (270), and as the oldest to play in a Stanley Cup final (40 years, 7 months).

Tampa Bay was the sixth stop in his career and he made the most of it, captaining the 2003-04 Lightning team to the Stanley Cup championship over Calgary in seven games.

Bobby Banck

Banck began playing tennis as a result of a rule. While he and his father were playing racquetball at a local YMCA, two adults asked if they wanted to play a match; after soundly defeating the pair, the two adults complained to the manager that they should not allow little kids into the club. A few weeks later, a minimum age of 16 rule was enacted; this ended Banck's racquetball days, but his tennis career was about to start.

By age 12, Banck was immersed in tennis and won the 12-and-under National Doubles title with Jimmy Arias. At age 14, he won the National 14-and-under Hard Court Singles and Doubles titles, and the National Clay Court Doubles title. He finished the year ranked number five in the U.S. in singles and number one in the U.S. in doubles.

After moving to Florida to attend the Nick Bolletieri Tennis Academy, Banck finished his junior career winning four national titles and later accepted a full scholarship to the University of Arkansas. He played professionally for approximately three years before retiring to coach.

Banck would add to his tennis legacy by coaching some of the best tennis players in the world, including his good friend Arias, Aaron Krickstein, Mary Jo Fernandez, Monica Seles, and Mary Pierce. In addition, he coached the number one junior player in the U.S., Justin Gimelstob. He also coached the USA team in World Team Cup play in Germany.

He was inducted as a member of the inaugural class of the Buffalo Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005.

Jeremy Jacobs

The Jacobs family history in the sports industry spans nearly 100 years and, under the direction of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Jacobs, Delaware North Companies propelled to the industry forefront in the last four decades, ranked as one of the top sports and entertainment companies in the world.

Jacobs has become one of the most prominent sports industry figures in the world - featured in nearly every major national and global media including Fortune, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, and the New York Times to name a few.

He is consistently ranked as one of the most influential people in sports business and ranked in the top five most influential people in hockey as owner of the Boston Bruins and for his leadership on the NHL's Board of Governors. As chair of the negotiating for the NHL, he is widely credited as the driving force behind the new collective bargaining agreement and the financial reengineering of the league.

Jacobs developed a private arena finance model for major market cities to design and build sports arenas without the burden on the municipalities. He led the development of the $168 million Fleet Center in Boston with no public funds, and was a key advisor and resource for the building of the HSBC Arena in Buffalo.

Jacobs has been involved in nearly every major national and international sports event including the Olympics, Goodwill Games, World Series, World Cup, Super Bowl, and others. He is well respected in the global equestrian sports community as a competitor as well as an enabler of children to become world-class competitive riders.

Winner of numerous awards, Jacobs is a frequent guest commentator on sports issues in national and global press and serves on a special 15-member board appointed by the White House that focuses on promoting global trade.

Rudy Pikuzinski

The son of a Polish immigrant, Pikuzinski was raised on the east side of Buffalo where his father taught soccer to him and his brothers; lessons learned would propel the young boy to iconic status as an adult in the sport.

The Buffalo native was drafted by the Buffalo Stallions of the Major Indoor Soccer League, playing for them during the 1983-84 season, the Stallions' last as a franchise. Also in 1984, Pikuzinski appeared with the Buffalo Storm during its one year of operation in the United Soccer League.

He became a fan favorite with the National Professional Soccer League's Buffalo Blizzard from 1992-2000. During his eight years with the Blizzard, Pikuzinski scored 317 goals and 823 points, the most in franchise history.

In between, Pikuzinski played with the MISL's Canton Invaders, where he won four championships and was named League MVP three years in a row. He also played for two years with the Cleveland Crunch from 1990-92.

Bruce Smith

Known perhaps as the most immovable object on a legendary irresistible force, Smith was drafted number one overall by Buffalo in the 1985 NFLdraft out of Virginia Tech, where he earned the Outland Trophy and first team All-American honors as a senior. His recognition was only beginning as he helped shape and give character to the great Buffalo Bills' team to come.

In his first year, Smith was chosen AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year and named to the Football Digest All-Rookie team. In 1987, he earned Pro Bowl MVP, first team All-Pro, NFLPA Defensive Lineman of the Year, and UPI Defensive Player of the Year, followed by UPI AFC Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 1988.

During the Bills' Super Bowl years of the early 1990's, Smith's defensive skills earned a treasure trove of honors that included Pro Bowl selections, defensive lineman of the week, month and year awards, All-Pro designations, and en route, set a club record with 19 sacks in a season. His stellar play anchored a defense that helped the Bills to an unprecedented four consecutive AFC Championships.

A 15-year starter with the Buffalo Bills, Smith set a team record with eight Pro Bowl selections, was the recipient of multiple NFLPA Defensive Lineman of the Year awards, including a stretch of three straight years. He later set a new NFLrecord for most double-digit sack seasons (13) and the NFLrecord for career sacks, while a member of the Washington Redskins.

Jody Swanson Starck

As a young girl, Swanson learned the ropes of sailing from her father. But she would quickly set her own course for a successful competitive boating career that now spans more than two decades.

Her first championship was earned during her first year of competitive sailing, a Youth World Lighting Championship in 1984. From 1989 to 2005, Swanson added several more titles to her collection, including two U.S. Sailing Adams Cup Women's Championships, a gold medal at the 1990 Goodwill Games, a silver medal at the 1995 Pan-American Games, and several Rolex International titles.

Swanson was twice named the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, the most prestigious sailing award recognized worldwide for on-the-water achievement.

Swanson is also an accomplished coach, winning the 2004 Women's Nationals with a team of two junior sailors from the Buffalo Canoe Club.