2019 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
The University of Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor welcomed seven new members on Friday, Nov. 15, 2019: Erick Anderson (football), Hal Downes (ice hockey), John Fisher (wrestling), Lara Hooiveld (women's swimming & diving), Ron Simpkins (football), Stacey Thomas (women's basketball) and Nick Willis (men's track & field, cross country).
Gallery: 2019 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
1 of 14
2019 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
2 of 14
2019 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
3 of 14
2019 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
4 of 14
2019 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
5 of 14
2019 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
6 of 14
2019 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
7 of 14
2019 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
8 of 14
2019 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
9 of 14
2019 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
10 of 14
2019 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
11 of 14
2019 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
12 of 14
2019 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
13 of 14
2019 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
14 of 14
2019 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
Erick Anderson
Football (1989-92)
"It means a lot to me. It's an amazing honor, a great honor. When I was a player, I never thought about it. But as you get older, I would think about it once in a while. But, playing for Bo (Schembechler), that left me conflicted. It was never about individual accomplishments. And so then I got reflective and said, 'I shouldn't even be thinking about this'."
Hal Downes
Ice Hockey (1950-51)
"I'm just so proud and really grateful that the University he loved so much is bestowing such a special honor on him. It's fitting and makes me smile on the inside. My dad loved the University of Michigan through and through and was very proud of the team." - Donna Knox, daughter of Downes
John Fisher
Wrestling (1985-89)
"It means everything. I was shocked and totally overwhelmed. Michigan is such a tremendous university, and we've had so many great wrestlers here over the years. So, it's just an incredible honor to be included among some truly great people."
Lara Hooiveld
Women's Swimming & Diving (1992-94)
"I feel incredibly honored to be an inductee. I feel quite humbled that the University of Michigan would recognize my past early-1990s swimming accomplishments in 2019!"
Ron Simpkins
Football (1976-79)
"It's not about me. It's about my teammates. The things I accomplished was because of them. So, I look at it as them going into the Hall of Honor as much as it is I'm going in. I take so much pride in playing with these guys at Michigan that it just means the world to me."
Stacey Thomas
Women's Basketball (1997-2000)
"Wow, what an honor. Being only the second one (women's basketball) makes it even more prestigious. It really brought back some memories, flashbacks of my college years. It took me down memory lane. I'm pumped up about this."
Nick Willis
Men's Track & Field/Cross Country (2003-05)
"It's a huge, huge honor, especially for someone who stayed around in Ann Arbor after graduating. It's really cool to be a part of the same club as all these people I've looked up to from other sports who I've put up on a pedestal, and you forget that your sport can be honored alongside them. It's very humbling."
2019 Hall of Honor Inductees recognized at the Michigan vs. Michigan State football game on Saturday, Nov. 16