Deuce McAllister (left) and Warrick Dunn (right)

NATCHITOCHES – Five football standouts, led by star NFL running backs Deuce McAllister of the New Orleans Saints and Baton Rouge native Warrick Dunn, are among the eight 2012 inductees who will enter the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

Another remarkable running back, LSU great Terry Robiskie, joins Louisiana Tech pass catching sensation Roger Carr and highly-successful former Southern head coach Pete Richardson in the five-man football component going into the Hall this summer.

Three-time Grambling basketball All-American Aaron James, a New Orleans native, joins LSU baseball stalwart Eddy Furniss and nationally-acclaimed jockey Mark Guidry, a Lafayette native, in the Hall's 2012 induction class.

Their selection was announced late Saturday. They will be officially enshrined Saturday, June 23, 2012 in Natchitoches to culminate the June 21-23 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration.

A 30-member Louisiana Sports Writers Association committee selected the 2012 inductees. The panel considered a record 142 nominees from 24 different sport categories on a 25-page ballot, said Hall of Fame chairman Doug Ireland.

Dunn was a three-time Pro Bowl selection over 12 NFL seasons who ranked 19th in league history in rushing. McAllister is the Saints' career rushing king and made two Pro Bowl appearances.

Furniss holds five major Southeastern Conference hitting records and was a three-time All-American who helped LSU to consecutive national championships in 1996-97. Guidry, a Lafayette native, became the 21st U.S. jockey to record 5,000 career wins.

James was a high school and college All-America pick who averaged nearly 11 points per game as the first-ever draft pick of the NBA's New Orleans Jazz. Robiskie was a prep sensation at Second Ward High School who became LSU's career rushing leader.

Carr's pass catching won him two All-America awards and helped Louisiana Tech win a small college national title before he had a 1976 All-Pro season to highlight an 10-year NFL career. Richardson revitalized a long-struggling Southern football program, leading the Jaguars to 134 wins, five Southwestern Athletic Conference championships and four black college national crowns in 17 seasons.

The 2012 inductions will be conducted as construction nears completion on the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame museum, operated by the Louisiana State Museum system in a partnership with the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. The striking two-story, 27,500-square foot structure faces Cane River Lake in the National Historic Landmark District of Natchitoches and should be completed this summer with installation of cutting-edge exhibits following over the next few months.

The eight new inductees will raise the total of Hall of Fame members to 292 men and women honored since the first induction class - baseball's Mel Ott, world champion boxer Tony Canzoneri and LSU football great Gaynell Tinsley – were enshrined in 1959 after their election a year earlier.

The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame includes nine members of the Basketball Hall of Fame, six of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, six baseball Hall of Fame inductees, 13 Pro Football Hall of Fame members, seven Women's Basketball Hall of Fame enshrines, 18 Olympic medalists (10 gold medal winners), 32 College Football Hall of Fame members, three National High School Hall of Fame enshrines, jockeys with a combined 12 Triple Crown victories, six world boxing champions, three College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees (Furniss will be the fourth), three NBA Finals MVPs and two Super Bowl MVPs. A complete membership list and biographical information on all 285 current members is available at the www.lasportshall.com website, with a steady stream of info available at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Facebook page.

The 2012 Induction Celebration will kick off Thursday, June 21 with the La Capitol press conference and reception. It includes three receptions, a Friday morning youth sports clinic sponsored by the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Office, and a Friday afternoon Encana Gas celebrity pro-am golf scramble at Oak Wing Golf Course in Alexandria. Tickets for the Chesapeake Energy Induction Dinner and Ceremonies, and golf entries, will go on sale in April through the www.lasportshall.com website, said Hall of Fame Foundation president/chief executive officer Lisa Babin.

Also to be honored at the event will be two other Hall of Fame inductees, the winner of the 2012 Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award and the recipient of the 2012 Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism presented by the LSWA. Those award recipients will be announced in the spring.

A three-time Pro Bowl pick (1997, 2000, 2005), Dunn distinguished himself as one of the NFL's top running backs in 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Bucs (1997-2001, 2008) and Atlanta Falcons (2002-07). The 5-foot-9, 187-pounder was named the Pro Football Writers Association and AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1997. A first-round pick of the Bucs in 1997 (12th overall), he went on to rush for 10,967 career yards -- which was 19th on the NFL's all-time list going into the 2011 season -- with 49 TDs. He added 15 touchdown and 4,339 yards receiving.

At Florida State, he had career totals of 3,959 rushing yards and 37 TDs and 1,314 receiving yards and 12 scores. He helped the Seminoles win the 1993 national title and was a second-team All-American as a senior in 1996. Dunn also competed on the FSU track team as a sprinter and was an All-American on the 4x100-meter relay team.

Dunn starred at Baton Rouge-Catholic High School where he played quarterback, cornerback and running back. For his efforts off the field, Dunn has been honored as the 2004 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, the 2007 Whizzer White NFL Man of the Year and the 2008 Bart Starr Man of the Year.

Unquestionably one of the most popular players in New Orleans Saints history, McAllister played in two Pro Bowls and became the franchise's all-time leading rusher despite an injury-hampered career. McAllister played in just 97 games, but he rushed for 6,096 yards -- smashing the old mark of 4,267 yards by George Rogers -- and is also the team's all-time leader in rushing touchdowns (49) and total TDs (55). In 2006, he helped the Saints, who won the NFC South title under rookie coach Sean Payton, reach the NFC Championship game for the first time.

He was also community-minded as he raised money for and devoted much of his time away from the field to his Catch 22 Foundation to help underprivileged children in the Gulf South region. He set six records at Ole Miss, including marks for rushing yards (3,331) and TDs (40).

Furniss, a 2010 inductee into the College Baseball Hall of Fame, was one of the top hitters in LSU and Southeastern Conference history during a four-year career from 1995-98 with the Tigers -- producing records that stand 14 years later. As of the 2011 season, Furniss remains the SEC's all-time leader in hits (352), doubles (87), home runs (80), RBIs (308), and total bases (689). In the NCAA record books, he was third in total bases, fourth in home runs and doubles, and fifth in RBIs.

A three-time All-American and Academic All-American, the first baseman from Nacogdoches, Texas, helped LSU to NCAA titles in 1996 and 1997, and received the 1998 Dick Howser Trophy as college baseball's most outstanding player. He hit .403 in 1998 with 27 doubles, three triples, 28 homers, 85 runs and 76 RBI, earning first-team All-America and All-SEC honors, after being named the 1996 SEC Player of the Year as a sophomore.

Guidry is one of only 22 jockeys in the history of thoroughbred racing in the United States with more than 5,000 wins, achieving that total over a 32-year career which has recently resumed. After winning his first recognized race at age 16 at Delta Downs, Guidry operated on the Louisiana circuit for a decade before moving his tack to the Chicago circuit.

He earned the moniker "King of Chicago" after winning 18 riding titles in that area -- nine at the now-defunct Sportsman's Park, seven at Hawthorne Race Course and two at Arlington Park. His biggest career win was aboard longshot Lemons Forever in the 2006 Kentucky Oaks.

Guidry received the 2006 George Woolf Memorial Award for career achievements and personal character, presented each year by Santa Anita Park and voted on by jockeys nationwide. Guidry retired from the saddle in November 2007 with 5,044 wins from 31,321 mounts. His mounts earned slightly more than $100 million.

A three-time All-American at Grambling after a prep All-America career at New Orleans' Cohen High School, James played five seasons with the expansion New Orleans Jazz, who took him as their first-ever draft pick in the second round of the 1974 draft. Nicknamed "A.J. from the Parking Lot" for his long-range jump shots, he averaged 10.8 points and 4.1 rebounds and had 370 assists in 356 NBA games, then starred for five seasons in Italy and three in the Philippines.

The 6-foot-8 James excelled for legendary Grambling coach Fred Hobdy. James was the SWAC Freshman of the Year in 1970-71, a three-time All-Southwestern Athletic Conference pick and the league's MVP as a senior in 973-74. He was a second-team small college All-American as a sophomore and junior and a first-teamer as a senior when he led the nation in scoring with a 32.1 average. For his college career, he averaged 22.2 points and 10.9 rebounds in 106 games, helping Grambling claim two SWAC titles and one NAIA District Championship.

A prolific athlete at Second Ward High School in Edgard, Robiskie was a prep All-America quarterback before starring at running back at LSU from 1973-76. He averaged 12 yards per rushing attempt in his final three seasons at Second Ward, with more than 6,470 yards in total offense -- running for 62 TDs and throwing for 28 more. A member of the Scholastic Magazine and Parade Magazine All-American teams in 1972, Robiskie led Second Ward to 33 straight wins and two straight state championships while his team averaged 41 points a game.

At LSU, he became the first running back in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season when he finished with 1,117 yards in 1976. That year, he was the Southeastern Conference MVP, a first-team All-SEC pick and a first-team Academic All-SEC pick. He finished his career as the school's all-time rushing leader with 2,517 yards.

An eighth-round draft pick in 1977, he played five seasons with the Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins and has been an NFL assistant coach since 1982 with the L.A. Raiders, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns and currently the Atlanta Falcons (many of those years as offensive coordinator) and served as interim coach with the Redskins in 2000 and Browns in 2004.

Carr, an All-State track and field athlete at little Cotton Valley High School, walked on as a punter at Louisiana Tech and developed into a two-time All-American college and a 1976 All-Pro wide receiver. In four years at Tech, he caught 114 passes for 2,717 yards and a school record 19 touchdowns. He made all-conference and all-American in 1972 and 1973 as Tech went unbeaten once and won the national College Division championship the next year with a combined 24-1 record.

The 24th pick in the 1974 NFL Draft, Carr played eight years with the Colts, then a year each with Seattle and San Diego, appearing in 115 NFL games, catching 271 passes for 5,071 yards and 31 touchdowns. He was a 1976 Pro Bowl pick when he and Hall of Fame quarterback Bert Jones hooked up for an NFL-best 25.9 yards per catch, also leading the league with 1,112 yards and 79.4 receiving yards per game, with Carr notching 11 touchdown catches.

Richardson defined Southern University football from his arrival in 1993 to 2009, winning five Southwestern Athletic Conference titles, including a three-peat from 1997-99 (the school's first consecutive SWAC titles since 1959-60), four black college national titles (1993, 1995, 1997 and 2003) and four Heritage Bowl titles. Richardson was 12-5 in the Bayou Classic and is the only SWAC coach never to have lost to Eddie Robinson.

His winning percentage of 68.4 percent in 17 seasons (134-62) at the school is second behind only College Football Hall of Fame coach Ace Mumford's 70.4 percent (176-60-14). Prior to his arrival, Southern had last won the SWAC in 1975 and 1966. The program had four different head coaches in the 1970s and four between 1981 and 1992.

Richardson took over a program that had three straight losing seasons and guided it to an 11-1 record, winning the SWAC and black college national titles. At SU, Richardson had four 11-win seasons -- including a 12-1 run in 2003.

2012 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Class

ROGER CARR -- An All-State track and field athlete at little Cotton Valley High School, he walked on as a punter at Louisiana Tech and developed into a two-time All-American college and a 1976 All-Pro wide receiver to highlight a 10-year NFL career.  In four years at Tech, he caught 114 passes for 2,717 yards and a school record  19 touchdowns.  His 4.5 speed helped him make All-Southland Conference and All-American in 1972 and 1973 as Tech went unbeaten once and won the national College Division championship the next year with a combined 24-1 record. Carr became the 24th selection in the 1974 NFL Draft, going to Baltimore, where he became an explosive receiving target for former LSU All-American and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame member Bert Jones.  In 1976, he posted 1,112 yards receiving and averaged 25.9 yards per catch, both NFL bests, scoring 11 touchdowns on 43 receptions, earning All-Pro honors and a spot in the Pro Bowl, as Jones won NFL MVP honors while the Colts won the AFC East Division championship.  A knee injury in 1977 slowed his production, but "Runaway Carr," also called "Louisiana Lightning," spent eight years with the Colts, then a year each with Seattle and San Diego.  He played in 115 NFL games, catching 271 passes for 5,071 yards and 31 touchdowns. With Baltimore he had 254 receptions for 4,770 yards and 29 scores. Born 7-1-52 in Seminole, Okla.

WARRICK DUNN -- A standout at every level he played at, the Baton Rouge native distinguished himself as one of the NFL’s top running backs in 12 total seasons with the Tampa Bay Bucs (1997-2001, 2008) and Atlanta Falcons (2002-07). The 5-foot-9, 187-pound Dunn was named the Pro Football Writers Association and AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1997. A three-time Pro Bowl pick in 1997, 2000 and 2005, the speedy Dunn was a five-time 1,000-yard rusher who averaged 4.1 yards per carry for his career. His most productive season was in 2005 with Atlanta when he rushed for 1,416 yards (5.1 average) and caught 29 passes for 220 yards for a total of 1,636 yards from scrimmage. A first-round pick of the Bucs in 1997 (12th overall), he went on to rush for 10,967 career yards -- which was 19th on the NFL’s all-time list going into the 2011 season -- with 49 TDs and a long run of 90 yards. Also a fine receiver out of the backfield at 5 feet, 9 inches and 187 pounds, he had 510 career receptions for 4,339 yards and 15 TDs with a long of 86. At Florida State, he had career totals of 3,959 rushing yards and 37 TDs and 1,314 receiving yards and 12 scores. He helped the Seminoles win the 1993 national title and was a second-team All-American as a senior in 1996. Dunn also competed on the FSU track team as a sprinter and was an All-American on the 4x100-meter relay team. Dunn starred as Catholic High School where he played quarterback, cornerback and running back. He is also well-known for his philanthropic endeavors, which were inspired by the death of his mother, Baton Rouge police officer Betty Smothers, a single mother killed in the line of duty in 1993. Through his Warrick Dunn Family Foundation and his Homes for the Holidays program, Dunn has helped single mothers purchase homes in Baton Rouge, Tampa, Atlanta and Tallahassee. For his efforts off the field, Dunn has been honored as the 2004 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, the 2007 Whizzer White NFL Man of the Year and the 2008 Bart Starr Man of the Year. Born 1-5-1975 in Baton Rouge.

EDDY FURNISS -- A 2010 inductee into the College Baseball Hall of Fame, the Nacogdoches, Texas, native was one of the top hitters in LSU and Southeastern Conference history during a four-year career from 1995-98 with the Tigers -- producing records that stand 13 years later. Going into the 2011 season, Furniss remained the SEC’s all-time leader in hits (352), doubles (87), home runs (80), RBIs (308), and total bases (689). In the NCAA record books, he was third in total bases, fourth in home runs and doubles, and fifth in RBIs. A three-time Academic All-American, Furniss, a first baseman, helped LSU to NCAA titles in 1996 and 1997, and received the 1998 Dick Howser Trophy as college baseball’s most outstanding player. He hit .403 in ’98 with 27 doubles, three triples, 28 homers, 85 runs and 76 RBI, earning first-team All-America and All-SEC honors. In the two years LSU won the CWS while he was there, Furniss batted .381 with 26 homers and 102 RBIs in 1996 and .378 with 17 home runs and 77 RBIs in ’97. Furniss earned All-America recognition in each of his final three seasons and was voted the 1996 SEC Player of the Year. Furniss, a 2007 LSU Athletic Hall of Fame inductee. was chosen in the fourth round of the 1998 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, but retired after four minor-league seasons to concentrate on a career in medicine. He has a family medicine practice In his hometown. Born 9-18-75 in Nacogdoches, Texas.

MARK GUIDRY -- One of 22 jockeys in the history of thoroughbred racing in the United States with more than 5,000 wins, achieving that total over a 32-year career which has recently resumed. After winning his first recognized race at age 16 at Delta Downs (like many other Louisiana-native jockeys, he rode at bush tracks beginning at age 9), Guidry operated on the Louisiana circuit for a decade before moving his tack to the Chicago circuit. He earned the moniker “King of Chicago” after winning 18 riding titles in that area -- nine at the now-defunct Sportsman’s Park, seven at Hawthorne Race Course and two at Arlington Park. His biggest career win was aboard longshot Lemons Forever in the 2006 Kentucky Oaks. Coincidentally, a year later on Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs, Guidry became the 21st jockey to reach the 5,000-win plateau. He received the 2006 George Woolf Memorial Award for career achievements and personal character, presented each year by Santa Anita Park and voted on by jockeys nationwide. Guidry retired from the saddle in November 2007 with 5,044 wins from 31,321 mounts. His mounts earned slightly more than $100 million. Guidry took on a career as a trainer beginning in the summer of 2008, and returned to the saddle in 2011. Born 8-6-59 in Lafayette.

AARON JAMES -- A three-time All-American at Grambling after a prep All-America career at New Orleans’ Cohen High School, James played five seasons with the expansion New Orleans Jazz, who took him as their first-ever draft pick in the second round of the 1974 draft. He averaged 10.8 points and 4.1 rebounds and had 370 assists in 356 NBA games. Nicknamed “A.J. From the Parking Lot” for his long-range jump shots, he also played five seasons in Italy and three in the Philippines. As a collegian, the 6-foot-8 James excelled for legendary Grambling coach Fred Hobdy. James was the SWAC Freshman of the Year in 1970-71, a three-time All-Southwestern Athletic Conference pick and the league’s MVP as a senior in 1973-74. He was a second-team small college All-American as a sophomore and junior and a first-teamer as a senior when he led the nation in scoring with a 32.1 average. For his college career, he averaged 22.2 points and 10.9 rebounds in 106 games, helping Grambling claim two SWAC titles and one NAIA District Championship. He coached at Jarvis Christian College and was an assistant women’s coach and head men’s coach at his alma mater. While he was a women’s assistant, Grambling won two regular-season SWAC titles and one tournament title. Currently an assistant professor of kinesiology and interim athletics director at Grambling, James is already a member of the Grambling, SWAC and Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches halls of fame. Born 10-5-1952 in New Orleans.

DULYMUS “DEUCE” MCALLISTER -- Unquestionably one of the most popular players in New Orleans Saints history, McAllister managed to become the franchise’s all-time leading rusher despite an injury-plagued career that included numerous surgeries to his knees. McAllister played in just 97 games, but he rushed for 6,096 yards -- smashing the old mark of 4,267 yards by George Rogers -- and is also their all-time leader in rushing touchdowns (49) and total TDs (55). He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the four seasons the powerful 6-foot-1, 232-pounder played in more than 10 games. The former Ole Miss standout, a first-round pick in the 2001 draft (23rd overall), became a starter in 2002 after Ricky Williams was traded to Miami and established himself as one of the NFL’s top workhorse backs as he rushed for 1,388 yards and 13 TDs that year and 1,641 yards and eight TDs in 2003 -- giving him two-year totals of 3,029 yards and 21 scores. A capable receiver as well, he caught 47 passes for 352 yards and three TDs in 2002 and had 69 receptions for 868 yards in ’03. That gave him a total of 3,897 yards from scrimmage 24 TDs in those two years, which resulted in two Pro Bowl invites. Unfortunately, his promising career was cut short by knee injuries although he rushed for 1,074 yards and nine TDs in 2004 and 1,057 yards and 10 TDs in 2006 when he helped the Saints, who won the NFC South title under rookie coach Sean Payton, reach the NFC Championship game for the first time. He was also community-minded as he raised money for and devoted much of his time away from the field to his Catch 22 Foundation to help underprivileged children in the Gulf South region. He set six records at Ole Miss, including marks for rushing yards (3,331) and TDs (40). Born 12-27-1978 in Lena, Miss.

PETE RICHARDSON  -- Richardson defined Southern University football from his arrival in 1993 to 2009, establishing himself on par with the school’s other coaching legend -- College Football Hall of Fame and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame member A.W. Mumford. Richardson. He won five Southwestern Athletic Conference titles, including a three-peat from 1997-99 (the school’s first consecutive SWAC titles since 1959-60), four black college national titles (1993, 1995, 1997 and 2003) and four Heritage Bowl titles. Richardson is 12-5 in the Bayou Classic and is the only SWAC coach never to have lost to Eddie Robinson. His winning percentage of 68.4 percent in 17 seasons (134-62) at the school is second behind only Mumford’s 70.4 percent (176-60-14). Prior to his arrival, Southern had last won the SWAC in 1975 and 1966. The program had four different head coaches in the 1970s and four between 1981 and 1992. His impact was immediate, however, as he took over a program that had three straight losing seasons and guided it to an 11-1 record, winning the SWAC and black college national titles. At SU, Richardson had four 11-win seasons -- including a 12-1 run in 2003. His career record, including five seasons at Division II Winston-Salem State, was 176-76-1. A seventh-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills in 1968, he played defensive back from 1969-71. He had eight interceptions and five fumble recoveries in 39 career games. Born 10-7-45 in Dayton, Ohio.

TERRY ROBISKIE -- A prolific athlete at Second Ward High School in Edgard, Robiskie was a standout quarterback before becoming LSU's career rushing leader as a running back for the Tigers from 1973-76. Robiskie capped his prep career in 1972 by rushing for 1,471 yards with a 10.2 average and 22 touchdowns and throwing for 958 yards and 11 TDs. As a junior, he rushed for 1,995 yards and passed for 1,323 yards. He averaged 12 yards per rushing attempt in three years, with more than 6,470 yards in total offense -- running for 62 TDs and throwing for 28 more. He was the 1972 Class A Outstanding Offensive Player and also earned the VFW Prep Athlete of the Year honor in 1973. He was a member of the Scholastic Magazine and Parade Magazine All-American teams in 1972 and was chosen to the All Southern Prep football team by the Orlando Sentinel. Robiskie was featured in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd after scoring on quarterback sneaks of 97, 84 and 80 yards in one game. He led Second Ward to 33 straight wins and two straight state championships while his team averaged 41 points a game. At LSU, he became the first running back in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season when he finished with 1,117 yards in 1976. That year, he was the Southeastern Conference MVP, a first-team All-SEC pick and a first-team Academic All-SEC pick. He finished his career as the school’s all-time rushing leader with 2,517 yards, a total that ranked fifth going into the 2006 season. An eighth-round draft pick in 1977, he played five seasons with the Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins. He has been an NFL assistant coach since 1982 with the L.A. Raiders, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns and currently the Atlanta Falcons (many of those years as offensive coordinator) and served as interim coach with the Redskins in 2000 and Browns in 2004. Born 11-12-54 in New Orleans.