Tommy Moody, Melvin Ingram headline Gamecocks’ newest Hall of Fame class

South Carolina will induct nine former Gamecocks into the USC Letterman’s Hall of Fame as the Class of 2024, letterman association president Seth Rose announced on 107.5 The Game Thursday.

The 2024 class includes Pharoh Cooper (football), Dana Fulmer (softball), Melvin Ingram (football), Bob Kaczka (track and field/cross country), Tiffany Mitchell (basketball), Jocelyn Penn (basketball), Jason Richardson (track and field), Shalonda Solomon (track and field) and Tommy Moody (baseball).

Those nine honorees will be inducted on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, and recognized at the South Carolina-Texas A&M football game at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 2.

USC 2024 Hall of Fame class

Pharoh Cooper, football (2013-15)

Pharoh Cooper holds the Gamecock single-game receiving record, which he set with 233 yards against Tennessee his sophomore season. He was named the 2014 Independence Bowl offensive MVP after catching nine passes for 170 yards and a touchdown against Miami. His career numbers in the following stats ranked in the top 12 in school history: receptions (12th with 138), receiving yards (10th with 2,163), 100-yard receiving games (fourth with nine) and receiving touchdowns (seventh with 18). He was selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams and played seven years in the league, making the Pro Bowl in 2017.

Dana Fulmer, softball (1992-95)

Dana Fulmer, a catcher/outfielder, was a four-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region selection (three first-team selections and one second-team selection). She was named team MVP her senior season. She set the school record for games played and RBI; ranks second in at-bats, hits and batting average; is third in triples; and fifth in runs. Fulmer is one of 12 players in program gistory with 100 runs and 100 RBI. She was selected in the 10th round of the Women’s Professional Fastpitch League in 1996. Since then she has served as an assistant coach at Georgia Southern, head coach at Providence College and athletic director at Mitchell College. Fulmer has been the AD at Johnson & Wales University - Providence since 2019.

Melvin Ingram, football (2007-11)

Melvin Ingram, who began his USC career at linebacker before switching to defensive end, was a consensus All-American and All-SEC selection his senior year. Ingram was taken by the San Diego (now Los Angeles) Chargers with the 18th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. As a junior in 2010, he led the team with nine sacks. He had 10 sacks the next year on top of 15 tackles for loss and two interceptions. He scored two touchdowns in USC’s 2011 win over Georgia, including a 68-yard run on a fake punt and a five-yard fumble return. Ingram played 12 seasons in the NFL (nine with the Chargers, plus some time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins). He made three Pro Bowls and had the following career stats: 414 career tackles, 58.8 career sacks, forcing 16 fumbles, recovering nine.

Bob Kaczka, track and field/cross country (1968-71)

Bob Kaczka was an eight-time ACC track and field champion and an NCAA outdoor track & Field All-American in 1970. He won the following ACC events: Indoor 1,000-Yard Run (1969 and 1970), Outdoor 880-Yard Run (1969 and 1970) and Outdoor 4×400 meter relay (1968-1971). Kaczka finished sixth in the 800 meters at the 1970 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He set the school record in the 1,000 meters in 1969, which Aidan Hatton broke just this past season. Kaczka’s personal best time in the 800 meters ranks fifth in school history. He was ranked 8th in the nation in that event in 1970.

Tiffany Micthell, women’s basketball (2012-16)

Tiffany Mitchell became the first Dawn Staley-era player to have her jersey retired this past season. Mitchell was a three-time All-American, the program’s first two-time SEC Player of the Year and a two-time National Player of the Year finalist. She led USC to its first-ever Final Four in 2015 alongside current Gamecocks assistant Khadijah Sessions and Gamecock great A’ja Wilson. Mitchell was the leading scorer on South Carolina’s first SEC regular-season championship team. She’s one of three Gamecocks to finish her career with at least 1,500 points (1,885, which ranks seventh in school history), 300 assists and 200 steals. She played 4,167 minutes in garnet and black, third most of any player ever. Mitchell also won the department’s President’s Award in 2016. She was selected ninth overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2016 WNBA Draft and made the league’s All-Rookie Team. Mitchell currently plays for the Connecticut Sun.

Tommy Moody, baseball/contributor (1970-72/1998-2023)

Tommy Moody, Columbia native, played at South Carolina from 1970-72. He also served as the Lettermen’s Association president, historian on its board of directors and chaired the hall of fame selection committee from 1998 until his death in October. Moody also worked on the Gamecock baseball radio broadcast team from 2000-23, meaning he was in the booth when USC won back-to-back national championships in 2010-11.

Jocelyn Penn, women’s basketball (1998-2003)

Jocelyn Penn averaged double-digit points ans shot better than 50% from the floor all four years at USC (including a stellar senior season, where she averaged 23.9 points on nearly 63% shooting and 8.1 rebounds). She was a finalist for the Naismith Trophy and the Wade Trophy in 2003 and won the Lowe’s Senior Class Award that same year. Her 1,939 career points ranks sixth all time. She received two All-SEC selections and was named an All-American her senior season. In 2002, Penn was named the State of South Carolina Female Amateur Athlete of the Year. She was selected ninth overall in the 2003 WNBA Draft by the Charlotte Sting, where current Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley played from 1999-2005. Penn played two seasons in the league.

Jason Richardson, track and field (2005-09)

Jason Richardson earned seven All-American honors and was a four-time SEC champ. He finished third in the NCAA indoor and outdoor 100 meter hurdles his freshman year. Richardson finished third again in the 2006 NCAA 100 meter hurdles. In 2008, he became NCAA outdoor 110 meter hurdles champion and finished second in the 60 meter hurdles. Richardson was named the 2008 USTFCCCA Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He won silver in the 110m hurdles at the 2012 London Summer Olympics and gold at the 2011 World Championships. Richardson’s personal bests in the following events rank second all time in school history: 55m hurdles, 60m hurdles and the 110m hurdles. His 400 meter hurdles time ranks No. 9.

Shalonda Solomon, track and field (2005-07)

Shalonda Solomon earned 11 NCAA All-America honors and scored in ten different NCAA championship events during her three-year Gamecock athletics career. She won the national championship in the 200 meters in both the 2006 NCAA indoor and outdoors and was a member of the 2005 NCAA champion outdoor 4x400m relay. In 2006, she was the NCAA women’s indoor Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA and was the SEC women’s indoor runner of the year. She was a member of the 2011 World Championship 4x100m relay team. Currently, Solomon still has the school record in the outdoor 200 meters and her personal bests are still second-fastest in school history in the 55 meters, 60 meters and indoor 200 meters, third-fastest in the 100 meters and fourth-fastest in the 300 meters.