MORROW, Ga. – The four newest members of the Clayton State Athletics Hall of Fame all faced and overcame tremendous adversity in their lives to reach that lofty status, an experience they shared with friends, family and fellow Hall of Famers at their induction ceremony on Friday, February 10, 2017.
 
The Class of 2017 is comprised of former men's basketball player Keith Herring (1991-94), men's soccer player Warren Van Der Westhuizen (1999-2002), Olaitan Yusuf (2004-07) of women's soccer and Leonard Moreland, the President and CEO of Heritage Bank and longtime member of the Clayton State University family.
 
Below are the stories of how the Class of 2017 overcame their challenges to be one of the more inspirational groups to be inducted into the Clayton State Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
THE CLASS OF 2017 – BEYOND THE NUMBERS
KEITH HERRING (MEN'S BASKETBALL, 1991-94)
Fellow Hall of Famer and teammate of three years Carlos Head presented Herring and made sure everyone knew just how important he was to a fledgling program.
 
"This man is more than a teammate, he's my brother. Mason [Barfield] told me he was bringing in this kid from Idaho after our first year. We're coming off of a 3-24 year and I'm thinking, 'how's this skinny kid going to help us'."
 
"Well, it turned out that that first practice, anything that came off of that backboard – he got. He wanted it more than everybody else. One thing I'll tell you about Keith – he lays it all on the line for you. He came back from a personal loss during his senior year, one I don't know if I could have, and he was there for his teammates."
 
Herring, as he was as a player, was thinking of his teammates and those who helped him along the way as he stepped to the podium, making sure to thank them. One of those individuals was his high school coach who told him that "you don't have to be flashy to be a leader", and that's exactly how the 6-5 forward played the game.
 
He was fortunate to have ability but it was passion and learning to compete early on that helped drive Herring. As he said, "as the youngest of six siblings, you learn to compete at an early age."
 
In closing, he thanked his mother Patricia, whom he lost during his senior season of 1993-94.
 
Keith Herring – Hall of Fame Bio
A 6-5 forward, Herring made an immediate impact on a young program in just its second year of existence.
 
Teaming with fellow future Hall of Famer Carlos Head (Class of 2014) to destroy opposing teams offensively and defensively he averaged a team leading 17.9 points and 9.2 rebounds while starting all 26 games he played in during his first year. He also averaged 1.3 steals and 1.9 assists and shot an impressive .501 from the field.
 
Limited to just six games in 1992-93, he still averaged 14.2 points, 9.5 boards and 1.7 steals per game. As a senior the following year he came back with a vengeance and not only had one of his best campaigns but helped deliver what is still the best season in program history.
 
The Lakers 25-7 overall record that season still represents the most wins in team history and is tied for the fewest losses. That year, even as he dealt with personal tragedy, Herring was Clayton State's quiet and consummate leader and helped develop the team into a contender.
 
He was twice named Georgia Athletic Conference Player of the Week in 1993-94 and accomplished some incredible performances to earn those honors. Among those were a 9-of-9 performance from the field against Southern Tech (2/19/94) that is still a program record, clinching a share of the first title in Clayton State Athletics history and becoming just the second 1,000-point scorer in team history. He accomplished the latter with 18 points at LaGrange on February 23, 1994.
 
Over the course of his career, Herring posted career averages of 17.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting .547 from the floor and was named to the All-NAIA District 25 Second Team (1991-92), All-Georgia Athletic Conference Team (1993-94). He was also a preseason selection to both of those teams as a junior and senior.
 
One of the best rebounders in Laker history, Herring holds the single game rebounding record with 19 against Brewton-Parker on January 11, 1992 and the highest career rebounding average (8.8 rpg.). He is also No. 1 all-time in field goal percentage for a single season (.589 in 1993-94) and defensive rebounds (156 in 1993-94).
 
His 17.3 points per game is the third highest for a career while his offensive (209) and defensive (344) rebounds are both third on the all-time list.
 
Herring is also second with 553 career boards more than 20 years after his playing career concluded.
 
THE CLASS OF 2017 – BEYOND THE NUMBERS
WARREN VAN DER WESTHUIZEN (MEN'S SOCCER, 1999-2002)
An intense player that made both opponents and teammates take note, Van Der Westhuizen was presented by his former coach at Clayton State, John Rootes.
 
"When I recruited Warren to come play here in 1999, I thought we had a good keeper coming in," said Rootes. "I was wrong. We had a fantastic keeper. In 30 years of NCAA coaching that has included national championships, he is the best goalkeeper I've ever worked with."
 
Rootes also gave some insight into the inner workings of the teams that Van Der Westhuizen was on and what helped make them so successful.
 
"No one could say his name when he got here, so we called him Dutchie. Well, Dutchie wasn't tolerant of others not giving 100-percent, whether it was teammates or coaches. He gave 100-percent all of the time and expected others to as well. He helped change Laker soccer to a winning culture and, in all honesty, he made my job easier because the players were more afraid of him than me. It is one of the highlights of my career to have coached him."
 
And it almost never happened. Not the coaching him part – anything after the age of 13. When Van Der Westhuizen took the podium, after an extended moment to compose himself, he tearfully shared with those in attendance what his path to the Hall of Fame entailed.
 
"I don't belong here. When I was 13 I was diagnosed with a disease that made my lungs collapse. I was told that I'd never walk again. Not only can I walk, but run and able to receive what is the greatest award of my life tonight."
 
Van Der Westhuizen didn't get there on his own either, and he made sure everyone knew that.
 
"John Rootes is more than a coach to me. For him to fly out here tonight just for this means everything. To my teammates, my roommate Shaun Baddock, you helped me be a better man and to change. To [Men's Soccer Head Coach] Pete Petersen, you taught me how to be a leader with love and caring. And to Clayton State, it was the first place I landed in the United States and my life was well lived here during my 10 years."
 
Warren Van Der Westhuizen – Hall of Fame Bio
One of the best soccer players in the history of Clayton State, Warren Van Der Westhuizen went 48-19-6 with a 0.71 goals against average and mind blowing 37 shutouts in four seasons.
 
He anchored the program's first two NCAA Division II Sweet 16 teams in 2000 (18-3-1) and 2001 (11-4-5) and led the Lakers to the first championship in program history, claiming the 2000 Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship with a 1-0 victory over USC Upstate on November 5 of that year.
 
A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Van Der Westhuizen joined the Lakers in 1999 and immediately set forth on a career that has been unrivaled by any goalkeeper in the team's history. He would go 7-7 that first season, notching seven shutouts with a 0.71 GAA. Taking over midway through the year, it would be the only time he would not notch double-digit victories in his career.
 
He would come into his own in the 2000 season as he recorded a Peach Belt Conference record 2,093 minutes in goal while going 18-3-1 with an incredible 14 shutouts. The latter is still tied for the third most in NCAA Division II history, trailing the all-time mark of 16 set in 1986.
 
In 2001, Van Der Westhuizen went 11-5-4 and once again helped the Lakers reach the postseason. It would be a year that would see him notch a 0.78 GAA, career-best 101 saves and another 10 shutouts, as the team claimed the PBC Regular Season Championship. He would conclude his playing career with a 12-4-1 mark and another six shutouts in 2002.
 
During his time in the Orange & Blue, Van Der Westhuizen rewrote the Laker record book when it came to goalkeepers. He currently owns four career marks, including first place in minutes (6,840), goals against average (.643) and shutouts (37). The latter is a whopping 22 ahead of second place. He is also second with 313 career saves.
 
In terms of single season records he is first in minutes (2,093 in 2000), GAA (.473 in 2000) and shutouts (14 in 2000) with the last one also being a Peach Belt Conference record. His 10 shutouts in 2001 rank in a tie for third and his seven as a freshman in 1999 are fifth.
 
Additionally, Van Der Westhuizen is 17th in career minutes in NCAA Division II history and never posted a goals against average above 0.94 in any of his four seasons. For his efforts he was a three-time All-Southeast Region and All-PBC selection (2000, 2001, 2002) and led the team in every pertinent goalkeeping category during his four years.
 
Beyond his exploits on the field, he also made a name for himself as a field athlete for Clayton State's track & field program. Competing in his senior year of 2002-03 he set the program record in the javelin with a mark of 54.04-meters.
 
Van Der Westhuizen continued to make an impact on Lakers soccer even after his playing career as he served as an assistant coach from 2003-08. During that time he mentored two-time All-PBC goalkeeper Heath Padgett and had a hand in four more championships as Clayton State won the PBC Tournament in 2005 and 2007 and regular season titles in 2006 and 2007.
 
THE CLASS OF 2017 – BEYOND THE NUMBERS
OLAITAN YUSUF (WOMEN'S SOCCER, 2004-07)
A scoring machine over the course of her four years, Yusuf was presented by the person whose records she surpassed and considers a lifelong friend and sister, fellow Hall of Famer Nkiru "NK" Okosieme.
 
"I can't explain what it is for a female from Nigeria, from Africa, to do what Olaitan has done, said Okosieme. "There, women don't play soccer, a men's game, and those that do are either playing soccer or going to school – not both. It is a huge accomplishment for her to be able to play the game the way she did."
 
However, NK didn't always know just what type of game that was.
 
"I was getting ready to graduate and told [Coach T.O.] Totty that I wanted someone to hand it over to and take it to the next level. They called me skinny but he told me he had this skinny girl to come in my senior year. Well, I wondered how she was going to get past defenders being so skinny."
 
"In a matter of minutes I realized she was blazing fast, had the grace of a gazelle and the aggression of a lioness. She demolished all the records I thought I had but I am so proud of her. She is like a younger sister to me and I have enjoyed watching her grow as a person."
 
Yusuf crystalized a theme common to the night and in past inductions – the feeling of family at Clayton State and the willingness of former Athletics Director and current Hall of Famer Mason Barfield to be available to help.
 
"Mason, you were there every time I needed something. I was scared. I was away from home, had no family or friends here. But I built up a new family when I got here to Clayton State. Totty helped me and it always felt like a family, especially with all the other teams supporting each other. I missed home and that kept me going. It is an honor to have been a part of this program."
 
Olaitan Yusuf – Hall of Fame Bio
Perhaps the most decorated player in the history of Clayton State women's soccer, Olaitan Yusuf obliterated the Lakers offensive records in her four years, finishing with an incredible 83 goals, 19 assists and 185 points.
 
Currently 15th all-time in goals scored in NCAA Division II history, she averaged 1.22 goals and 2.72 points per game over 68 contests.
 
Bursting onto the national scene in her first season of 2004, Yusuf led DII in both points per game (3.7) and goals per game (1.75) while drilling 35 goals and finishing with 74 points. Both of those totals would break teammate and Clayton State Athletics Hall of Famer Nkiru "NK" Okosieme's 2001 program records of 33 goals and 72 points, respectively. Both still stand to this day and her goal total also broke the Peach Belt Conference record.
 
As a sophomore in 2005, Yusuf produced 21 goals and a career-high eight assists for 50 points and finished No. 12 in the nation in points per game (2.5) and 14th in goals per game (1.05). After driving home eight game-winners as a freshman, she would add seven more in her second season.
 
Despite an early season injury that limited her to 13 games and 10 starts in 2006, Yusuf still managed to score seven goals along with five assists for 19 points. She would be back in form as a senior, however, scoring 20 goals to go with a pair of assists for 42 points, which ranked No. 2 in the nation in goals per game (1.333).
 
The numbers she put up over her four years were nearly beyond belief but what they helped accomplish are even more impressive. In 2004 she helped lead the Lakers to just their second Peach Belt Conference Tournament title game and first ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
 
The following year she and Clayton State stepped it up a notch, sweeping the 2005 PBC Regular Season and Tournament Championships for the first titles in program history and reached the NCAA's for the second consecutive season.
 
An incredible talent, Yusuf was recognized for her accomplishments on numerous occasions, but perhaps never so highly as when she was named an All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) in back-to-back years of 2004 and 2005. She was named to the Second-Team as a freshman and First-Team as a sophomore.
 
A three-time NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region selection (2004, 2005, 2007), she is also the only two-time PBC Player of the Year (2005, 2007) in team history. Along with that she was an All-PBC selection three times (2004, 2005, 2007) and PBC All-Tournament in 2004. In 2008, she was also recognized with the Laker Award, which represents the top female student-athlete at Clayton State
 
In addition to being the career leader in goals and points, Yusuf is third all-time with 19 assists and holds numerous single season records, including top marks of 35 goals and 74 points, both set in 2004. She is also second in points (50 in 2005), tied for second in assists (eight in 2005) and third in goals (21 in 2005). Yusuf also holds the single game goal (five) and point (10) records, having accomplished both against USC Aiken on October 9, 2004.
 
THE CLASS OF 2017 – BEYOND THE NUMBERS
LEONARD MORELAND
(SPECIAL INDUCTEE, HERITAGE BANK PRESIDENT & CEO, 1996-PRESENT)
Leonard Moreland may have been the final of the four inductees but his story was no less moving than the three individuals who preceded him. Clayton State Director of Advancement Services Terri Taylor-Hamrick laid the groundwork with her presentation speech.
 
"I've known Leonard for a very long time, and I'd like to tell you about the Leonard that I know. When you're in a meeting with him, people will say 'if Leonard's alright with that, so am I'. Why? Because Leonard is a man worthy of trust. He gives of himself fully when he commits to something."
 
Holding back tears, Taylor-Hamrick explained further just why Moreland was worthy of this honor.
 
"Many of you in this room know my 82-year old father. He's always coming to games with me … he is a good man. Only a couple remember my late husband who passed 15 years ago … he was a good man. And Leonard, I tell you that you are a good man."
 
Taking the podium, Moreland detailed his upbringing and why he has such a deep connection with Clayton State.
 
"As a kid, I grew up right behind this campus and I'd sneak in to play basketball. Sometimes I'd go in a building for a drink of water and sometimes security would run me off. I've been around Clayton State for close to 40 years."
 
"My dad left when I was five and my mother raised me. I am who I am because of her. Living in a two bedroom home with my Mom and sister, the odds were against me but I never knew it. It was because of their love and my Mom setting up a couch in the living room so my sister and I could each have our own room."
 
An active member of both the community and Clayton State University at some of the highest levels, he then told about what draws him to the campus these days.
 
"It's the energy. It's seeing the impact of the work we do and that Heritage Bank allows me to do with Clayton State. I'd be pretty selfish if I didn't try to pay back what Clayton State has done for me and meant to me. I've had the privilege of serving on the search committee that selected Tim Duncan as Athletics Director, who has been the right guy for the job. My daughter, who rehabbed her ACL injury under [former trainer] John Zubal, went into the physical therapy field largely in part to that experience. We are changing people's lives on this campus every day."
 
He concluded with one final thought that shows clearly his outlook and motivation.
 
"When people see me, some see a business man. Others see a bank president. When I look in the mirror, I see the finger prints of many people who gave generously."
 
Leonard Moreland – Hall of Fame Bio
A native and fixture of the Atlanta, Georgia community for more than 40 years and one of the most influential individuals in the success of Clayton State Athletics, Leonard Moreland becomes the fourth special inductee to be selected for the Hall of Fame.
 
Since 1996 he has served as President and CEO of Heritage Bank since and was part of the group that founded Southern Crescent Bank in 1990. In his career he has been named the Eastern Regional winner for the Independent Community Bankers Association and serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Henry County Chamber of Commerce.
 
One of his most impressive honors came in 2015 when he was elected to the University System of Georgia (USG) Regents' Hall of Fame for his work with Clayton State. He is one of only two individuals associated with the institution to be so recognized by that organization.
 
During his time at Heritage Bank, Moreland has been instrumental to the growth and continued success of Laker Athletics. For the past 17 years Heritage has sponsored at least one regular season basketball tournament and, in 2002, donated $25,000 to Clayton State Athletics. Until just recently it was the largest single donation in the Department's history.
 
In addition to his financial contributions over the years, he has been an integral part of Clayton State itself, serving on both the Advisory Board of the University's School of Business and as a Trustee for the Clayton State University Foundation. Through his involvement in these areas Moreland has helped to drive initiatives that include the expansion of student housing on campus.
 
In December of 2015, he was presented with an Honorary Degree from Clayton State in recognition of all of his efforts in advancing the mission of the institution. It is one of the highest honors that the school and the Board of Regents can bestow.
 
Moreland is a graduate of Morrow High School and then West Georgia College in Carrollton, Georgia. Leonard and his wife Kay have one child, Kristen Nicole, and reside locally in Jonesboro, Georgia.
 
IN CLOSING
Director of Athletics Tim Duncan closed out the evening's proceedings by focusing on gratitude. Gratitude for those that came before, for the current class of Hall of Famers, for those that made the night possible and for being in a position that allows for the building of relationships.
 
"When I was in college, I had maybe one or two substantive conversations with my athletic director. Wasn't his fault, just how it was. I'm fortunate to be in the greatest position in the greatest profession and have the opportunity to connect with our coaches, staff and our student-athletes."
 
He would also go on to touch on both the great achievements in the classroom of the current crop of student-athletes but also how leadership is often dealing with things when they don't go your way.
 
Echoing the sentiments of Leonard Moreland, Duncan addressed the Hall of Famers in the room.
 
"You have your finger prints on this program and are always welcome to come speak to our student-athletes. They need to understand that greatness has come before them and you set a tremendous example for them".
 
In one final thought, Duncan summed up not just an underlying them for the evening, but also for how Clayton State Athletics conducts itself and views current and former staffers, coaches and student-athletes alike.
 
"Once a Laker, Always a Laker."
 
History
Established in 2013, the Clayton State Athletics Hall of Fame was created to honor former Laker student-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty/staff and community members who have, by their outstanding achievements, contributed to the ideals of the Clayton State Department of Athletics. Including this year's honorees, the Clayton State Athletics Hall of Fame has named four classes and enshrined 16 former student-athletes, coaches, administrators and special inductees.