BELLE GLADE – The Muck City Hall of Fame Inaugural Induction Ceremony was held June 5 at the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center.
Inductees included:

• Football Rickey Jackson, Santonio Holmes Jr., Jimmy Spencer and Jessie Hester;

• Coach: Milton Watson;

• Other sports: Evette Lyman, basketball and track and field; Jerry Seymore, wrestling.

• Lifetime Achievement: Clarence Anthony, former mayor of South Bay; Earl Poitier, actor: Janet Taylor, community advocate; and, Willie Gary, attorney;

The Muck City Project’s mission is to preserve the local Muck City sport’s history, revitalize the community, and honor excellence within the Glades Community while making a connection between generations of people who enjoy sports on every level.

The Muck City Hall of Fame was created after years of strategic planning to pay homage to the amazing athletes and patrons that have come out of “The Muck.”

The Glades community has produced more than 75 NFL players, 400 college athletes and thousands of high school athletes throughout the years. Intended to be an exhilarating museum and attraction, the Muck City Hall of Fame pays tribute to the talents and triumphs of the Glades greatest legends. Chronicled within the walls of the Hall of Fame will be the stories, circumstances, and memorabilia of play that bring to life words such as courage, dedication, vision, fair play, integrity and excellence.

About the football inductees...

Rickey Anderson Jackson  is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints (1981–1993) and the San Francisco 49ers (1994–1995). With the Saints, he led the team's Dome Patrol linebacker corps. In 1997, Jackson was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame.[1] Jackson won a Super Bowl ring with the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX one year before retiring. On February 7, 2010, Jackson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Santonio Holmes Jr. is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State University. In 2009, Holmes was named MVP of Super Bowl XLIII as the Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals. In 2010, Holmes was traded to the New York Jets in exchange for the Jets’ fifth round pick. Holmes also played a season for the Chicago Bears.

James Arthur Spencer, Jr. is an American former college and professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons during the 1990s and early 2000s. Spencer played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos of the NFL. Spencer was born in Manning, South Carolina. He attended Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Florida, and he played high school football for the Glades Central Raiders.

Jessie Lee Hester is a former professional American football wide receiver who played 11 years in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Raiders, the Atlanta Falcons, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams from 1985 to 1995. After retiring from the NFL, Jessie returned home to Belle Glade, Florida to become the head football coach at his alma mater, Glades Central High School. Hester had led the Raiders to the playoffs for three consecutive years and appearances in two consecutive state championship games. In 2011, he went 3-7 as head football coach at Suncoast High School. In the spring of 2012, Hester became Athletic Director for Lake Worth Community High School. In December 2012, Hester was named football coach.

The Muck City Project and the Muck City Sports Hall of Fame are proudly sponsored by Florida Crystals.