NORFOLK, Va. --- Former Hampton University football standout Justin Durant will be part of the 2015 Class of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Hall of Fame, the conference office announced on Monday.
 
"I'd like to congratulate the 2015 Hall of Fame class for all their accomplishments, both athletically and professionally," said MEAC Commissioner Dennis E. Thomas. "The honorees have made significant contributions to their communities, institutions, and this conference."
 
During his career at Hampton, Durant led the Pirates to three straight MEAC championships (2004, 2005, 2006) and was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Year three consecutive seasons – becoming the first player in conference history to achieve that.
 
He had 339 career tackles at Hampton, the third-most in program history, and he led the conference in 2006 with 98 tackles. His 176 career solo tackles are also the third-most in program history.
 
Durant was a three-time First Team All-MEAC selection and a three-time Black College All-American. He was also named a Walter Camp All-American in 2005 and an Associated Press All-American in 2005 and 2006.
 
He was selected in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, becoming the highest-drafted Pirate ever. Durant spent four seasons with the Jaguars, racking up 272 tackles and two interceptions, before spending two seasons with the Detroit Lions.
 
Durant has been with the Dallas Cowboys since 2013.
 
The 2015 inductees will be enshrined during an awards brunch of Friday, March 13 at 9:30 a.m. at the Sheraton Waterside Hotel in Norfolk, Va. Tickets for the brunch are $35 per seat and $300 per table (10 seats).
 
Tickets can be purchased by calling the MEAC office at (757) 951-2055.
 
The new class will also be recognized during the 2015 MEAC Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament, March 9-15 at Norfolk Scope Arena.
 
The MEAC Hall of Fame highlights former student-athletes, coaches, university and/or conference administrators as well as special contributors, who have enriched the legacy of the conference since its inception in 1970. Hall of Famers were selected by a 13-person committee made up of administrators and representatives from member institutions.
 
The inaugural Hall of Fame class was inducted on May 29, 1981 during a 10-year anniversary banquet in Greensboro, N.C. Since its establishment, the MEAC Hall of Fame has enshrined 128 people, including the class of 2015.
 
Joining Durant in the Class of 2015 will be former Howard football standout Antoine Bethea, Florida A&M baseball star Marquis Grissom, Howard volleyball standout Breshawn N. Harris, and former Maryland Eastern Shore Director of Athletics Dr. Hallie Gregory.
 
For more information on Hampton University football, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.