HAMPTON, Va. (May 22, 2025) … Hampton University director of athletics Anthony D. Henderson Sr. unveiled the Hampton Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025 on Thursday. Inductees include Yvette Lewis (track & field), Jerome Mathis (football, track & field), Roger deSantis Guedes (tennis), Kellie Wells Brinkley (track & field), Dr. James Griffin (track, football, basketball coach, educator), Cordell Jerome Taylor (football) and Patricia Cage-Bibbs (women's basketball coach).
 

In addition, longtime department of athletics administrator John "Buster" Jackson will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Jackson has been part of the department since 1978 when he came to Hampton as a freshman as a football student manager. The 1985 Hampton football team, which earned the Black College National Championship after winning the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) title and advancing to the NCAA Division II Playoffs, will be recognized as the Team of Distinction.

The Hampton Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony is slated for Friday, Sept. 5. Proceeds from the event benefit Pirate student-athletes through the Hampton Athletics Foundation. Inductees will also be honored during ceremonies at Hampton's Sept. 6 football game against Elizabeth City State at Armstrong Stadium.
 

Hampton University Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025
 

Yvette served as associate head coach for the Hampton University women's track & field program, followed a storied career as a student-athlete. The Newport News, Va., native was a two-time NCAA champion during her collegiate career, winning the 2006 indoor triple jump title before winning the same event in the 2007 outdoor season. They were the first track & field national championships in Hampton Division I history. She was a four-time All-American, as named by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), and Lewis holds 10 school records. Lewis helped lead Hampton to the 2019 Big South Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships. She established herself as one of the world's top hurdlers at the 2011 Pan American Games winning the gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles as well as a silver medal in the 4x100-meter relay. Her success was a major part of the Lady Pirates' growth into a MEAC power; in 2007, she won MEAC championships in the indoor 60-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 60-meter hurdles, long jump, and triple jump; as well as the outdoor 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 100-meter hurdles, and triple jump. In 2006, Lewis was a MEAC indoor champion in the 200-meter dash, triple jump, and pentathlon, while also taking MEAC crowns in the outdoor 200-meter dash, 100-meter hurdles, and triple jump.
 

Jerome Mathis distinguished himself as an elite athlete earning All-America honors in both football and track & field. Mathis excelled on both the football field and the track for Hampton from 2001-05. As a wide receiver for the Pirates, he averaged a touchdown every 4.4 receptions. An All-American in 2004, Mathis also excelled in the kick return game and the Petersburg, Va., native led the nation in receiving yards, averaging 29.8 per catch, and his 35.5-yard kickoff return average also led the I-AA. He returned six kickoffs for touchdowns in his college career, breaking the NCAA career record. He also had 4,541 all-purpose yards in just 35 career games. On the track, Mathis was a two-time NCAA East Region champion in the 200-meter dash, setting the regional and school record with a personal-best 20.32 in 2004. He was also a two-time All-American in track & field, finishing runner-up in the 200-meter dash in 2003. Mathis was a Pro Bowler with the Houston Texans, who drafted him in the fourth round in 2005, and also played for the Washington Redskins.
 

"Roger Guedes is the one player who turned the Hampton Institute tennis program around. He is the one we were able to build our entire program around," said legendary Pirate tennis coach Robert Screen. Guedes was Screen's first nationally-ranked recruit and helped pave the way for other international standout players to attend Hampton. With the Sao Paulo, Brazil, native leading the way, Hampton moved from a CIAA power to a national powerhouse. Guedes led the Pirates to the 1976 NCAA Division II national championship in Maryville, Mo. He teamed with Brice Foxworth to win the doubles title and advanced to the finals of the singles competition. Following his career at Hampton, Guedes played in the European circuit during the summer, earning five ATP points. He was ranked as high as 89th in the pro tour rankings and made the main draw at Wimbledon. He posted a 66-15 (.815) record in singles play while at Hampton including an 18-1 record against state competition, which included wins at Virginia Tech, Virginia and Old Dominion.
 

A member of the MEAC Hall of Fame, Kellie Wells won the 60-meter dash at the USA Indoor Nationals in 2011 and finished the year ranked fourth in the world in the 100-meter hurdles. She also won the bronze medal in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2012 Olympics in London. She was an All-American at Hampton in the indoor 60-meter hurdles in 2006, after earning first-team All-MEAC honors. She was also a second-team All-MEAC honoree in the indoor 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash that same season. During the 2005 outdoor season, she was named first- team All-MEAC in the 100-meter dash and third-team All-MEAC in the 200-meter dash. She currently holds the MEAC record in the 100-meter dash with a clocking of 8.08 in 2006. Wells still holds school records in the 60-meter dash (7.33), 55-meter hurdles (7.60) and 60-meter hurdles (8.08). In 2011, Wells won the 60-meter dash at the USA Indoor Nationals after turning in a time of 7.79, and she finished the year ranked No. 4 in the world in the 100-meter hurdles.
 

A coach. An educator. A student-athlete. Dr. James Griffin did it all during his celebrated career at Hampton Institute. As an athlete, "Little Train" was a standout quarterback on the football and track & field teams. In 1940, he was named to the Black All-American football team (1940) as well as earning All-CIAA honors. A 1940 Hampton graduate, he was the head football coach in 1940 and 1941 leading the Pirates to an 8-1-1 record and a berth in the Orange Blossom Classic in 1941. On the track, he set the school mark in the 100-yard dash (9.6 seconds) and the 220-yard dash (21.3 seconds). He was a member of the mile relay team that won the Penn Relays College Division crown. Following a stint in the U.S. Army during World War II, he returned to the university where he served as a member of the university's faculty for 46 years. As track coach, Griffin established the Hampton Relays in 1950 and was the first state coach to use "sprint" baton hand-off. He was the first coach in Virginia to allow black and white athletes to compete together. He was elected to the CIAA Hall of Fame (1980), the Lower Peninsula Hall of Fame (1992) and was honored by the university with "Jimmy Griffin Day" on Sept. 13, 1980. He was also active in the community and served on the Hampton School Board for eight years.
 

Cordell Taylor was a standout cornerback at Hampton University under legendary coach Joe Taylor. A four-year letterman, Taylor earned All-American and All-MEAC honors. He played in the Blue-Gray Game following his senior season with the Pirates. He was drafted in the second round (57th pick) of the 1998 NFL draft and was a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears. He also played in NFL Europe with the Scottish Claymores and the Canadian Football League with the Edmonton Eskimos. Following his time in the NFL, he returned to Hampton and joined Coach Donovan Rose's coaching staff where he served as secondary coach. He also served on the coaching staffs at Savannah State and Norfolk State. The Norfolk, Va., native was a standout player at Booker T. Washington High before accepting a football scholarship to attend Hampton from 1993-97.
 

Patricia Cage-Bibbs is one of the most decorated coaches in HBCU women's basketball history. She coached at Hampton University from 1997-2004 and established the Pirates as a powerhouse in the MEAC. They posted a 127-83 (.605) in seven seasons under her leadership including an impressive 95-31 (.754) mark in conference play. During her tenure as head coach, Cage-Bibbs' teams won four MEAC regular season championship titles (1998, 1999, 2003 and 2004) and three MEAC Tournament titles (2000, 2003 and 2004). She was named the MEAC Coach of the Year during her first year at Hampton (1997-98) after leading the team to a regular season co-championship title. She was the 51st coach to join the 500-victory club and finished her coaching career with a record of 505-321 (.611) with stops at Grambling State, Hampton and North Carolina A&T. In all, her teams won 12 regular-season crowns, seven league titles and six NCAA Tournament invitations. She was inducted into the Grambling State Sports Hall of Fame as well as the MEAC Hall of Fame.
 

A native of Newport News, Va., John "Buster" Jackson enrolled at Hampton Institute in 1978. Upon arriving on campus, he met with Dr. Walter Lovett, head football coach, and became a student manager for the football team. In his role, he worked not only at home football games but traveled with the team to games on the road. The streak that began in 1978 continues to this day. In all, Jackson has attended 512 consecutive football games covering 46 seasons. Following graduation from Hampton, Jackson was hired as the university's full-time equipment manager for the department of athletics. Over the years, his title has changed as have his job responsibilities. As assistant director of athletics for facilities and equipment operations, Jackson can now be seen at virtually every home Hampton athletic event. A year ago, he was honored by the Peninsula Sports Club.
 

Led by first-year head coach Fred Freeman, the Pirates posted a 10-2 record with a 6-1 mark in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association play. After Winston-Salem State topped the Pirates 47-13 on Sept 28 at Armstrong Stadium, Hampton gained revenge by beating the No. 8-ranked Rams 13-7 in the CIAA title game behind Carl Painter's 108 rushing yards. It marked Hampton's first CIAA crown since 1931. Hampton advanced to the NCAA Playoffs, falling to No. 3-ranked Bloomsburg 38-28. Painter rushed for 1,170 yards and nine TDs while quarterback Marco Stacy passed for 796 yards and 10 touchdowns. At the conclusion of the season, the Pirates were also recognized as Black College National Champions.