UIC Athletics

Award: Lifetime Achievement 

Inducted: 2013

Clay began his association with UICC in the early 1970s as a football player. He coached and served as the Campus Recreation Director from 1991-2007. He is best known to Flames fans as the public address announcer at the UIC Pavilion during Flames men's basketball games.

Clay has been the Pavilion voice of the Flames since 1980, also entertaining fans during hockey games when it was a varsity sport at UIC. Additionally, Clay had a front row seat for some of the greatest professional basketball moments as the PA announcer for the Chicago Bulls from 1990-2002.

Award: Lifetime Achievement 

Inducted: 2011

Gapski graduated from UIC in 1982 and immediately accepted the assistant athletic trainer position. Eventually he became the co-head athletic trainer role, which he shared with Carol Humble. Gapski worked with the hockey team and in 1987 the Chicago Blackhawks offered their head athletic trainer position, a job he couldn't refuse. His skills were recognized, and he has twice been asked to work in the NHL All-Star Game and in 2010 was a part of the Stanley Cup Championship team.

Award: Lifetime Achievement 

Inducted: 2009

Grover played on the men's basketball team from 1980 to 1984 enjoying team success winning the Mid-Continent Universities Conference championship in 1983-84 and setting a school record for 22 wins. It is is hard work in the classroom the Grover is most proud of his time at UIC. Grover was one of the first students to graduate from UIC with a degree in kinesiology.

Grover leveraged his degree and experience from UIC and founded ATTACK Athletics. Attack Athletics has become the premier training facility for athletes from all sports nationwide. Grover has worked with the likes of Chicagoans Dwayne Wade, Donovan McNabb, and NBA Legend Michael Jordan.

Award: 50-Year Golden Anniversary

Inducted: 1997

Humble served as UIC's head athletic trainer for over 12 years, from 1985-1997. In addition to the daily routine in the training room of getting the athletes prepared and traveling with various teams, Humble was the educational coordinator of the Athletic Training Internship Specialization with the School of Kinesiology. As the coordinator, she was instrumental in assisting numerous student athlete trainers complete their educational requirements to successfully complete their National Athletic Trainers Association certification.

She was co-founder and Vice President of the Chicago Sports Medicine Society and the UIC Sports Medicine Committee. Humble was also an integral part in helping to get the approval for the funding of the Sports Medicine Clinic.

Award: 50-Year Golden Anniversary

Inducted: 1997

Johnson established his name as one of the great contributors to the sport of men's gymnastics during his 36 seasons as UIC's head coach. He cultivated a tradition of excellence in the program accumulated numerous championships and awards, including a pair of NCAA Division II National Championships, four consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division I Regionals, the school's first ever Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) championship in 2004 and back-to-back ECAC titles in 2009 and 2010.

Recognized as one of the top gymnastic coaches in the country, Johnson received numerous awards during his career, including the prestigious NCAA Honor Coach Award for excellence and giving 25 years to gymnastics as a contributor, coach and athlete. The US Gymnastics Federation rewarded him with its Distinguished Service Award, and he was also named the NCAA Coach of the Year twice.

Award: Lifetime Achievement

Inducted: 1995

Russo served 36 years at the Chicago campus, including nine as the director of athletics from 1986 to 1995. After attending Navy Pier for two years, he went on to earn his undergraduate and master's degrees from U of I at Urbana-Champaign. Russo returned to Navy Pier as an instructor and basketball and baseball coach. Starting in 1962 he served as the head basketball coach for 10 years.

Russo moved on to be the director of campus recreation and associate athletic director before becoming the athletic director. He played a critical role in formulating the plan that moved the UIC athletic program as a major player in the NCAA Division I ranks. "Tom's many contributions and accomplishments on campus cover much more than athletics and encompasses the development of a first class recreation policy and more positive external relationships, not to mention his academic contributions in the classroom," said former Associate Chancellor Dr. Richard Ward.