Sept. 2, 2005

College and pro football hall of famer Mike Singletary headlines a group of five former Baylor football standouts who will be honored this fall as part of the Baylor Football Legend series. The Baylor Legend program, unveiled in 2002, is designed to salute its most elite student-athletes who have worn the green and gold.

"We look forward to honoring these men as part of our legends program this fall," said Baylor Associate Athletic Director/B Association Executive Director Walter Abercrombie. "I believe this is an outstanding group of legends to recognize this year."

Arguably the greatest middle linebacker of his era, Singletary will be honored during the Oct. 15 Nebraska game, at which time Baylor's 1980 Southwest Conference championship football team will also return to campus to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Singletary was a three-time All-SWC pick and two-time unanimous All-American who made the 1970-95 All-Quarter Century All-American Team.

The all-time leading tackler in school history, Singletary went on to a standout career with the Chicago Bears, where he earned 10 All-Pro awards and the NFL Man of the Year Award. He currently is serving as the assistant head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

Other 2005 Baylor Football Legends include Gary Joe Kinne (Samford, Sept. 10), Dennis Gentry (Texas Tech, Oct. 29) Vann McElroy (Texas, Nov. 5) and Jay Jeffrey (Oklahoma State, Nov. 19).

Kinne, the head football coach and athletic director at Canton (Texas) High School, will be honored at halftime of tonight's game between Canton and Grand Saline (Texas) High School. A four-year letterman for Coach Grant Teaff's Bears from 1986 through 1989, Kinne earned 1988 All-Southwest Conference honors as a middle linebacker after leading the Baylor defense in tackles, tackles for loss, interceptions and fumble recoveries. He ranks as the seventh-leading tackler in school history with 323 stops and his 144 career assisted tackles stand sixth on the Baylor's all-time list.

Gentry garnered 1980 All-Southwest Conference honors and finished his career with 2,231 rushing yards, which ranks fifth on Baylor's all-time list. He was the second Bear ever to top the career 2,000-yard rushing mark and finished his career with six 100-yard games, which equals the fourth-highest total in school history. A 2002 inductee into the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame, Gentry was a fourth-round selection of the NFL's Chicago Bears in 1982 and spent 10 seasons with the Windy City franchise. He is a member of the school's 1980-89 All-Decade Team.

Another standout on Baylor's 1980 Southwest Conference title team, McElroy was a four-year letter winner at free safety from 1978 through 1981. A two-time All-SWC performer, he earned All-America honors as a senior in 1981. McElroy shares the Bears' career record for interceptions with 16, eight of which were recorded in 1980. A third-round selection by the NFL's Oakland Raiders in 1982, he played for the Raiders from 1982 through 1987 and spent the 1990 season with the Seattle Seahawks. McElroy was named to Baylor's 1980-89 All-Decade Team and was inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame in 1994.

The starting quarterback on the Bears' 1980 Southwest Conference championship squad, Jeffrey earned All-SWC honors in 1980. He ranks among Baylor's all-time leaders in nearly every passing category, despite only playing two seasons for the Bears. Jeffrey's son, Ryan, is a fifth-year senior on Baylor's 2005 football team.

Tickets for all 2005 Baylor home football games may be purchased by contacting the Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-BAYLOR-U.