The City of Biloxi will induct a new class of Biloxians into the Biloxi Sports Hall of Fame during an August weekend celebration that will include a Shrimp Bowl football doubleheader and downtown parade, and dedication of the A.J. Holloway Sports Complex.
The hall of fame inductees will mark the first time in 23 years that the city has added to the roster of 104 individuals who are already in the Biloxi Sports Hall of Fame.
“This is something that I have wanted to do for years, but was just never in a position to do it,” said Sherry Bell, a longtime city employee who began overseeing the city’s Parks and Recreation Department a year ago. “We have a great lineup of events surrounding the Shrimp Bowl football doubleheader on Saturday, Aug. 18, and with the formal naming of the Biloxi Sports Complex for Mayor Holloway that weekend, I figured this was a great opportunity to bring back the hall of fame.”
This year’s Shrimp Bowl classic will feature Biloxi vs. Picayune and Gulfport vs. Pascagoula in games played at the Biloxi High School campus, but the football games are only part of the story, Bell said.
Indian head football coach John Shannon is helping organize a Shrimp Bowl parade to take place the day before the big game, and game day will feature the unveiling of the new entrance to the city’s sports complex near Biloxi High School. The City Council voted to rename the facility the “A.J. Holloway Sports Complex,” in honor of the city’s longest-serving mayor, who also was a high school football standout before playing on the storied Ole Miss football teams of ’59-’61.
“It’s going to be a big weekend for Biloxi and Biloxi sports,” Bell said. “Right now, we’re looking for nominations for the new class of inductees. We don’t have a specific number of inductees in mind at this point, but we’re asking people to nominate individuals – athletes, coaches, officials or anyone – who have contributed to athletics in Biloxi.”
Sports Hall of Fame members: To see a list of current hall of fame members, by year inducted, click here. To see an alphabetized list of inductees, click here.
Nominate someone: To see a nomination form, click here.
Shrimp Bowl lineup: To see a lineup of the events being held in conjunction with this year’s Shrimp Bowl, click here.
