Wednesday, Xavier University of Louisiana announced that an octet of greats would be enshrined in the XULA Athletic Hall of Fame. 

Six former student-athletes, along with a former coach and a staffer, comprise the Class of 2026:

• Willie Bloxton (Football)
• Ernest Campbell (Football)
• Peter W. "Champ" Clark (Staff)
• Catherine Fakler (Women's Track and Field)
• Dorcas Harvey (Women's Basketball)
• Robert "Bob" Hopkins Sr. (Men's Basketball Coach)
• Alex Williams (Men's Basketball)
• Byron Williams (Men's Basketball)

The new inductees will be honored with a banquet as part of XULA's 2026 Homecoming Week Festivities. Tickets for the banquet, which will occur at 6 p.m. on Nov. 5 in the University Center Ballroom, can be purchased at: https://xulatix.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=1799.

For more information, please contact DeMarquez Trotter, Assistant Athletics Director of Gameday Operations and Community Engagement, at 504-520-5379 or dtrotte1@xula.edu.

Each of this year's honorees left an indelible mark on XULA. 

Inductee Biographies

Willie Bloxton played football for XULA from 1948–51 and was a standout lineman for the Gold Rush. A native of Chicago, Bloxton is the only XULA athlete selected twice to the Pittsburgh Courier HBCU All-America Team, earning first-team honors on offense in 1950 and first-team honors on defense in 1951. He also earned first-team All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors at right guard in 1950 and left guard in 1951. Bloxton helped lead Xavier to its two winningest football seasons at the time, including a 7–1 record in 1950 and an 8–1 record in 1951, with victories over Grambling and Southern.

Ernest Campbell played football for XULA from 1951–54 and was one of the Gold Rush's top linemen and placekickers. A New Orleans native and graduate of Booker T. Washington High School, Campbell earned first-team All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors three times and was named to the Pittsburgh Courier HBCU All-America First Team as a senior in 1954. He became XULA's final Pittsburgh Courier HBCU All-American. Campbell scored the final point in Xavier's 9–7 Thanksgiving Day victory over Dillard in 1953 by completing a conversion pass to John Quarles, and he kicked six extra points in a 99–0 victory over Tougaloo that season. After XULA, Campbell served in the Army.

Peter W. "Champ" Clark served as XULA's sports information director from 1948–53 after earning both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Xavier. Born in Alexandria and a New Orleanian since age 3, Clark was a graduate of Xavier Prep and went on to become an educator, journalist and author. He spent 45 years in Orleans Parish public schools and became Louisiana's first African American radio talk show host. Clark also provided play-by-play for St. Augustine High School football and XULA men's basketball and served as ring announcer for the 1978 Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks and 1980 Sugar Ray Leonard-Roberto Durán world championship fights in New Orleans. He was an Air Force officer for five years during World War II and, as of 2001, remained the only African American recipient of the New Orleans Saints' Joe Gemelli Fleur de Lis Award. In 2011, he was one of 10 media members honored by the Saints with a press-box plaque at the Superdome. Clark was born May 24, 1914, and died May 28, 2006.

Catherine Fakler was one of the most accomplished distance runners in XULA women's track and field history. She won four individual events at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, capturing the 3,000-meter steeplechase, 800 meters, 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters, while also anchoring the winning 3,200-meter relay after overcoming a 75-meter deficit. Fakler won the GCAC 1,500-meter championship four consecutive years and captured the 5,000-meter and steeplechase titles three consecutive years. In one dominant 5,000-meter performance, she lapped all eight competitors and won by nearly two minutes. Fakler helped lead the Gold Nuggets to their third consecutive GCAC team championship and maintained a 4.0 cumulative GPA, combining sustained athletic dominance with academic excellence.

Dorcas Harvey played women's basketball for XULA from approximately 1983–87 and became one of the Gold Nuggets' notable long-range shooters during the introduction of the three-point shot at the collegiate level. Known by her teammates as "Dark Shooting from the Park," Harvey brought excitement and energy to the court while showcasing her shooting ability and competitive spirit during an important period in the evolution of the game. Beyond basketball, Harvey has continued to demonstrate the Xavierite Spirit through her commitment to community service and giving back to others, reflecting the University's values of excellence and service.

Robert "Bob" Hopkins Sr. coached the XULA men's basketball team from 1969–74, compiling an 82–45 (.646) record during his five seasons with the Gold Rush. Hopkins is the only Xavier men's basketball coach to lead the program to the third round, or quarterfinals, of the NAIA National Tournament, accomplishing the feat in 1973. He guided Xavier to back-to-back 20-win seasons, including records of 22–5 in 1971–72 and 21–6 in 1972–73. The 1973 team recorded one of the biggest victories in program history by defeating top-ranked and eventual national runner-up Stephen F. Austin State, 67–60, in the second round of the NAIA National Tournament before advancing to the national quarterfinals. Xavier was the longest tenure of Hopkins' 17-season collegiate head-coaching career. He was inducted into at least six athletic halls of fame for his contributions to the sport. Hopkins was born Nov. 3, 1934, and died May 15, 2015.

Alex Williams played men's basketball for XULA from 1985–87 after transferring from Kansas State University. A native of St. Louis and graduate of O'Fallon Technical High School, Williams finished his Xavier career among the program's all-time leaders in several categories, including blocked shots per game, free-throw attempts per game, field-goal percentage, rebounds per game, scoring average and career blocked shots. As a senior in 1986–87, he set Xavier single-season records, since surpassed, with 245 free-throw attempts and 171 free throws made. Williams earned NAIA All-America Honorable Mention and All-Conference/All-District honors as a senior after averaging 17.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots per game while shooting 59.1 percent from the field. As a junior, he averaged 16.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots per game while shooting 62.9 percent.

Byron Williams played men's basketball for XULA from 1976–80 and remains the Gold Rush's career leader with 1,036 rebounds. A native of Slidell and graduate of Salmen High School, Williams also ranks among Xavier's all-time leaders in rebounds per game, field-goal percentage and career points. He is the only Gold Rush player to record more than 1,000 career rebounds and became the first Xavier player to average at least 10 points per game in four consecutive seasons. Williams earned NAIA District 30 honors as a junior and senior and represented the South in the 1980 Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches North-South All-Star Game, helping the South to a 110–107 victory. After his playing career, Williams spent nearly 30 years as a teacher, coach and principal in St. Tammany Parish Public Schools before becoming an administrative supervisor for the St. Tammany Parish School Board in 2009.

Nomination Process  

Future nominees can be submitted in two ways:

• Online by clicking here
• A letter of nomination emphasizing a candidate's qualifications sent to Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation, Xavier University of Louisiana, 1 Drexel Drive, Box 92, New Orleans, LA 70125

Note: Nominees must be removed 5 years before they are nominated. 

Please see attached link for previous write-up for reference: https://xulagold.com/news/2025/7/16/hall-of-fame-2025.aspx

XULA honored its first Athletic Hall of Fame class — 20 inductees, including two teams — in 2022.